Trobairitz

Poetry. Finalist, ReLit Award. BC Books in BC Schools selection. Twenty-first century metalheads; twelfth century troubadours and their female counterparts, the TROBAIRITZ--what could they possibly have in common? The creation of an often misunderstood and at times reviled genre for one; for another, a kin preoccupation with the questioning of structures set up by class, gender, and religion.

In this subtle but gripping blend of time and place and sexualities, Catherine Owen has created a modern epic in which a contemporary female voice from the metal scene reclaims the troubadour tradition, imagining the equality of the sexes in even these most heavily male- dominated musical worlds. Part love story, part musical proclamation of independence, Owen moves us through time and space to explore how women who 'go first' may struggle, but are not alone and in fact, are part of a long, long tradition.--Kate Braid

Owen pounds out sombre love, transcendent rhythms, and gender- bending boldness...TROBAIRITZ starts the heart like the thud of a bass line and opens the mind like a scream, poem after poem.--Quill & Quire

Describing metal fans as 'raw birds, eyes banged out of their heads, ' Owen's loving scorn allows her to walk a fine line between paying homage to the subculture and dissecting its darkness.-- Jonathan Ball, Winnipeg Free Press (Recommended read for 2012)