M.L. Liebler visits Ottawa, May 2004
    "Like so many icebound fish,
     My dreams lie awake.

     So many unknown stars
     slipping through the galaxy."

      - from Inland Waters,
      "The

On March 12, 2004, the Ottawa Beatles Site reported:
Professor M.L. Liebler of Wayne State University to visit Ottawa!

"Liebler is a tremendous source of poetry energy in The Motor City and beyond." - John Sinclair

Professor M.L. Liebler, who teaches a Beatle course at Wayne State University in Detroit, made an appearance here in Ottawa on Sunday, May 9, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Royal Oak II, across from Ottawa U. This was Liebler's first visit to Ottawa, promoting his book "The Moon a Box: Poems of this World" with a new CD scheduled for release April 2004. His poetry readings are a combination of "beat poetry/slam poetry music" featuring his Magic Poetry Band, live or recorded.

However, this was not his first visit to Canada. Said Liebler, "I have read quite a bit in Canada: Windsor, Toronto, London, Guelph and elsewhere." Prior to the Ottawa visit, Professor Liebler was on tour in Russia giving a Beatle course and poetry readings in St. Petersburg (March 11-13), Moscow's "Russia The Amerikan Poetry Center" (March 14) and the YMCA at Novosibirisk, Siberia (March 17-19).

An accomplished and respected poet/writer, Liebler has also released several musical CDs and has performed with such internationally known musicians such as Al Kooper, Country Joe McDonald, Mike Watt of The Minuetemen, Jorma Kaukonen of the Jefferson Airplane and Prof. Louie (The Rick Danko Band and producer of the final three The Band cds). He has written several books of poetry and one publication in particular, "Stripping the Adult Century Bare", contains two personal tributes to the late John Lennon: "Beatles Forever (The Day John Lennon Died)" and "John Lennon Comes Back to New York City to Pay Homage to Bob Dylan". 

Some of M.L. Liebler's literary awards are:

AWARDED Wayne State County Council for Arts & Humanities Arts Award, 2002;
FINALIST American Book Award 2002 and Great Lakes Book Award 2002; Awarded Art 2002;
AWARDED ArtServe/MCACA Writer in the School for Michigan status for 2001-2004;
AWARDED Wayne State University's Board of Governors Book Award, 2001;
FINALIST Paterson Literary Book Award, 2001.

M.L. Liebler's visit to Ottawa is being orchestrated by both the Ottawa Beatles Site and by the Ottawa Sasquatch Reading Literary and Arts group. Liebler will also be meeting with Dr. Yury Pelyushonok and members of the Ottawa Beatles web site team to discuss a possible limited edition publication of "Strings for a Beatle Bass -- The Beatles Generation in the U.S.S.R." in the Detroit area.

Liebler's Ottawa trip came out of his efforts to find a copy of "Strings for a Beatle Bass." Offered rare copies of the limited first edition at $180, he was stimulated to search further, which led him to The Ottawa Beatles Site where a chapter of the book is available on line. Liebler had assumed the author Yury Pelyushonok was in Russia or Europe - but when he contacted John Whelan at the site, was delighted to discover Yury is right here in Ottawa. John invited Liebler to Ottawa, to join the Sasquatch reading, and then organised publicity for the event, including radio play of the CDs on CKCU 93.1 and posters in the universities. Prior to the Royal Oak reading, John Whelan escorted M.L. on an Ottawa tour, following John Lennon's footsteps.

For more on M.L. Liebler and his literary work and accomplishments, please visit his web site: http://www.mlliebler.com/

M.L. Liebler was the principle attraction at the Sasquatch meeting May 9, 2004 at the Royal Oak. Juan O'Neill right, top right, is Sasquatch founder and director. Liebler performed poems from "Stripping the Adult Century Bare," and "The Moon a Box." Most were accompanied by The Magic Poetry Band on CD player. All were very well received, and Juan asked M.L. to read a second set, which he said he had never done before with any other guest. For some of us, first-timers at a poetry reading, it was a rather profound experience.


Alan Chrisman, above, organizer of the Ottawa Beatles Conventions 1995 & 1996, appreciating the occasion.

After the readings, M.L., John Whelan, Yury Pelyushonok and Tony Copple went to Tony's home in Kanata for dinner and relaxation. Hostess Laurie-Ann Copple had been playing M.L.'s CDs on her CKCU radio shows.

We all enjoyed the privilege of "hanging out" with M.L. Liebler for a few hours. Yury and he discussed the massive affect of the Beatles on Russia - right up to the present with Paul's concert in Red Square, the recording of which plays to good houses all over Russia. He was very generous, and Laurie-Ann and I are now proud owners of a signed copy of "The Moon a Box." As I read the poems, my own life is described. I can relate to his insights and his wise comments on this life - with numbers of references to the next; M.L. is serious in his Christian faith. I love the CDs by the same names as the poetry books; he has a cool sense of sophisticated rock-jazz riffs and has attracted excellent musicians to enhance his rich lyricism. He's welcome back in Ottawa anytime as far as we are concerned. A charmer and a good man.


- Tony Copple
   22 May 2004
   With some content from John Whelan (above)

M.L. Liebler
The Bread of Life - Children & poetry in non-traditional places
Slams and slam teams
Wayne State University
Ottawa Beatles Site