THIN AIR streeter: Jennesa Dyck

I saw Jennesa Dyck swing dancing with a bunch of friends at the outdoor stage in the Exchange District at the Winnipeg Jazz Festival earlier this summer. I approached her, we began talking, and our topic of conversation often circled around both books and reading.

What are you currently reading?

“Right now I'm reading four books. Well, I've started four books, at least. I'm not sure that I can claim to be currently reading all of them – it seems that I don't have as much free time for reading as I would like.

I'm halfway through Jean M. Auel's latest addition to the 'Earth's Children' series - The Land of Painted Caves. I didn't even know it had come out (or that she was working on it), but I happened to see it in McNally Robinson one day and so I bought it. I already own the rest of the books in the series, and the second one - Valley of Horses - is very probably my favourite book.

Auel should, however, have quit after Plains of Passage – the fourth book – because the one after that isn't very good and this one is even worse. I love these characters, but now the story line seems so dull and forced. It's as though she has taken too much interest in the history of the area, which is certainly fascinating, but it has completely overshadowed any semblance of a serviceable plot line or any interest in character development. Perhaps that's why I haven't gotten any further.

I'm also reading Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel, but I haven't yet made it past the prologue. This one came at the very strong recommendation of a friend. He swears it's brilliant, but I'm reserving judgment for a time when I've read more than twenty-two pages of it.

The last two are both by Joel Nickel: The Shadow in the Darkness and Ouroboros. I'm reading both of them not only out of interest in the stories but also because I was asked to edit them. So far, so good, but it's difficult to get into a story when you're watching for grammatical errors and taking time to write comments in the margins before jumping back in. I will once again reserve judgment until I've had a chance to read them all the way through (without having to edit as I go).”

What is your preferred genre? 

“I think that my favourite genre is probably fantasy (followed closely by historical fiction). This is most likely because I use reading as a means of escape from reality. I never read for pleasure during the school year (if I did, I'd never get any work done), so when I start reading in the summer I want it to be a relaxing experience.

I read when I want to wind down before bed, or when I want to spend an entire day just doing nothing – it's a way to turn my brain off and just enjoy existence without great effort.

With fantasy, I can just let the story take me away and let the characters do all of the work – it's effortless pleasure, and that's what I like best about it.”

A new THIN AIR streeter takes place right on the streets of Winnipeg every week. Next time, we could be walking up to YOU and asking questions about your book selections. Be ready!

- Joel Nickel

Manitoba Reads top eight have been chosen

It took one month and 1700 votes from people in 17 countries, but the results are in!

Of the original 16 titles on the Manitoba Reads roster, only eight remain. Those titles are:

• Catherine Hunter - The Dead of Midnight
• Chandra Mayor - All the Pretty Girls
• David Robertson - The Life of Helen Betty Osborne
• Gabrielle Roy - Where Nests the Water Hen
• Wayne Tefs - Bandit
• Daria Salamon - The Prairie Bridesmaid
• Carol Shields - Republic of Love
• Joan Thomas - Reading by Lightning

Now, four panelists will each choose one of the eight remaining titles and prepare to defend their choice at the final THIN AIR 2011 Mainstage on September 24. It's an event you definitely don't want to miss, so be sure to keep checking our website for details about ticket information.

Thank you to everyone who voted for Manitoba Reads, and we can't wait to see what will happen next!

Losing a child will never be easy...

Loss – no matter what form it comes in – can be a truly devastating experience. Every single person experiences loss in a different way, and it takes a tremendous amount of courage to recover from the grasp of sadness and despair.

Two books that will be featured at THIN AIR 2011 deal with a type of loss that is difficult for most to even comprehend – the loss of a child.

In Kalila, author Rosemary Nixon chronicles the lives of a young husband and wife whose joy collides with devastation when their daughter's premature birth comes with the news of her congenital heart condition. The story shifts perspectives from husband to wife, and takes the reader through the isolating days spent at the hospital and the fearful days trying to obtain normalcy at home.

The House with the Broken Two: A Birthmother Remembers - written by Myrl Coulter - is an intimate and honest look at the closed adoption system of the 1960s. The author is forced to give away her first-born child, and for 37 years she is left yearning, hoping and praying that they will one day be reunited.

   

Both books are heartfelt, genuine and chronicle the true stories of the authors who have written them. For Nixon, it took fifteen years and two continents for her to finish writing her story. For Coulter, it was only after reuniting with her son that she could propel her tale forward.

Nixon and Coulter have faced loss in very different ways, yet through sadness they both found the courage to write their stories and share them with the world. Meet both authors at the festival this year, and experience firsthand how loss can gradually give way to unwavering courage.

THIN AIR streeter: Amanda Buchko

What better way to escape the drama of your everyday life than by taking a break from it and indulging in someone else's life story? You could read a biography, perhaps. Even better, pair that with a trip to the nearest park and you’re in for a treat...

That is where I found Amanda Buchko on a Monday evening, sitting under the shade of one of Munson Park’s old Elm trees. Munson Park is a popular place for many people living around Winnipeg’s beautiful River Heights area. While sipping a refreshing bottle of iced tea - one that would save her from the sizzling, hot day - she treated her wild side to a taste of I'm With the Band: Confessions of a Groupie by Pamela Des Barres.

Interviewee Amanda Buchko enjoying a VERY warm Monday with a book.

What is the book about?
“Pamela Ann Miller (Des Barres) tells the story of her life as a groupie in the late 60's and early '70's. After graduating high school she moved from Reseda, California to the Los Angeles Sunset Strip. She was a member of the GTO's, an all girl group formed by Frank Zappa, who she later became a nanny for. She had "affairs" with Keith Moon, Chris Hillman, Jim Morrison, Waylon Jennings, Mick Jagger and many others. I'm currently reading about her time with Jimmy Page.”

Why did you choose this book?
“I was browsing through Coles on my lunch to pass the time and picked this up in the Biography section. It was the only copy, and I love reading anything to do with the music industry. It also had quotes on the back from Robert Plant and Gene Simmons raving about Pamela, how could I resist?”


What sparked your love of reading?
“My Dad used to read to me every night before bed, starting when I was really young. We went through all the Little House books and anything else I could get my hands on.

I started to realize that reading a book was way more interesting than the stuff I was watching on television. Books have a way of pulling you in. I'll get lost in a book and ignore anyone and everything around me.”


Is there anything you would like to add?
“TV has become such a necessity to people these days. They'll have 200 channels and still complain there's nothing on! Don't get me wrong, I enjoy it as much as the next person, but pick up a damn book and exercise your mind!"

A new THIN AIR streeter takes place right on the streets of Winnipeg every week. Next time, we could be walking up to YOU and asking questions about your book selections. Be ready!

- Nicole Dola

We want your books!

THIN AIR is holding a mega book sale at The Forks Market on the Labour Day weekend in September. Support our fundraising efforts and clear out your overcrowded bookshelves at the same time!

We're looking for gently used books of all types. Please, no magazines or National Geographics.

Drop off your books during business hours at the festival office: top floor of Artspace, 100 Arthur St, in the Exchange District. Or call 927-7323 to inquire about a pick-up when we're in your area.

You can get information and updates on our website at www.thinairwinnipeg.ca

Happy summer reading, everyone. Thanks in advance for helping to make our first THIN AIR book sale a roaring success!

Manitoba is filled with talented writers

We’re hooking up with CBC Manitoba & McNally Robinson Booksellers to produce the very first Manitoba Reads, a friendly-but-fierce contest to choose a book for all of us to read.

The long list of 16 titles is now online. You can vote once a day for your favourite book. On July 30, the top 8 books go on to the next level. Our four book advocates will each choose one of those finalists, then debate them down to a single title on September 24 at the closing Mainstage show of THIN AIR 2011.

Voting ends July 29!

A collection of stories by Clark Blaise

I am a big short story reader. Literary journals such as Prairie Fire, Event and CV2 have always been my choice reading materials, and I can usually be found with some sort of short story collection tucked into my purse.

When I stumbled upon The Meagre Tarmac, a novel written as a collection of short stories by Clark Blaise, I immediately picked it up and started to read.

A very regal head shot of Clark Blaise. We can't wait to meet him!

Blaise is no newcomer to writing, and he has written more than 20 books of fiction and non-fiction. He has taught both writing and literature at Emory, Columbia, NYU and UC-Berkley, to name a few. In 1968, he founded the postgraduate Creative Writing Program at Concordia University. In 2010, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, an extremely important distinction that isn’t just given to anyone.

With a background like that, I knew The Meagre Tarmac was going to be good…

It begins with three stories about the Waldekar’s, a family originally from India who has spent the last 20 years in the United States. Gradually, the collection begins to include a host of other, interesting characters. The last story features an Indian businessman who is both very lonely and very rich.

The cover of The Meagre Tarmac. It's definitely worth a read...

Throughout the collection, the characters are stuck between doing what they want to do and doing what they are required to do. Even though all of the main characters come from Muslim backgrounds, they are all different in their personal beliefs. Choosing to step away from one’s upbringing is a monumentally difficult task, but for some, a necessary action on the road to becoming an individual.

Blaise currently divides his time between homes in San Francisco and New York, so we’re truly lucky to have him as a presenter at THIN AIR 2011!