Posted on October 17, 2012
By Wayne Arthurson
Front Slider, Lit
Literary festivals in Canada aren’t usually known for great local representation. Edmonton’s LitFest – opening today and running through Oct. 28 at venues around town – is the exception. The ratio between visiting writers and local ones is a lot higher than one would find at any of the other major literary festivals in the […]
Posted on October 10, 2012
By Wayne Arthurson
Features, Front Slider, Lit, Music
Death metal and poetry don’t usually hang out together – except in the personage of former Edmontonian Catherine Owen. She’s not only an award-winning Canadian poet, well respected by many – which is an accomplishment in the fractured world of Canadian poetry – she’s also a heavy metal goddess who’s played bass in bands such […]
Posted on September 24, 2012
By Wayne Arthurson
Culture, Front Slider, Lit
For years, we have been cocky about our bookstores. As city after city lost their independent book sellers, Edmonton crowed: “We have two strong independent bookstores!” But we crow no more. Although there is no official word from the owners, Greenwoods’ Books is closing in about a week, according to discussions on Facebook and Twitter. […]
Posted on September 13, 2012
By Wayne Arthurson
Culture, Lit, The Latest
Running a publishing company has always been a crapshoot – and with the advent of e-books, the ease of self-publishing and the closing of major and minor bookstores across the continent, things are even crappier in the book publishing business. But that didn’t stop two Alberta moms from taking a plunge into it. Tina Moreau, […]
Posted on September 6, 2012
By Wayne Arthurson
Culture, Lit, The Latest
For the first time since it changed its focus to non-fiction in 2006, Litfest has opened the door to fiction – big-time fiction. The 2012 version of the event – Oct. 17-28 at venues around town – will feature Alexander McCall-Smith, the author of over 50 novels, including the highly successful “No. 1 Ladies Detective […]
Posted on September 1, 2012
By Mike Ross
Culture, Front Slider, Lit, TV and Radio
It’s no secret: To know Bob the Angry Flower is to know his creator, cartoonist Stephen Notley – son of the late Grant Notley, brother of Rachel Notley, and longtime Edmonton native since relocated to Seattle, where he writes and designs video games. For 20 years now, in the back of whatever the local weekly […]
Posted on July 14, 2012
By Wayne Arthurson
Front Slider, Lit
Minister Faust is a man of many hats. He’s a radio personality and political activist. He’s published his own magazine (the now defunct Africentric Magazine), written for the video game industry (EA Games Darkspore, the sequel to award-winning Spore), plus he’s an award-winning novelist, known for such books as “The Coyote Kings,” “The Space-Age Bachelor […]
Posted on June 9, 2012
By Mike Ross
Culture, Lit, The Latest
Wayne Arthurson’s tale of life and death on the mean streets of Edmonton turns out to be a big hit with Alberta readers. The local author has won the top prize at the Alberta Book Awards – a $10,000 Alberta Reader’s Choice Award honouring his first novel, Fall From Grace, dealing with a gambling-addicted newspaper […]
Posted on June 3, 2012
By Mike Ross
Comedy, Front Slider, Lit, TV and Radio
As a stand-up comic with a gift for going over the top, Henry Rollins makes Denis Leary look like Steven Wright – but he’s not really a stand-up comic. As a motivational speaker, Rollins is more motivational than Tony Robbins and Gene Simmons rolled into one – but he’s not really a motivational speaker. As […]
Posted on June 2, 2012
By Wayne Arthurson
Front Slider, Lit
Jalal Barzanji’s The Man With the Blue Pajamas – detailing the Iraqi author’s imprisonment at the hands of Saddam Hussein – might not have been possible without the work of Edmonton editor Peter Midgley, who was shortlisted for the $2,000 Tom Fairley Awardby the Editors’ Association of Canada. This is the only national award that […]
Posted on May 19, 2012
By Wayne Arthurson
Culture, Lit, The Latest
Mar’ce Merrell, known around town as the “Cake Princess,” is mother of five, a writing instructor and author of two kids’ books. Her new novel for young adults, Wicked Sweet, is in stores May 22. Q: OK, you’re in bakeshop with Steven Spielberg and his cupcakes will be ready in 30 seconds. Explain Wicked Sweet […]
Posted on May 8, 2012
By Wayne Arthurson
Lit, The Latest
Edmonton literary fans will soon have the chance to participate in the city’s first ever WordCrawl. Remember the Stroll of Poets from the ’90s? It’s like that, except on a bus. “It’s the love child of an orgy between a literary reading, a poetry slam, a songwriting showcase, and a pub crawl. On speed!” explains […]
