I decided to put a hold on this book after my interview with Chris Benjamin; Doing Time is one of the books he had recently read and recommended. (He had also spoke highly of Carol Bruneau's Brighten the Corner Where You Are, and that turned out well!) I was surprised by how invested in this … Continue reading Doing Time: Writing Workshops in Prison by Carole Glasser Langille
Much has been made of Maud Lewis and her art over the years: baby books, art, biographies, even a movie. She is well-known here in Nova Scotia - I remember learning about her in school over 30 years ago. Since then, more has come to light about her life, or, more likely, more has been … Continue reading Brighten the Corner Where You Are by Carol Bruneau
It's been a while since I read and wrote about one of Alistair MacLeod's stories, even though my plan had been to go through them all. That's why I was especially pleased to see that Marcie at Buried in Print has chosen Alistair MacLeod for her newest short story project. Last week we read The … Continue reading The Vastness of the Dark: A Short Story by Alistair MacLeod (1971)
As I opened up my notes on this book, I felt a little overwhelmed - two pages of notes, back-to-back, in tiny print. But that's not too surprising - Aubrey McKee is a big book and it takes place primarily in Halifax, Nova Scotia (where Alex Pugsley is originally from). So there was a lot … Continue reading Aubrey McKee by Alex Pugsley
Imagine my excitement when I saw that October's date for Karen's and Simon's Club series was 1956, and that I was going to be able to check another Thomas Raddall book off my list! And check out this cover! Is it as cheesy as the cover makes it look? Surprisingly, not at all. Yes, the … Continue reading #1956Club: The Wings of Night by Thomas H. Raddall
The Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award is one of the most lucrative in Canada. For more information about it and the writer it's named for, visit my Thomas Raddall page. Two of the nominated books for this award are set in contemporary Halifax, and one in an isolated nineteenth century Newfoundland cove. Crocuses Hatch From … Continue reading Atlantic Book Awards 2020: Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award
The nominees for the Jim Connors Dartmouth Book Award for Fiction will take you to three distinct areas of Nova Scotia: Yarmouth, Lunenburg, and Cape Breton. From the 1910s and 40s to the present day. The Difference by Marina Endicott, Knopf Canada I was overjoyed by the inclusion of this book on the list. It is … Continue reading Atlantic Book Awards 2020: Jim Connors Dartmouth Book Award for Fiction
During my visit to Mabel Murple's Book Shoppe and Dreamery last summer, Sheree Fitch spoke about her upcoming poetry book. She hasn't written one for adults since In This House Are Many Women (1994). People have asked her why, and she's said that it's because she didn't feel like she had anything more to say. … Continue reading You Won’t Always Be This Sad by Sheree Fitch
These three books couldn't be more different. There is one thing they have in common, though - they are all written by Nova Scotians. Portia White: A Portrait in Words by George Elliott Clarke I have written about George Elliott Clarke before - sometimes I love his words, sometimes I don't understand them, and … Continue reading An Opera Singer, A Coffee Franchise Contest, and OCD
The Lost Sister by Andrea Gunraj A book about sisters is always appealing, but what made this one even more so for me is that part of the story is inspired by Garnet Smith's childhood experiences while living at the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children. A book about this Home came out not long … Continue reading Connections: ‘The Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children’ and ‘The Lost Sister’
