Saturday at THIN AIR…

Today is the last day of THIN AIR 2011 – where has the time gone?!

If you’re a writer who wants to know how to improve your work, make sure you take our Writing Craft seminar from 10:00 a.m. – noon at Millennium Library. Writer and poet Steven Ross Smith will guide us through the various ways writers can enrich their work, from taking seminars, to participating in workshops and visiting retreats and conferences.

If you want to get a little scared in the afternoon, visit Park Theatre for A Pint of Bitter Murder with Alison Preston and David Annandale (3:00 – 4:30 p.m.).

Our final Mainstage presentation at Manitoba Theatre for Young People will feature the first-ever Manitoba Reads debate. Four ardent readers will defend the title they have chosen, and at the end, one book will emerge as the winner.

To make things even more exciting, two of the authors featured at THIN AIR 2011 – Wayne Tefs and David Alexander Robertson – have made the final four!

Celebrate our wildly wordy week – and our fifteenth year of great words – at the After Words Jazz Club at Aqua Books. Master jazzers, Steve Kirby & Kristopher Ulrich, join forces with this community’s poets to create an absolutely unique Birthday Party. Bring a poem!

For all the details, visit thinairwinnipeg.ca. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter at @WPGTHINAIR, because we’ll be live-tweeting from most events!

Wednesday Night Poetry Bash

When I arrived at MTYP at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday night to attend the Poetry Bash, I immediately took notice of the dress code for the evening. I felt like I was in Wolseley (my old neighbourhood). People were dressed in their best hippie garments, and even a few quirky hats (which I think was the perfect attire for an evening of poetry reading).

What surprised me most about the writers was the total and complete difference between each style, performance and voice. I remember the THIN AIR festival two years ago when I heard George Elliott Clarke read from his book, George and Rue. I was taken by the pure performance artist that GEC is.

On Wednesday night I was waiting for another moment like it... and I got it, from Sandra Ridley. When she got up on stage, her body language spoke louder than anything. She was open and willing to share her art with the audience. Her style, she told the audience, was to read through a bunch of her poems and not stop for a break except to quickly tell us the title of the new poem.

If Ridley was nervous, I didn't know it. She paused for effect, she was breathy, yet totally clear. Her words were crisp and her tone went from a higher pitch to a lower breath in one sentence. Certain syllables were extra pronounced like the importance hung heavy on those last few letters of a particular word. I met Sandra after, and told her if she ever records her poetry to email me so I can download it and listen to it on a nice long fall walk.

The other poets were great too. Glen Downie, Gabe Foreman, Jacob McArthur Mooney and Jennifer Still read their poetry from the bottom of their hearts, and I listened intently to the stories of their lives. There were over 100 people in attendance, and the stage was modernly furnished with EQ3 furniture.

I had a blast and loved being surrounded by people who truly believed in their art form. I will definitely be in attendance for next year's Poetry Bash.

-Jasmine Tara

The Sacred Feminine

On Sunday morning my mother took my two children to church. Too young for Sunday school, as a baby and a toddler there were mostly there to look cute and play. Raised in the church myself I love that they’re going to become familiar with the concept and eventually learn the religion of our mainstream culture.

Having left the church as a teen, I’m anxious about them becoming too wrapped up in the details of the Bible instead of harnessing the essence of God and growing spiritually.

I put the anxiety to rest knowing that at home and in life I will organically teach them about the Sacred Feminine that I have since come to feel connected to as my comforting Higher Power. (Plus it’s a few kid free hours, I’m not going to protest.)

While my children were at church with their Granny, I was sitting in the forest at Assiniboine Park with Kim Anderson’s book and my ThinAir note pad I was inspired to write, as I connected to the earth, the best place where I find the Sacred Feminine.

This is my church.
Cool breeze, grey skies.
Autumn leaves bed the floor of the river bank
Shafts of sunlight through the cloud cover then filter to my seat,
Amongst the dying fauna.
Small leaves rain down and the chill is on my neck
Welcome is the mud on my jeans and shoes,
Evidence of my encounter with Her.
The vibrant browns & greens of the summer’s shadow are perfect in their scattered chaos
I breathe in beauty
The flowing wall paper of the murky river
Moves past the thin trees
An optical feast for eyes accustomed to digital screens
The quiet soaking through my ears, who deserve the rest from the endless noise and demands.
Drawing this energy in  I already feel rejuvenated.
Mother Nature brings new life to the goddess within
Empowered I am ready for the week ahead.
Squirrels and chickadees sing praises for me
For my voice is flowing through ink in a pen.
This is my church.

I love the community Kim Anderson describes in her book Life Stages and Native Women Memory, Teachings and Story Medicine. The reverence to women as part of the Sacred Feminine, living off the land, connecting to nature, using plants and story to heal and teach and protect. Everyone in this culture has a purpose. Most fascinating to me was the philosophy of each person having a specific role based on their age and gender which I am so eager to read, in hopes that I can find pieces to apply to myself and my children as we age together.

Yesterday at the Millennium Library this scholar and author tells us of scared traditions surrounding milestones in a woman’s life and I hope that such rituals return to our young women someday. She told us of the way the family would seclude their daughters for their first moon time and subsequent menstruations, and explained how it was for the good of the community. I laughed a little inside, thinking of a friend who earlier that day that had confessed she was extra mean today and that PMS was indeed to blame, but that wasn’t the reason for isolation that Kim was talking about.

The young girls were left in solitude not out of shameful, unclean or mood swinging reasons, as we would assume. It was so the women and the community could harness the power that this event manifested. The power could be used for creating quilts or beading and sometimes used to heal, but productivity and shared benefit were the intention. I smiled again, thinking of how this friend directed her power through anger and used it in a beneficial way when directed at the right target.

Kim’s book asks in the forward, Who dreams of being an old woman? I do. I look forward to age and the wisdom it brings. I dream of having women and children of all ages to impart my wisdom too, to use stories of my life and the experiences of  my mother and her mother, my aunt, cousins and daughter to draw this wisdom from.

After her reading and Q & A, I asked Kim to sign my copy of her book and she signed it with thanks for my participation in sharing stories of the Sacred Feminine. I am so proud to have been a part of this event and the new path it's inspired in my life. Thank you Kim for your role in this.

-Leah Edmonds, Guest Blogger

Tuesday at THIN AIR…

So you couldn’t make it to a THIN AIR event yesterday? No worries! There is a spectacular line-up of writers every day this week, and Tuesday is no exception!

Be sure to head over to Red River College’s Exchange District Campus to see Lynn Coady work her magic in front of students, staff and anyone else who stops by (11:00 a.m. – noon). Or, later this afternoon, visit Margaret Macpherson at the University of Manitoba’s St. John’s College where she reads from her new novel, Body Trade (5:30 – 6:30 p.m.).

The Carol Shields Auditorium at the Millennium Library welcomes Winnipeg-born poet Ron Charach at The Nooner (12:15 – 12:45).

At the Afternoon Books Chat (McNally Robinson, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.), playwright Marty Chan and novelist Dimitri Nasrallah will team up to talk about the opportunities and frustrations a new country offers.

Later this afternoon, Big Ideas features Kim Anderson sharing her research into the cultural contributions of aboriginal women (Millennium Library, 4:30 – 5:30).

If you can hear in French, meet Simone Chaput and Lise Gaboury-Diallo, our featured guests at this year’s Soirée Francophile (Alliance Française, 19 h).

And finally, don’t miss the evening Mainstage presentation where tonight’s five writers – Charach, Chan, and Nisrallah, along with Sheila McClarty and WD Valgardson – consider the roots that shape who we are.

For all the details, visit thinairwinnipeg.ca. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter at @WPGTHINAIR, because we’ll be live-tweeting from most events!

Monday at THIN AIR…

It’s our first full-day of the festival and we hope that you’ll join us! Every weekday during festival week is jam-packed with a number of different events to choose from.

The Nooner (Millennium Library, 12:15 – 12:45 p.m.) is a quick and free literary hit that can be enjoyed over the lunch hour.

The Afternoon Books Chats (McNally Robinson, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.) offer some stimulating company for your mid-afternoon coffee break zone. And yes… also free.

The Big Ideas series (Millennium Library, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.) gives you something to chew on before you head home for dinner. And, you guessed it… free, free, free!

Each weekday also includes both rural and campus tours, and ends with a Mainstage presentation featuring a collection of the day’s presenters.

So who do you want to see today?
Manitoba Reads finalist Wayne Tefs presents his latest novel, Bandit, at The Nooner and teams up with Elizabeth Hay for the Afternoon Book Chat. Wayne and Elizabeth are joined by Lynn Coady, Margaret Macpherson and Robert J Sawyer on the first evening Mainstage show at MTYP.

You might also want to check in with Winnipeg writer, Dave Kattenburg. He’ll kick off the Big Ideas sessions with a discussion about Foxy Lady, the true story of how several free-spirited adventurers – including one Canadian – fell victim to the Khmer Rouge in 1978.

Dave Kattenburg - go see him!

For all the details, visit thinairwinnipeg.ca. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter at @WPGTHINAIR, because we’ll be live-tweeting from most events!

A chat with Sheila McClarty

We caught up with THIN AIR 2011 presenter Sheila McClarty, and asked her a few questions about writing. Here is what she had to say...


When did you start writing?
“I began writing with the goal of publication in my forties. However, as a teenager and young adult I wrote many stories and bad poetry, which I kept to myself. Secretly, I have wanted to be a writer as far back as I can remember.

One of my fondest memories was when a story of mine was chosen by my grade twelve English teacher to read to the class. I don’t recall too many details of the story except that it was about a young woman out deer hunting. Funny, but this recognition for my writing still makes me smile.”    

How did you decide what you wanted to write about?
“Characters for my stories come from a variety of places. Often the gesture of a stranger in a public place such as a restaurant will spur my imagination of a character. Also reading other writers’ work provides inspiration for characters and or setting for my stories.

I rarely write to theme in my initial drafts; it is only after several rewrites that I begin to address theme. I often write the main idea into a single sentence and place it under the title. I find that this helps with the direction of the story and also focuses the details I choose to reveal about my characters.”

How do you usually write? 
“My preference is to write first thing in the mornings, otherwise procrastination gets the better of me. I like to write for several hours and then take my dog for a walk. I find it difficult to be inside all day, and often take walks to ruminate over my characters and their situations.

Luckily I own an energetic Irish Setter that is more than pleased to accommodate these frequent outings and distracted enough to ignore my persistent mumbling to myself.

I prefer to write when I am home alone, and if the house becomes chaotic, I take my laptop to one of the local libraries. I tend to do my research in the evenings, and I find that this makes me want to write first thing in the mornings. All of this being said, there are many times that I become so involved in a story that I write during every free moment and late into the night.”

How do you feel about presenting your work at THIN AIR 2011?
“I am excited about presenting my work at Thin Air and humbled to be amongst such fine writers.”

What advice could you provide to someone attempting to publish his or her first piece? 
“My advice would be to submit to a publication which features the genre and style of your own piece of writing. And then to continue on with your next story, and not wait for the fate of the submitted story. If the story returns with a rejection note with suggestions, I would read these very carefully to understand the editor’s point of view.

Once, I received critical feedback from one of the judges for a story that was a finalist in a national short story contest. Usually the judge’s comments are very complimentary, so at first I was taken aback, but after considerable thought, I realized that these comments were spot on and proved to be extremely helpful in the rewriting of that piece and future stories.”

If you could meet one writer, who would it be and why? 
“There are so many writers that I admire, and it is very difficult to choose only one. Recently I read Alexander Macleod’s debut collection of short stories entitled, Light Lifting. Macleod’s writing is both elegant and muscular at the same time.

He manages to make the reader experience their own physicality pushed to the limit. I tend to read short story collections from start to finish, but with Light Lifting, I had to take a break between stories to catch my breath. I would love to meet Alexander Macleod and ask him, How do you manage to do this?”

Here's Sheila! We can't wait to have her onstage at THIN AIR 2011...

Sheila McClarty graduated from the University of Toronto with a Master of Social Work degree. Her short stories have appeared in various magazines, including Grain, The Antigonish Review and The Fiddlehead. Her debut story collection, High Speed Crow (Oberon) won the Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book at the 2011 Manitoba Book Awards. Thomas Trofimuk, in The Winnipeg Review, writes, "Listen, forget the tags Winnipeg writer, or Canadian writer; McClarty is just a damn find writer." She lives outside Oak Bank MB with her husband, two teenage children and a herd of horses.

David Homel’s ‘Mid-Way’

Have you ever felt a desire to walk away from your life? To simply step away from job, family and responsibilities?

David Homel’s new novel – Midway – tells the story of Ben Allan, a middle-aged college instructor who has recently won an award for an essay he wrote about an obscure medical syndrome. Dromomania primarily affected men in nineteenth-century Europe. The dromomaniac would leave his home without warning, wander across the continent in an almost zombie-like state, and wake up weeks later with no idea where he was and how he got there.

In the novel, the essay and its content forces Allan into a midlife crisis. He entertains the possibility of an affair with a young communications officer named Carla as his relationship with his wife deteriorates. He wants desperately to reach out to his television-addicted teenage son Tony, but doesn’t know how. And he is constantly trying to maintain a connection with his rapidly aging father, Morris.

With nothing in his life working out quite like it should, it makes sense that Allan feels compelled to walk away from it all…

Throughout the novel, Allan is literally stuck “mid-way” between the world he wants to live in and the one he feels he’s required to be a part of. It is very much a coming-of-age story spanning three generations and countless lives. Anyone who reads Midway will be able to easily relate to the characters in one way or another, and the novel is written in such a way that it will grab your attention and hold it until the final page.

A pic of David Homel...

Homel was born in Chicago in 1952. He lived in both Europe and Toronto before making Montreal his home around 1980. Midway is his sixth novel. He has also written two children’s books, one of which was co-authored with his wife. Homel has translated several French works that resulted in two Governor General’s Literary Awards for translation. He isn’t only a writer, but a journalist, filmmaker and translator, and he is one of nearly 40 writers that will be featured at THIN AIR 2011.

Katherena Vermette – Winnipeg poet and THIN AIR staff member

In honour of our rapidly approaching festival, our blog is temporarily turning away from our writers and towards the people who make THIN AIR possible.

We would like to introduce Katherena Vermette, our Volunteer Coordinator and Marketing Assistant. When she’s not busy working at the office, this Winnipeg writer is busy with her own career as a poet. We asked her a few questions, and here is what she said…

When did you start writing? 
“I honestly don't remember. I started arbitrarily scribbling words into scribblers very young. I do remember writing a rhyming poem - that I could still recite to you today - when I was ten. I really liked the rhyming poetry during my tweens.

Then, I discovered T.S. Eliot and E.E. Cummings, and dove into an angst filled poetic youth with a pair of used army boots, a sticker covered journal, and a shroud of thick black hair to hide behind. Yes, I was THAT girl in high school.”

How did you decide what you wanted to write about? 
“I am completely self-absorbed so I have always written about ME, and all that I have seen and experienced. I was also subject to many shrinks throughout my childhood - THANKS MOM - so I got quite accustomed to talking, and in many cases writing, about my FEELINGS.

As I grew up, I started to look outside of my own skin more often (though some would argue not enough), and started writing about other people too. I love people. I am continuously fascinated with the CHARACTER of people. In my poetry, I think of myself as an observer, sometimes of myself, sometimes of others, and I write what I see. In my fiction, I take what I have seen and mix it up with stuff I create. The making up stuff is my favourite part.”

How do you usually write? 
“On an ideal day, I wake up inspired and get right to writing and coffee. On a typical day, I wake up late, get my kids off to school and get distracted by work stuff. The writing has to put up with a when-I-can sort of schedule.”

What advice could you provide to someone attempting to publish his or her first piece? 
“EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT and then POLISH POLISH POLISH POLISH and then get someone else to read it, give you honest feedback, and do it all over again. It never "just happens" and anyone who told you it does is LYING to you. Writing for yourself is great, satisfying, cathartic, emotional. Writing for other people is a job.”

If you could meet one writer, who would it be and why? 
“Leonard Cohen… Because I'm a poet that's why.”

Katherena Vermette is a Metis writer of poetry and fiction. Her work has appeared in several literary magazines and compilations, including the upcoming Manitoapow – Aboriginal Literary History of Manitoba (Highwater Press 2012). Vermette was the 2010-2011 Blogger in Residence for thewriterscollective.org and recently begun graduate work in the prestigious Master of Fine Arts - Creative Writing program at the University of British Columbia. A member of the Aboriginal Writers Collective of Manitoba since 2004, Vermette lives, works and plays in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The Winnipeg International Writers Festival is proud to announce that four presenting authors at THIN AIR 2011 have made the Giller Long List. They include Lynn Coady (The Antagonist), Clark Blaise (The Meagre Tarmac), Guy Vanderhaeghe (A Good Man), and Dany Laferriere (The Return - translated by David Homel).

The winner of the Scotiabank Giller Prize will recieve $50,000 in addition to the title, and we hope that it's one of our featured writers! 

Everything you need to know…

We’ve created a post dedicated to outlining each of the events offered at THIN AIR 2011 (in case you want to start planning which ones you’ll attend now)!

AFTERNOON BOOK CHATS (free)

Monday through Friday, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
The Atrium
McNally Robinson Booksellers, Grant Park

The Afternoon Book Chats are the perfect excuse for a coffee break! The Atrium at McNally Robinson Booksellers takes on a café ambiance for this series of relaxed conversations about writing.

BIG IDEAS (free)
Monday through Friday, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Carol Shields Auditorium
Millennium Library, 251 Donald St

Experience your brain on steroids! End your afternoon with writers who are tackling some of the big ideas of our place and time—and who are open to hearing your thoughts as well. The Carol Shields Auditorium is just off the overhead walkway at the Millennium Library.

THE NOONER (free)
Monday through Friday, 12:15 – 12:45 pm
Carol Shields Auditorium
Millennium Library, 251 Donald St

The Nooner is a quick literary hit to charge you up for the rest of your workday. Unplug from the office for half an hour and join us at the Millennium Library—the Carol Shields Auditorium is just off the overhead walkway. Donations welcome.

THE RURAL TOUR (free)
Every year, THIN AIR reaches out to readers in communities beyond the city limits.

THE WRITING CRAFT
Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – noon
Carol Shields Auditorium
Millennium Library, 251 Donald

Each year, THIN AIR includes opportunities for writers to further develop their skills. This year’s topic? Connecting with writers who’ll take you to the next level.

THE CAMPUS PROGRAM (free)
The campuses throw open their doors this week, welcoming writers and audiences to connect around new words and ideas. All events are free and open to the public—catch as many as you can!

This year, writers will perform at Brandon University, Canadian Mennonite University, the University of Manitoba, the University of Winnipeg and Red River College.

THE MAINSTAGE
Monday through Saturday, 8:00 p.m.
Manitoba Theatre for Young People
Shaw Performing Arts Centre, The Forks

Join us each evening at the Shaw Performing Arts Center at The Forks for a showcase of great new writing. McNally Robinson Booksellers has an on-stage bookstore featuring THIN AIR writers. We offer bar service, and to celebrate our fifteenth anniversary, we’ll have birthday cake every night too!

Tickets are $12 ($10 for students/seniors), available at the door. A THIN AIR Festival Pass is a bargain: you get access to all ticketed events for only $35. Knock off another $5 if you have a THIN AIR Club Card. Passes are available at McNally Robinson or at www.thinairwinnipeg.ca.

The Manitoba Reads final four

The votes are in, the selections have been made, and the Winnipeg International Writers Festival, McNally Robinson Booksellers and CBC Manitoba Scene are proud to announce the four finalists of the first-ever Manitoba Reads.

Based on the popular Canada Reads model, voters chose between 16 books written by Manitoba authors. At the end of the voting period, four judges each selected one of the remaining eight titles as their top pick.

Now, they judges prepare to debate the books down to a single title on September 24 at the closing Mainstage show of THIN AIR 2011. The debate will then be broadcast the following morning on CBC’s Weekend Morning Show.

“This is so exciting,” said Charlene Diehl, director of THIN AIR. “The top four books truly represent the talented authors Manitoba has to offer. And, to make things even more exciting, two of the top four authors will be presenting at THIN AIR 2011!”

 Here is the breakdown of each judge and the title he or she has selected to debate:

Judge: Alison Gillmor

Title: Reading by Lightning by Joan Thomas

Judge: Vincent Ho

The Life of Helen Betty Osborne by David Alexander Robertson

Judge: Paul Jordan

Bandit by Wayne Tefs

Judge: Niigon Sinclair

Where Nests the Water Hen by Gabrielle Roy

For more information about Manitoba Reads, visit www.cbc.ca/manitoba/scene/books.

Elizabeth Hay’s ‘Alone in the Classroom’

Have you ever read a novel that moves you so much you can’t decide if you want to smile or cry?

Elizabeth Hay’s most recent novel – Alone in the Classroom – is a tender and honest tale that takes place across three generations. It highlights issues that most people can relate to, including love, hate and jealousy. More importantly, the novel teaches readers that the actions we take will always affect the next generation.

A lovely shot of Elizabeth Hay. Memorize the face, people. Memorize the face.

About the novel…

Beginning in a small prairie school in 1929, a young schoolteacher – Connie Flood – attempts to help a struggling student. Observing them and darkening their lives is the principal, Parley Burns, whose strange behaviour culminates in an attack so disturbing its repercussions continue to the present day.

Connie’s niece, Anne, tells the story. Impelled by curiosity about her dynamic, adventurous aunt and her more conventional mother, she revisits Connie’s past and her mother’s broken childhood. In the process, she unravels the enigma of Parley Burns and the mysterious (and unrelated) deaths of two young girls.

Alone in the Classroom is meant to be read slowly. It is filled with detailed and often poetic language that makes settings, seasons and characters come alive. Throughout the novel, there are also references to classic literature – such as Tess of the D’Ubervilles and Pride & Prejudice – which make it even easier to picture events and people the way Hay wanted them to be seen.

If Alone in the Classroom is your first experience with a novel by Hay, you won’t be disappointed. The plot is both realistic and elaborate, a format that keeps the reader interested until the final pages.

About the author…
Elizabeth Hay is a Canadian novelist and short story writer. She has been a nominee for the Governor General's Award twice – for Small Change in 1997 and for Garbo Laughs in 2003 – and won the Giller Prize for her 2007 novel Late Nights on Air. In 2002, she received the Marian Engel Award, presented by the Writers' Trust of Canada to an established female writer for her body of work — including novels, short fiction, and creative non-fiction.

Come to her presentation at THIN AIR 2011 and learn more about this famous author…

Marty Chan mixes fact and fable

I haven’t read a play in its entirety since high school, so I didn’t know what to expect when I picked up The Forbidden Phoenix by Marty Chan.

As I began reading, memories of the plays I had read in the past began to dance through my brain. Twelfth Night, A Midsummer’s Night Dream and Romeo & Juliet had been my favourites, and suddenly I remembered...

Reading a play is actually quite fun.

The Forbidden Phoenix tells the tale of Sun Wukong, a man desperate to feed both his son and the drought-ravaged city of Jung Guo. Instead of being granted assistance by the Dowager Empress – the ruler of the land – Wukong is banished to the west where he faced opposition, hardship and heartless creatures.

The play is an allegory that combines a Chinese children’s fable with the real-life tragedy of early Chinese immigrants who came to Canada to help build the railroad. Throughout The Forbidden Phoenix, readers will encounter numerous references to the struggles the builders faced, including the danger of blasting through the Rocky Mountains.

Marty Chan is no stranger to writing, and in addition to The Forbidden Phoenix he had published a number of plays and children’s novels. He has also been producer, writer, director and talent for both television and radio. (For a full list of Chan’s credentials – which are much too extensive to list – click here).

Overall, The Forbidden Phoenix is an entertaining and comical read with a powerful message the reader won’t soon forget. Chan has combined fact and fable together in a way that is both effective and powerful. The Forbidden Phoenix is definitely worth reading and I highly recommend it, whether you’re skeptical about reading plays or not.

If you would like to check out Chan’s person website, click here. You can also check him out on Facebook here. 

Haven't you heard of Guy?

It is impossible to make a list of important and influential Canadian writers without including the name Guy Vanderhaeghe. He has over 75,000 hits on Google, and has written many fantastic novels.

One of his novels – The Englishman’s Boy – was made into a five-part miniseries and aired on CBC. With a list of credentials like that, we’re very lucky to have him at THIN AIR 2011.

Vanderhaeghe’s newest novel – A Good Man – is yet another display of his immense talent. Here is what it’s about:

Wesley Case, a former soldier and son of a lumber baron, seems unable to find his destiny or escape history. Unresolved anger lingers following the American Civil War; conflict with aboriginal peoples creates tension between the US and Canada; and even Case’s newfound love for the beautiful widow, Ada Tarr, inflames the jealousy of a quiet, but deeply disturbed, Michael Dunne—part paid thug, part psychopath.

Case’s confession of love also forces a confession of another kind; the revelation of an incident in his military career that resulted in his split with his family, his finance, and the end of his life in the East. At the same time, simmering resentments, political and personal, explode in a spectacular confrontation between native peoples and the American government as well as a violent resolution of Dunne’s plan for revenge against Case as he ever more feverishly imagines himself a contender for Ada Tarr’s affections.

The novel concludes with a scene of pastoral harmony—a metaphor for a new order and the final passing of the lawless individualism of the old West.

A Good Man is a large novel, but don’t let its size dissuade you. It is an interesting and gripping page-turner that you won’t want to put down, and each new chapter introduces new characters, historic scenes and emotional turmoil that will keep you hooked until the very last pages. It’s worth spending time reading, and so are Vanderhaeghe’s other titles. 

Could the Internet take over the world?

Everyone knows that the Internet is a vast network of information. It connects people to each other, and is designed to make everything in our world easier and more accessible.

But, if the Internet were to be controlled by one person, place or thing, what would happen to the world as we know it?

In Robert J. Sawyer’s most recent novel – Wonder – an all-seeing, all-knowing program named Webmind has the ability to monitor, influence and interact with every aspect of the Internet simultaneously. Through Webmind’s Twitter account, email address, website and instant messaging systems – all of which he set up himself – he can literally control every single thing that is on the Internet.

A pretty scary concept when you really think about it…

Wonder is the final novel in a three-part series about Webmind. The creator of the program is a 16-year-old formerly blind girl named Caitlin. She desperately wants Webmind to continue to exist, even when the US Government makes it clear they will do anything possible to destroy her invention.

Look for this book and buy it. TRUST me, it's worth it!

At the heart of the novel is one, important question: Could the Internet take over the world if it becomes too powerful? It is a question that seems terrifying to consider, but one that becomes very real after reading Wonder.

Science fiction writer and futurist Robert J. Sawyer has been interviewed over 250 times on radio, over 250 times on television, and countless times in print. He lives in Mississauga, Ontario.

Yep, this guy is going to be awesome...

Sawyer is one of only seven writers in history — and the only Canadian — to win all three of the world's top Science Fiction awards for best novel of the year: the Hugo, the Nebula, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award.

Follow Sawyer’s blog by clicking here, and don’t forget to follow him on both Twitter and Facebook. We’re proud to have him at THIN AIR 2011, and can’t wait to hear what we know will be an entertaining presentation!

Twitter Giveaway Contest

Are you one of those people who constantly enters contests, yet never wins?

Or, if you DO win, you're stuck jumping through countless hoops just to claim the prize?

Well, not anymore!

THIN AIR 2011 is excited to announce the Twitter Giveaway Contest. It runs from Friday, August 12 to Friday, September 9, and it's an easy and fun way to get your hands on some great prizes!

Here's how it works...

We have set aside THIN AIR Mainstage tickets and books by presenting authors for our winning tweeters. We'll post a contest message at a different time each Friday. If you're the first person to retweet the link, you win!

So if you're not following us on Twitter, now is the time to get going! (Click here to create a new profile or log into an existing one).

Happy retweeting, and good luck!

THIN AIR 2011 Twitter Giveaway Contest Guidelines

1) All prizes must be picked up by September 15, 2011, at the THIN AIR office, 625 ArtSpace (100 Arthur Street). No prizes will be mailed or delivered.

2) In order to claim prizes, all winners must provide THIN AIR with first and last name, as well as phone number and email address.

3) Prizes must be accepted as awarded - no substitutions. Mainstage tickets may be forwarded to another user, but may not be sold, traded or redeemed for cash.

4) Contest is open to everyone, excluding WIWF staff, board members and members of their households.

Special thanks to our prize donors for supporting THIN AIR 2011.

THIN AIR streeter: Pam Stewart

When you first move to the neighbourhood, the grounds of the Winnipeg Legislature are as good as any place to spend a Sunday afternoon.

For her first time visiting the area, Pam Stewart brought a notebook, pen, camera, lunch and Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas by Tom Robbins from the library.

What is the book about?

"I just started reading it, and right now it is about a stock market crash."

What made you choose this book?

"The author was recommended to me by a few people."

Would you recommend it?

"Even though I am not far into it yet, I would simply because of the absurd language."

What is your favourite genre to read?

Searching for the right word to describe it, Pam said her favourite genre of literature would be the equivalent to drama. She thoroughly enjoys books written by women, especially when female authors write about human relationships.

A shot of Pam enjoying her book.

"I usually stick to female writers because I want to read something I can relate to,” she explained. “I wouldn't normally read a book written by a dude, but this book has a female lead."

Why do you love to read?

"It gives me ideas as a writer," said Pam, who writes short fiction and has studied creative writing.

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!

- Laura Kunzelman

‘Irma Voth’ by Miriam Toews

For anyone who is a fan of Miriam Toews’ writing – and even for those who haven’t read her before – Irma Voth is a novel that is worth purchasing, reading and keeping on the bookshelf.

Set in Mexico in a small Mennonite community, 18-year-old Irma Voth has just married a Mexican boy despite protests from her family. Their union might have resulted in a happy ending, except a year later he leaves her alone and without an income.

Just when things seem impossible, a film crew arrives in Irma’s community. Suddenly finding herself immersed in a modern world that is both foreign and forbidden, Irma’s life completely changes.

Irma Voth is Miriam Toews sixth book, and it is filled with both emotion and humour that keeps the reader engaged and invested in the main characters. Toews was born and raised as a Mennonite in Steinbach, and her knowledge and experiences make Irma’s character very realistic.

Toews 2004 novel – A Complicated Kindness – was her breakthrough title. It spent over a year on the Canadian bestsellers list, and won the Governor General's Award for English Fiction.

The novel, about a teenage girl who longs to escape her small Russian Mennonite town and hang out with Lou Reed in the slums of New York City, was also nominated for the Giller Prize and was the winning title in the 2006 edition of Canada Reads.

THIN AIR 2011 is very proud to have Miriam Toews at the festival this year.

If you would like to follow her on Twitter, click here.