Miram Toews Book Launch Rescheduled

We are very pleased indeed to announce that Miriam Toews has generously rescheduled her launch of Irma Voth here at the store for Saturday June 4th at 2:30 pm. For more information please click here.

Miriam Toews book launch to be rescheduled

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the launch of Miriam Toews' Irma Voth originally scheduled for today, Sunday May 1st at 2:30 pm is being rescheduled. Miriam will now be rejoining us on Saturday June 4 at 2:30 pm.

Dorothy Friesen -- Night Table Recommendations

My goal this season is to sample the nominated books for this year's Manitoba Book Awards, such a rich array of writing. I just completed This Hidden Thing by Dora Dueck (CMU Press), a wonderful illustration of how a work of fiction can document the deeper life of a particular community in a particular historical time through the life of one woman, even as that woman conceals life and remains emotionally muffled.

I am also re-reading, or more accurately, re-experiencing, Seven Sacred Teachings, Niizhwaaswi gagiikwewin by David Bouchard and Dr. Joseph Martin, published in 2009. They have spent a lifetime imbibing the Grandfather Teachings of Humility, Honesty, Respect, Courage, Wisdom, Truth, Love, each Teaching rooted in a plant, a tree, an animal, a direction, a season, a time in life. No abstraction here.

The book is written in both English and Ojibwe. An accompanying DVD adds a choice of French, Bush Cree, Chipewyan or South Slavey as well as the haunting music of Swamp Fox who created seven flutes of seven different woods, each in a key consistent with the particular Teaching, and then dreamed seven songs to accompany the Teaching. As a reader I seem to have no choice but to slow down. Sometimes I listen to the cadence of one of the languages unfamiliar to me while breathing in the exquisitely colourful paintings by artist, Kristy Cameron.

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Dorothy Friesen, formerly of Winnipeg, partnered with Marilen Abesamis, Philippines, to collect and edit the writings of Dorothy's husband Gene Stolzfus, the founding director of Christian Peacemaker Teams in the book Create Space for Peace. Also filled with the poignant reflections of others impacted by his life, the book was designed to aid those who wish to travel further on the road to global peace and was recently launched on March 23rd at our Grant Park store.

Join Dorothy on May 16th at 7:30 pm in the Art Alcove in our Saskatoon store where she will be speaking on Gene's work and his legacy. Click here for more information.

Diana McIntosh -- Night Table Recommendations

A Natural History of the Senses by Diane Ackerman (Vintage)

I'm enjoying re-reading Diane Ackerman's fascinating book about the fives senses, called A Natural History of the Senses. She explores, with humour and poignancy, each of our senses. Several years ago I wrote a music/theatrical piece using quite a lot of text from Ackerman's book, having gotten permission from her publisher. I've enjoyed performing my piece, which I've titled "In a Sense" to several different audiences, all of whom loved the text. My piece is for spoken text, a thumb piano, wind chimes and movement. It's fun to be re-reading this delightful book.

The Selected Writings of Gertrude Stein by Gertrude Stein (Vintage)

Another book I'm reading for the second time is The Selected Writings of Gertrude Stein. I've used several sections of text, particularly from her Tender Buttons, in a major multi-media theatrical work. Of mine which combines piano, percussion, live electronics, spoken text and movement. My one-woman piece is called "McIntosh, the Stein Way"! (But I've often performed it on a Baldwin or Yamaha piano!) Stein loved using words for their rhythm and sound rather than for their meaning, and I play with this idea in my piece. Re-reading this book by Stein, I'm again astonished at how original and fresh it remains today - considering it was written in the middle of the last century. It's a big book with several chapters. My favourite are The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, Tender Buttons and Three Portraits of Painters. It's best read out loud!

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Diana McIntosh is an acclaimed Winnipeg-based musician with a long history in performance and composition, and one of the founders of the GroundSwell new music series. She joined us at our Grant Park location on February 24th to launch her most recent recording Pinnacles.