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September 17, 2024Jacob Wren Stumbles Into a Strange Utopia Amidst a Raging War Zone in Dry Your Tears to Perfect Your Aim
It's a difficult task to distill the political struggles of our time into fiction, and authors run the risk of either alienating readers by doing so, or by creating a story that is simply too close to ...
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April 19, 2017
Jacqueline Valencia on Poetry Exercises
The latest poet featured in this series on poetry prompts and writing exercises is Toronto-based writer Jacqueline Valencia. She is the author of two poetry collections: The Octopus Complex (Lyrical Myrical ...
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January 17, 2018Jaime Lee Mann's Writing Nook: "Writing is More About Mental Space than Physical Space"
The Legend of Rhyme series by Jaime Lee Mann Blood and Stars (Blue Moon Publishing) is exactly the kind of children's fantasy series we all longed for as kids. Packed with fairies, witches, ogres, and ...
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July 08, 2021James A. Onusko on the Complex Legacy of the Baby Boomers' Suburban Youths
Both urban and rural settings abound in literature, but the manufactured homogeneity of suburban areas is less frequently deemed worthy of literary exploration. Academic James A. Onusko challenges that ...
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November 17, 2022Jamie Tennant on Finding His Way Back to Japan for His Spellbinding New Novel
As a horror movie writer, River Black knows that strange, unsolicited objects can bring trouble with them. But when a mysterious book shows up in her mailbox, she can't resist the urge to find out more. ...
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June 23, 2017Jane Kirby on Why Reproductive Rights are Still at Risk in 2017
Reproductive rights -- including safe, legal, accessible birth control and abortion services -- are human rights, and Jane Kirby's Fired Up About Reproductive Rights (Between the Lines Books) is a fascinating, ...
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June 02, 2022Janet Calcaterra on Crafting a Powerfully Intimate Novel Exploring the Legacy of War and Secrets
The myths and silences that grow up around family secrets can be like knots – tightening, fraying, and tangling over time until they seem impossible to unravel. In Janet Calcaterra's riveting family ...
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July 13, 2023Jean Rae Baxter on Bringing Canadian History to Life in a Captivating Coming of Age Tale
It's hard to imagine anyone asking a 14 year old to strike out on their own now, but in 1837, when Dory Dickson leaves his Niagara home, he's asked to shoulder all of his family's most desperate hopes. ...
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March 03, 2022Jen Lynn Bailey's New Picture Book Celebrates Both Northern Nature & The Cumulative Story Form
A cumulative tale is a story, song, or folktale that uses repetition, rhythm, and often humour to build to a story's conclusion. You may not have heard the term, but you know the form–think "There Was ...
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June 27, 2017Jennifer Lanthier on the Magic of Reading for the First Time
Breaking up with a friend is never easy. But it's especially tough when there is an entire world on the line. Such is the dilemma young Oscar finds himself in as he pens a fiery goodbye to his best friend ...
