In Review: The Week of May 4th

On the Blog

Image by Michaela Oteri~ Contributors of the Disabled Voices Anthology (Rebel Mountain Press) reflect on disability culture, community, and identity: “We aren’t props to make people feel better about themselves, tragedies that need pity, or dolls to be infantilized.”~ Our Read Harder Challenge continues with Shani Mootoo’s Polar Vortex (Book*hug Press) + follow-up reads~ Mawenzi House Marketing Assistant Maria Zuppardi shares what the shift to working from home has meant for her (and her new co-worker!) and how Mawenzi House continues to bring creativity forward in these difficult times: “Staying relevant on social media is easy, but it’s converting those views and engagement into interested and willing readers that can be challenging!”~ Author Louise Dupré shares about writing her memoir A Woman of Her Time: Memories of My Mother (Linda Leith Publishing), Quebec, and the Quiet Revolution: “Then I asked myself: ‘Who was my mother?’ And especially, ‘Who was my mother before she was my mother?’ One never knows who is his or her mother. I decided to keep going answering my questions.”~ For Mother’s Day, we rounded up three books — an uproariously funny novel, a moving memoir, and a powerful poetry collection — that appreciate moms of all kinds for, along with excerpts from each.  

~ Rakuten Kobo announced the shortlist for its sixth annual Emerging Writer prize. ~ Libraries may be closed for social distancing, but they still offer a bunch of free services.~ Bored during the pandemic? Experts weigh in on some of the benefits of boredom.

via GIPHY

ICYMI (last week)

Writer’s Block: Louise Carson

“Of course, there are two types of rewarding moments: the outer and the inner.Where I intersect with the outer world are the firsts: first participation at a poetry slam (I have found my people!); first poetry workshop; first poem accepted by a magazine; first book published; first shortlisted novel; first prize.In the world inside me are things like entering a period of intense creativity (which is only noticed when you exit it); re-reading old work and finding it good; the feeling (sometimes accompanied by tears) of solving and then writing down the ending of a book. I am grateful for all of the above.”