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October 11, 2022
Plain Tired
Part I 4:35 p.m.I’m just plain tired. I don’t usually write exhausted, but I want to be in the ‘best’ space to describe the chronic fatigue that bears on me. Not one spoon left today. (Spoon ...
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June 13, 2016Dismantling Jane Jordan’s Library
Throughout the process of distributing ten bins of books, chapbooks and other literary materials once owned by Ottawa poet Jane Jordan (1926-2007), there’s a slight guilt attached to dismantling her ...
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February 23, 2016Awful People Still Exist: Part One of Andrew F. Sullivan In Conversation
Andrew F. Sullivan already gained attention for his 2013 short story collection, All We Want Is Everything (ARP Books), and just three years later, he’s releasing his first novel WASTE (Dzanc Books), ...
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April 09, 2017My final two columns: Part Two
As rob has mentioned, this is the second part of his final column for Open Book. The staff at Open Book would like to share our appreciation for a decade of columns, and for rob's contributions to the ...
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October 07, 2022
Best Advice
Good morning folks,Besides reading as much as you write, the best advice I received from other writers was to observe people. To watch them, to note their body language and actions, and if you can, ...
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February 26, 2016Writing Hangovers Are Denim on Denim: Part 2 of Four New Writers to Watch
I posted the first half of my interview with four exciting writers-to-watch, Noor Naga, Sofia Mostaghimi, Kristel Jax, and Faith Arkorful, earlier today. We talked about writing into dark places, what ...
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February 17, 2016
Why Writers Should Be Reading Works in Translation or Part 1 of The Extravagant JT Reading Plan Never to Be Started or Completed
Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about reading because I’ve rekindled that love. I go through phases with reading, as I guess most of do, usually dependent on how engrossed I am in my own projects. ...
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August 30, 2018Meet our September 2018 writer in residence, short fiction wizard Jessica Westhead!
A Jessica Westhead short story is a magical thing. Her darkly funny, heartfelt stories of misfits, loners, and compelling weirdos have racked up numerous honours, including nominations for the ReLit ...
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August 10, 2017
Writing 101 as Inspired by Improv and Life
I’m hoping the tips in this post will be really helpful to beginner writers—people who have always wanted to write but just don’t sit down to write consistently for whatever reason. People who don’t ...
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June 21, 2017Melanie Mah and Meaghan Strimas Win the 2017 Trillium Book Awards!
Last night in Toronto, debut novelist Melanie Mah won the 2017 Trillium Book Award for The Sweetest One (Cormorant Books). The award, presented by the Ontario Media Development Corporation, honours the ...