Word on the Steet - Today!

Word on the Street - Come See us!

Just a few of the authors who will be reading at Word on Street tomorrow Saturday September 19th 11am to 4 pm. Can't wait!

Read By The Sea July 11/15

Come to this year's Read by the Sea in beautiful River John, Nova Scotia.
This year's illustrious group of authors include: Maureen Jennings, Giles Blunt, Linden MacIntyre and Isabel Huggan.  What better way to spend a Saturday?

Autism, Antarctic & the Night: An Interview with Maria Mutch

Maria Mutch’s voice has the perfect storytelling tone—friendly, confident, and present.  She spoke with me on the phone about her latest book, Know the Night, and I was thankful for her honest and open approach in conversation as I had been as a reader.

In case you have not had a chance to read Know the Night (M), it is a tenderly guided plunge into the concept of isolation.  Maria’s ability to share and explore honestly allows you to feel safe and equally open, and her lyrical descriptions and insights bring a gentle light to the journey—not a light that starkly illuminates a few select spots before you, but one that emanates like courage.

I hope this interview conveys Maria’s intelligent humanity and that you have a chance to hear her share her story, too.

Inside the Author’s Stage with Maria Mutch

Twinning the story of a polar explorer [Admiral Richard Byrd] with your personal journey is a brilliant concept, for many reasons.  You could have simply chronicled your time with your son.  Why add this other layer?

I was so interested in Byrd and his Antarctic sojourn, and the fact that he was on the Ice during the time when the sun doesn’t rise, that I knew I wanted to write about it. Many of my favourite essays (by writers such as Susan Griffin, Annie Dillard, Joan Didion, Lawrence Weschler) thread together two or more apparently disparate subjects that, on a deeper level, are connected. When I started working on the book, I found that I could enlarge the somewhat insular experience of caring for a child at night through Byrd’s story, and then beyond. The story could be larger than us.

Did the Byrd story offer some form of self-protection while you were digging deeply into your own story?

Yes, I think so (and that’s a great observation). Working with Byrd’s story—even though he’s more or less alone in it—gave me a kind of map for locating the shadow side of caregiving, and people’s relationships, and what happens to us when we’re at our most isolated. His story was a reprieve, too, from my own and gave me energy for looking at my own circumstances.

You seem to be speaking to many different people at once.  I’d like to ask you about a couple of them.  What are you trying to communicate to other parents of children with autism and/or Down Syndrome?

Commiseration, hopefully. When I started writing, I didn’t have only parents of children with special needs in mind, though they will be very familiar with some of the circumstances in the book, and the range of emotion from wonder and joy, to rage, which is a much less permissible topic. I felt commiseration when I read Byrd’s book and hopefully readers will get the same from Know the Night and feel included in the story by virtue of their own experience, whether or not that involves autism.

Exposure to a situation or person can remove barriers.  Are you hoping to say anything to people who are unfamiliar with autism?

I’m hoping to convey how noble the process of care is, regardless of the harder, darker elements of it, and how incredible and mysterious humans are, in whatever iteration. How worth it. My son showed me how valuable he is, not only to me as my child, but as a teacher. He showed me that circumstances that seem confining can be expansive.

The title, Know the Night, could be interpreted in different ways.  Is it a warning (watch out for the darkness), a tip for coping (if you identify it and acknowledge its existence then you can deal with it), or both?

Perhaps both! Mostly it has to do with finding worth. The title comes from Camus’ line, “There is no sun without shadow, and it is essential to know the night.” A lighter presence doesn’t exist without a darker one; they are inexorably attached. As I was writing, I thought a lot about our estrangement from night, and one of the subjects I researched, aside from Antarctica and jazz, was literal night and how the light pollution of cities, for instance, has affected our relationship with the dark. I learned, by being up with Gabriel, to value that psychic space, even through the discomfort of it.

Reviews of your book have pointed to your use of language.  Your writing is said to be lyrical, poetic, and even jazz-like.  Did your subject demand this style or is this how you approach writing in general?

Yes, I think so, because Gabriel lost the ability to speak and that amplified the importance of words for us—what words can do and how elastic they can be. I would say also, though, that the style is simply my voice. I wrote poetry for years, especially when my younger son was a toddler and preschooler, and the process of writing it seemed to fit inside his daily nap. I’m a little bit genre-blind—I see no reason not to blur distinctions a little. The presence of jazz in the book also seemed to demand a certain exploration with language, as did the quiet space of observing the dark hours.

Maria Mutch takes to the Author’s Stage on Tuesday, March 4, 7 PM at Spring Garden Road Memorial Public Library.  The reading and talk will be followed by a Q&A with the audience.  See you there!

The Author Stage - Born Weird by Andrew Kaufman

Fun fun fun. That's how I can best describe my experience listening to Andrew Kaufman read from Born Weird. 

Checkout the video of this wonderful reading on Halifax Public Libraries' The Author Stage: readings and talks, which is now hosted on YouTube.

Urban Tigers Two: more tales of a cat vet by Kathy Chisholm

Kathy Chisholm will be reading from

Urban Tigers Two: more tales of a cat vet

at the Keshen Goodman Public Library

on Wednesday, October 23 @ 7 pm.

Everyone is welcome.

For everyone who fell in love with the cast of characters in Urban Tigers you’re in for a real treat! Urban Tigers Two: more tales of a cat vet (M) is here and tells the continuing story of Dr. Emily McBride and the many adventures at the fictional Ocean View Cat Hospital. All of your favorites are back, including the beloved Dr. Hughie Doucette, the caring and loving staff at the clinic, and Emily’s mother who is still trying to find her a husband.

Kathy Chisholm is a great storyteller who combines humor, compassion, and caring in her tales. She doesn’t hesitate to show you the sad side of work in a vet clinic and the tough decisions that caring animal caregivers must make on a daily basis. But Chisholm’s writing also give us hope that there are still caring people out there who don’t see cats as disposable creatures and who are willing to go to great lengths to see them treated humanely and responsibly. If you love cats (or any animal) and great stories then pick up Urban Tigers Two. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, but mostly you’ll marvel at the great lengths pet owners will go to when their four-legged friends are in need of care.

By the way, you might recognize the book cover cat as the well-known mayoralty candidate Tuxedo Stan. He ran on a platform of responsible pet ownership and affordable spaying and neutering facilities. While Stan recently lost his battle with cancer, his brother Earl Grey is continuing his political work and ran a spirited race for Premier of Nova Scotia.

Staff Pick - Fauna by Alissa York

One Book Nova Scotia, our province wide reading project, chose Fauna (M) by Alissa York as the "one book" for 2013.  This is a wonderful, thought provoking novel. It is filled with great storylines, intriguing characters, and a fantastic setting.

Although I am a primarily character driven reader, I was surprised at how much I was drawn to the setting, which is mostly in the Don Valley of Toronto. I really want to see this urban wilderness landscape. I recall that while reading the novel, I kept asking various friends if they have ever been to the Don Valley. What is it really like? What did you do there? ....

But this book is about far more than the intriguing Don Valley.  It is about relationships. It is about damaged and dysfunctional lives. It is about building trust between friends and family, between strangers, and between species. And it is about being true to yourself. While it is a somewhat complicated story in terms of all these relationships, each relationship has a vital twist to add to the narrative. It the type of story where you don't forget about the characters after you finished reading.

If you are drawn to well crafted stories with a steady rising level of tension. A story with compelling, sympathetic characters, including non-humans. A novel with a great setting. You will probably enjoy Fauna as much as I did, which is a lot!

Please note that Alissa York will be reading from Fauna at the Spring Garden Road Library on Sunday, October 6th, at 2:30 p.m.  All are welcome.

A Week-end of Authors

This week-end promises to be a great one for fans of writers and writing. 

On Saturday, novelist Keith Hollihan will be reading at the Spring Garden Road Library at 2:00 pm.  Keith will be reading from Flagged Victor (M), a thrilling and thoughtful tale set in late 1980's Halifax. All are welcome.


Sunday is the Word on the Street Festival, happening on the Halifax Waterfront, 11-5pm. Highlights include authors Jian Ghomeshi, Greg Malone, Russell Wangersky and Stephanie Domet. There is also Pitch the Publisher, the CBC - TD Kids Book Club, featuring author Susin Nielsen, and Zine Making Workshops. And so much more...

Personally, I am looking forward to hearing local author Ian Colford read from The Crimes of Hector Tomás. (M)
Wonderful Words Tent at 12:00 - 1:00

I always enjoy hearing Paul W. Bennett, who has written The Last Stand: schools, communities and the future of rural Nova Scotia.  (M)
Remarkable Reads Stage at 3:00 - 3:30

and Anna Quon, who has just released her second novel, Low (M) 
Wonderful Words Tent at 3:15 - 4:00 

Pasha Malla is Coming to Town.

Rising literary star Pasha Malla is going to be reading at Halifax Public Libraries, Saturday, Aug 24th 2:00 pm, at the Spring Garden Road Memorial Public Library.

Pasha will be reading from his debut novel People Park (M). I read this novel as an ebook earlier this summer and absolutely loved it. It is full of engaging and quirky characters, reveals a wonderfully creative writing style, and has a remarkably captivating sense of place.

Here is the publisher's description:

People Park is a tour de force of eerily prescient, grotesque, and hilarious observation and a narrative of gripping, unrelenting suspense. Malla writes as if the twin demons of Stephen King and Flannery O'Connor were resting on his shoulders. You've never read anything quite like People Park. 

It's the Silver Jubilee of People Park, an urban experiment conceived by a radical mayor and zealously policed by the testosterone-powered New Fraternal League of Men. To celebrate, the insular island city has engaged the illustrationist Raven, who promises to deliver the most astonishing spectacle its residents have ever seen. As the entire island comes together for the event, we meet an unforgettable cross-section of its inhabitants, from activists to nihilists, art stars to athletes, families to inveterate loners. Soon, however, what has promised to be a triumph of civic harmony begins to reveal its shadow side. And when Raven's illustration exceeds even the most extreme of expectations, the island is plunged into a series of unnatural disasters that force people to confront what they are really made of.

Why do I say rising literary star? Well just checkout his impressive list of awards and nominations.


Pasha Malla’s first novel, People Park, was shortlisted for the Amazon.ca First Novel Award and was selected as an Amazon.ca Best Book. His first collection of short stories, The Withdrawal Method, a Globe and Mail and National Post book of the year, won the Danuta Gleed Literary Award and the Trillium Book Award, and was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Prize and longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. He is the winner of an Arthur Ellis Award for crime fiction, two National Magazine Awards, and has twice had stories included in the Journey Prize anthology. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Our plans are to have the reading outdoors at the Spring Garden Road Library.  If the weather is poor, the reading will take place inside the library.

So come on downtown Saturday afternoon for some sun (hopefully) and great literary entertainment (guaranteed).

Don't Miss This! Eva Stachniak Reads Tonight at the Keshen Goodman Library

The Winter Palace: a novel of Catherine the Great (M) is a literary tour de force and should be not be missed. Eva Stachniak's third novel has received many glowing reviews and recommendations.

"Stachniak sets a tone that grips the reader from the first page on, and vividly paints the atmosphere of the Czar’s court, the smells, the tastes, the superstition and the addiction to new fashions, the unimaginable opulence…” It’s well-written and thoroughly convincing!" - Die Presse

"Eva Stachniak’s first novel, Necessary Lies, won the 2000 Amazon.ca/Books in Canada First Novel Award. That book told a contemporary story; her follow-up, Garden of Venus, and her latest, The Winter Palace, together should establish her as a pre-eminent writer of historical fiction". - Quill and Quire

"The Russian Imperial Court comes to life with its grandeur and overindulgence. Even the descriptions of food are divine. This is absolutely an “eating book,” in that the reader is likely to find herself starving after reading several chapters. Who would have thought that one could crave blinys, smoked sturgeon and borscht so much?" - National Post

“brilliant, bold historical novel . . . This superb biographical epic proves the Tudors don’t have a monopoly on marital scandal, royal intrigue, or feminine triumph.” - Booklist

Please join us tonight at the Keshen Goodman Library to meet (and hear) Canadian Literary star Eva Stachniak.  The reading starts at 7:00pm and all are welcome!

Special thanks to The Canada Council for the Arts for their support.

Three Great Local Poets at the Spring Garden Library Tonight.

Although every month is a month for poetry, April is officially designated as National Poetry Month in Canada.  So why not end the month on a poetic high note? Join us for a great poetry event this evening at the Spring Garden Road Memorial Public Library.

Poetry, What’s Happening?

Join three local poets—Jaime Forsythe, Phanuel Antwi, and Tanya Davis—as they read from their work and discuss some current and everlasting topics in poetry. 

Bring your senses and questions.

Spring Garden Rd. Memorial Public Library
Tuesday, April 30/7:00 pm 

Staff Pick - The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak

editor's note: Please note that Ms. Stachniak will be reading at the Keshen Goodman Library  May 22th @ 7:00pm

Two girls, one a princess and the other an orphaned bookbinder's daughter, face different but equally uncertain futures in the court of Empress Elizabeth in 18th century Russia. The Winter Palace, the official home of the Russian monarchy from 1732 to 1917, is the backdrop for this lush and thoroughly readable historical fiction novel The Winter Palace (M) by Eva Stachniak.

A bookbinder impressed Empress Elizabeth with his loving restoration work, and in his debt, she promised to provide for his daughter in the event of his death. Varvara Nikolenka exchanges life as beloved daughter to working girl in the court of Empress Elizabeth. Varvara finds herself assigned to a team of seamstresses whose job it is to supply Empress Elizabeth with a new gown every day, although it is painfully obvious that she is utterly unsuited to the work. She finds escape in a box of books and is discovered by Count Bestuzhev, the Empress' Chancellor, who is pleased to find her to be literate, intelligent and capable of speaking several languages. He teaches her the fine art of spying, and she contrives to bring herself to Elizabeth's notice and is removed from the wardrobe.

Princess Sophie van Anhalt Zerbst begins as a tragic figure in this story, although we know that she will ultimately go on to become one of Russia's greatest Empresses - Catherine the Great. It is Catherine's job to produce heirs and beyond that she is of no use to Empress Elizabeth, and certainly of no use or interest to her husband, the Grand Duke Peter. She was selected as a bride for Peter in order to strengthen relations between Russia and Prussia and to weaken Austria. Vavara, who is Empress Elizabeth's "tongue" plays to dual and conflicting role as spy and friend to Catherine. Despite their different stations in life, neither Catherine nor Vavara have any say in their choice of husbands and must each shape their destiny with cunning and by virtue of their own powerful personalities.

The Winter Palace is a world unto itself and it exists according to its own rules, a painful lesson which Varvara is forced to learn at an early age. It is a scary world in which betrayal is the norm and no friendship is safe. Varvara is warned that once you help someone achieve power, they quickly forget and assume that they accomplished it all by themselves. The atmosphere is menacing and the sense of powerlessness and unfairness is palpable. History tells us the story of Catherine the Great, but The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak brings it to life through the eyes and tongue of a servant girl.

According to Stachniak's website she is working on another novel about Catherine the Great entitled Empress of the Night. (M) In the meantime there is also Robert Massie's critically acclaimed biography Catherine the Great: portrait of a woman. (M)

"Born into a minor noble family, Catherine transformed herself into Empress of Russia by sheer determination. Possessing a brilliant mind and an insatiable curiosity as a young woman, she devoured the works of Enlightenment philosophers and, when she reached the throne, attempted to use their principles to guide her rule of the vast and backward Russian empire. She knew or corresponded with the preeminent historical figures of her time: Voltaire, Diderot, Frederick the Great, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, Marie Antoinette, and, surprisingly, the American naval hero, John Paul Jones." publisher

editor's note: Please note that Ms. Stachniak will be reading at the Keshen Goodman Library  May 22th @ 7:00pm

Author Reading: Unforseen Fury by Chriistopher McGarry

Please join us this Sunday afternoon at the Alderney Gate library for a reading by maritime author Christopher McGarry. A journalist by trade, Unforeseen Fury (M) is Christopher's debut novel.

"Josh Donaldson has survived two brutal tours in Iraq, the tragic death of his adoring wife Mallory and is just beginning to get settled into a new life with his two young daughters Jessica and Caitlin when he experiences every parent's worst nightmare. After Jessica, his youngest daughter, breaks her arm, the highly - decorated ex - marine is falsely accused of child abuse. After his children are ripped away from him by a coldhearted child protection worker named Lori Mancuso, the jaded war veteran, using his elite military skills, escapes police custody and wages a one - man war against what he sees as a cruel and unaccountable bureaucracy. Later, Josh teams up with a woman who has her own dark past with Mancuso and together they devise to plan to rescue his daughters and bring the tyrant who conspired to ruin both of their lives to justice."--Publisher.

Alderney Gate Public Library
Sunday, March 10/2:00 pm

If you enjoyed reading Unforseen Fury, you may also like these other novels featuring war veterans:
 
The Things a Brother Knows (M)
by Dana Reinhardt

"Levi's older brother Boaz returns from fighting with the Marines in the Middle East. He's safe. Levi's family has waited three long years for this. But Boaz is no longer the brother Levi thought he knew. Even if nobody else wants to see it, Levi can tell that Boaz has changed; something's wrong. When Boaz announces he's off to hike the Appalachian Trail, Levi knows he's lying. He's heading somewhere else. So Levi follows, determined to understand who his brother was, what he's been through, and how to bring him home again." - Publisher.

The Wrong Man (M)
by David Ellis

"When Jason Kolarich accepts the case of a homeless Iraq War veteran accused of murdering a young paralegal, his course seems clear: to mount an insanity defense for a man suffering so badly from post-traumatic stress disorder that he has no real memory of the crime. But as Kolarich digs deeper, he realizes that, unlikely as it seems, his client is probably innocent. Only days before her death, the murdered paralegal had stumbled onto something she wasn't supposed to know . . . " - Publisher

Braco (M)
by  Lesleyanne Ryan

"This novel takes place over the five days following the fall of Srebrenica in 1995. The narrative follows the perspectives of Bosnian civilians, UN Peacekeepers, Serbian and Bosnian soldiers, as well as a Canadian photojournalist. A retired veteran and former Bosnian Peacekeeper, Ryan vividly captures the visceral tension and horror of Bosnian refugees fleeing Srebrenica, the ensuing massacre of Bosnian men, and the inability of the Dutch peacekeepers to protect them." - Publisher