Books
Charles Demers presents an alphabet of horrors
October 19, 2015A collection of essays that have their subjects determined by the letters of the alphabet doesn’t sound particularly like the groundwork for an enjoyable read, but comedian Charles Demers manages to make it so in The Horrors: An A to Z of Funny Thoughts on Awful Things. We are now in a new age of political correctness that causes us to feel some guilt laughing at certain topics, such as Nazis and depression — both of which are covered in this book, but Demers shifts the focus from the actual subjects to his own experiences with them. This takes away…
Continue reading
The many SFU connections of Word Vancouver
September 23, 2015This year’s Word Vancouver festival (formerly Word on the Street) is in full swing, and gearing up for a weekend full of literary fun. With free workshops for writers and publishers, musical performances, panel discussions, and many talented Canadian writers,…
Continue reading
Nicola Tesla has become a household name
September 14, 2015W. Bernard Carlson’s book Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age recounts the amazing life of Nikola Tesla. The book is written in a biographical format, yet delves into more than just Tesla’s life. Carlson manages to dive into other inventors…
Continue reading
Stephen Harper’s takeover and transformation of Canada
August 4, 2015After reading Mel Hurtig’s myth-shattering The Truth About Canada, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy of his latest work, The Arrogant Autocrat. Much like his previous book, this is a criticism of corporate takeover, foreign…
Continue reading
Clear imagery, cryptic meaning in Safely Home Pacific Western
April 7, 2015[caption id="attachment_2245" align="alignright" width="661"] Photo courtesy of Goose Lane Editions.[/caption] Travelling through time and across continents, Jeff Latosik’s second poetry collection, Safely Home Pacific Western, is an explorative journey. Latosik reflects on his own life and experiences while questioning humankind…
Continue reading
SFU authors nominated for BC Book Prizes shortlist
March 23, 2015[caption id="attachment_1687" align="alignright" width="200"] Photo courtesy of Jen Currin.[/caption] The West Coast Book Prize Society announced the 31st annual shortlist for the BC Book Prizes on March 11, 2015. The nominations include both emerging and established writers in seven categories,…
Continue reading
Vancouver Poet Alex Leslie offers repeating melodies and intimate abstractions
March 16, 2015“I, not here, write.” The magnificent The things I heard about you by Vancouver writer Alex Leslie is a book of thought-provoking poetry. A mixture of prose, narrative, and erasure poetry, things entices the reader with lyrical repeating melodies. As…
Continue reading
Moss-Haired Girl is complex story of family lore
February 23, 2015R.H. Slansky’s 2014 novella Moss-Haired Girl is a fictional autobiography of former circus performer, Zara Zalinzi annotated by the fictional author Joshua Chapman Green. The writing includes a detailed description of the fictional author’s introduction, as well as footnotes which…
Continue reading
Where are all the flying cars?
January 5, 2015I dare you to read The Future and Why We Should Avoid It in public. If you do, prepare to stifle spontaneous giggles, smirks, and bursts of laughter as you try not to draw attention to yourself. Covering topics such…
Continue reading
The new era of Shopping for Votes
November 24, 2014Are you a Tim Hortons voter or a Starbucks voter? Are you a Dougie, or a Jane, or a Zoe? Whether you have the answer or not, the nation’s major political parties are hard at work trying to place you…
Continue reading
