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March 14, 2023
"We Approach the Mystery [of Art] in Bafflement... Not in Sureness": A Conversation with Award-Winning Poet Kate Cayley
Decorated multi-genre writer Kate Cayley's new poetry collection, Lent (forthcoming from Book*hug Press) is one of her most exciting books yet, and that is saying something, given that her previous ...
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September 06, 2018
Anatomy of a Short Story, or Where I Get (Some of) My Ideas
I’m not one of those writers who makes everything up completely from scratch. And seriously, do those writers even exist? (If they do, I am jealous of them.)In my fiction, almost everything comes from ...
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May 16, 2016
Profile on Monty Reid, with a Few Questions
Ottawa poet Monty Reid, who moved to the area in 1999 after spending most of his working life in Alberta, including side trips to British Columbia and Quebec, was originally born in Saskatchewan. He is ...
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September 25, 2018
YOSS in 2018—and Beyond
It amazes and annoys me that short stories don’t get more respect.There is a certain face that too many literary agents and publishing people make when you mention short-story collections.<iframe ...
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March 13, 2017
My final two columns: Part One
After nearly a decade, my time as a columnist for Open Book comes to a close. According to my email folder, it was May 2009 when Amy Logan Holmes first approached me with the idea of submitting pieces ...
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September 08, 2020
Picture Book Magic
People are often surprised to learn that a picture book begins with the words. But every children’s book editor I’ve met has preferred to read a picture-book manuscript without any images. A good ...
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January 19, 2018
Ele Pawelski on the Most Surprising, Awkward, and Delightful Parts of Publishing for the First Time
Ele Pawelski's debut novella, The Finest Supermarket in Kabul (Quattro Books), follows three characters in the aftermath of an explosion at the titular shop - a real event that occurred in 2011. Merza ...
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February 20, 2025
Author Megan Pomper and Illustrator Maia Hoekstra Talk About What Makes a Bird?
The natural world and its wildlife, from the exotic to that which we see everyday, can be fascinating to young readers. And, some of the best picture books involving these topics find ways to engage with ...
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September 06, 2017
The Word on the Street interview, with Judge and Children's Author Manjusha Pawagi
We at Open Book are excited to partner again this year with Toronto's most unique literary festival, The Word on the Street, which takes place this year on Sunday, September 24. We've had the chance to ...
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May 15, 2018
Daniel Scott Tysdal & Priscila Uppal on the Strange Magic of Teaching Creative Writing
How best to teach creative writing? It's a question that inspires strong opinions amongst writers, students, and instructors. Many writers acknowledge professors and mentors as instrumental in their success ...