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September 27, 2022
The Joy of Literary Festivals – And Dreams Coming True
It’s hard to believe we’ve come to the end of September and that the time I have been privileged to spend with you on this Open Book platform is almost over. Looking back at what I have shared with ...
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September 11, 2019
"I Like it When Characters Disobey the Narrative Around Them" Seyward Goodhand on Breaking Rules & Surprising Herself
Seyward Goodhand has been creating fresh, eerie, fascinating short fiction for years (racking up nominations for honours like the Journey Prize, CBC Short Story Prize, and a National Magazine Award in ...
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April 08, 2020
Stratford for All Seasons Authors Phyllis Hinz and Lamont Mackay Talk Promotion, Marketing, and Hitting the Road
While it may have received a moment of international media interest for being the birthplace of pop star Justin Bieber, the small southern Ontario town of Stratford has been a legendary hub of top-tier ...
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August 30, 2016
Telling a Story That Works: Part Two of Stephen Thomas in Conversation
Yesterday I posted Part One of my interview with Stephen Thomas about his book, The Jokes, out this March with BookThug. The Jokes is technically a book of short stories, but to call it a book of short ...
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October 22, 2021
RIDING THE WAVES
Marigold stood, held up her fist and struck a defiant pose as she recited William Ernest Henley’s “Invictus.” Out of the night that covers me,Black as the pit from pole to pole,I thank whatever ...
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February 02, 2024
Facing (the Failure of) an Empty Event
There’s a particular kind of feeling to describe preparing and planning for a literary event, only to show up and find the room empty, or nearly empty. You keep looking at the door hoping the passers-by ...
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February 28, 2017
The Lucky Seven, with Molly Peacock
Molly Peacock, a Torontonian by way of New York City, is an acclaimed poet and the series editor for The Best Canadian Poetry in English. Her newest collection, The Analyst (Biblioasis), begins with ...
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February 27, 2023
Stuart Ross Creates a Place for a Weirder, Wilder, More Innovative CanLit with 1366 Books
The rules for what a novel or short story can—or must—be have been in flux since the forms first began. And yet, truly out-of-the-box fiction and successful formal experimentation is hard to find. ...
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January 05, 2018
"Poems are Like People When it Comes to Goodbyes": Talking with Debut Poet Margo LaPierre
If you've ever worn make up, you know what raccoon eyes are - the result of smearing dark eye make up across your face, the telltale sign of a night out that went either way too well or quite the opposite.The ...
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October 15, 2021
MUSE ON THE LAM
Today’s post is about what to do when your muse goes AWOL. When your muse is a contrarian like mine is, getting them to show up for work often requires lengthy debates. Who has that extra time?The ...