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October 22, 2015
Finding Inspiration in Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol is arguably one of the most quotable artists to have lived.And although much mystery and controversy surrounds his powerful legacy, there is so much inspiration that can be drawn from his ...
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September 12, 2023
The Infinite Library
A few years ago I led a writing workshop and introduced a prompt I called “The Infinite Library.” I had students imagine they had entered a library containing every possible unwritten novel, and could ...
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March 09, 2016
Kid Lit Can, with Susan Hughes: Sex, and Drugs, and Rock and Roll: Writing Edgy Ya (Part 2)
They’ve written about it all: drugs, gambling, sexual harassment, suicide, sexual abuse, physical abuse, cutting, death, sex, drugs, body image issues, bullying, STDs, abduction...Today I continue my ...
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October 01, 2015
Self-Promotion Doesn’t Have to Suck: a Crash Course in Online Marketing
I have good news and bad news.The good news is, as a writer, you live in a time when easy, free marketing opportunities are available en masse these days.The bad news is that regardless of the number ...
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September 28, 2016
Most Anticipated Books of 2017, Part 2
Hi Open Book Readers,Following on from Part 1 of this series, I’m also incredibly excited about new books by Richard Rosenbaum (he has two coming out in 2017) and Chris Benjamin. I had a chance to interview ...
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December 16, 2020
"Theatre is Collaborative at its Core" Norman Yeung on Writing for the Stage, Shower Thoughts, & Going Full Carnival
In the age of social media and lives lived partially online, the issue of free speech is perhaps more heated than ever. When Isabelle, a film professor, creates an unmoderated online discussion for her ...
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January 30, 2020
February 2020 Writer-in-Residence Nadia Hohn on Recommended Books, Overlooked Gems, and Charming Tropes
Critically-acclaimed Jamaican-Canadian children's author Nadia Hohn has spent her career celebrating Black stories, from her award-winning debut picture book Malaika's Costume (House of Anansi) to her ...
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May 31, 2018
“What Does it Mean to Be Home?” Our June 2018 Writer-in-Residence Chelene Knight on Her Writing Journey
Dear Current Occupant (Book*hug) is the second book from Vancouver's Chelene Knight, whose debut poetry collection Braided Skin was praised as "compelling" and "a whorl of wisdom". With Dear Current ...
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July 18, 2023
Lucian Childs on Writing a Funny (and Moving) Book about Grief, Trauma, & Queer Coming of Age
Juggling six different points of view and forty years of cultural history would be an impressive feat for a seasoned novelist, but Lucian Childs managed to pull it off—with style, humour, and pathos—in ...
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March 30, 2021
"To Write About My Feelings Without Guilt or Censorship Felt Redemptive" Phantompains by Therese Estacion Hailed as a Masterpiece
"I love its humour, clarity, irreverence, and rage," said poet Sara Peters about the stunning new collection, Phantompains (Book*hug Press) by Therese Estacion. And even that effusive list doesn't cover ...