A letter from David Bergen

Last week we received the following letter from Winnipeg author and local favourite David Bergen, giving us some insight into his writing and about his new novel, Leaving Tomorrow.

" I don't set out to write 'prairie' novels, though my upbringing in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta has certainly influenced my sensibilities. Leaving Tomorrow started out with stories a friend told me of growing up in southern Alberta (stories of horses and bulls and brothers). Last spring I went up to High River and drove the back roads, looking at ranches and talking to folks, hearing the vernacular, taking notes in my head and scribbling down the words later. Little things I saw fell into my brain, like how cows bunch together in a storm and turn their rumps against the wind and rain.

I grew up reading Zane Grey, aware that I was reading pulp but loving it. I wanted to be a cowboy until a horse nearly bit my finger off when he mistook it for a carrot. And so I went back to books. With this novel I wanted to capture the longing a young boy has when he is stuck on the prairies and he knows that there is life elsewhere, a life of books and conversation and ideas, only he doesn't know how to get to that other life.

I have no interest in getting sentimental about the prairies and animals and the wide-open spaces. Though I cannot deny that the sparseness of my own writing comes from the sparseness of my place. No lush, bucolic language, but rather a hard sensuality that runs beneath things. There is an inevitability to my settings. I didn't choose to be raised here in Manitoba, but I did choose to stay. I like to see this as being faithful to the place I come from.

I am very pleased to be launching Leaving Tomorrow at McNally Robinson, not only a prairie bookstore, and one of the finest bookstores in Canada. See you at the end of September. "

As Mr. Bergen writes, he will indeed be launching Leaving Tomorrow in our Winnipeg Prairie Ink on Tuesday, September 30th, at 8:00 pm! The event is free and open to any one who would like to attend. We simply encourage you to contact the restaurant ahead of time to reserve a table.

Meanwhile, Leaving Tomorrow is available now in hardcover! Find it in our Prairie Writers section, or grab a copy at the launch on the 30th.

Canadian Museum for Human Rights: Miracle at the Forks

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is the first national museum to open outside of Ottawa. New Mexico architect Antoine Predock's design includes an illuminated alabaster ramp that takes visitors to the 11 themed galleries and a basalt rock Garden of Contemplation inspired by the Giant's Causeway in Ireland.

On July 18, 2000, Israel (Izzy) Asper, the renowned Canadian businessman and philanthropist, first discussed his idea of building a human rights centre in Winnipeg. He wanted to build a museum that would make a difference, that would help educate visitors to the museum about human rights, all with the aim of making the world a better, more humane place.

Miracle at the Forks by Peter C. Newman and Allan Levine recounts the financial and political challenges of building a world class museum in Winnipeg, an objective that was made all the more difficult by Asper's death not six months after the public unveiling of plans for a national museum at The Forks in 2003. It is a story of passion and sheer will, about the determination of Moe Levy, the Executive Director of the Asper Foundation, to see Asper's grand idea come true, of Gail Asper's fortitude and unflagging drive to make sure her father's most cherished project became real, and of the countless others who lobbied, donated money, volunteered time, and fought to make the museum happen.

Miracle at the Forks is available now in hardcover for $45.00. And be sure to join us for the launch of the book, happening on September 23rd in Prairie Ink Winnipeg!

DK Eyewitness: New paperback series

For over 25 years, DK's Eyewitness books have been one of the most trusted non-fiction series in classrooms, libraries and homes around the world. This summer the award-winning series gets a fresh look both inside and out. The introduction of paperback editions, eye-catching jackets, and updated interiors ensure that the Eyewitness series will continue to be relevant in our ever-changing world to satisfy the minds of curious kids.

The first twelve titles to be re-issued in the new-look softcover editions at only $10.99 (about half the cost of the hardbacks!) include Ancient Egypt, Dinosaur, Hurricane and Tornado, Titanic, and World War I with more to follow.

Brand new to the series is Wonders of the World. Highlighting the seven wonders of the world -- the Pyramids of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis, the Statue of Zeus, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria -- this book showcases the architectural feats and the marvels of engineering behind these timeless treasures.

June's Author of the Month: TERRY FALLIS

Terry Fallis' first book, The Best Laid Plans, won the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour and was crowned the 2011 winner of CBC's Canada Reads as "the essential Canadian novel of the decade."

In No Relation, the fourth novel by "CanLit's...king of chuckles" (Telegraph-Journal), Earnest Hemmingway has a problem that makes sharing his moniker with a famous author a minor inconvenience. His father wants him to come home and run the family business. As a complex familial battle plays out, Earnest's awkward name leads him in directions he never imagined.