By Brian Joseph Davis
Given the amount of cities poet and blogger Sina Queyras has lived in, it's logical that her just released collection Expressway should concern itself with roads and all manner of in between spaces. Appropriately then, I asked Queyras several questions only a well-traveled poet could know the answers to.
Best 1am leisure activity to experience in Calgary: Depends on the season but I think it would have to be cocktails on 17th Avenue. There is a lot of swagger and stiletto action on that strip and in the summer it spills out onto the congested street. My perch would be Ming. Best if you can find a booth with Christian Bök. For late night dining try Tubby Dog: artful dogs and alt rock.
If you're lost in rural New Jersey you should: Definitely don't think short cut. You do not want to know what's behind that little scrub of trees and no, there is no logic in the way roads are laid out. You might smell your way to the nearest diner, or search for one of those larger-than-life fake pine trees along the highways that have radio towers in them. The first bit of advice I got was, "Never stop in Elizabeth, and never, ever drink the water." The locals are very helpful though; flag one down and they'll get you to the next exit. Probably not much further than that though, as New Jersey is very complicated to navigate and no one seems to know much beyond their immediate exit. If it's the middle of the night on the other hand, then you need to watch our for things like the Pig Lady, Ghost Boy, The Dancing Jesus, the Jersey Devil and so on: There are a lot of ghost tales and legends in that state. If you are on the infamous Clinton Road, forget about it.
The stretch of highway in North America that is most like a Tony Conrad composition is: Difficult decision. Exit 13 on the New Jersey Turnpike works, but for some reason I keep thinking of the I76 that glides atop Camden crossing the Delaware via the Walt Whitman bridge into the city of Brotherly Love. It's so bleak and otherworldly it's beautiful.
Husky or Fifth Wheel? Husky gets my vote purely for nostalgic reasons, and particularly the one in Headingley, Man., if it's still happening. Travel menu includes plain doughnuts and chocolate milk for breakfast, cheeseburgers and vanilla milkshakes otherwise. Grab a seat -- booth even better -- by the window, so you can watch your car, and if they have those little mini jukeboxes you're good to go.
