THIN AIR 2007
September, 23 - 28, 2007

September 23, 2007

VOICES FROM OODENA

As we’ve seen for the past couple of years, new work by accomplished Manitoba writers demonstrates the power of language to mark and invent our sense of place.
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September 23, 2007

VOIX D'OODENA

Comme l’ont démontré les deux dernières années, de nouvelles oeuvres d’écrivains manitobains établis illustrent la puissance du langage pour préciser et inventer un sentiment d’appartenance à un lieu.
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September 24, 2007

WRITERS TO THE SCHOOLS

Younger audiences welcome writers into their classrooms and libraries for an up-close taste of story-making. Each of these writers brings something special, from rollicking fun to fascinating facts. They’re ready to inspire a new generation of readers!
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September 24, 2007

LES ÉCRIVAINS DANS LES ÉCOLES

Qu’il s’agisse des mondes fantaisistes de l’enfance, de l’exploration des histoires folkloriques françaises ou d’un compte rendu fascinant de la vie des pingouins, ces trois écrivains se proposent de faire connaître des merveilles aux jeunes auditoires francophones.
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September 24, 2007

ACCESS 2 WRITERS: Private Writing Consultations

Book an appointment to discuss your work with a THIN AIR writer. Register at www.mbwriter.mb.ca or (204) 942-6134.
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September 24, 2007

SIDURA LUDWIG

Sidura Ludwig has left Winnipeg for Toronto, but her first book, Holding My Breath, is an unabashed love letter to the Jewish North End.
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September 24, 2007

ANITA DAHER AND CARY FAGAN (Grades 4-6)

Anita Daher is the master of fast-paced adventures, and Cary Fagan plays around with a wacky family of superheroes. This writing will grab even the most reluctant reader!
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September 24, 2007

GIL ADAMSON and SHAUNA SINGH BALDWIN

Shauna Singh Baldwin and Gil Adamson share the impulse to plumb their characters by placing them in challenging circumstances.
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September 24, 2007

READING with Brian Henderson

Poet Brian Henderson brings a stunning new work on madness into a broader conversation about creative process.
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September 24, 2007

READING: Rona Maynard

Former Chatelaine editor Rona Maynard offers a spunky and affectionate memoir in My Mother’s Daughter. (A McNally Robinson event.)
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September 24, 2007

MAINSTAGE: ON THE EDGE

On the edge—of freedom, madness, understanding, memory, insight. Gil Adamson gives us a heroine on the run, Sidura Ludwig a girl growing toward her freedom. Jim Nason’s characters weigh memory against experience, while Brian Henderson takes us into an unraveling mind. Shauna Singh Baldwin and Dave Margoshes tip their characters out of comfort and into challenge. Great writing takes a character right to that edge, lets us all feel what could unfold.
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September 25, 2007

ANITA DAHER AND SIDURA LUDWIG (Grades 10-12)

Anita Daher and Sidura Ludwig are garnering a lot of critical attention at the moment, and their new work shows tremendous sensitivity to the challenges of late adolescence. Join them as they read from their work and talk about the connections between writing and experience.
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September 25, 2007

READING: Pamela Banting and Dave Margoshes

Though neither Pamela Banting nor Dave Margoshes live in Manitoba now, both have roots in this place and are featured in A/Cross Sections: New Manitoba Writing.
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September 25, 2007

SHAUNA SINGH BALDWIN

Acclaimed novelist and short story writer Shauna Singh Baldwin explores the places where cultures collide in a new collection of stories called We Are Not in Pakistan.
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September 25, 2007

CARY FAGAN AND FRIEDA WISHINSKY (Grades 4-6)

Both Cary Fagan and Frieda Wishinsky tackle serious issues like independence, responsibility, and fairness in books which are also exciting and playful.
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September 25, 2007

TALK: Brenda Hasiuk

Join Winnipeg writer Brenda Hasiuk speaking to creative writing students about the writer’s craft and her new novel, Where the Rocks Say Your Name.
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September 25, 2007

LOIS BRAUN and JIM NASON

There’s dignity and mystery and sometimes painful comedy in navigating the everyday—conversations, chores, flashes of memory. Lois Braun and Jim Nason see grace in the daily.
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September 25, 2007

READING: Roy MacSkimming

Roy MacSkimming’s new book, Macdonald, is a novelistic recreation of the last days of Canada’s indomitable first Prime Minister. (A McNally Robinson event.)
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September 25, 2007

READING AND LITERARY MARATHON: Lois Braun

Lois Braun kicks off a literary fund-raiser for the House of Hesed, a non-denominational Christian HIV/AIDS housing project in Winnipeg, with a reading from her new collection, Penance Drummer and Other Stories. Then join students, staff, faculty, and special guests as they read favourite literary excerpts (or their own work).
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September 25, 2007

DISCUSSION: Philip Slayton

Slayton’s book, Lawyers Gone Bad: Money, Sex and Madness in Canada’s Legal Profession, explores transgressions in the context of the current legal system. (A McNally Robinson event.)
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September 25, 2007

MAINSTAGE: REMEMBERING CAROL SHIELDS

Carol Shields had a way with words, and she had a way with people. Eleanor Wachtel, award-winning host of CBC’s “Writers & Company,” gives us an inside look at her new book, Random Illuminations, an intimate portrait of the deep, literary friendship she shared with Carol.
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September 25, 2007

READING: Brian Henderson

Poet Brian Henderson reads from Nerve Language, a stunning poetic meditation on madness and sense.
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September 26, 2007

TALK - Brenda Hasiuk

Join Winnipeg writer Brenda Hasiuk speaking to creative writing students about the writer’s craft and her new novel, Where the Rocks Say Your Name.
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September 26, 2007

BRENDAN MCLEOD AND EMILY POHL-WEARY (Grades 7-9)

This year’s stage for new teens has a contemporary edge. Brendan McLeod has taken the country by storm with his spoken word performances and Emily Pohl-Weary’s new book updates the girl sleuth in refreshing ways. Prepare to be inspired!
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September 26, 2007

READING: Lois Braun and Janice Kulyk Keefer

Lois Braun and Janice Kulyk Keefer probe the history, habit and imagination that bind people to one another.
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September 26, 2007

ALICE KUIPERS

The connection between a doctor and her teenage daughter is tested by breast cancer in Alice Kuipers’ poignant novel-of-notes, Life on the Refrigerator Door.
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September 26, 2007

BRENDAN MCLEOD & EMILY POHL-WEARY (Grades 7-9)

This year’s stage for new teens has a contemporary edge. Brendan McLeod has taken the country by storm with his spoken word performances and Emily Pohl-Weary’s new book updates the girl sleuth in refreshing ways. Prepare to be inspired!
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September 26, 2007

JANICE KULYK KEEFER and SUSAN JUBY

The roiling emotional complexity of families is rich territory for both Janice Kulyk Keefer and Susan Juby, and their work lights up with moments of genuine courage and vision.
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September 26, 2007

LA PLUME ET LE PINCEAU

Charles Leblanc publie heures d’ouverture aux Éditions du Blé. Christian Violy publie L’exaucée aux Éditions des Plaines. Ensuite, joignez-vous aux improvisations littéraires et visuelles et flashes instantanés jumelant quatre écrivains et quatre artistes.
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September 26, 2007

LAUNCH: Don Anderson

Tuning the Forks: A Celebration of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra is Don Anderson’s elegant contribution to the WSO’s 60th anniversary. (A McNally Robinson event.)
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September 26, 2007

MAINSTAGE: SURVIVING ADOLESCENCE

Idealism, rebellion, determination, confusion, wonder: the passage to adulthood is both awkward and rich. From established award-winners Janice Kulyk Keefer, Susan Juby, and Paul Yee, to debut novelists Maureen Fergus, Alice Kuipers, and Brendan McLeod, tonight’s writers will move you to laughter, tears, memory—and wisdom.
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September 27, 2007

READING: Janice Kulyk Keefer

Janice Kulyk Keefer has made her mark as an award-winning poet. She’ll read from her work and talk about the power of poetic form.
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September 27, 2007

SUSAN JUBY AND PAUL YEE (Grades 10-12)

Neither Susan Juby nor Paul Yee shy away from how difficult it is to navigate the decisions of late adolescence: friends, family, dating, money, future… Join them as they read from their work and talk about the connections between writing and experience.
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September 27, 2007

READING: Maureen Fergus and Emily Pohl-Weary

Chroniclers of adolescence, Maureen Fergus and Emily Pohl-Weary bring warmth and wit to their quirky, tough teens.
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September 27, 2007

JOEL THOMAS HYNES

Earthy, tender, bewildering, resilient: Joel Thomas Hynes captures the flavour of Newfoundland with his new novel, Right Away Monday.
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September 27, 2007

READING: Rosanna Deerchild and Agnes Walsh

Two poets, two cultures. Rosanna Deerchild opens a door on her Cree experience, and Agnes Walsh takes us to Cape Shore Newfoundland.
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September 27, 2007

ROCH CARRIER (7e à 9e année)

Joignez-vous à l’auteur renommé Roch Carrier pour une lecture de ses ouvrages et une discussion de ses sources d’inspiration.
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September 27, 2007

RENCONTRE avec Paul Savoie

Originaire du Manitoba et gagnant du prix Trillium de 2007 avec son recueil de poésie Crac, Paul Savoie parlera des débuts de la littérature franco-manitobaine, auxquels il a participé.
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September 27, 2007

TALK with Brenda Hasiuk

Join Winnipeg writer Brenda Hasiuk speaking to creative writing students about the writer’s craft and her new novel, Where the Rocks Say Your Name.
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September 27, 2007

TALK: William Gibson

The man who brought us Neuromancer and Pattern Recognition and the term “cyberspace” talks about text and technology and his work as a writer.
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September 27, 2007

MICHAEL WINTER and KATHLEEN WINTER

Newfoundland is as much about its stories as its landscape. Join Michael and Kathleen Winter, dynamic writers who also happen to be siblings, as they talk about writing and place.
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September 27, 2007

ÉCRIVAINS D’AILLEURS : Roch Carrier

Soirée intime : lecture et conversation avec l’irréductible Roch Carrier.
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September 27, 2007

READING: Merril Pauls, with Linda Clarke and Emma Burns

In Our Hands: On Becoming a Doctor is an anthology of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry by Canadian medical students and residents. (A McNally Robinson event.)
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September 27, 2007

MAINSTAGE: WRITING ON THE ROCK

Newfoundland has hijacked the Canadian literary landscape with some of the sharpest and freshest—and often funniest—writing around. We’re thrilled to welcome back Joel Thomas Hynes and Michael Winter, writers who’ve lit up our stages in the last couple of years. They’re joined by Agnes Walsh, the Poet Laureate of St John’s, and relative newcomer Kathleen Winter—it’ll be an evening with some salt in the air.
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September 27, 2007

BRENDAN MCLEOD

Brendan McLeod is a spoken word powerhouse, with international recognition on his calling card. He’s also a member of the hugely popular group, The Fugitives, which packed houses at this year’s Fringe. He plays, he sings, he speaks…
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September 28, 2007

TALK: Lawrence Hill

Acclaimed novelist, journalist, and non-fiction writer Lawrence Hill will talk about the impulse to report and how that is shaped by genre.
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September 28, 2007

LINDA LEITH

The Desert Lake, a new novel from Montrealer Linda Leith, tracks a young woman finding herself in faraway China.
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September 28, 2007

PANEL: Writing through Race

David Chariandy’s debut novel, Soucouyant, tracks a troubled Trinidadian family in white suburban Toronto. Lawrence Hill’s epic The Book of Negroes follows a girl from her capture by slave-traders to free old age in London. In What Happened Last Summer, Paul Yee shows Asian teenagers balancing between two cultures. Join these three writers as they talk about using fiction to explore and expose the meanings of racial identities.
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September 28, 2007

WILLIAM GIBSON and JOHN HAVELDA

Technology, text, and the way those forces impact on ideas of a self underpin the work of cyber-tech novelist William Gibson and multi-lingual poet John Havelda.
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September 28, 2007

READINGS: A Sip of Juice

The U of W’s talented writing students share new work to kick off the school year.
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September 28, 2007

GALA DE LA PAROLE: Une soirée avec « Les Boys »

Une occasion unique de voir une grande partie de l’histoire littéraire franco-manitobaine en parade. Accompagnement musical.
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September 28, 2007

MAINSTAGE: ENCOUNTERS

Crossing into new territory, whether it be cultural or linguistic or imaginative, challenges characters and readers to reconsider what they know to be true. Lawrence Hill and Linda Leith move characters through changing landscapes. Brenda Hasiuk, David Chariandy, and Marie-Clair Blais gather intersecting characters in one space. William Gibson hooks those two ends of the spectrum and complicates it with virtual dimensions.
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September 28, 2007

WINNIPEG'S POETRY SLAM TEAM

The poetry slams have winnowed away the playing field, and this year’s Poetry Slam Team is in place—and they’re good. Leif Norman, Skip Stone, Andrea von Wichert will give you a taste of what they’re taking to the National Spoken Word Festival in Halifax next month!
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September 29, 2007

STORY TIME: Marie-Louise Gay

Calling all readers between 3 and 9 (and others who have been there once)! The wonderful, whimsical worlds of Sam and Stella and On My Island and Caramba are yours to visit up close with their creator, Marie-Louise Gay. While you’re upstairs at McNally’s, check out the other books featured in our THIN AIR School Program.
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September 29, 2007

ACCESS 2 PUBLISHERS: Publisher Pitch Sessions

Here’s your chance! Representatives from Fernwood Publishing, Heartland Associates, Les Éditions des Plaines, Pemmican Publications, Turnstone Press and University of Manitoba Press will be on hand to hear your pitch. Register: www.mbwriter.mb.ca or (204)-942-6134.
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September 29, 2007

SPOTLIGHT: SO YOU WANT TO GET PUBLISHED?

Sometimes getting published seems an arcane art form, but it needn’t be such a mystery. Join acclaimed author Lawrence Hill (The Book of Negroes, 2007), editor Pat Sanders (University of Manitoba Press) and Gordon Shillingford (J.G. Shillingford Publishing) as they talk about the querying process, the differences between literary and scholarly publishers, and what to expect once a publisher finally says yes. Registrants will receive a complimentary resource package. Tickets: (204)-942-6134, www.mbwriter.mb.ca, or at the door.
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September 29, 2007

LANCEMENT: France Adams

France Adams lira pour les jeunes son nouveau livre pour enfants, Les Étrangers, publié aux Éditions des Plaines. Toutes les personnes qui ont de l’imagination sont les bienvenues!
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September 29, 2007

MAINSTAGE MATINÉE : TRANSIT OF VENUS

How does an award-winning play become an arresting new opera? Join Rory Runnells as he explores the process with playwright/librettist Maureen Hunter, composer Victor Davies, and director Larry Desrochers. Expect to see some bits enacted right in front of your eyes. Get the scoop on the Manitoba Opera’s world premier of The Transit of Venus this fall.
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September 29, 2007

FAMILY STORY TIME: Roch Carrier

The writer of one of Canada’s all-time classics, The Hockey Sweater, will delight children and parents—and grandparents!—with this abiding story of a boy experiencing the collision of French and English cultures.
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September 29, 2007

L’HEURE DES HISTOIRES : Roch Carrier

L’auteur d’une des histoires canadiennes classiques de tous les temps, Le Chandail de hockey, plaira aux enfants, à leurs parents et à leurs grands-parents avec cette histoire d’un garçon qui vit une collision entre les cultures française et anglaise.
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September 29, 2007

TRISHA CULL and GEORGE ELLENBOGEN

How do poets attach words to their world? Join two accomplished practitioners, Trisha Cull and George Ellenbogen, as they probe that process.
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September 29, 2007

A PINT OF BITTER MURDER: Karen Dudley, Alison Gordon, Alison Preston

Take your mysteries neat with a glass of beer and a plate of fish and chips. These three mystery mavens will set you up with great stories seasoned with plenty of wit.
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September 29, 2007

MAINSTAGE: POETRY BASH!

The poets are back, spinning their linguistic webs to catch us all. Trisha Cull takes us to the west coast, while Alison Calder shows us the prairie. Niels Hav brings us a Danish sensibility, while John Havelda weaves together Hungarian and English and Portuguese. Paul Savoie and George Ellenbogen spin visions from adopted homes. Let the magic begin!
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September 29, 2007

DJ CODA & VJ GREG HANEC

You got a rhyme? The CYRK lights up tonight with a spectacular soundscape thanks to the beats of DJ Coda and VJ Greg Hanec’s video loops. Bring your best stuff—or just come to be amazed.
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September 30, 2007

SPOTLIGHT: WHERE DO I SIGN?

For novice and veteran alike, understanding a publishing contract and knowing your rights can be daunting. Add to that the delicate art of negotiating the best possible contract. Join the veteran negotiating team, Martha Brooks (True Confessions of a Heartless Girl) and her husband Brian Brooks, and lawyer Brian Bowman (Pitblado LLP) and learn how to understand a contract, negotiate a deal and much more. Registrants will receive a complimentary resource package. Tickets: (204)-942-6134, www.mbwriter.mb.ca, or at the door.
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September 30, 2007

MATINÉE AT THE RALPH CONNOR HOUSE: THE WRITERS' GALLERY

The writers are here! The historic Ralph Connor House in West Gate transforms into a gallery space to showcase 19 whimsical papier-maché busts of Canadian writers by artist Susan Longmire. Join local writers David Bergen, Lise Gaboury-Diallo, and Chandra Mayor as they read their own work alongside snippets of the work by the Manitobans in the cast: Carol Shields, Gabrielle Roy, and Margaret Laurence. On hand to represent the presiding spirit of the house, the prolific novelist Ralph Connor, is his granddaughter, Toronto writer Alison Gordon.
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October 1, 2007

READING: George Ellenbogen

George Ellenbogen reads from Morning Gothic, a poetry collection which confirms him as one of the most astute and eloquent readers of contemporary life.
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October 24, 2007

WORKSHOP: Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Yvette Nolan, Gregory Scofield

Writer-editor-performer Kateri-Akiwenzie Damm, playwright Yvette Nolan, and poet Gregory Scofield have made a dramatic impact on the Canadian literary scene. They’ll gather to speak frankly about how they use the tools of their trade. Bring your questions.
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October 25, 2007

Brandon Aboriginal Literary Festival

Renowned and award-winning writers featured at the Festival include: Joanne Arnott, Marie Annharte Baker, Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Maria Campbell, Warren Cariou, Rosanna Deerchild, Paul DePasquale, Marilyn Dumont, Kristina Fagan, Louise Halfe, Tomson Highway, Erroll Kinistino, Emma LaRocque, Lee Maracle, Lorraine Mayer, Neal McLeod, Duncan Mercredi, Daniel David Moses, Beatrice (Culleton) Mosionier, Yvette Nolan, Eden Robinson, Armand Garnett Ruffo, Darrell Racine, and Gregory Scofield. Participating writers will be reading from their published works and talking about their work. We will be selling books by the authors and also featuring tables by Aboriginal and Métis organizations. There will be four panel discussions at the Festival, on topics ranging from “Life and Writing” to “The Politics of Aboriginal Theatre.” Most of the writers will be attending the whole Festival. There will be a musical event on Saturday evening. The Brandon Aboriginal Literary Festival is hosted by the Departments of English and Native Studies and the John E. Robbins Library at Brandon University, with co-sponsorship from the BU Faculty of Arts, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Manitoba Writers’ Guild, the Manitoba Association of Playwrights, the League of Canadian Poets, the Brandon Friendship Centre, and the Manitoba Métis Federation (Southwest Region). For more information please call the Faculty of Arts at Brandon University: (204) 727-9790.
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October 28, 2007

TOUR: Joanne Arnott, Marilyn Dumont, Erroll Kinistino

Joanne Arnott, Marilyn Dumont, and Erroll Kinistino have connected with hundreds of people through writing, teaching, acting, and advocacy work. Any one of them demonstrates the power and vitality of contemporary aboriginal literature and experience—together they’ll raise the roof. For tour details, email info@winnipegwords.com.
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