Bohemia. Barrie. Beauties. Behold.

Thanks to Caitlin McKenzie Helinski, the Barrie haven a.k.a. BOHEMIA and the sold out audience in attendance last night. We had fun (and that Barrie story)! Such a pleasure.

Special thanks to Isla for the safe journey home.

Plat du jour

I’ve been at this awhile. This one raised the bar, thanks to Rachele, Ry [& Christine] for holding such an extraordinary, essential setting, the Palace of Pleasure, Venus Envy on Barrington Street. Halifax. Bold. Queer. Liberation. Joy. She bows. Thank you x’s a zillion!

Pure magic

“It doesn’t ‘get better.’ Read the queers who have lived before you. Gird your loins.” Kirby, Behold

“Let’s have a gay moment, shall we?”

TORONTO 20-23 Jan 7pm SOLD OUT [knife | fork | book benefit]

MONTREAL 18 Feb SOLD OUT [Private Salon Event]

BOOKING INFO TO BRING KIRBY TO YOUR LIVING ROOM OR INTIMATE VENUE CONTACT: knifeforkbook [at] gmail [dot] com Subject line: Behold

Coming to a living room near you.

“Let’s have a gay moment, shall we?”

TORONTO 20-23 Jan 7pm SOLD OUT [knife | fork | book benefit]

MONTREAL 18 Feb SOLD OUT [Private Salon Event]

BOOKING INFO TO BRING KIRBY TO YOUR LIVING ROOM OR INTIMATE VENUE CONTACT: knifeforkbook [at] gmail [dot] com Subject line: Behold

Winter fun[draising]

These past two winters, I read poems nightly as a way of staying connected through the pandemic, honing in on my craft, and hopefully a comfort of sorts to reader and listener.

This winter, we’re in the throes of raising funds for knife | fork | book, the press and mounting this year’s Fertile Festival of New & Inventive Ideas [11-20 August 2023 Remote Gallery Toronto] with Guest Curators Hoa Nguyen and Klara du Plessis.

During KFB’s fundraising drive, for every donation received, [either through Patreon or by scanning the code below], I’ll read a poem and post it on my Instagram in thanks.

You may also be aware of a series of staged readings, Behold, I’m giving to benefit KFB. Two of the six nights are SOLD OUT, with few tickets remaining.

Help us continue what we do with panache. Poetry. Well-served.

KIRBY Behold

“How is it you and I are both still alive?”

Before the pandemic, I was rendering a stage adaption of THIS IS WHERE I GET OFF, slated to workshop that summer. Now expanded to include new writing, I’m giving a series of intimate staged readings this winter to benefit KFB.

Like most everything I’ve written, it’s a romance. – KIRBY

KIRBY Behold

Four intimate workshop performances to benefit knife | fork | book

An audience of ten per performance in a downtown Toronto living room setting. Address/es instructions will be shared with ticket holders on the morning of the performance; Approximate running time 1 hour 30 minutes.

TICKETS NOW ON SALE SOLD OUT

20-23 January 2023 7PM SOLD OUT [Thank you!]

Limited Edition BEHOLD Poster & Pamphlet also available.

Stunningly so

“Like its author, Kirby’s stunningly good book Poetry is Queer defies categorization. It’s part memoir, part history of gay Toronto, part commonplace book (though—again, like its author—Kirby’s writing is anything but commonplace), part cultural travelogue, part guide for living (“If you’re gonna stew, make certain it’s not only edible, but delicious”), part queer manifesto, part meditation on the body, part poignant self-reflection, part celebratory self-examination, and absolutely always gloriously Kirby.”

K. R. Wilson, Call Me Stan: A Tragedy In Three Millennia

Scott sings

NOW ON AUDIOBOOK

It’s delightful, It’s delicious, it’s delectable, It’s delirious
It’s dilemma, it’s de-limit, it’s deluxe
It’s de-lovely

– Cole Porter

KIRBY POETRY IS QUEER [Palimpsest Press]

Produced and recorded by DON PYLE

Complete. Unabridged. Read by the author.

BUY YOURS TODAY

Full moon

from the set-list POETRY IS QUEER Toronto Launch BLACK EAGLE last night

The Full Moon of July 13 happens to be the biggest and brightest of all the Full Moons of 2022 — the ‘perigee’ supermoon!

Full moon. Black Eagle. Toronto. Last night. An encounter between particles resulting in exchange or transformation of energy. A perfect collision to launch the Purple Love Chunk.

It was well worth the wait.

Full moon, full receptive house, many familiars from treasured communities. My local. The street where I live.

To Carlos, Frank, the two Steve’s, and Jacob at the Eagle, Don Pyle serving music, Will Manning at the book table, Aimee & Jim at Palimpsest, and every face that shone back at me in attendance. “It has indeed been grand.”

Thanks for making it so.

DON PYLE PIQ LAUNCH MIX BLACK EAGLE TORONTO 13 JULY 2022

NOTE: The audiobook for Poetry Is Queer (Palimpsest Press) is OUT TOMORROW read in its entirety by me, recorded by Don Pyle . I’ll include link here once it’s active.

KIRBY PIQ BLACK EAGLE TORONTO JUNE 13 8PM

My first gig in Toronto was a solo show at The Rivoli, GWM performed naked in a bathtub, followed by Anal Pleasures, at the Cabana Room on Spadina, premiering The Battle of the Flesh at The Music Gallery, a few stints at Rhubarb!, launching Cock & Soul at This Ain’t the Rosedale Library, sitting in bath towels at the Spa on Maitland passing poppers for The World is Fucked and Sometimes Beautiful, She’s Having A Doris Day in Kensington Market with CA, doing a “buddy-booth” sex tour on the streets of Montreal (This Is Where I Get Off), with go-go boys at KFB, launching PIQ with a ukulele band in Harbourville, Nova Scotia, and now thrilled to announce the Official Toronto Launch of my newest Poetry Is Queer at my local haunt on the street where I live, The Black Eagle. The Don Pyle will serving music, and yes, I’ll be serving up Kirby. All are welcome [19+] Come. Celebrate with me.

KIRBY

POETRY IS QUEER

BLACK EAGLE

457 CHURCH STREET

OFFICIAL TORONTO LAUNCH

13 JULY 8PM

ALL WELCOME 19+

10×10

Yes, she’s 63 and having this much fun.

Thrilled to be a part of 10×10‘s 10th thanks to the brilliant photographer THOMAS BRASCH for making it really easy & pretty. And, the inclusion of my favourite line in PIQ, priceless.

Buy the book. Attend the reception/show.