In Review: The Week of March 9th

On the Blog

~ We collaborated with Signature Editions to dream up the perfect cast for George Amabile’s Operation Stealth Seed featuring Robert Downey Jr. and Lucy Liu~ Read two poems from Tanja Bartel’s debut collection Everyone at This Party (Goose Lane Editions), a CBC Books poetry pick for spring 2020: “Asked for sexy-messy beach / hair, paid for a docile bob. Everyone / is trying to tone me down. Inwardly I scream.”~ Hear clips of Betsy Warland reading from her thirteenth book, Lost Lagoon/lost in thought (Caitlin Press), a poetry collection that draws inspiration from Mohawk poet and writer Pauline E. Johnson. ~ Author Fanie Demeule — whose novel Lightness (Linda Leith Publishing) was just translated into English — sat down Proust-style to talk writing rituals, the opposite of writer’s block, her influences, and more: “I meditate and make myself something like a triple espresso. Funny combo, I know, but I find it somehow representative of what I write: both contemplative and panicked.” 

Around the Web

~ The 2020 Lambda Literary Awards finalists were announced with a handful of ALU favourites on the list, including books from Arsenal Pulp Press, ARP Books, Book*hug Press, Inanna Publications, Metonymy Press.~ Publishers Weekly shares ways to give indie bookstores much-needed support amidst Coronavirus scares. 

ICYMI (last week)

BIG: Stories about Life in Plus-Sized Bodies

For #InternationalWomensDay we celebrated bodies of all shapes and sizes with reflections from the contributors in BIG: Stories about Life in Plus-Sized Bodies (Caitlin Press):”Layla Cameron: For non-fat readers, I hope that they feel compelled to use their societal privilege to act as allies for fat folks, and to do some of the labour that fat people undertake in order to exist comfortably in the world. For example, do you ask your doctor why they are weighing you at an appointment? Do you have fat-friendly seating in your home, or do you consider the accessibility of restaurant seating when dining with your fat friends? (Do you have fat friends?). I hope that fat readers identify with our stories and feel seen, heard, and empowered to take up space!”