Stephen Bett has had twenty books and five chapbooks of poetry published:
SongBu®st (BlazeVOX Books, 2024); Broken Glosa: an alphabet book of post avant glosa (Chax Press, 2023); Lift Off: a journey of future tense (BlazeVOX Books, 2022); Shall We Dance That One Around Again (chapbook, Finishing Line Press, 2018); Back Principles: a book of spiritual fatigue (BlazeVOX Books, 2018); though we are incredibly small (chapbook, Phafours Press, 2017); Our Own Stunned Heads (chapbook, Nose in Book Publishing, 2017); Un/Wired (BlazeVOX Books, 2016); The Gross & Fine Geography: New & Selected Poems (Salmon Poetry, Ireland, 2015); Those Godawful Streets of man: a book of raw wire in the city (BlazeVOX Books, Buffalo, N.Y., 2014); Breathing Arizona: a journal (Ekstasis Editions, Spring, 2014); Penny-Ante Poems (Ekstasis Editions, 2013); Sound Off: a book of jazz (Thistledown Press, 2013); Re-Positioning (Ekstasis Editions, 2011); Track This: a book of relationship (BlazeVOX Books, Buffalo, N.Y., 2010); S PLIT (Ekstasis Editions, 2009); Extreme Positions: the soft-porn industry Exposed (Spuyten Duyvil Books, NYC, 2009); Sass 'n Pass (Ekstasis Editions, 2008); Three Women (Ekstasis Editions, 2006); Nota Bene Poems: A Journey (Ekstasis Editions, 2005); Trader Poets (chapbook, Frog Hollow Press, 2003); High-Maintenance (Ekstasis Editions, 2003); High Design Refit (chapbook, Greenboathouse Books, 2002); Cruise Control (Ekstasis Editions, 1996); Lucy Kent and other poems (Longspoon Press, 1983).
A 26th book of three prose memoirs is also available: So Got Schooled: in the tower, on the field (Ekstasis Editions, 2017).
His work has also appeared in well over 200 literary journals in Canada, the U.S., England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Croatia, Finland, and Turkey, as well as in eight anthologies, on radio, and on YouTube.
Stephen Bett is a widely and internationally published Canadian poet. His earlier work is known for its sassy, edgy, hip... caustic wit--indeed, for the askance look of the serious satirist... skewering what he calls the 'vapid monoculture' of our times. His more recent books have been called an incredible accomplishment for their authentic minimalist subtlety. Many are tightly sequenced book-length 'serial' poems, which allow for a rich echoing of cadence and image, building a wonderfully subtle, nuanced music.
Bett follows in the avant tradition of Don Allen's New American Poets. He is recently retired after a 31-year teaching career, largely at Langara College in Vancouver, and now lives with his wife Katie in Victoria, BC. His website is stephenbett.com
Interviews:
- April 2024: Interview with Budokuz (Ankara, Turkey) (PDF Version of article);
- August 2022: Checking in: With Stephen Bett - Pearl Pirie
- December 24, 2015: Chin Wag at the Slaughterhouse, Richard Godwin.
- December 2015: Those Godawful Streets of Man - An Interview, Front Porch