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March 29, 2021
Writing/Not Writing
Some language cracks the shell of a thing open, so we can newly see what’s being described. And some language forms a perfect egg shell around what it aims to describe, obscuring more than it reveals. ...
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December 04, 2024Sophie Kohn Celebrates the Power of Laughter in Katrina Hyena, Stand-up Comedian
A multi-talented artist who teaches humour-writing as a specialty, Sophie Kohn is no stranger to the effect of laughter and the empowering nature of humour as it develops in young people. This is a ...
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December 08, 2024Low-Stress Yearly Reading Challenge Ideas
If you’re a reader with internet access, you’ve likely encountered yearly reading challenges and goals. The most common type of reading challenge is the “Read X Number of Books This Year” type, ...
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May 26, 2025The Key to Publishing a Book: Being a Staunch Celebrationist
Writing a book takes forever. Or, it does for me. I always think I’ll be able to crack the code for the next one, and write faster and be more efficient, but the reality is, it takes me five years to ...
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March 15, 2022Why Canada Reads Needs Unhappy Narratives
Each year on Canada Reads, five books of fiction and nonfiction are chosen by Canadian celebrities who advocate for their book of choice as one that “all of Canada should read.” One book is voted ...
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March 30, 2021"To Write About My Feelings Without Guilt or Censorship Felt Redemptive" Phantompains by Therese Estacion Hailed as a Masterpiece
"I love its humour, clarity, irreverence, and rage," said poet Sara Peters about the stunning new collection, Phantompains (Book*hug Press) by Therese Estacion. And even that effusive list doesn't cover ...
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May 08, 2014Guttersnipes: Meags Fitzgerald
TCAF is the Toronto Comic Arts Festival. It is an annual week-long celebration of comics and graphic novels and their creators, featuring readings, interviews, panels, workshops, gallery shows, art installations, ...
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September 08, 2015
Literary Perturbations: Math, Rhythm, and the Unforgettable Sentence
I want to write about perturbations created by literature, how when you’re reading something that connects to you, you can feel shaken, disoriented almost, like everything in the world has suddenly ...
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August 18, 2023Picture Book Trends
Picture books, like all art forms, are subject to trends and shifts in theme, style and format. I don’t necessarily recommend writing to trend, but it’s always good to be familiar with what’s working ...
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April 11, 2017
Alice Burdick on Poetry Exercises
My next few posts as Writer in Residence here at Open Book will feature short interviews with Canadian poets discussing their relationship to poetry prompts and exercises. They'll talk about what they ...
