Award-winning author Emily Pohl-Weary has been called “an unconventional and modern day hero to many young females.” After reading Strange Times at Western High, it is easy to see why.
It is her fifth book and her first for young adults. The novel is 218 pages, and was published by Annick Press in 2006. A pleasure from cover to cover, this book is a modern Nancy Drew mystery, featuring a smart, spunky and savvy sleuth you want to follow from adventure to adventure, so it is pleasing to note this appears to be the first book of a series.
The daughter of journalist parents, the main character Natalie has learned to take care of herself in war zones all over the world. After her parents’ separation she moves from Manhattan to Toronto with her father, and is the new kid at Western High. She is also, unfortunately, witness to a brutal attack on school grounds. And, she is determined to get to the root of it. The book is fast paced and full of unexpected turns, and the saucy star of the dramas still manages trips to the mall (referred to as the mecca of greed) and to put out issues of her self-published zine. Which reminds me, I especially enjoyed the illustrations and photographs in the bottom corner of almost every page, and the other design features that add to the cool factor of the novel. The character also has her own website, nataliefuentes.com, where you can learn more about her and her interests.
Emily Pohl-Weary is one of the confirmed readers for this year’s Eden Mills Writers Festival, which takes place Sunday September 9th from noon til six, rain or shine.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
CFRU 93.3fm
listen live, or after the fact on the website!
3. Eden Mills Writers Festival- Tuesday mornings from 8-9
The second hour of Royal City Rag is exploring the slate of authors who'll be reading this year at the Eden Mills Writers Festival. You'll want to hear the exciting interviews and reviews happening over the next few weeks. Thanks to Jan, Sheryl, Allison, Kim, and others who are working on this coverage.
3. Eden Mills Writers Festival- Tuesday mornings from 8-9
The second hour of Royal City Rag is exploring the slate of authors who'll be reading this year at the Eden Mills Writers Festival. You'll want to hear the exciting interviews and reviews happening over the next few weeks. Thanks to Jan, Sheryl, Allison, Kim, and others who are working on this coverage.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
Notes:
On-air Author Introduction
Trevor Cole is the author of The Fearsome Particles, and is appearing at The Eden Mills Writers’ Festival -- which takes place Sunday, September 9th, noon til six, rain or shine.
Multi-award winning journalist, editor, staff writer and columnist for respected Canadian Publications, he has more recently written two novels -- both of which were short-listed for the Governor-General's Award for Literature.
Do I describe or review the book or ask him to tell us about the book?
Also, find out can we import the reading and intro from the website? or can i ask him to read something.
Remember: Telelphone Greeting of thanks for making this time to chat with us on the air at cfru 93.3.
1) What I really enjoyed about reading this book was the wit, and how compelling the observations were. It really is a great read. I think the parts of the novel I enjoyed the most were from the viewpoint of Kyle, who quits school and chooses to escape his controlling parents by going to Afganistan, as a civil support worker. I think it is how the novel really puts you in the war-torn desert, in a way that the news reporting often doesn’t. I know that you are also a journalist, so I thought I’d ask what you prefer about writing fiction?
2) Do you have any advice for young journalists?
3) When you put down this book, you think what happens NEXT to this family? Which is, incidentally a wonderful response to a novel. You also want to know when you can read this author’s NEXT work, and I understand you at work on a third novel. What can you tell us about that? Can you speak about your process a little?
4) Both of your novels have been optioned for film. What has that been like?
CBC Serial/Adaptations?
5) Website, when it started and why and expected future development, i.e. authors that have NOT had books published by recognized Canadian publishing houses.
6) What can we look forward to at Eden Mills?
Jan Thorhill
1) Can you tell us about the naturalist collection you had when you were 10?
2) I admire your books as a guide through difficult terrain, especially your intention to be life-affirming. What philosophical and spiritual scope are you trying to provide readers, and how?
3) What needs to be done to address the Environmental Change crises – what actions do you hope readers take in their own lives as a result of the understandings you provide in your latest book, The Kids’ Guide to Global Warming.
4) Let’s talk about the lively design, with catchy headers and a multitude of photos. How involved in the design were you, an award winning illustrator?
5) What can we look forward to at Eden Mills?
Trevor Cole is the author of The Fearsome Particles, and is appearing at The Eden Mills Writers’ Festival -- which takes place Sunday, September 9th, noon til six, rain or shine.
Multi-award winning journalist, editor, staff writer and columnist for respected Canadian Publications, he has more recently written two novels -- both of which were short-listed for the Governor-General's Award for Literature.
Do I describe or review the book or ask him to tell us about the book?
Also, find out can we import the reading and intro from the website? or can i ask him to read something.
Remember: Telelphone Greeting of thanks for making this time to chat with us on the air at cfru 93.3.
1) What I really enjoyed about reading this book was the wit, and how compelling the observations were. It really is a great read. I think the parts of the novel I enjoyed the most were from the viewpoint of Kyle, who quits school and chooses to escape his controlling parents by going to Afganistan, as a civil support worker. I think it is how the novel really puts you in the war-torn desert, in a way that the news reporting often doesn’t. I know that you are also a journalist, so I thought I’d ask what you prefer about writing fiction?
2) Do you have any advice for young journalists?
3) When you put down this book, you think what happens NEXT to this family? Which is, incidentally a wonderful response to a novel. You also want to know when you can read this author’s NEXT work, and I understand you at work on a third novel. What can you tell us about that? Can you speak about your process a little?
4) Both of your novels have been optioned for film. What has that been like?
CBC Serial/Adaptations?
5) Website, when it started and why and expected future development, i.e. authors that have NOT had books published by recognized Canadian publishing houses.
6) What can we look forward to at Eden Mills?
Jan Thorhill
1) Can you tell us about the naturalist collection you had when you were 10?
2) I admire your books as a guide through difficult terrain, especially your intention to be life-affirming. What philosophical and spiritual scope are you trying to provide readers, and how?
3) What needs to be done to address the Environmental Change crises – what actions do you hope readers take in their own lives as a result of the understandings you provide in your latest book, The Kids’ Guide to Global Warming.
4) Let’s talk about the lively design, with catchy headers and a multitude of photos. How involved in the design were you, an award winning illustrator?
5) What can we look forward to at Eden Mills?
“And with books: How many books are in Chapters? Millions. How many get thrown out in the distribution process? Is creating a book simply adding to landfill, or is there greater meaning to it in this age of fast food?”
http://howtofurnisharoom.vox.com/library/post/strange-times-at-western-high.html
http://howtofurnisharoom.vox.com/library/post/strange-times-at-western-high.html
What a gr8 site!
"it aims to give this country's many acclaimed authors of fiction and poetry a way to meet you that doesn't involve being retailer- or media-approved."
(a rich and eclectic literary community ?)
If that's an important mandate, then I don't get why the authors you find on the site have all had books published by recognized Canadian publishing houses.
(a rich and eclectic literary community ?)
If that's an important mandate, then I don't get why the authors you find on the site have all had books published by recognized Canadian publishing houses.
Trevor Cole notes
With his trademark wit and strong emotional insight, Trevor Cole has created a compelling, tender story that captures a family at a crucial turning point.
Both books have been adapted for CBC radio and optioned for film.
He has written two novels - Norman Bray in the Performance of His Life (2004), and The Fearsome Particles (2006) - and, in a rare achievement, both were short-listed for the Governor-General's Award for Literature.
He is also a multiple-award-winning journalist and magazine editor who spent 15 years in the magazine division of The Globe and Mail, culminating in a successful three-year stint as a senior writer with Report on Business Magazine. Upon leaving the Globe, he wrote an acclaimed satirical column for Canadian Business, which for two years existed as a notorious irritant to many of Canada's most prominent business leaders.
At various times in his career he has spoken to students and to aspiring writers about the writing process, and today he is making an ongoing contribution to Canada's literary community through his website, AuthorsAloud.com, which provides both newly published and established authors with a forum for recorded readings of their work.
Currently he lives with his wife and daughter in Hamilton, Ontario, and is at work on his third novel.
Both books have been adapted for CBC radio and optioned for film.
He has written two novels - Norman Bray in the Performance of His Life (2004), and The Fearsome Particles (2006) - and, in a rare achievement, both were short-listed for the Governor-General's Award for Literature.
He is also a multiple-award-winning journalist and magazine editor who spent 15 years in the magazine division of The Globe and Mail, culminating in a successful three-year stint as a senior writer with Report on Business Magazine. Upon leaving the Globe, he wrote an acclaimed satirical column for Canadian Business, which for two years existed as a notorious irritant to many of Canada's most prominent business leaders.
At various times in his career he has spoken to students and to aspiring writers about the writing process, and today he is making an ongoing contribution to Canada's literary community through his website, AuthorsAloud.com, which provides both newly published and established authors with a forum for recorded readings of their work.
Currently he lives with his wife and daughter in Hamilton, Ontario, and is at work on his third novel.
Ryerson Review of Journalism
"They work at the same place, which would normally rule it out because it would mean you had a conflict of interest. I try not to even write about people I know, never mind people I had a crush on. I would say that broke quite a few rules of journalism."
-- Even Wong, Canada's queen of the razor-sharp profile
-- Even Wong, Canada's queen of the razor-sharp profile
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Dylan said
that they were putting themselves in the lion's mouth every night and he thought the band were like "gallant knights to stand behind me like that"
Friday, August 03, 2007
Emily Pohl-Weary's work
"Confident sure. Trusting, not so much. I guess I even make my zine because I'm some bizarre mixture of outgoing and shy."
"I like that about you."
www.nataliefuentes.com
"I like that about you."
www.nataliefuentes.com
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