Book News Vol. 10 No. 3

BOOK NEWS

Job Posting
We're looking for a new Executive Director, someone with a passion for the arts and the written word, and great communication and team management skills. Please visit our website for more information here, http://writersfest.bc.ca/get-involved/employment.

An Intimate Evening with Sjón Podcast
A note from Artistic Director Hal Wake: I have become a recent addict to the New York Review of Books and it is becoming a place where I discover new writers. Such was the case when I began to read an article by the distinguished novelist and critic A.S. Byatt who wrote of the Icelandic writer Sjón: “Every now and then a writer changes the whole map of literature inside my head. The most recent has been the Icelander Sjón, whose work is unlike anything I had read, and very exciting.” Six months later we were delighted to present Sjón at the festival and you can hear him here, http://writersfest.bc.ca/audio-archives/intimate-evening-sj%C3%B3n.

A Dram Come True
A whisky tasting fundraiser in support of the Vancouver Writers Fest.

West Coast Whisky Society President Dave Mason is the curatorial force behind the Dram Come True tasting menu. His selection is always diverse, featuring both rare whiskies and a few tipples produced a bit closer to home:

"The whiskies bottled by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, for example, are "single cask" and "cask-strength" offerings produced in limited amounts and usually only available to SMWS members—they also vary greatly year by year. The locally distilled offerings from Odd Society Spirits are a great representative for the budding "craft distillers" movement here in Vancouver."

Tickets: $120
Preview Tasting Tickets (access to bars 45 minutes early): Add $40
7:30pm, June 5 at Hycroft
Details and to purchase tickets here, http://writersfest.bc.ca/events/dram-come-true.

Incite 2015
A rare event featuring mother and daughter Jane Urquhart (The Night Stages) and Emily Urquhart (Beyond the Pale). Details: https://www.writersfest.bc.ca/events/incite.

FREE!
7:30pm, April 22
Alice MacKay room, VPL Central Library
Click here for details: https://www.writersfest.bc.ca/events/incite

AWARDS & LISTS

This year's Leacock Medal for Humour's shortlist has been annouced. The medal "recognizes the best book of humour by a Canadian from the year prior."
http://www.quillandquire.com/awards/2015/04/01/2015-leacock-medal-for-humour-shortlist-revealed/

Amazon.ca has also revealed its First Novel Award shortlist. The award recognizes "an exceptional English-language title by a Canadian first-time novelist."
http://www.quillandquire.com/awards/2015/04/01/amazon-ca-first-novel-award-shortlist-announced-2/

The shortlists for the 2015 Manitoba Book Awards have also been announced. The awards celebrate the best titles by Manitoba authors.
http://www.quillandquire.com/awards/2015/04/02/2015-manitoba-book-award-shortlists-annnounced/

The League of Canadian Poets has announced the shortlists for its three awards: the Raymond Souster Award for poetry by a league member, the Gerald Lampert Memoiral Awards for a first book of poetry by a Canadian, and the Pat Lowther Memorial Award for a book of poetry by a Canadian woman.
http://www.quillandquire.com/awards/2015/04/01/league-of-canadian-poets-2015-awards-shortlists-revealed/

YOUNG READERS

I Will Always Write Back, a non-fiction booked aimed at YA readers, tells the true-life story of a six-year pen-pal exchange that changed two teens' lives. I Will Always Write Back is also about the power of writing and the impact small actions can make on the world.
http://publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/65983-childhood-pen-pals-share-their-remarkable-story-in-new-book.html

NEWS & FEATURES

Why do Young Adult novels make great box office hits? "Nearly a quarter of the 200 top-grossing films worldwide have been directly adapted from books:"
http://www.forbes.com/sites/natalierobehmed/2015/03/25/insurgent-and-why-young-adult-novels-make-box-office-hits/

The Evergreen Review, an influential literary publication that debuted Jack Kerouac and Susan Sontag (among others), has returned after a lengthy hiatus. The Review's history is stuff of legend: its offices were bombed in 1968, and was once famously maligned on the floor of the U.S. Congress for "printing the likeness of Richard Nixon next to a nude photo."
http://flavorwire.com/511384/or-books-revives-the-publisher-that-launched-sontag-and-burroughs

A medieval manuscript in the British Library appears to contain a cure for MRSA (a form of antibiotic-resistant bacteria). The text was discovered by Anglo-Saxon expert Dr. Christina Lee and was then tested on living organisms. "Results showed that it was more effective than a conventional antibiotic; it killed 90% of the bacteria in biopsies from mice."
http://flavorwire.com/newswire/a-medieval-manuscript-in-the-british-library-seems-to-contain-a-cure-for-mrsa

When it comes to reading, is pleasure suspect? In this week's New York Times' Bookends, Anna Holmes and Benjamin Moser debate "whether pleasure in reading is trivial or vital."
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/books/review/when-it-comes-to-reading-is-pleasure-suspect.html

"An author's worst critic is usually themselves–unless Sir Salman Rushdie weighs in with a broadside, that is." Apparently Rushdie has acquired a Goodreads account, and has given some not-so-flattering ratings to literary classics.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/sir-salman-rushdie-claims-i-was-just-fooling-around-as-his-ratings-of-other-authors-work-go-viral-10156390.html

Do you use reading to cure insomnia? Charles Simic does. "I read only a passage or two, and at the most a page, because if I read more than that, I'm in danger of staying up half a night."
http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2015/apr/01/insomnia-book-darkness/

Shakespeare's Sonnets (all 154 of them!) are being re-imagined through a New York lens. "The endeavor, called the Sonnet Project, grew from the work of the New York Shakespeare Exchange, a local theater group."
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/06/nyregion/rise-restive-muse-154-times-all-shakespeares-sonnets-through-a-new-york-lens.html

Is historical context essential to understanding a book? Here's an argument for reading literature in chronological order.
http://bookriot.com/2015/03/30/an-argument-for-reading-literature-in-chronological-order/

BOOKS & WRITERS

"The variable nature of April weather has long made it fodder for poets. (Or for poets in temperate climates, at any rate.)" Here's the Paris Review's tribute to this month's literary inclinations: a discussion of Thomas Morley's My Mistress' Face.
http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2015/04/02/my-mistress-face/

And on that note, it's National Poetry Month! To celebrate, The Rumpus is publishing daily selections of poetry. Here's a poem from this week, Innocence: a Memoir, by Kathleen Ossip.
http://therumpus.net/2015/04/national-poetry-month-day-5-innocence-a-memoir-by-kathleen-ossip/

Stevie Smith's Novel on Yellow Paper is being reissued at the end of the month. Here's an excerpt from the book's introduction, in which Rachel Cooke discusses the life and career of the singular English poet.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/apr/06/stevie-smith-steel-soul-of-suburbs-novel-on-yellow-paper

Viet Thanh Nguyen's tragicomic debut novel, The Sympathizer, "compels us to look at the Vietnam War and its aftermath in a new light." And yet, despite its historical context, the novel's themes are also universal: "the eternal misconceptions and misunderstandings between East and West, and the moral dilemma faced by people forced to choose not between right and wrong, but right and right."
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/books/review/the-sympathizer-by-viet-thanh-nguyen.html

Lydia Davis, the author of Can't and Won't, has been interviewed by the New York Times. She discusses her reading habits, here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/books/review/05bkr-bythebook_davis.html

Night at the Fiestas, by Kirstin Valdez Quade, is a collection of short stories set largely in northern New Mexico. It "introduces us to people of belief: Catholics who trust in Christ's suffering; those whose lives hinge on the evil glance of the ojo and the healing power of the curanderas; and atheists still clutching totems from the past."
http://therumpus.net/2015/04/night-at-the-fiestas-by-kirstin-valdez-quade/

COMMUNITY EVENTS

BOOK SALE IN MAY AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY
SPRING CLEANING? WANTED: Used books, CDs, DVDs and LP donations for the Friends of the Vancouver Public Library book sale. Collection period ends April 15. For information and drop off locations please call 604 331-4049
or go to www.friendsofthevpl.ca. Book sale is in May at the Central Library.

ZERO - 360 OPEN MIC
Meet other writers and share your work at this casual open mic series the second Thursday of the month. Readers are limited to 6 minutes; sign up begins at 7:05. In recognition of National Poetry Month, April 9 is poetry only. Pelican Rouge Coffee, 15142 North Bluff Rd., White Rock. Presented by Semiahmoo Arts.

AN EVOLVING CITY
Event featuring George Bowering and Wayde Compton. Thursday, April 9 at 7:30pm, free. Pulp Fiction, 2422 Main Street, Vancouver.

UNHANGED AUTHOR
Free workshop for writers thinking of entering the 2015 Arthur Ellis Unhanged Author competition. Saturday, April 11 from 10am to 5pm. VPL Central branch, 350 W. Georgia Street, Vancouver. Complete details at crimewriterscanada.com.

POETRY READING
Featuring Arleen Pare, Cathy Ford, Chelene Knight, Stephen Collis, and Christopher Levenson. Sunday, April 12 at 7:00pm. Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, 6450 Deer Lake Ave., Burnaby. More information at 604-739-9565.

NEIL MCKINNON
Author reads from his new book The Greatest Lover of Last Tuesday. Tuesday, April 14 at 7:00pm, free. VPL Central Branch, 350 W. Georgia St., Vancouver. More information at vpl.ca.

LUNCH POEMS AT SFU
Catriona Strang and Michael Turner are the featured poets. Wednesday, April 15 at 12:00 noon, free. SFU Harbour Centre's Teck Gallery, 515 W Hastings St. For more information visit www.sfu.ca/publicsquare/lunchpoems.

RHYTHM AND VERSE
Poetry writing workshop and poetry reading from Christopher Levenson's latest book, Night Vision. Wednesday, April 15 at 1:00pm. White Rock Library, 15342 Buena Vista Ave., White Rock. More information at fvrl.ca.

NOVEL NIGHTS
Vancouver author Roberta Rich in discussion of her novel The Harem Midwife. Wednesday, April 15 at 7:00pm. Book Warehouse, 4118 Main Street. For further details, please call 604-879-7737.

MAGGIE DE VRIES
Author reads from her children's book, Fraser Bear. Thursday, April 16 at 1:30pm. Oakridge branch library, 191-650 41st Ave. W., Vancouver. Information at vpl.ca.

POETRY GABRIOLA SOCIETY READING SERIES
Featuring Susan McCaslin and Pam Galloway with host Lisa Webster-Gibson. Thursday, April 16 at 7:00pm, by donation. Old Crow Café, 575 N. Road, Gabriola Island. More information at poetrygabriola.com.

FEAST!
Jennica Harper and Kevin Spenst blend, spice and sauté measured words into poems that sizzle and satisfy. April 16 at 7:30 pm, free. Pelican Rouge Coffee, 15142 North Bluff Rd., White Rock. Presented by Semiahmoo Arts.

LILLIAN BORAKS-NEMETZ
Children's author reads from her Sheila A. Egoff Prize winning book, The Old Brown Suitcase. Friday, April 17 at 1:30pm. Kensington branch, 1428 Cedar Cottage Mews, Vancouver. More information at vpl.ca.

NORTH SHORE WRITERS FESTIVAL
This year's festival features a host of Canadian literary stars, including John Vaillant, Aislinn Hunter, Doretta Lau, Zsuzsi Gartner and Heather O'Neill. workshops, panel discussions and readings, there's something for everyone at this jam-packed literary weekend. April 17-18, 2015. West Vancouver Memorial Library, 1950 Marine Drive, West Vancouver. Complete details at northshorewritersfestival.com.

ARTHUR ELLIS SHORTLIST EVENT
Cathy Ace will be grilling a panel of her fellow BC crime writers including Don Hauka, Owen Laukkanen, Kay Stewart and Sam Wiebe about their latest, and forthcoming, works, as well as their writing styles and habits. Thursday, April 23 at 7:00pm, free but registration required. Bob Prittie Metrotown branch, Burnaby Public Library. Information and registration at 604-436-5410.

MEET THE AUTHOR: JOHN VAILLANT
John Vaillant discuses his novel, The Jaguar's Children. Thursday, April 23 at 7:00 PM. Christianne's Lyceum. 3696 W. 8th Ave. $22 (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 YA writers Jacquie Pearce and Loise Peterson plus open mic for youth. Thursday, April 23 at 7:00pm. Suggested donation: $5. The Cottage Bistro, 4468 Main Street, Vancouver. More information at www.pandorascollective.com.

LITFEST NEW WEST
The Arts council of New Westminster, in partnership with Douglas College, New Westminster Public Library and Royal City Literary Arts Society, presents the 5th Annual LitFest New West. April 24-25, 2015. Details at artscouncilnewwest.org/litfest.

A FEAST OF POETRY
Readings from five local poets, including Vancouver's Poet Laureate, Rachel Rose, Governor General's Award-winner David Zieroth, as well as Raoul Fernandes, Pam Galloway and Rob Taylor. Appetizers available; cash bar. Friday, April 24 at 7:00pm. North Vancouver City Library, 120 W. 14th St., West Vancouver. Details and registration at nvcl.ca.

JABBERING WITH BC
Canadian poets Kevin Spenst, Raoul Fernandes and Elena E. Johnson read from their recent works, discuss their writing processes, and take questions about poetry and writing. Saturday, April 25 at 3:00pm. Central branch, 350 W. Georgia St., Vancouver. More information at vpl.ca.

Upcoming

RACHEL HARTMAN
Author of Seraphina reads from her latest book, Shadow Scale. Tuesday, April 28 at 7:00pm, free but registration required. McGill branch, Burnaby Public Library. Information and registration at 604-299-8955.

TEEN POETRY SLAM
Teens in grades 8 through 12 perform an original poem in front of an audience, including a panel of judges. April 29 at 7:00pm. City Centre branch, Coquilam Public Library. For information and registration, phone 604-554-7339.

CASCADIA POETRY FESTIVAL
Features more than forty poets from across Cascadia, a bioregion that stretches from California to Alaska, including Sam Hamill, Brenda Hillman, Robert Bringhurst, Susan Musgrave, Sharon Thesen, Joanne Arnott, and Stephen Collis. April 30-May 3, 2015 in Nanaimo, BC. Complete details at cascadiapoetryfestival.org.

PAUL YEE
Meet the author of Dead Man's Gold and Ghost Train. April 30 at 10:00am. Newton Library meeting room, Newton Library, Surrey. More information at 604-598-7408.