Book News Vol. 9 No. 8

BOOK NEWS

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM ARTISTIC DIRECTOR HAL WAKE
Last weekend Canadian Literature lost one of its great masters, and the Vancouver Writers Fest lost a beloved friend. Alistair MacLeod attended the festival a half dozen times participating in many memorable events, including one where he performed with the Chor Leoni Men's Choir. For the Festival's 25th anniversary, he wrote what became his last published work, the short story Remembrance. I wrote a short piece about commissioning Alistair to write the story and you can read it, along with other tributes, in the National Post, http://arts.nationalpost.com/2014/04/24/remembering-alistair-macleod/. We will miss him greatly.

INCITE

Join us on May 7 for readings by Ondjaki (Granma Nineteen and the Soviet's Secret), Sean Michaels (Us Conductors), and Claire Battershill (Circus). Details on this and other upcoming Incite events here, http://www.writersfest.bc.ca/events/incite.

TITANS OF CANADIAN THEATRE

Hard to believe yet true but not until October 24, 2013, at the Vancouver Writers Fest, had Canada’s pre-eminent playwrights Tomson Highway and Michel Tremblay appeared together onstage. Interviewed by the inestimable Bill Richardson, these illustrious storytellers talk about their careers, how their work has been shaped by their birth country, and how their stories continue to shape Canadian literature. Click here to watch this generous and intelligent conversation with three of our country’s renaissance men, http://www.writersfest.bc.ca/multimedia/titans.

SPECIAL EVENT

A Dram Come True
Join us at the legendary Hycroft-a magnificent Edwardian mansion in the heart of Shaughnessy - and enjoy the superb, complex flavours of a variety of rare and distinguished single malts. New this year: Heighten your experience at an exclusive VIP reception before the main event-a private tasting tour of some of the special malts, guided by whisky experts.

Friday, May 30, 2014
7:30–9:30pm
Tickets: $120
VIP Tasting 6:30–7:30pm; Tickets: $75 (limited quantities, only available with a main event ticket)

Hycroft
1489 McRae Avenue, Vancouver

Click here for details and to purchase tickets, http://www.writersfest.bc.ca/events/dram-come-true.

A Dram Come True is a fundraiser for the Vancouver Writers Fest.

AWARDS & LISTS

Canadian writer Kit Pearson, the veteran author of acclaimed novels, fantasy tales and historical stories for young adults, is the latest recipient of the British Columbia Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/kids-author-kit-pearson-wins-b-c-award-for-literary-excellence-1.2618232

The author and journalist Elena Poniatowska, who gained fame in Mexico for her chronicles of social injustice and government repression, is this year’s winner of the Miguel de Cervantes Prize.
http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-mexican-writer-elena-poniatowska-wins-cervantes-prize-20140422,0,5740794.story

EL Doctorow has won the Library of Congress prize for American fiction. The prize aims to reward "strong, unique, enduring voices that–throughout long, consistently accomplished careers–have told us something about the American experience."
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/17/el-doctorow-library-of-congress-prize-american-fiction

The Alcuin Society has announced the 2014 winners of its 32nd annual Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design in Canada. The winning books will be displayed at book fairs in Germany, at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo and in nine Canadian provinces.
http://www.bookcentre.ca/news/winners_announced_2014_alcuin_society_awards_excellence_book_design

The Writers' Trust of Canada has announced a new $25,000 prize for Canadian poets called the Latner Writers' Trust Poetry Prize. The honour will be given each fall to "a Canadian poet in midcareer in recognition of a remarkable body of work and in hope of future contributions to Canadian poetry."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/writers-trust-of-canada-announces-new-25000-prize-for-canadian-poets/article18084978/

YOUNG READERS

It's William Shakespeare's 450th birthday! To celebrate, here's a list of ten favourite Shakespeare books for children.
http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2014/apr/22/top-10-andrew-matthews-shakespeare-books

In 2012, the VWF presented Rick Scott with a performance based on his book and multi-media show The Great Gazzoon. The whole concept is engaging, entertaining and original. Now you can see him weave his magic at the Vancouver International Children's Festival.
http://www.childrensfestival.ca/festival_events/performances/performances59.php

NEWS & FEATURES

One of Canada's greatest writers has died. Alistair MacLeod, most famous for his novel No Great Mischief, passed away this week at the age of 77. He is remembered by Steven Galloway, here:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/author-alistair-macleod-dies-at-77/article18071179/

Tributes have also begun to pour in for Gabriel García Márquez. From Bill Clinton to Ian McEwan, and Isabel Allende to Lena Dunham, his writing had a profound influence around the world.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/18/gabriel-garcia-marquez-tributes-bill-clinton-colombia

Though he was most famous for his novels, García Márquez's legacy would not be what it was without his incredible newspaper journalism. Long before One Hundred Years of Solitude, "the novelist found myth and magic reporting on the Colombian coast."
http://www.salon.com/2014/04/18/for_garcia_marquezs_legacy_look_to_his_newspaper_journalism/

New York antiquarian booksellers Daniel Wechsler and George Koppelman believe that they have found Shakespeare's annotated dictionary. "Although unsigned, it contains thousands of annotations in a contemporary hand that point directly to the composition of some of Shakespeare's best known works, including Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and many of the sonnets."
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/booksellers-claim-to-have-found-shakespeares-annotated-dictionary-20140421-3707q.html

Are you still lamenting the end of Harry Potter? JK Rowling has brought one of the book's characters back to report on the 2014 Quidditch World Cup in Argentina. Check out the ongoing coverage, here:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/16/jk-rowling-writes-quidditch-match-reports-pottermore

A decline in male readers is alarming authors. "The bestselling author Andy McNab has spoken out about the importance of keeping boys reading, in the wake of a survey which found that men are turning away from books in record numbers."
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/17/decline-male-readers-authors-andy-mcnab-matt-haig

Is it acceptable to mine real relationships for literary material? "When Robert Lowell used his ex-wife's letters for his poetry, Elizabeth Bishop told him, ‘Art just isn't worth that much.'" Francine Prose and Leslie Jamison discuss.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/27/books/review/is-it-ok-to-mine-real-relationships-for-literary-material.html

A new film is being made about a road trip David Foster Wallace and a Rolling Stone reporter completed during the author's publicity tour for Infinite Jest in 1996. Loosely based on transcripts from an interview that was never published, Wallace's family is now up in arms.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/22/david-foster-wallace-family-object-biopic-end-of-the-tour

Are you tired of the misuse of the word "literally"? "A new browser plug-in displays all instances of the much-abused adverb as its traditional opposite. It's a figurative blast!"
http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/apr/22/literally-figurative-program-misuse-plugin-browser

Is ‘Literary fiction' just clever marketing? In this piece, Elizabeth Edmondson argues against the genre, claiming that "Jane Austen never imagined she was writing Literature. Posterity made that decision for her."
http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/apr/21/literary-fiction-clever-marketing-genre-debate

BOOKS & WRITERS

In honour of National Poetry Month, the Globe and Mail is releasing some poems from the springs's most anticipated and exciting poetry collections. Here's an excerpt from Aisha Sasha John's Thou.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/poem-excerpt-from-aisha-sasha-johns-thou/article18066186/

What happens when an author has more than one editor? In this interview, Emma Donoghue and her two editors discuss "sharing responsibilities, resolving disputes, and the long list of ideas Donoghue has waiting for the novels to express them."
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2014/04/interview_between_emma_donoghue_and_her_editors_in_america_and_canada.html

Jacinda Townsend's debut novel, Saint Monkey, tells the tale of teenage girls growing up in Jim Crow Kentucky, and the escape that one of them makes north, to Harlem. It is a coming-of-age novel where "virtue and innocence were only a veil that needed to fall away so the girls might see themselves, and their chosen course, more clearly."
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/20/books/review/saint-monkey-by-jacinda-townsend.html

Miriam Toews is no stranger to coming-of-age stories, though in her new book, the protagonists are all adults. All My Puny Sorrows is a "brilliant and desperately sad new novel" about two sisters, one of whom writes rodeo-themed young adult novels, while the other is a concert pianist in much demand in Europe.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/book-reviews/all-my-puny-sorrows-miriam-toewss-latest-is-a-funny-novel-honouring-deep-sadness/article18066031/

Books have always been important in writer and television anchor Robin Roberts' life. In this interview, she discusses why Maya Angelou was her literary hero growing up as a teenager in Mississippi.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/20/books/review/robin-roberts-by-the-book.html

Why do some writers write? According to Dinaw Mengestu, "I don't think I would have written it if I felt like I had a choice...Writing is a source of angst." "Not writing–that would probably provoke some form of delusional madness, and I like my sanity, and the bursts of joy that come with it."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/author-dinaw-mengestu-on-his-craft-writing-is-a-source-of-angst/article18066332/

How do we understand war poetry in a modern context? A new book of poems by Army gunner Kevin Powers is helping to illuminate that question. Letter Composed During a Lull in the Fighting begins as far from the mud-strewn trenches of our imagination as one could be: the desert.
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2014/04/kevin_powers_book_of_iraq_war_poems_letter_composed_during_a_lull_in_the.html

This month on the New Yorker Poetry Podcast, Michael Dickman reads Ellen Bryan Voigt's poem 'Cow', as well as his own poem 'My Honeybee'.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2014/04/poetry-podcast-michael-dickman-reads-ellen-bryant-voigt.html

And as we pass Easter, Slate asks: can an atheist write Christian poems?
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2014/04/christian_poetry_the_earth_avails_by_matt_wunderlich_and_road_to_emmaus.html

COMMUNITY EVENTS

MEET THE AUTHOR
Roberta Rich discuses her novel The Harem Midwife. Thursday, April 24 at 7:00pm. Christianne's Lyceum. 3696 W. 8th Ave. $20 (includes refreshments). To reserve your space call 604.733.1356 or email lyceum@christiannehayward.com. More information at www.christiannehayward.com.

TWISTED POETS LITERARY SALON
Featuring Pamela Porter, teen and children contest winners, and Eric Hamber Writers in the Making. Thursday, April 24 at 7:00pm. Suggested donation: $5 at the door. The Cottage Bistro, 4468 Main Street, Vancouver. More information at www.pandorascollective.com.

BOOK SIGNING
Featuring Roberta Rich (The Midwife of Venice, The Harem Midwife) and Mary Novik (Conceit, Muse). Saturday, April 26 at 2:00pm. 32 Books & Gallery, 3185 Edgemont Village, North Vancouver. More information at 604-980-9032.

CATHY ACE
Author signs her new book The Corpse with the Emerald Thumb. Saturday, April 26 at 3:00pm. Triple Tree Nurseryland, 20503 Lougheed Highway. More information at blackbondbooks.com.

2014 LITFEST NEW WEST
April 26, 2014. A day of free workshops at LitFest New West. To see the list of workshops and to register go to: http://artscouncilnewwest.org/litfest/program/workshops/.

DIANE TUCKER BOOK LAUNCH
Join Diane Tucker for the Vancouver launch of her fourth book, Bonsai Love, a collection of poems about the sensual delicacy of love. Sunday, April 27 at 7:00pm, free. Cottage Bistro, 4470 Main St. Will also feature a musical performance by Vancouver-based sing/songwriter Rodney DeCroo. For more information, visit
www.harbourpublishing.com.

SCHOOL
Jen Currin launches her new story collection. Also featuring Mercedes Eng and Mutya Macatumpag. Sunday, April 27 at 8:00pm, free. Cafe Deux Soleils, 2096 Commericial Drive. More information at chbooks.com.

POLARI
Reading by John Barton from his latest book of poems. Also featuring Jennica Harper, Sarah de Leeuw, Dennis E. Bolen, Alex Leslie, Lawrence Feuchtwanger, Andrea Bennett, and Jaqueline Turner. Monday, April 28 at 7:00pm. Cottage Bistro, 4470 Main Street Vancouver. More information at gooselane.com.

AN EVENING WITH MELLISSA FUNG
Award-winning journalist, former CBC reporter and author of Under An Afghan Sky will discuss her experience as a reporter covering the Canadian military mission in Afghanistan. Will also feature a screening of her short documentary. Tuesday, April 29 at 7:00pm. Tickets: $15/$20/$10. HR MacMillan Space Centre, 1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver.

SIBLEY'S GUIDE TO BIRDS
David Sibley, author and illustrator of The Sibley Guide to Birds, will be discussing his newly revised and released 2nd edition of the guide. Tuesday, April 29 at 7:00pm, free but RSVP to vancouver.ca/birdweek. Alma VanDusen & Peter Kaye rooms, lower level, Central Library, 350 W. Georgia St. More information at 604-331-3603.

LONG STORY SHORT
Short story writers C.P. Boyko and Kathy Page launch their latest collections. Tuesday, April 29 at 7:00pm. Founder's Lounge, The Cultch, 1895 Venables St., Vancouver. More information at biblioasis.com.

GRAEME SIMSION
Featuring the author of The Rosie Projects. Wednesday, April 30 at 4:00pm. Tickets: $30 and include wine and appetizers. The Canyon Restaurant, Edgemont Village, North Vancouver. Call 604-980-9032 for more information and to reserve tickets.

TALES FROM FUN CITY
Authors Aaron Chapman and Lani Russwurm share tales from Vancouver's lively cultural history. Wednesday, April 30 at 7:00pm, free. Alma VanDusen & Peter Kaye rooms, Lower Level, Central Library, 350 W. Georgia St. More information at vpl.ca.

FLYING DUCHESSES
Patricia McCuaig's biography of her father's adventures flying a Grumman Goose in Canada from 1964/65 for England's Duke of Westminster. Wednesday, April 30 at 7:00pm. Welsh Hall West, West Vancouver Memorial Library. For more information, call 604-925-7403.

THE STONEHENGE LETTERS
Author Harry Karlinsky launches his book, with introductions by George Fetherling. Wednesday, April 30 at 7:00pm. Isaac Waldman Jewish Public Library, 950 41st Ave. W., Vancouver. More information at www.jccgv.com.

BRICK BOOKS BOOK LAUNCH
Joanna Lilley launches her first poetry collection The Fleece Era. Jane Munro launches Blue Sonoma, her sixth poetry collection. Karen Enns launches her second poetry collection Ordinary Hours. Arleen Paré launches her second poetry collection Lake of Two Mountains. Wednesday, April 30 at 7:30pm. The Cottage Bistro, 4468 Main Street, Vancouver. More information at cottage-bistro.com.

SPEAKING FREEDOM
An evening for poetry on freedom from some of Canada's top writers: Fred Wah, Evelyn Lau, Marilyn Dumont, Daniela Elza, Charlie Wilkins, and Martha Roth. St. James Hall, 3214 10th Ave. W. Doors at 7:00pm. May 1, 2014. For tickets in advance go to: http://www.laurarobinsondefensefund.org/i-wish-to-donate-.html or contact Laura at laura.robinson@sympatico.ca. More information at strangeplaces.livingcode.org.

MICHAEL NICOLL YAHGULANAAS
Celebrate the launch of the paperback edition of his graphic novel, Red: A Haida Manga. Saturday, May 3 at 2:00pm. Douglas Udell Gallery, 1566 6th Ave. W., Vancouver. More information at 604-736-8900.

Upcoming

TRAVELS BY NIGHT: A MEMOIR
To mark publication of an expanded anniversary edition of his memoir, in an interview with historian Dan Francis, author George Fetherling will describe how the world of writing redeemed a life of hardship. Tuesday, May 6 at 7:00pm, free. Peter Kaye room, lower level, Central Branch, 350 W. Georgia St. For more information, email info@quattrobooks.ca.

JANIE CHANG
Reading and discussion by the author of Three Souls. Tuesday, May 6 at 7:00pm. White Rock Library, 15342 Buena Vista, White Rock. More information at 604-541-2201.

KENNETH OPPEL
Author presents his newest book, The Boundless. Wednesday, May 7. Tickets: $5. North Vancouver District Library, 1277 Lynn Valley Road. More information and to purchase tickets at kidsbooks.ca.

2014 POETRY IN VOICE NATIONAL FINALS
The 2014 National Finals; Atwood, Dickinson and Verlaine-by heart will take place. Canada's best student reciters compete for $25,000 in prizes. May 8-9, 2014.Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre, 149 W. Hastings Street, Vancouver. More information at poetryinvoice.com.

DEAD POETS READING SERIES
Five poets/readers/poetry-lovers/writers with extensive public reading experience read poems from one of their favourite dead poet's brilliant work to bring anew to a keen audience. Sunday, May 11 at 3:00pm, free. Alice MacKay room, lower level, Central Library, 350 W. Georgia St. More information at vpl.ca.

SOMAN CHAINANI
Meet the author of The School For Good and Evil. Monday, May 12 at 7:00pm. Kidsbooks, 3083 West Broadway. More information and tickets at kidsbooks.ca.

AN EVENING WITH ANDREW WESTOLL
Award-winning author, journalist and creative writing instructor presents his national bestselling The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary is the biography of a family of chimpanzees. Tuesday, May 13 at 7:00pm, free. Alma VanDusen and Peter Kaye rooms, lower level, Central Library, 350 W. Georgia St. More information at vpl.ca.

MOTHER TONGUE
Two of Canada's finest poets, Lorna Crozier and Erín Moure, lend their work to choreographer and director Conrad Alexandrowicz, whose Wild Excursions Performance presents two works of physical theatre for actors, dancers and musicians. May 14-18, 2014. Tickets: $20 plus service charges. Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie Street. More information at wildexcursions.ca.

SKAGIT RIVER POETRY FESTIVAL
A celebration of poetry featuring readings, workshops, and storytelling. Access to internationally famous poets through intimate venues and workshop sessions. May 15-18, 2014. Various venues throughout La Conner, WA. More information at www.skagitriverpoetry.org.

125 POETRY READINGS
Stop #95 in Kevin Spenst's Small Books, Big Country, a chapbook tour of Canada. Saturday, May 17 at 2:00pm, free. Alma VanDusen room, lower level, Central Library, 350 W. Georgia St. More information at vpl.ca.

ANN ERIKSSON
Author reads from her new novel High Clear Bell of Morning. Also featuring Garry Geddes reading from his new book of selected poems, What Does a House Want?. Tuesday, May 20 at 7:00pm, free. Capilano Branch, North Vancouver Library, 3045 Highland Blvd., North Vancouver. More information at 604-987-4471.

LUNCH POEMS AT SFU
Readings by Phinder Dulai and Kim Minkus. Wednesday, May 21 at 12:00 noon. Teck Gallery, Main floor, SFU Vancouver Harbour Center, 515 W. Hastings. More information at sfu.ca/publicsquare/lunchpoems.

D.B. CAREW
Local author signs his debut novel The Killer Trail. Friday, May 23 at 4:00pm. Black Bond Books, Haney PLace Mall, Maple Ridge. More information at blackbondbooks.com.

POETIC JUSTICE
Reading by poets Russell Thornton, Susan McCaslin, and Lee Johnson. Sunday, May 25 at 3:00pm. The Heritage Grill Backroom, 447 Columbia St., New Westminster. More information at poeticjustice.ca.