On March 11, we held our very first Living Canon Talk at the High and Low Gallery in Portland, Oregon. Panelists were poets Samiya Bashir and Neil Aitken. Our moderator was Zahir Janmohamed (host of Racist Sandwich podcast). With these "living canon" talks, De-Canon seeks to challenge the notion of literary canons as fixed or established, instead presenting conversations that are dynamic, ever-evolving, and of the moment.

The etymology of the word “canon” goes back to Latin and Greek phrases for: “church law” and "measuring line" and "any straight rod or bar; rule; standard of excellence”; possibly derived from kanna, which was the Greek word for “reed” or “cane”.