Tribute to Steve

Steve bought me and Bidini drinks last night. Bidini is, of course, Toronto’s Dave Bidini, author of a mess of great sports-travel books, kids books, and more. But who’s Steve? As it turns out, Steve is what WordFest is all about. He’s a reader. He’s a book addict come into the light for one glorious week. Steve is a Calgary resident, a WordFest gold pass holder, and an author’s best friend: the unabashed enthusiast who buys writers drinks. Steve’s in renovation. And when he’s not renovating offices he’s reading. Bidini (who reads today as part of the road stories event) waved him down as he came into the bar adjacent to the Vertigo Theatre. Steve was clutching a bag of books to his chest. They’d met at WordFeast – Steve bought a ticket to the fundraising dinner and ended up sitting next to Bidini. Talk about getting your money’s worth. Steve sat down, told us about how he once presided over what may well have been Canada’s longest running weekly open stage poetry night, and enthusiastically discussed the six poets from all part of the globe we’d just had the rare honour of getting to hear. When we finished our drinks, he offered to buy us a round. We should buy you a drink, I said. You’re the reason we get to be here in the first place. But Steve insisted and so, we, of course, immediately relented. Bidini’s gin and tonic made a swift arrival and we clinked glasses. To Steve, we said. And we meant it. We were talking books with a fellow book addict and there was no place any one of us would have rather been.