Words and Grapes

My Excuses for a Year of Silence…Oh and The 2011 Giller Prize Winner Too

Vicky — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 22:01:41 +0000

Has it seriously been a year since I last wrote on my blog? Shameful. I know. Will you forgive me if I say I have several good excuses? I respectfully submit the following excuses for your perusal:

I have been busy moving into a new home;
I have been busy opening my own business;
I have been busy playing Scrabble for iPad;
I have been busy training to run a 25 KM trail run to raise funds for a local cancer center; and
The most important reason of them all, I have been busy wiping the 3 runny little noses of my bonus children and entertaining said little noses every second weekend.

Although some might argue said excuses are part of this thing we call “life”. In which case I have no rebuttal and I will quickly attempt to redeem myself by writing this blog about the 2011 Scotiabank Giller Prize winner.

It is with great joy that I write that Esi Edugyan has been crowned the 2011 winner of the Scotiabank Giller Prize for her novel Half-Blood Blues. This year’s winner did not bring about the media coverage that last year’s winner did as a result of her small publisher’s inability to keep up with the demand generated by the victory of this prestigious prize. I suppose we will know rather soon which of the two had more book sales. My bet is that last year’s fiasco made the book that much sexier than it’s cover ever could but then again, who am I to judge. I suppose any press is good press for CanLit and for that, I am grateful.

From the book’s publisher Thomas Allen:

“Paris, 1940. A brilliant jazz musician, Hiero, is arrested by the Nazis and never heard from again. He is twenty years old. He is a German citizen. And he is black.

Fifty years later, his friend and fellow musician, Sid, must relive that unforgettable time, revealing the friendships, love affairs and treacheries that sealed Hiero’s fate. From the smoky bars of pre-war Berlin to the salons of Paris – where the legendary Louis Armstrong makes an appearance – Sid, with his distinctive and rhythmic German-American slang, leads the reader through a fascinating world alive with passion, music and the spirit of resistance.”

Happy reading CanLit lovers!

The 2010 Giller Prize Winner

Vicky — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 03:59:50 +0000

I have 3 things to say tonight:

And the winner is *drum roll*…Johanna Skibsrud’s The Sentimentalists. Congratulations to the 2010 Scotiabank Giller Prize Winner! View the shortlist here.
Funny, I just bought last year’s winner, The Bishop’s Man by Linden Macintyre.
Have a look at this CTV challenge called One Country, 5 books. This might be of interest to some of you!

That’s all.

Canadian Writers’ Houses

Vicky — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 02:19:15 +0000

To build a home is something special. We spend hours upon hours picking out the perfect location that meets all our needs and desires. We seesaw between colours we would like to see throughout the house. We criss cross the city to find the perfect painting or accessory that will give it a unique touch. Without a doubt, our home is one of the most important projects we will ever undertake in our lifetime. So this got me thinking about Canadian writers’ houses.

I have recently discovered that several of the Canadian authors on my “to read” list have had their homes turned into museums, writers’ retreats and more. Here is what I have gathered so far:

Pierre Berton = Berton House Writers’ Retreat = if you are a writer who has published at least 1 book + is established in a writing genre in particular, then you may apply for a 3 month residency. Located in beautiful Dawson City, Yukon, this is the house where the famous Canadian author was raised.

Joy Kogawa = Historic Joy Kogawa House = this is the Vancouver, B.C. home where the author lived until the age of 6. Between 2003 and 2006, a grassroots committee fought with the assistance of other support groups to purchase the house, which they transformed into a home where writers could come to live and write.

Gabrielle Roy = La Maison Gabrielle-Roy = the author’s childhood home in Saint-Boniface, Manitoba, has been restored and transformed into a museum, which is open to the public.

Margaret Laurence = The Margaret Laurence Home = this Neepawa, Manitoba home serves many purposes. It is a cultural centre that offers tours of the residence, book launchings and writers’ workshops. In the home you will find gems such as her typewriter, which were generously gifted by her children.

Stephen Leacock = National Leacock Historic Museum Site = located in Orillia, Ontario, this is the house the author built for him and his family in 1928. At Leacock House, you will find anything from guided tours, a café, a children’s section and a summer literary festival.

I would love to hear about your experience if you have ever visited one of these historic homes or if you know of others that exist across Canada!

Inspiration and the Great Canadian Wilderness

Vicky — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 01:38:40 +0000

This morning, I woke up and felt inspired. Perhaps it was the man laying beside me with his beautiful eyes and his big heart. Maybe it was our dog wagging his tail ferociously and impatiently as he waited for us to rise and shine for the day. Regardless of what it was, I was inspired. My mind started to wonder about how this time of year, Mother Nature gives us quite the show as she parades all her Fall colours at us. She is so flamboyant in the Fall yet powerful and deadly as she reminds us of her ability to wipe out an entire community with her winds and waves. She is beautiful, graceful, fierce and unforgiving but she inspires me daily. The Fall is by far my most creative period of the year. It is when I feel I could simply lock myself in a cottage surrounded by the crisp air, clear blue skies and multicoloured trees.

This got me thinking whether all Canadian writers are inspired by nature. Is this something we automatically gravitate to because of the beauty that surrounds us from coast to coast to coast? It appears to me that Canada’s wilderness is a recurring character in Canadian literature. I can’t decide yet whether I love it, hate it or can live with it. What I can say is that Emily Carr was right when she said:

“It is wonderful to feel the grandness of Canada in the raw, not because she is Canada but because she’s something sublime that you were born into, some great rugged power that you are a part of.”

What inspires you? Does nature play a role in your life and if so, how important is it?

Not a winning ticket

Vicky — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 22:39:38 +0000

John Ralston Saul once said:

“Money is not real. It is a conscious agreement on measuring value.”

I don’t quite know how to take that statement. On some days I think it’s an easy comment made by a rich man. Other days, I think he really understands it better than most of us. Regardless of what I think, it’s a powerful statement that should make us reflect on why we do what we do…why we work where we work…why we want to become what we want to become. Because at the end of the day, if we don’t ask ourselves the important questions and answer them truthfully, then how can we expect others to truly understand us? So, next time you go buy that Lotto Max ticket for a jackpot that might wash all your worries away, ask yourself why and whether it’s really worth it.

To eRead or not to eRead?

Vicky — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:39:51 +0000

The Kobo, Kindle, Sony Reader and Apple iPad. These are some of the eReaders available in Canada right now. Unfortunately, some of you will jump all over me and say I’m writing this post with the sole purpose of getting one of these companies to send me a free eReader. First of all, I want to thank you because you seem to be under the impression that someone besides you is reading my blog and in fact actually cares. Second of all, I’m writing this blog because I like to read and write, not for profit. Anyways, a price war erupted this week in the U.S. and I’m hoping the benefits will resonate all the way up to Canada as well. Then, and only then will I seriously consider investing in an eReader.

Why am I interested in an eReader?

I’m sick and tired of carrying my books in my purse…it’s frigging heavy!
I’m annoyed that my page marker always falls out of my book and becomes another victim to the abyss that is my purse.
I’m pissed that my wallet, keys and everything else in my purse wrinkle the corners of my books’ pages as they shift around.
I want to be able to borrow books from the library without having to actually go to the library.
Let’s face it, most of them come pre-loaded with 100 classic books for free. Do the math.

What do you think? Do you have one? Do you love it or hate it?

Am I a “writer” now?

Vicky — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 02:42:31 +0000

Earlier today, I bought what I consider to be the most helpful tool for freelance writers in Canada: The Canadian Writer’s Market. The 18th edition was published in January, 2010. Since then, I have been going to Chapters religiously on my lunch break and having a peak or two at the most recent edition. Until today, I could never gather the courage to actually buy it because it would mean that I considered myself to be a “writer”. To me, saying I’m a “writer” kind of feels like a mistake or some sort of fraudulent declaration. I mean, don’t you have to earn income from your writing in order to call yourself a “writer”? My reality at this time is I earn no income from writing. I do it because I love it. Period.

Naturally, I Googled to see whether other writers had issues with calling themselves a “writer”. I discovered that many felt this way when they first start writing. They had this nagging feeling that they didn’t deserve the success and the income that came their way as a result of simply expressing themselves. Although I don’t consider myself to be a “writer”, I do consider myself to be passionate about writing. So, if anything else, that’s the reason why I walked into Coles today and bought this book. Here’s what the publisher has to say about it:

“The Canadian Writer’s Market is the authority on who publishes what and how best to bring your work to their attention. It offers practical advice on everything from manuscript preparation to copyright law, from information on pay rates to writers’ workshops. This useful guide also includes comprehensive and up-to-date listings for: comsumer magazines; literary and scholarly journals; trade, business, and professional publications; daily newspapers; book publishers; literary agents; awards, competitions, and grants; writers’ organizations and support agencies; writers’ workshops, courses, and retreats.”

Mushaboom and the girls

Vicky — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:41:31 +0000

The other morning I was driving to work and listening to CBC Radio 2 Morning. I heard the song Mushaboom by Feist. Firstly, Feist is an amazing Canadian artist and secondly, the words to this song have been ringing in my head ever since. In particular, the following:

“It may be years until the day my dreams will match up with my pay”.

Since hearing those lyrics, I have been thinking about how most people will have dreams but their paychecks will never match up. I know it’s a sad thought but the fact of the matter is that so many of you are afraid to get out there beyond the walls you have created around yourselves. Why? I don’t know and I won’t pretend to have the answers but I sure hope you ask yourselves why. It would be a shame to limit yourself to what you’ve known and experienced up to now. Making decisions and taking chances ultimately lead to experience in something and this is what shapes us. The great Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan once said:

“Everybody experiences far more than he understands. Yet it is experience, rather than understanding, that influences behavior.”

As you know, I’m reading Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro. This is my first time reading a short story. I don’t know yet whether I like short stories or even whether I like Alice Munro. I know, some of you are cringing and if you could see me, you would be looking at me weirdly because she is one of national literary treasures. I can say that I like the length of a short story because it feels like I’m getting a glimpse into the characters lives, which brings about a curiosity and excitement even because of the fact that we don’t have the whole story like we normally do in novels.

I’ve only read the first story in this book: The Flats Road (25 pages). It takes place in small town Ontario, which is the usual setting for a story by Alice Munro. I will say that a lot of the characters remind me a of my hometown in New Brunswick. I can’t wait to keep reading to find out if I can relate. I’m happy to report I’ve started the second story in the book, which is called Heirs of the Living Body (33 pages). So far, it’s not reading as easily as the first one but I’ll try again. I might have just been tired when I started reading it. Anyways, if you have thoughts on The Flats Road or the book altogether, please let me know. It’s always nice to get more than one perspective on things.

Canadian Artist: Serena Ryder

Vicky — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:04:19 +0000

On March 26th, 2010, I saw Serena Ryder live at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts with a very special person. Her music has meant a lot to us and it was seriously the most amazing show I’ve ever seen. She was electrifying, dynamic, funky, happy and funny. A must see if you’ve never experienced Serena live. Plus, we got to meet her after the show to autograph a CD and take a picture. Her show was taped so hopefully you will all be able to listen to her performance and understand what I mean when I say it was the best show ever. Also, the opening act was incredible. He is another Canadian artist by the name of Royal Wood. If you listen to CBC Radio 2 like I do religiously, you will certainly hear one of his songs. On another note, as you know, I have recently become a Twit and thanks to Twitter, I got a Tweet from Serena Ryder today about her live web chat tonight with fans. I joined in on the chat and was lucky enough to have my 4 questions answered by Serena. Here’s what we chatted about or at least what I can remember:

Me: Where did you get that dress you wore on March 26th in Oakville, it was gorgeous.
Serena: My stylist made it. She makes me a lot of nice dresses to wear for my shows.

Me: I’m in Ottawa…you talked about the Black Sheep Inn…are you going to do another show there?
Serena: Yes. That is my absolute favourite venue so I will definitely come back. Not sure when though, but I will.

Me: Ok, the most important questions ever: MAC or PC? George Stroumboulopoulos or Rich Terfry?
Serena: Ha ha ha I’m a MAC user and I love both George and Rich so my answer is George Stroumboulopoulos AND Rich Terfry.

Thanks Serena!

Twit = An act of twitting or a silly annoying person

Vicky — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:44:54 +0000

For many weeks…no make that months…my writer friends have been unsuccessful in their attempts to get me on Twitter. As one friend said: “That’s where all the cool kids are at!” or something like that. Really? Well then hold on tiger, let me just get out from under this rock and get me a Twitter account! Yes, I am a horrible friend because I used to ridicule them and their tweets saying I would never become one of “those” people. You know who I’m talking about. The people who feel the need to share their every thought with the world. Then I found out Margaret Atwood and my boyfriend George Stroumboulopoulos were Twits. It was like my eyes opened and I could suddenly see again. I’m not blind but anyways that’s beside the point. The importance of this discovery is that it gave me an idea: go on Twitter, create an account and “follow” favourite Twits. To realize that I don’t need to Tweet to join Twitter was an aha moment my friends. Now I still have to figure out how to get a link on this blog for my Twitter account so bear with me folks and Joe, I’ll be calling on you soon my friend. In the meantime, feel free to join me on Twitter or simply search for my Twitter name @wordsandgrapes. Don’t expect many tweets but perhaps check it out simply to find out who I’m following and maybe discover some new and interesting Twits. Before I go, may I suggest you Google what to call those who use Twitter and read the various definitions of “Twit”? My personal favourite: “The kind of person that makes a retarded chimp look smart.” Beautiful.