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    Backlist Drama Fiction Frontlist Non-Fiction Poetry

Bunch of books

Great Lakes Suite

Talon Spring Poetry Night in Vancouver

A crowd of one hundred plus gathered in the elegant surroundings of Vancouver’s Heritage Hall for the launch of the largest single season poetry list in Talon’s history. Eight of Canada’s finest poet’s beguiled the crowd with wildly diverse readings.

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Joan MacLeod charms at Kogowa House

Nancy Lee and Joan MacLeod gave an intimate gathering a heady taste of salon life on April 19th as part of the Writing for Social Change series at the historic Joy Kogowa House. Nancy and Joan conversed about Joan’s start as a dramaturge and the key role that the Banff workshops have played her career. The development of Joan’s plays was explored and then conversation opened up to include those gathered in the small space as the process of writing for the stage was explored.

Joan then gave a wonderful reading from her work showing why she was able to appear in her own work early in her career despite her misgivings about herself as an actress. The evening came to end with the participants departing effused with a warm glow. The success of the venue and the evening will help Kogowa House build its program.

Getting to Know Noh

Japanese Noh is well known for its traditional masks but beyond that how much do you know about Noh?

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Prior to Robert Capa’s Falling Soldier was Louis Riel's North-west Rebellion

Circumstances Alter Photographs praised for publishing world’s first under-fire battlefield pictures

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Fred Wah could be Kazuo Ishiguro’s guide to understanding Poetry

Globe and Mail praises Fred Wah’s is a door

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Interview with Billy Bishop Goes to War author John Gray

1. What is your favourite career highlight as a writer? What would be your ideal career highlight for the future?

To be published/produced internationally. It does wonders for your Canadian sales.

Are is not a “career”, it’s a life journey. As to the future, I hope to have one.

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Interview with Canada's Drama Superstar Morris Panych

1. What is your favourite career highlight as a writer? What would be your ideal career highlight for the future?

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Interview with George Bowering, Canada's first Poet Laureate

1. What is your favourite career highlight as a writer? What would be your ideal career highlight for the future?

(a) Being the poet in residence at the University of Rome, 1985.
(b) Getting an honorary degree from the University of Victoria.

2. Were you ever discouraged from becoming a writer? How did you move beyond that?

Not that I remember.

3. What’s one commonly held belief about writing or a writer career that you’ve learned to be untrue?

That you have to drink a lot.

4. You can select one person from history and ask them a question to which they must give a truthful reply. Whom would you select, and what question would you ask?

George Washington.
Were you embarrassed to take the job after your losing record?

5. You can personally witness one event in history. What would you see?

Nelson Mandela getting out of prison.

6. What kind of discoveries do you make in your writing, if any, when you give a public reading?

Often I am surprised that listeners don’t get the joke.

7. Do you have a pet peeve regarding a particular usage/misusage of the English language? What is it?

I am annoyed when people say “I could care less,” when they mean that they don’t care. Also, I detest the use of “lay” when “lie” is called for.

8. Aside from writing, what are your other talents? What is one talent you wish you had?

I used to be a quick-handed shortstop. I wish that I could play jazz saxophone.

9. Besides taking this survey, what do you enjoy most about publishing with Talonbooks?

I like the editing seriousness of Mr. Siegler.

10. What do you love about Canadian literature?

I like reading a book that refers to a place where I have lived. It can be a foreign book, though.

11. What is one creative solution you use to overcome writer’s block?

I never have writer’s block. I find it hard to believe that a writer does not have more jobs than time.

12. What’s next for you?

I have started a text called How I Wrote Certain of my Books.