This is a CBC show which allows you to test your knowledge from the comfort of your chesterfield. The studio contestants included: The Celebrities, The Romance Writers, The English Teachers, The Sorority and Fraternity Students, The language gamers, The Comedians and the Ad Writers. The winner overall was a seventeen-year-old who is already publishing crosswords […]
Test the Nation: Watch Your Language! Read More »
Never mind what I’m reading. It’s unimportant, beside the point, really! If I want to fritter spare moments reading Absolutely Amazing Five-Minute Mysteries and Walrus magazine, “it ain’t nobody’s business but my own.” Hmmph! School doesn’t start until after Labour Day (Sept. 3). Next week, although still ‘officially’ on vacation, I’ll be in school Monday
Plagiarization Generation? Read More »
Now reading: law books From Crime to Punishment: Third Edition.Joel E. Pink & David C. Perrier. eds. Criminal Law: Second Edition (Essentials of Canadian Law series)Kent Roach I’m researching courtroom procedure for that big climax to my YA novel. I’m a little torn between using Canadian law and procedures or something more generic. It is
From Crime to Punishment & M.G. Vassanji Read More »
Over dinner, a friend who knows I’m going to South Carolina, compared me to a Southern Belle. Not sure what this meant, I guessed he was referring to my tendency to be “slightly evil,” that is to say, not bland. Canadians are known for blandness in conversation. As a child I was taught to avoid
I hope to return with a story to tell Read More »
I’m a fan of Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Cafe radio show. His stories are entertaining, usually funny and they have a quality I struggle with in my own writing: heart. It’s situation comedy but he makes you care. McLean’s characters, snug in their tight-knit community, are always involved in each others’ lives. It’s a welcome antidote
Secrets from the Vinyl Cafe Read More »
My friend Roben Goodfellow just got a story published in her very first book! It’s a collection of short stories called Mythspring. The anthology is inspired by Canadian songs and explores myths and legends across several genres. I have to buy it before I can review it, so watch this space for further developments. In
Mythspring and Seasonal Merrymaking Read More »
My son got his hockey picture taken before his game today. This meant a lot of sitting around waiting and reading Scooby Doo. He’s in his second year of French Immersion so he brings home Scooby Doo books in French. I end up reading them to him in both languages, one chunk at a time.
Yer typical Canadian Hockey teams. Read More »
Today I sent away for the 2007 edition of the Canadian Writers’ Contest Calendar. I have had a soft spot for the publisher, Deborah Ranchuk, since she published an article of mine in the August 2002 edition of Canadian Writers’ Journal. This is not an online journal so you won’t be able to read my
Canadian Writers’ Contest Calendar Read More »
Last night I attended the monthly CANCAIP meeting. The atmosphere was, as always, very friendly. I enjoy meeting people who have actually “done it” before — published a children’s book, that is. The special topic for October was research for non-fiction. Editor and writer Gena Gorrell talked about predicting unforeseen problems, filing and obtaining photo
CANSCAIP — Research for non-fiction Read More »
The Teen Reads newsletter at Teenreads.com, is a good place to look for upcoming YA fiction. Novels, Manga, contests, author interviews and recommendations. If you want to buy books for a teen, this would be a good place to start. If you prefer adult literature, the Giller prize finalists will be announced at a gala
Teen Reads Newsletter & Giller Short List Read More »