Archive for November 2004

Pierre Berton: 1920-2004

Pierre Berton passed away earlier today.
A few weeks ago, I and my house-mates found ourselves in the odd position of trying to explain Pierre Berton to a German grad-student. I don’t remember what we said about Berton, whose works are on our parents’ books shelves and maybe some of our own, even if we haven’t [...]

Reviews Reviewed: Philip Marchand vs. Catherine Bush

Of The Globe and Mail Books section Jay said, “I don’t read it, but I like the idea of it.” I too love the idea of it, but most of its fiction reviews are unreadable, which leads me to ask why this section of the paper is simply a flyer, a glorified ‘advertorial’ or skinny [...]

Clink of the Literary Titans

A day after Wayson Choy—who I thought was a shoo-in—found out he’d have to be content with only the “2004 Giller Shortlist” stickers on his book, I saw in him in the local Book City book store. The trooper was there signing books. And who should come in after for her own book signing? None [...]

Canadian ESL Vote on the US Election

My ESL students are just average Canadians when it comes to the US election. The students have a knee-jerk support for Kerry even if they have never heard of him.
I started my conversation class with the question, “Who do you think will win the election today?” My students looked at me as if I was [...]

Elif published! Sunjay published!

They’ve been busy.
Elif published in the August and September issues of Ballet–Dance Magazine. Her August piece is on dance in academia and September’s focuses on the Çati Dance Studio in Istanbul. Elif also had an article in Time Out Istanbul, but there doesn’t seem to be an on-line version of it.
Sunjay continues to get published [...]