Never More There shortlisted for Heritage and History Award
December 21st, 2011 § Leave a Comment
I just found out that my book, Never More There, has been shortlisted for the Heritage and History Award, sponsored by the Historic Sites Association of Newfoundland and Labrador. It’s great news indeed and I look forward to the readings and announcement of the winner at the Ship Inn on January 3rd, presented by the Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador.
You can find the other shortlisted authors on the official announcement page. It’s good to see a variety of experience levels in the four finalists, one of whom, Calvin Hollett, happens to be a substitute teacher at my school, who attended the launch of my book, as I did his. This makes for an early Christmas gift that’s certainly appreciated and I now eagerly await January.
Review of Callanan’s New Collection At The Afterword
November 26th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Flicking through the RSS feeds on my Blackberry Reader this morning, I noticed a piece in the Afterword written by Michael Lista that reviews Mark Callanan’s new book Gift Horse. I’ve heard some interesting things about this collection and the focus Mark’s work has taken lately, and will certainly be reading this one as soon as I get a copy (I’m in St. John’s this weekend, so may have to take a run to the bookstore to get it). I’d do so even without the love shown to it and the author by Lista, who writes an interest-raising review.
While you’re at it, if you haven’t read it yet, see if you can get your hands on Mark’s first book, Scarecrow. You should probably drop by his blog to get the latest from him as well.
Sing, O Goddess, of our Fascination with the Iliad
November 7th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
I’ve always found Homer to be a great read, both from a mythological perspective and that of great narrative writing. The Iliad is my favourite of his epics, which is generally considered, along with the Odyssey, to be among the great works of early storytelling in world literature. So many of the elements we consider crucial to good writing today were combined to astonishing effect in his original oral compositions and diverse writers have been learning from Homer for thousands of years. It seems each new generation of writers and readers are drawn back to these classics.
I just finished listening to the Guardian Books Podcast, in which our enduring fascination with the Iliad is discussed by authors and academics alike. The discussion itself is worth a listen, but so is the segment that deals with recent book releases of translations and interpretations of Homer’s masterpiece. I particularly like the reading given by Alice Oswald of one of her poems grounded directly in the Iliad from her new book Memorial. I’ve already placed it in a wish-list with hopes of reading it in its entirety in the next year or so.
If you feel inclined to have a listen to the podcast, you can find the link here.
