I was thrilled to find out last week that Yemeni Soup and Other Recipes, a nonfiction piece about my mom, me, and food, was nominated for a National Magazine Award in the One of A kind Category. A few of my mentors and peers are nominated in different categories as well so I’m in great company. The piece was published in Grain Magazine last summer. Winners will be announced in their gala on June 7th, 2013. Then, the following day – another pleasant surprise! The piece was also nominated for a Western Magazine Award. The winners will be announced in Vancouver on…
Browsing CategoryCreative Nonfiction
The Afterword
I was the guest editor for The National Post’s Afterword this week, which meant that I got to write four posts for their blog. I’m a big fan of The Afterword so it was especially exciting for me. I enjoyed writing the essays and reading the comments about them on Twitter. People have been so kind and supportive – I am humbled! Here are the links to all four posts: What Nobody Tells You – in which I describe the emotional rollercoaster publishing my book has been. It’s funny, because at my launch, Jane, my editor at HarperCollins, said that…
Two Upcoming Workshops (also: Two Upcoming Publications!)
I teaching two writing workshops this winter. The first one, Creative Writing through Reading, is a part of the University of Guelph‘s brand new Creative Writing Certificate, in which I am extremely honoured to be teaching. It actually takes place in the gorgeous Guelph campus (Greyhound, here I come!) The second one is Introduction to Creative Non-Fiction, which I will be teaching at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Education. I had so much fun teaching it this summer so I’m looking forward to doing it again. I updated my Workshops and Manuscript Consultation page so you can read more about these exciting opportunities. Hope…
Teaching at The University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Education
I am excited to be teaching a course at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Education this summer. The course is Introduction to Creative Non-Fiction; it begins on July 4th and will go over eight weeks. There are still some spaces left, so if you’re interested in Creative Non-Fiction you can sign up here. I promise it’s going to be fun times!
Nominated for the CNFC Readers’ Choice Award
So earlier this fall I found out that I had been nominated for the CNFC (Creative Non-Fiction Collective) Readers’ choice Award for my story Warplanes (which appeared in Grain last summer). I was thrilled, of course; it’s a great honour. My dear friend Eufemia Fantetti was nominated last year and the past winners—Susan Olding for Pathologies (2010) and Theresa Kishkan for Phantom Limb (2009)—are both wonderful writers. The award was announced at the CNFC conference in Banff, where an excerpt from my story was read in front of the collective members by the lovely and generous Betsy Warland. I didn’t…
the Wolsak and Wynn Launch
The Wolsak and Wynn launch at Ben McNally Books was great. I got to read to a bunch of people who came to hear Barry Dempster read from Dying a Little and were forced to listen to some of my army tales first. Susan Glickman also read from Slice Me Some Truth. Wine and brie were consumed. Good time was had by all.
Slice Me Some Truth
I got my copy of Slice Me Some Truth from Wolsak and Wynn in the mail today and it’s a big, fat, gorgeous book. I’m so honoured to be in it. I’m even more honoured to be included in their fall launch! It’s going to take place this Thursday, September 22nd, 2011 at Ben McNally Books, 366 Bay Street, Toronto. Barry Dempster and David Groulx read from their new books of poetry, Dying a Little and a Difficult Beauty, respectively, and Susan Glickman and I will read from Slice Me Some Truth. I’ll be reading from You and What Army,…
Missing In Action Published in PRISM International
I received my copy of PRISM in the mail today and I was thrilled to see my story, “Missing In Action” (1st runner up in their literary nonfiction contest!) in print. This is what the judge Brian Brett had to say about my story: “’Missing in Action,’ is a dazy druggy classic tale of getting lost in Goa, reverberating, replaying, echoing, chronicling a cleansing of old memories in the exoticism of India. It’s brave not only in subject matter but also in its loose style.” It’s a great issue, and featuring the winning entries as well as poetry by two…
1st Runner-Up in PRISM International Non-Fiction Contest
I received some good news in my email the other day. Missing in Action is the 1st runner up in PRISM International Non-Fiction Contest, and is going to be published in PRISM 49.3, due out in mid April. This was a great surprise, since I wasn’t sure if I was going to send this one to the contest at all! I’m so looking forward to read the other winning stories!
Two Stories on the Shortlist for PRISM International Non-Fiction Contest!
I am honoured and thrilled to have two of my pieces shortlisted for PRISM International’s Non-Fiction Contest. Both stories, Simple Recipes and Missing in Action are a part of my non-fiction manuscript, You and What Army. The winners will be announced in February.