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Jan 02

Interview with Giller Prize winner Will Ferguson (& some writing tips): “The material is all around us”

Timing is everything. When Will Ferguson agreed last summer to be guest author for the fall 2012 session of my University of Toronto online course Memories into Story: Introduction to Life Writing, his novel 419 (Viking Canada/Penguin Canada, 2012) had not yet been longlisted for the national Scotiabank Giller Prize. The list... read more

Dec 19

Quotes on Memory & Memoir: “The Age of Hope”

From the novel The Age of Hope, by David Bergen (2012, HarperCollins Canada): "I was born in 1930." "You were." "Oh, why write such nonsense?" And then, pleased, she said, "Leave out the unfortunate parts." And then, "If you must tell the truth, be kind." "It's not about you, Mom.... read more

December 19, 2012
Allyson Latta
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Quotables

Dec 13

Interview with Ana Rodriguez Machado, First-Prize Winner in the 2012 Aspiring Canadian Poets Contest

Queen's University student Ana Rodriguez Machado has won first prize in the 2012 Aspiring Canadian Poets Contest for her entry "An Afternoon in Central America," and I'm pleased to share my interview with the young writer below. Poet Catherine Graham, who judged the contest, describes Ana's submission this way: "Concise, charged with menace, and with... read more

December 13, 2012
Allyson Latta
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Interviews

Dec 11

16 Links for the Writer and Book Lover This Christmas

Pour yourself a cup of tea (or Christmas cheer) and settle yourself somewhere comfy to meander through these websites, some useful, others simply fun; some specific to the season, others not. I've collected here links... read more

December 11, 2012
Allyson Latta
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Writing Tips

Dec 05

Seven Treasures, part 19: guest post by Natalie Shahinian

Artist and writer NATALIE SHAHINIAN is happiest in her pyjamas, snacking on peanut butter licked from the end of a spoon. When the spread is on sale, Natalie stocks up, solely in the event of an emergency. She has been quoted as saying, “I don’t want to imagine a world... read more

Nov 27

“Memories can slink, wraiths from the mist”: guest post by memoirist Chris Hazelgrove

Having been asked to share the story of my writing life, I should start off by explaining (though I know this is not what she had in mind) how I got involved in one of Allyson's... read more

Interview with Giller Prize winner Will Ferguson (& some writing tips): “The material is all around us”

Quotes on Memory & Memoir: “The Age of Hope”

Interview with Ana Rodriguez Machado, First-Prize Winner in the 2012 Aspiring Canadian Poets Contest

16 Links for the Writer and Book Lover This Christmas

Seven Treasures, part 19: guest post by Natalie Shahinian

“Memories can slink, wraiths from the mist”: guest post by memoirist Chris Hazelgrove

Swirl & Swing: A Writing Blog

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