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September 20, 2017Singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith on his debut novel, Dickens, and feeling awkward
Ron Sexsmith is a household name in Canada for his acclaimed, atmospheric, and beautifully moody music, which has earned him numerous awards including a Juno for Songwriter of the Year.Given Sexsmith's ...
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March 02, 2018What to Expect When You’re Expecting: The Editorial Process for New Writers - Part Two
We are back with part two from guest columnist, and top-notch editor, Jen Knoch. Jen dropped some wisdom about the editorial process last month, and has much more to share with our readers, and any and ...
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May 02, 2016By Way of Introduction
If, as I am given to understand, the point of a writer-in-residence, whether virtual or actual, is in part to hold forth on the mechanics and practice of writing, then let me start by laying bare my understanding ...
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June 06, 2016The Proust Questionnaire, with Teva Harrison
May 31, 2016 - Teva Harrison's unique and powerful graphic memoir In-Between Days (House of Anansi) has been making waves since before it was even published. It began its life as a popular comic series ...
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May 24, 2016The Entitled Interview with Nick Thran
Trillium award-winning poet Nick Thran's Mayor Snow (Nightwood Editions) delves into questions of power — personal and civic, poetic and political. Using parody, dark humour, and lines imbued with his ...
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April 08, 2016Food for Thought: Hungry for #Diversecanlit
There was a homeless man standing on the side of the road the other day with a sign that read “Lost my job. Spare a bit of change.” I didn’t have change – I rarely do – but I had a banana, so ...
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May 15, 2017The Dirty Dozen, with Catherine Hernandez
Catherine Hernandez's Scarborough (Arsenal Pulp Press) is a force to be reckoned with. Filled with the vibrant voices of a struggling but tight-knit community in the titular city, the story immerses ...
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February 18, 2014
If One Can Argue Against Traditional Non-Academic Literary Schools, Then One Can Reason Against a Purely Academic Model (part1)
Whoo! I'm exhausted writing that title. As stated in my first entry this month, all my posts are my opinion and are not necessarily shared by any members or staff of Open Book Toronto. Before we start, ...
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February 15, 2014
Creative Writing as Martial Art? Part 2 (Final)
Step one is acknowledging that writing is a martial art. Words have power. To this day, in many countries the first people executed in times of war are poets. In the West this may be lost, but we have ...
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October 04, 2016Governor General's Literary Award Nominees Announced with More Good News for Madeleine Thien!
2016 marks the staggering 80th anniversary of the Governor General's Literary Awards. The shortlists, announced today, are interesting ones this year, with the fiction list especially notable for its ...