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November 09, 2020
Saumiya Balasubramaniam's Beautiful New Picture Book is a Pathway to "Appreciate the Magic in the New"
In a sea of endless Canadian snow, Ma misses the colours and warmth of home — so far away now it's hard to explain to her little girl as they walk home from school. But her daughter's joy in the cold ...
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February 02, 2017
The Proust Questionnaire, with Paul Benedetti
To paraphrase Tolstoy, it seems fair to say that each funny family is funny in its own way. The Hamilton Spectator's Paul Benedetti runs with that idea in his hilarious portrait of modern family life, You ...
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October 06, 2023
Sara Truuvert Explores a Child's View of Japanese Internment in Her Moving First Picture Book
In Japanese folklore, a baku is a chimeric creature that children can call on to protect them from bad dreams – an eater of nightmares. In fiction writer and poet Sara Truuvert's first picture book Mira ...
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April 30, 2017
Failed Dreams
In my new poetry book Beautiful Children with Pet Foxes, there’s a series of poems called “Dream Specimens,” based on actual dreams that I’ve had over the years. I had some fun with these poems, ...
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May 31, 2017
On Writing, with our June writer-in-residence, Lesley Krueger!
Lesley Krueger's sixth book has a very personal connection - not just because of her deep interest in the fascinating Victorian artist Richard Dadd, the subject of her new novel Mad Richard (ECW Press), but ...
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August 24, 2022
"I Want Children To Be Proud of Who They Are" Kuljinder Kaur Brar on Her Debut Picture Book
What's in a name? A lot, especially if people don't get it right. When Saajin starts his first day of school in Kuljinder Kaur Brar's My Name Is Saajin Singh (Annick Press, illustrated by Samrath ...
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April 15, 2017
Kathryn Mockler on Poetry Exercises
Today in my series on poetry prompts and exercises, I'm featuring writer Kathryn Mockler. She teaches creative writing, poetry, and screenwriting at Western University, and runs private workshops through ...
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May 16, 2014
Words & Curds: Ed Piskor & Tom Scioli, Pittsburgh Cartoonists Extraordinaire
On May 6, Toronto's streets were already alive with cartoonists and comic book artists. The Toronto Comic Arts Festival was just days away and a number of acclaimed comic-makers were roaming the city's ...
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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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May 08, 2014
Words & Curds: Matthew Zapruder, Author of Sun Bear
On April 22, I met with American poet Matthew Zapruder, the poet behind such books as the acclaimed The Pajamaist (Copper Canyon, 2006) and Come On All You Ghosts (Copper Canyon, 2010). In addition ...