Spot this Alumni’s Work on the TTC

David Silverberg (external link)  ‘02, a freelance journalist, editor and poet, received a message from a friend.

It was a photo of his poetry on the TTC subway.

He was excited to know his work would be seen by thousands of people daily.

The poem, “Our Love,” was submitted to Poems in Passage (external link) , an organization that places poetry in public spaces, like the TTC, across Canada.

Silverberg is one of the poets selected to be part of Season Three of Poems in Passage.

Spoken word poetry has been a part of his life since he was 16, from performing at shows to running the Toronto Poetry Slam out of the Drake Hotel.

He had admired Poems of Passage since the original version, Poetry on the Way (external link) , which ran for 14 years, ending in 2012.

He thought that when the organization announced Season Three of the program, he had some old poems and new ones he could submit that would fit their succinct style.

"Give it a shot," he told himself. "It doesn't hurt to apply, if anything, it could give me a bit more encouragement to do this thing, apply for grants and other contests in a way that I haven't in the past."

Despite having two poetry books out, Silverberg believes this initiative will get his work in front of the most people.

He's an avid public transit user, "I think doing things like the Poems in Passage project elevates it (the TTC) above other transit systems and makes it more than just a transit hub, but maybe a cultural centrepiece as well."

Silverberg believes that by having poetry accessible in this way, outside of social media, outside of education, people may be inspired by reading work created by people who look like them, sound like them and have experienced the same things.

“What's great about the Season Three cohort is that so many communities are represented, from South Asian to Black to Indigenous to non-binary to folks who identify as white male,” he said. “It's really all across the board, and that is rare to find in a poetry lesson in school, let alone in maybe even one big poetry collection.”

His poem, “Our Love,” is a special one to him.

It’s about a time when he was on dating apps, about 15 years ago, and felt disenchanted with the dating scene.

“I wanted to write a poem that was about the kind of love and relationship that I wanted to have in my life that felt like maybe a rom-com, but also felt tangible and possible,” he said.

At times, he thought it was cliché or was missing a narrative-focused conclusion, like his other work.

“Love poetry is hard to write, and it can be melodramatic at moments, but I felt my poetry was humorous and playful and poignant in the right moments, but hopefully not too saccharine, and that's why I gave it a shot,” Silverberg said.

Another opportunity Silverberg shot for was Writer in Residence (Journalism) at Toronto Public Library's North York Central branch, for May and June, which he achieved.

He thought it was a good fit for him as he’s done workshops on poetry and journalism in schools across Ontario, community centres downtown and has a busy byline as a freelancer.

Silverberg shared that the interview was fantastic and that he got the acceptance a few days later, which filled him with a lot of joy.

“My partner and I, Rachel, felt like we were going to manifest this on a Saturday night when we're out walking around and just kind of put it out into the world that I am going to get it, not if I am,” he said.

He’s excited to level up as a coach for the intense two-month residency.

He’ll have office hours where people can workshop manuscripts, pitch as a journalist, market themselves, etc., as well as evening programming, where he will present different lectures on journalism.

Silverberg finds it gratifying to work with people who want coaching. He likes meeting new people, and as a journalist who works solo, he said it can get lonely.

“The fact that I'm interfacing with so many great people who are passionate and hungry about journalism, that is going to be much needed for me as well, because I am a people person,” he said.

One-on-one appointments and Silverberg’s workshop series can be found on the Toronto Public Library’s website (external link) .