"A writer of our next generations, Peter Katsnelson has shown nothing but Poetic Poise and is worthy of all praise. An appreciator of craft and cadence, I sense a deep rooting of an up-and coming-contributor to Calgary’s Creative Communities."
Wakefield Brewster, Calgary's 6th Poet Laureate
Whether I’m watching Peter Katsnelson perform at a local poetry event or reading the poems in his recently published poetry collection, This is Fine, I always find myself moved to laughter at his startlingly apt and ironic observations on life as a teen in today’s world. I am also taken, time and again, by the moments of poignancy and insight demonstrated in poems such as 'Under My Pillow' and 'The Bird,' in which we see the poet’s keen awareness of human vulnerability and his adroitness with poetic devices and the English language. Katsnelson is clever and profound, prolific for his age, and is guaranteed to capture the hearts of live audiences and readers alike with his disarming charm and wit.
Tyler B. Perry, author of Plausible Wrong Answers
and co-founder of Can You Hear Me Now Provincial Poetry Slam
Peter Katsnelson is a poet’s poet.
He is, first of all, a talented and original voice. His writing displays an inexplicably old soul’s patient observations of the social world with an equal depth of introspection. More chronologically, his work is a wry and quizzical, but ultimately hopeful, view of a damaged world that he as a Gen Zer has inherited, and seeks to survive in (and maybe replenish). He is an understated performer, after listening for a while one realizes how much emotion he infuses in a reading and how carefully he crafts his phrasing. Katsnelson is an active and generous member of the Calgary poetry community. He very regularly attends workshops and events, always supporting, always seeking to learn more. I am excited he is on the scene and eagerly anticipate following his work.
Dr. John Williamson, co-founder of Can You Hear Me Now Provincial Poetry Slam
Katsnelson has a clever and quick voice, packed with left turns and original insights that will have you genuinely laughing out loud (not in the figurative, millennial way).
Poetry fused with comedy, his work flips between intrusive thoughts, tightly crafted lines, powerful creative writing technique, and inner ramblings. Striking a balance between a casual, 4th-wall-breaking vulnerability, and technically tight writing, each stanza is a genuine surprise, keeping you flipping the pages to see what comes next.
Miranda Krogstad, TEDx speaker and author of Glass Half Full of Poetry
