Hamilton Review of Books

It was such a treat to be featured in the Hamilton Spectator yesterday as part of the team behind the newly launched Hamilton Review of Books, an independent online literary journal created by writers, editors, reviewers, and academics from the Hamilton area. Read Graham Rockingham's story here.

We launched the review in early November, on the same night of Game 7 of the World Series and a terrible downpour. Despite having the odds against us, we had close to 100 local book lovers in attendance. Here are a few photos from the launch, which was held at the Art Gallery of Hamilton's Annex. You can find the rest on our Facebook page.

Tor Lukasik-Foss as our literary palm reader

The Hamilton Spectator's Jeff Mahoney with local writer Jen Jones

Giller Prize shortlister Gary Barwin 

 Jeff Mahoney with some of the women behind gritLIT: Hamilton's Readers and Writers Festival

Jaime of Epic Books on Locke Street and Noelle Allen of Wolsak and Wynn 

 Hamilton Review of Books editorial team members Sally Cooper, Dana Hansen, and Krista Foss

 A literary journal dedicated to paying its writers!

On the Sixth Day of Christmas ...

My true love gave to me, This Orchard Sound by John Terpstra.

One of my favourite local books is Naked Trees by poet and woodworker John Terpstra. In 2012, Naked Trees urged me to look back at my own childhood and the important roles trees played in it, offering shelter, hidden worlds, and other adventures. Like in Naked Trees, Terpstra's recent offering of poetry, this Orchard Sound, examines the clash between nature and urbanity.

They say big things come in small packages, and this Orchard Sound is a perfect example of this old saying. At only 36 pages, it's a tiny collection, perfect for reading in one sitting. It takes readers inside a fruit orchard that is meeting its demise, making way for development we're all too familiar with.

this Orchard Sound is subtle and graceful without been seeped with sentimentality. It urges readers to look at their surroundings, appreciating the nature in our own backyards before it is lost to subdivisions and parking lots.

12 Days Of #HamOnt #ReadLocal

Starting December 13, Not My Typewriter presents 12 Days of #HamOnt #ReadLocal, because why do one post about reading local when you can do twelve? Check back tomorrow!

gritLIT 2014: Recap

Authors have always seemed unreachable to me. They're the people who have written books — actual books — that are sold in stores, talked about in book clubs, and devoured in coffee shops. Needless to say, I get really excited and even a little starstruck when I find myself surrounded by them. This, along with my obvious love of books, is one reason I didn't even consider saying no when I was asked to join the committee of gritLIT, Hamilton's literary festival, last year.

The tenth annual gritLIT Festival was held between April 3–6 at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, and we were thrilled to celebrate the festival's anniversary with Lynn Coady, Michael Winter, members of Teenage Head, and Emma Donoghue, to name only a few, along with many local talent from both Hamilton and Toronto. I even got the chance to host a workshop with Denise Chong, the author of one of my all-time favourite works of non-fiction, Egg on Mao, which I reviewed a few years back for Ricepaper magazine.

It was a whirlwind of a weekend, but it was the best kind of weekend, reminding me of why I love this vibrant city and all that it offers. We hear a lot about Hamilton's thriving art and music scene, but sometimes it seems like our literary community is still our little secret — brimming with poets, novelists, and non-fiction writers who are just waiting to be discovered. My favourite part of gritLIT is hearing, meeting, and buying the books of authors who, until recently, I've been unfamiliar with. My favourite discovery at this year's festival was Dannabang Kuwabong, a Ghanaian-Canadian poet who read from his book Voices from the Kibuli Country.

One of our goals as a festival for 2014 is to expand beyond the annual festival to include programming throughout the year. Our first endeavour is a writing group, which we hope will meet once a month. Sign up for our inaugural meet-up, which will take place on April 28 at Brown Dog Coffee Shoppe on Locke Street.

Hamilton Literary Awards

The trend of women dominating this year's literary awards continued last night as Miranda Hill, Rachael Preston, and Diana Walsh took home prizes at the Hamilton Literary Awards. The awards, which are presented by the Hamilton Arts Council, celebrated their 20th anniversary last night.

I was lucky enough to read quite a few of the nominated books for Hamilton Magazine, but last night my "to read list" grew longer. This was especially the case after watching Rachael Preston tearfully accept the Kerry Schooley Book Award for her self-published book Fishers of Paradise, which takes place in the wetlands of Cootes Paradise.

Last night's turnout was impressive, as writers and readers gathered to celebrate not only books, but local books, once again proving that Hamilton's literary scene is something we should all be proud of.

Holiday Wishlist 2012

Chances are if you read, or have stumbled upon this blog, you have a reader, a writer, or an editor on your holiday list this year. Truth is, finding the perfect gift for a reader, writer, or editor really isn't that difficult. We tend to love the simple things in life: a good book, good food, and probably good wine. But just in case you're still searching for the perfect gift, here are a few ideas to get you started.

The Perfect Notebook

Every writer needs a notebook tucked away in his or her pocket or bag, or at the ready on a nightstand for those moments when the laptop seems too far away. Any CanLit lover would appreciate Sparrow Nest Script’s notebook featuring Margaret Atwood’s wise words, or any of the others Moleskine notebooks in her shop.



A Bookish Tee
I’ve been coveting Out of Print Clothing's t-shirts since I saw them on display at The Strand in New York City earlier this year (Cough! Cough! to anyone who has me on their “Nice” list!).



Jewellery

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” There are a lot of quotations by Anais Nin that make me sigh, and this one is near the top of the list, which is why I love this aluminum bracelet from Fireweed Impressions of Kelowna, B.C.

Another favourite Canadian jewellery shop is Gwen Delicious, also from British Columbia.

A Book Stamp
Unless you’re very organized, and I am not, it’s difficult to remember who you’ve leant your favourite books to. So why not give your friends a subtle (yet slightly passive aggressive) reminder that a book is on loan by stamping it with a customized book stamp? This one is a perfect stocking stuffer.

Wall Prints
Hemingway wasn’t the only writer who indulged in wine while writing, but I know (from experience!) that editing while a little tipsy isn’t the easiest task. That’s why I love this original hand-carved block print by Poetic Madness.

Lampersand

I hate to out myself here, but editors can be nerdy folk. And I mean really nerdy. We like plays on words and we really, really like punctuation marks. Many of us may even have a favourite punctuation mark. If the editor on your list loves the ampersand, you can't get more unique than the Lampersand!



Read and Buy Local

This one may seem obvious, but supporting your local CanLit community this time of year is crucial.  And don't just head to the bestseller's shelf to find the perfect book. Quill and Quire's list of 47 holiday gift ideas is the best I've seen so far this year. The list is full of unique, often underrated and overlooked, books.

Happy Holidays!