Freelance April / May 2014 Volume 44 Number 3
In this issue:
Goat’s Honest Truth: Reading Craft The Future of Storytelling Inspiration and the Law
Contents President’s Report................. ..............................................................................1 Executive Director’s Report...............................................................................2 National Literary Arts Forum...........................................................................4 National Smmit of Writers’ Associations........................................................6 SWG Welcomes New Staff.................................................................................8 School Readings: A Primer (Part Two).........................................................10 Retreats: Right for You?...................................................................................12 Highlights from Saskatchewan Aboriginal Storytelling 2014....................14 Inspiration and the Law .................................................................................16 The Future of Storytelling ..............................................................................18 Victor Enns and the Foundation of Windscript...........................................20 Saskatchewan Book Awards Nominees.........................................................22 Goat’s Honest Truth: Reading Craft..............................................................24 Crafting the Characters of Your Children’s Fiction ....................................28 Space-Time Continuum..................................................................................30 Books By Members...........................................................................................32 Member News...................................................................................................35 Calls of Interest.................................................................................................36 Professional Development...............................................................................37 SWG Highlights................................................................................................38
Contributors to this Issue Edward Willett Shelley Banks Alison Lohans Michelle Greysen Dianne Young Gerald Hill with notes by Laurie Graham Amy Banford
On the Cover: Show me in writing (2013), instant film Polaroid Artist: Jana Kutarna Jana Kutarna is a Regina realist painter and photographer. She loves old typewriters, old film cameras, and old houses. Her work can be seen at Mysteria Gallery in Regina.
Vol. 44 No. 3/SWG Freelance April / May 2014 ISSN 0705-1379
© Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild, 2014 Freelance is published six times per year for members of the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild. Submissions to Freelance are welcome for editorial review. If accepted, articles will be edited for clarity. The basic criteria to meet in submitting materials are readership interest, timeliness, and quality and following the standard submission format (see Guild website). Viewpoints expressed in contributed articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the SWG. We do not accept poetry or prose at this time. Copyright for articles, reports, photographs, and other visual materials or text remains with the creator and cannot be used or reprinted without permission. SWG pays for one time rights/use only. Payment for articles and reports is 10 cents a word. Photographs and other visuals are paid at a rate of $25 each. Cover art payment is $75. Deadline for the next issue of Freelance: May 4, 2014. SWG BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jeanne Alexander (President), Regina; Gina Rozon (Vice-President), Regina; Harriet Richards (Secretary), Saskatoon; Bevann Fox (Treasurer), Regina; Heather Getz, Regina; Tekeyla Friday, Swift Current; Marianna Topos, Regina; Brian Cobbledick, Regina. Design & Layout Jessica Riess
Contact Us SWG Regina Office Contact P: 306-757-6310 Toll Free: 1-800-667-6788 F: 306-565-8554 E: info@skwriter.com or communications@skwriter.com W: www.skwriter.com Mailing Address Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild Box 3986, Regina, SK S4P 3R9 Regina Courier or Drop-Off Address 1150 8th Avenue, Suite 100 Regina, SK S4R 1C9 SWG Saskatoon Office Contact P: 306-955-5513 F: 306-244-0255 E: saskatoon@skwriter.com Mailing Address Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild Bessborough Hotel Suite 719- 601 Spadina Cresent Saskatoon, S7K 3G8
The Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild gratefully acknowledges the support of SaskCulture, Saskatchewan Lotteries Trust Fund and the Saskatchewan Arts Board
SWG Freelance April / May 2014
SWG President’s Report
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reetings! Have you ever wondered what the people of Saskatchewan would talk about or how we would initiate various conversations if we didn’t talk about the weather? Our environment is so integral to our beings that it pervades all we do. Perhaps it’s our harsh environment that contributes to our isolation that leads us to writing, a solitary pursuit. Many theories exist as to why Saskatchewan has produced so many writers from such a vast landscape and small but diverse population. It would be interesting to learn about some of these theories as weather and climate are so much a part of the writing we do in Canada, and particularly in Saskatchewan. Nevertheless, spring is nigh and with it all sorts of programs and events are in the horizon for Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild members. Congratulations to the staff for the new live streaming lunch hour program which is available on http://new.livestream.com/ the first Tuesday of each month. A line from one of the poems written by Robert Burns says, “O was some Power the giftie gie us to see oursels as ithers see us!” translated roughly as “oh what powers the gifted give us, if only we could see ourselves as others see us ,” gives rise to the topic of communication. In the interests of enhancing our organization, we encourage your feedback. Rather than discarding past Freelance issues, you might consider asking permission to place them in hospitals, nursing homes, medical offices etc. By doing so, you’re recycling, as well as helping to increase public awareness about the writing community of Saskatchewan. Extra copies of published works are also welcomed by many community organizations to be left on display or to be used as door prizes or a thank-you for speakers thus raising awareness of Saskatchewan writing and promoting your own authorship. If you or your writing group does not already do so, I encourage you to access the SaskCulture website (http:// www.saskculture.sk.ca/) or even sign up for their E-update, their weekly news bulletin (http://www.saskculture.sk.ca/ index.php?p=E-Update). They feature calls of interest, a job gallery (http://www.saskculture.sk.ca/jobgallery.php ) and cultural news. Plans are in progress for SWG Board members to participate in a facilitated strategic planning session in early June where we will evaluate and formulate plans for
the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild over the next three to five years. Substantial progress is being made with regards to developing and revamping SWG policies and revising bylaws. This ongoing process does take time but it is to be noted that the Board examines a set number of policies at each meeting. Sometimes there is some confusion as to the role of the Board and the role of the staff; simply put, the elected Board exists to oversee and direct the governance of the organization, while the staff ’s responsibility is to carry out the business of the organization. Each take their roles seriously and work collaboratively to ensure the Guild operates under the proper rules and regulations for nonprofits, funders, and the well-being of the organization. Everyone is encouraged to attend the 21st Saskatchewan Book Awards. Nominees and winners alike are well deserving of the recognition and support of their peers. Being an award recipient or nominee opens the doors to further literary opportunities. Respectfully submitted, Jeanne Alexander President of the Board of SWG As a Board we are committed to providing the structure for the enhancement of members’ experiences. We encourage and invite any comments, queries or suggestions you may have. We ask that they be directed to Judith Silverthorne, our Executive Director. Should you want further clarification, please write a letter to the Board or fill in the appropriate form on our website: http://www.skwriter.com/about-theswg/contact-us. Misinformation and lack of information are the biggest culprits when effective communication doesn’t occur. We ask for your input in helping to create and maintain a viable organization.
Get the word out! Advertise in Freelance, and receive a 25% discount with your SWG membership! To learn more, visit our website. www.skwriter.com
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SWG Freelance April / May 2014
Executive Director’s Report
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he Guild to the best of its abilities attempts to keep abreast of the changing dynamics in the writing, cultural, and non-profit communities. This includes becoming more involved in outreach opportunities beyond our Saskatchewan borders.
National Literary Arts Forum In mid-February, I attended the National Literary Arts Forum in Montreal sponsored by the Canada Council for the Arts. Approximately 250 people connected to the literary arts community were in attendance to discuss and develop a positive vision for the future of Canadian literature in both English and French. A more detailed report of the two-day summit is included in this issue of Freelance.
National Summit of Writing Associations
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The Writers' Trust of Canada hosted a National Summit of Writing Associations with support from the Canada Council and the Banff Centre from March 17-20. Representatives from the following organizations were invited: • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Federation of BC Writers League of Canadian Poets Manitoba Writers' Guild Prince Edward Island Writers' Guild Quebec Writers' Federation Saskatchewan Writers' Guild Union des écrivaines et des écrivains québécois Writers' Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador Writers' Federation of New Brunswick Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia Writers' Guild of Alberta Writers' Trust of Canada Writers' Union of Canada
This national summit was an opportunity for all of writers’ organizations to join forces and to share information, ideas and insights to better serve writers across Canada. Topics addressed various angles, including featured speakers and peer-to-peer discussions, such as: • • • • •
Challenges and opportunities for writers in the digital publishing world Connecting with indigenous storytellers, ethnic writing groups, and other diverse writing communities Re-imagining your organization Connecting writers with readers Expanding membership
• • •
Professional development and programs for writers Maximizing impact of social media Organizational stability
Opportunities to network with our colleagues across the country are vital, not only for sharing information and ideas, but to advance advocacy and awareness. They also provide partnership prospects and liaisons that could benefit us all.
Travel Rates On the home front, the Guild is adjusting some of its programming and services. As of March 1, 2014 the travel rate increases from $.375/km to $.40/kilometre. This is a raise of about $1,000 annually to the budget, which includes travel subsidies for the Author Readings Program and other Guild events and programs. The Guild rates have not increased for quite a number of years and this will bring us very close to being in line with current provincial government rates. Per diem rates have also increased slightly.
John V. Hicks Manuscript Awards The John V. Hicks Manuscript Award rotates annually between the genres and will now be poetry, fiction, and literary non-fiction. This year, the SWG will honour three unpublished, full-length manuscripts of literary nonfiction. Submissions must be postmarked or emailed by Monday, June 30. For more information, please see our website: http://www.skwriter.com/awards/the-john-vhicks-long-manuscript-awards
Wages, Staffing, and Economic Matters The low wage situation has historically been a concern for non-profits when compared to the private and public sectors. The SWG is no exception. Many people I know working in culture and the arts continue to do so regardless of the lower compensation because of their passion and dedication in sustaining the arts. Unfortunately for the Guild, typical non-profit earnings often mean high turnovers in staff. Our part-time positions are also a concern. Besides employees discovering after a while that the Guild pay scale does not provide high enough earnings to sustain them for the future, we seem to attract students who are finishing off their post-graduate degrees or those needing experience in their pursuit of more fulfilling careers. Though both are worthy quests for these individuals,
SWG Freelance April / May 2014
and the Guild is all for assisting where we can and applauds those who progress in their careers, temporary and transitory employees leave a recurring retention problem for us. By the time the staff are fully trained and comfortable in the job, they are leaving and we have to start all over again. While these problems are common to all non-profits, the Guild is including these dilemmas in a new study we are conducting on the economic situation for writers in this province. We have also devised some interim solutions. As the Guild considers the effects of hiring part-time staff that only seem to stay until they find full-time work, whether precipitated by personal life changes or by conscious design, we are moving towards amalgamating positions to create full time hours. With this in mind, we have hired Susan McKenzie, our new part-time Aboriginal Program Coordinator also to take on the work of the Grain Business Administrator position as a provisional measure until the end of October. She will work mostly out of the Saskatoon office. Due to Susan’s wide range of expertise, she is more than capable of performing both jobs and she is flexible with job assignments when the position is reviewed in the fall. At this time, the three-year study by the Grain Ad Hoc Committee will conclude and the board will bring forward a decision as to whether or not Grain magazine remains a program of the Guild or ventures off on its own. We also hope that by then that we will be able to offer her a fulltime position as the Aboriginal Program Coordinator. Another recent staff change is Rilla Friesen’s resignation as the Editor of Grain magazine. She has taken on editorship of another magazine. As her three-year contract was concluding in a few months, we will invite guest editors to finish off the term, which also coincides with the decision around the future of Grain magazine. We will announce who these special people are in the near future. We wish Rilla success in her new position, as we also wish Sarah Taggart, who was previously announced as leaving as of March 7 to complete a novel for her Master of Fine Arts degree. The Guild is also losing Stefanie Ferguson, our Administrative Assistant, who has accepted employment in the private sector. We wish her all the best too. The Guild will continue to review and revise employment situations and seek ways to finance increases in wages as solutions in retaining the more transitory staff positions in the future and to preserve the great core of longer-term staff we currently enjoy.
Programming Live streaming has proved to be a valuable way to connect with members and there are many opportunities to participate in professional development offerings. Be sure to keep posted on our website http://www.skwriter.com/
home and with Ebriefs to see many exciting new programs and activities coming up this Spring. Best regards, Judith Silverthorne
Call for Writers and Hosts Words in the Park Dates for readings in Victoria Park in Regina are July 9, 16, 23 & 30 and August 13, 20 & 27. Readings start at noon on the above listed Wednesdays in July and August. Writers are invited to participate in Words in the Park, a program of reading performances in Victoria Park this summer. We hope to include as many authors as possible, so submit your literary CV soon (preference will be given to authors who have not read in the past year)! The SWG is also seeking volunteers to host the popular readings. Gain valuable hosting skills while enjoying the sun... volunteer for one, two or more! Please indicate your interest by contacting Tracy Hamon at programs@skwriter.com by Friday, May 30, 2014. The program is sponsored by SaskBooks, Saskatchewan Book Awards, Regina Public Library and Regina Downtown.
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SWG Freelance April / May 2014
National Literary Arts Forum
One of the breakout groups at the National Literary Arts forum organized by the Canada Council for the Arts. L to R: Suzanne Norman (Canadian Centre for Studies in Publishing), Michael Kusugak (Storyteller); Stuart Ross (Writer); Kevin Burns (editor-Seven Stories); Judith Silverthorne (Executive Director SWG); Julia Kater (Executive Director, Montreal Review Books); Kelsey Attard (Managing Editor, Broadview Press); Jamis Paulson (Turnstone Press). (Missing from photo: Vanessa Moeller (Director, New Brunswick Arts Board); Joanna Poblocka (Executive Director, The League of Canadian Poets). Photo: Courtesy Canada Council for the Arts
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he Canada Council for the Arts conducted a wellorchestrated National Literary Arts Forum in mid-February to address the implications of the transitions in the literary arts precipitated by the digital age. Their intent was to galvanize the literary arts community and its stakeholders to respond to crucial questions about integrating the technological changes into the Canadian literary milieu. A steering committee of peers and Canadian arts funders spearheaded two days of stimulating discussions, taking place at the venerable McGill University. Approximately 250 writers, spoken word artists, publishers, librarians, arts service organizations, translators, government representatives, literary festival and programming folks, educators, academics, booksellers, journalists, and arts funders gathered to express their views. Participants from both official language communities had the opportunity “to voice their opinions and ideas on enlightened ways to manage the transformations underway and on the role of each stakeholder in the near and long term future.” The selection of who would attend was followed by a call to the literary community sent out via email, social media, and Canada Council’s website. Interested Anglophone, Francophone, and Aboriginal parties from across the country, including those attending from northern Canada’s territories, completed an expression of interest
to participate in the National Forum. Consideration for diversity of practices, variety of expertise, cultural, linguistic and regional representation guided the decisionmaking process to fulfil the objective to bring together a broad spectrum of people involved in the literary arts across the country and to ensure a diversity of perspectives and points of view. A contingency of six writers and publishers from Saskatchewan attended, each joining one of about twenty-five pre-assigned tables of approximately ten people each. First on the agenda was a dialogue on the place of creation and the role of literary creators today and in the future. Participants identified key issues and articulated priorities to ensure vitality and sustainability. Questions arose such as how a writer might approach the prospects of different readerships and about the format in which to present their creations. This discussion naturally progressed into the topics of the afternoon session on the future role of publishers/producers in Canada. Discussions looked at how access to books is evolving with the technological revolution and how we see the democratization of publishing. This in turn led back to a dialogue on what an author can expect of a publisher today and the changing role of the author to do more in the way of marketing themselves. Not surprisingly, the first session on the following day was
SWG Freelance April / May 2014 on the roles of both the publisher and the writer in the evolution of dissemination/distribution. The conversations reflected on who the promoters will be, about who will be quality controllers and influencers of tomorrow, and how this might be done. The topic of sustainability concluded the series of discussions with participants considering the possibilities for advancing Canadian literature and capitalizing on the inevitable change, while maintaining cohesiveness and integrity of the literary arts community. The steering committee compiled a comprehensive summary of the key issues and possible solutions after each of the round table discussions, which they presented to the entire gathering after each session. Participants then had the opportunity to voice additional concerns and suggestions. A guest speaker each day provided more perspectives for mulling over the complexities of the rapidly intensifying technological changes. Richard Nash of Byliner.com gave a provocative fifty-minute talk on the last 1000 years of literary history. The following day, Patricia Pleszczynska, CEO of CBC and Radio-Canada HERE First and Regional Services Radio-Canada provided her perspective on the literary arts and their role on radio. Kelly Wilhelm, Head, Policy, Planning and Partnership summarized the highlights of each day. Throughout the event networking opportunities were plentiful and well utilized to meet colleagues and put faces to names of those who many had only spoken to over the phone or communicated with via email. As well, partnering prospects developed and community bonds were cultivated, new friendships forged, old ones reinforced. The camaraderie of so many people gathered for a common purpose created an invigorating atmosphere and a satisfying sense of belonging.
For many this fantastic experience broadened our understanding of the Canadian literary landscape and was an amazing opportunity to start the process of deciphering a path for the literary arts in this age of transition. Major concerns and issues were identified and ideas formulated for potential resolutions and management of possible eventualities and inevitabilities. Although there may yet be many unchartered upheavals with the rapidly advancing technology, participants left invigorated and with many reflections to take back to their own communities to study and discuss. While this ambitious project allowed for a rich, stimulating, and provocative wide-range of viewpoints, discussion, and analysis, the collaborations also served to unite the wider Canadian literary community. Clearly, there is a strong community of self-preserving, optimistic people dedicated to positive action and to the development and sustainability of their crafts and livelihood. In short, a “force to be reckoned with� and one that is ready to mobilize in addressing a positive vision for the future of Canadian literature. Many voiced the value of the Forum and their hopes for a follow-up session with some concrete plans and implementations that the Canada Council might incorporate, as well as those that contribute to the literary field might adopt. The Canada Council will analyze the results of the Forum, and consider how they might proceed from there. A synthesized report incorporating all of the collected material will be posted on the Council website http:// canadacouncil.ca/en/writing-and-publishing. Watch for it and consider ways you can engage in how to decode, integrate, and advance positively together into the future as part of a powerful cohesive literary community.
Other sources of information and viewpoints about the National Forum: http://canadacouncil.ca/council/news-room/news/2014/simon-brault-nfla http://arts.nationalpost.com/2014/02/21/everything-is-a-priority-at-the-national-forum-on-the-literary-arts/ http://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2014/2/24/national-forum-on-the-literary-arts.html#.Uxtk_oWwUlQ http://manitobaschoollibraries.ca/report-on-the-national-forum-on-the-literary-arts/ https://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Forum-on-the-Literary-Arts/242702699232270 http://bluemet.blogspot.ca/2014/02/national-forum-on-literary-arts.html http://conseildesarts.ca/en/writing-and-publishing/blog/2014/the-national-forum-on-the-literary-arts-an-educatorsperspective
Other Canada Council Resources on the Literary Arts: http://canadacouncil.ca/en/council/news-room/news/2014/minister-glover-apm http://canadacouncil.ca/en/council/news-room/news/2014/bob-sirman-apm http://canadacouncil.ca/council/research/find-research/2013/canada-council-funding-maps http://conseildesarts.ca/en/writing-and-publishing/blog/2014/literature-a-spoken-art
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SWG Freelance April / May 2014
National Summit of Writers’ Associations Judith Silverthorne
Participants of the Nation Summit of Writers Organizations held in Banff, March 17 to 20, 2014. Back row l to r: John Degen, Writers Union of Canada; Annelies Pool, NorthWords NWT (Yellowknife); Mary Osbourne, Writers Trust of Canada; Élise Bergeron, Union des écrivaines et des écrivains québécois (Quebec); Lori Schubert , Quebec Writers' Federation ; Carolyn Gray, Manitoba Writers' Guild; Ben Nuttall-Smith, Federation of BC Writers; Front Row l to r: Jonathon Meakin, Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia; Judith Silverthorne (SWG); Cathy Ostlere, Creative Nonfiction Collective Society; Warren Maddox, Writers' Federation of New Brunswick; Carol Holmes, Writers' Guild of Alberta; David Blinkhorn, Federation of BC Writers; Nicole Quiring, Writers' Guild of Alberta; Tracy Hamon, SWG; James Davies Trust; Lee Ellen Pottie, Prince Edward Island Writers' Guild; Brian Woodward, Banff Centre Facilitator; Alison Dyer, Writers' Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador; Paul Seesequasis, Theytus Books. Photo Courtesy: Lee Ellen Pottie
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racy Hamon and I were fortunate to have been among the twenty representatives from across the country that met in Banff for the National Summit of Writers’ Associations (NSWA) held March 17-20. The first assembly of its kind, the NSWA is a Writers’ Trust of Canada initiative that brought together associations from across Canada to pool resources and forge connections to advance Canadian writers and writing. The Writers Trust, Canada Council, and the Banff Centre sponsored delegates from 16 like-minded organizations that represented provincial, territorial, and national interests. The first evening of our arrival, Banff Centre President, Jeff Melanson treated the assembly to hors d’oeuvres and a supper buffet at his spacious home with a gorgeous view of the mountains. His hospitality and the welcoming atmosphere of the people running the Centre permeated the entire Summit. Picturesque scenery everywhere one looked stimulated inspiration, aspirations, and conversations. Mary Osborne, Executive Director and James Davis Program Director of the Writers’ Trust commented on how proud the Trust was to be hosting participants representing provincial and territorial writers at the
Summit and of being afforded an opportunity to share the successes of writers with their peers across Canada. Day one of the summit started with presentations by each organization, followed by discussions centring on diverse topics such as constructing a new narrative of engagement with Indigenous writers, reaching a diverse audience of writers, and building connections with writers and readers. A special question and answer session with after dinner guest Stuart Ian McKay gave insights on the Banff Centre’s retreat for writing program. The second morning started with an invigorating hike around the Banff Centre’s majesty for those so inclined, before the group settled into discussions around fundraising and funding opportunities. A Skyped Q & A session with advice from Catherine Montgomery and Brigitte Fontille of the Canada Council launched the discussions. Other topics covered in the morning included making links between fundraising and programming and refining your pitch by making your mission and program relevant to your audience. In particular, legacy funding, diversification of funding sources, corporate funding/ relationships building, and value of boards in fundraising also created stimulating conversations.
SWG Freelance April / May 2014
The afternoon sessions focused on topics chosen by those attending, which resulted in a variety of topics being discussed ranging from advocacy and collaboration to program and board development and a few others in between. Brian Woodward, who works for the Banff Centre, was an amazing facilitator for the entire summit, providing guidance and keeping everything on track. This groundbreaking cultural initiative was a progressive undertaking with benefits that will extend well into the future. Partnerships were forged between associations and activities set in motion. Plans are being discussed for a joint conference in the fall of 2017 in Regina between the SWG, the Writers’ Guild of Alberta, and the Manitoba Writers’ Guild. SWG staff also came away with some innovative ideas for fundraising, sharing of resources, including authors for readings, workshops and mentorships between provinces and many valuable contacts. In turn, SWG was able to share information about our own processes and
FOUNDATION Inc.
ways in which we reach members, such as through our new livestreaming initiative. Getting together again in another year or two and instituting some kind of linking mechanism between associations and the members of each received positive overall resounding agreement. Collaboration became the key catch phrase and was a strong result of this amazing Summit. Visions for the future became more doable and stronger, and knowing we are not all alone struggling to do the best in our organizations was an invigorating motivator. The SWG is thankful to the Writers’ Trust of Canada for initiating this national gathering and their superb organization, and grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts and the Banff Centre for their funding sponsorship for enabling this significant opportunity.
CHARITY REGISTRATION # 81894 9870 RT0001
Donate today and help build a sustainable future for the Guild SWG Foundation
for immediate priority programs and operating costs.
SWG Foundation Endowment Fund
a long-term investment fund, the interest of which is to fund programs and the organization
Legacy Project Fun
the sole purpose is for procurement and maintenance of a building, which will become a permanent home for the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild
Judy McCrosky Bursary Fund
covers the registration fee for a slected participant to attend one week at the SWG Writers/Artists winter retreat
Caroline Heath Memorial Fund
to sustain the Caroline Heath Memorial Lecture series, which features senior writers and publishers as guest lecturers at the SWG Fall Conference
Faciliated Retreat Fund
to support facilitated retreats for emerging writers
Make Cheques or money orders payable to the SWG Foundation, PO Box 3986, Regina, SK, S4P 3R9. You can also donate via PayPal at www.skwriter.com/payments-and-donations
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SWG Freelance April / May 2014
SWG Welcomes New Staff Aboriginal Program Coordinator and Grain Business Administrator Hired
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ew Aboriginal Program Coordinator and Grain Business Administrator Susan McKenzie joined the SWG team as the new part-time Aboriginal Program Coordinator in February. Although she occasionally works some days in the Regina office, the majority of her time is spent in the Saskatoon Guild office, running programs throughout the province. Her flexibility in being able to travel has led to the Guild being able to diversify our Aboriginal programming in a more expansive way, and will also enhance our ability to connect more easily to the northern half of the province. In March, Susan was also hired as the part-time Grain Business Administrator. She comes with a wealth of background knowledge and experience in the arts and she has a wide community network that she looks forward to working and connecting with. You may reach her for Aboriginal programming in Saskatoon at 306-955-5513 or swgap@ skwriter.com or with Grain at 306-244-2828; graineditor@skwriter.com.
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Susan McKenzie.
SWG Announces New Administrative Assistant
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WG is pleased to announce that Samantha Workman has been hired as the new Administrative Assistant in the Guild’s Regina office. Sam is an aspiring writer with a focus on mythology and sociology. She is functionally bilingual, and spent the last two years studying English Literature and Creative Writing in Montreal. She is excited to be back in Regina, and part of the continuing growth of the Saskatchewan Arts community. She also has extensive experience in administrative work. Feel free to stop by the office and introduce yourselves! General Office Phone Number: 306-757-6310 Toll free number (within Canada): 1-800-667-6788 Fax: 306-565-8554 Email: info@skwriter.com Samantha’s direct line: 306-791-7740
New Administrative Assistant, Samantha Workman.
SWG Freelance April / May 2014
Science as Metaphor and Muse: A Writing Workshop with Mari-Lou Rowley
When: Saturday May 17, 10am-2pm (break for lunch) Where: Suite 719, Delta Bessborough/601 Spadina Cres, Saskatoon Unleash Your Inner Geek! Poet, science writer, and interdisciplinary adventurer Mari-Lou Rowley will help you explore the language and concepts of science to inspire new ideas, impressions and poetic forms. Participants will be encouraged to draw on readings from diverse texts—newspapers, science mags, online zines—to lure you in novel poetic directions/dimensions. Be prepared to surprise yourself! Mari-Lou Rowley has published nine collections of poetry. Her most recent book, Unus Mundus (Anvil Press 2013) has been shortlisted for three Saskatchewan Book Awards. Some of her science poetry can be found in the Journal of Humanistic Mathematics and on the Canadian Association of Physicists website. Mari-Lou is currently completing a PhD in new media, neuroplasticity and empathy at the U of S. For more information about the workshop, or to register, please contact the SWG at (306)791-7746 or swgevents@skwriter.com or saskatoon@skwriter.com. Registration deadline for this workshop is Friday May 9th
We acknowldege the support of our sponsors:
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SWG Freelance April / May 2014
School Readings: A Primer (Part Two) By Dianne Young
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By Ken Mitchell
Dianne Young reading at Patuanak with Wandering Willie the Ice Worm for the Northern Reading Program. Photo Credit: Dianne Young.
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hrough the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild’s Author Readings Program, members can do up to seven readings in schools per year. The schools apply through the SWG website.
“A school has asked me to come and do a reading!” Great! But before you agree to it, you need more information. How big an audience do they want you to read to? Does that work for you? Personally, I have a limit of 50 for my presentations and I, politely but firmly, make sure the school knows that (a few over I’m okay with, but not too many). What grade(s) will it include? Does that work for you? A reading for a group that includes Kindergarten to Grade 8 is much more difficult than one with a narrower range of grades. What time of day will the reading be? This is especially important if you need to travel a ways. First thing in the morning might work well for them, but not for you if you have to start driving at 5:00 a.m. Clear communication is critical. Once you’ve agreed to do a reading, write up a confirmation letter and fax it or email it directly to the person at the school who is organizing the reading. (Make sure you get their name and contact information when they ask you to do the reading.) This letter should include the date and time of the reading, the
cost and how it is being paid, any details of the reading (maximum size of the group, any equipment you need, etc.), and if you will have books available for sale - their titles and prices. Like so:
To: Lily Librarian, Learn-a-lot School Just a note to confirm the details of my upcoming visit to your school. I will be doing 1 reading at your school on Monday February 6th at 9:00 a.m. The reading will be approximately 55 minutes long (until recess). Since the reading was approved through the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild Author Readings Program, I will be paid for the reading and for mileage through them once they receive the report from you. •
Having the reading in an area where the children can sit on the floor is best.
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Please remember to limit the number of children in the group to 50 or less.
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Please arrange to have a flip chart (or whiteboard on a stand) available for my use during the reading.
I will also have books available for purchase if anyone
SWG Freelance April / May 2014 I will also have books available for purchase if anyone might be interested. Prices are as follows: The Gobbledygook Guru Wretched Rhymes
$10
$6
If you have any questions, or if I have any of the details wrong, please email me at wrondawriter@whatever.net or phone me in the evening at ###-###-####. I’m looking forward to my visit to Learn-a-lot School! THANK YOU WRONDA WRITER wrondawriter.ca Send the letter as soon as you set the reading up and make sure you keep a copy as well. I print a copy and take it with me so I know who to ask for when I arrive at the school. Don’t be shy about asking for directions to the school. Internet maps don’t always get it right. If you’re reading in a small town and you didn’t get directions, try driving around the edge of the community. That’s often where you’ll find the school. If that doesn’t work, drive down main street and ask someone you see on the street, or run into the grocery store and ask. I usually email the contact person a week or so before the reading and ask for directions - it also serves as a reminder to the school that I’m coming.
have to speak over growling guts. If it is a reading through the SWG, don’t forget to mention that you’re there because of the Author Readings Program of the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild, which is sponsored by SaskCulture, Saskatchewan Lotteries and the Saskatchewan Arts Board. “What if things go wrong?” The best advice I can give you is expect the unexpected. If you’re planning on using any kind of technology, make sure you have a Plan B. If things aren’t going well, take control and change it up. If things are going well, don’t forget to keep an eye on your watch. If you’re going to ask “any questions?” be prepared for any questions. That doesn’t mean you have to answer them, but be tactful. Will you sign autographs if asked? Then be prepared for every child to want one (even if it’s only to delay getting back to class). Most importantly, relax and have fun. Learn what works and what doesn’t work for you. Refine your presentation. Be you at your best. This is who you wanted to reach with your writing, right? So reach! See yourself through their eyes. Wow! You’re an author! Dianne Young’s a birder, a blogger, a children’s writer, an educational assistant, a mother, a photographer, a wife, and a yodeller. She lives in Martensville.
Don’t forget to set your trip odometer before you leave, or make note of the mileage somehow. You’ll need to put that on your report. (And don’t forget to send your report to the Guild office promptly after the reading.) Give yourself enough time so that you are set up and ready to go at the time you said the reading would start. It’s a job - don’t be late. Bring a bottle of water with you. The local water may be harder or softer than you’re used to, and you don’t want to
Students at an author reading program.
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SWG Freelance April / May 2014
Retreats: The right thing for you? By Shelley Banks
12 Artist Anne MarieBuchmann-Gerber at SWG Writers/Artists Retreat, St. Peter’s Abbey, February, 2013. Photo Credit: SWG Staff.
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t’s a simple literary equation: more time = more writing.
And for many Saskatchewan writers at all stages of their careers, retreats have provided that time, which can lead to boosts in creative energy, professional confidence, and yes, great writing! Through the Writers/Artists Retreats Program, the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild offers some of the best opportunities in Canada, if not beyond, for literary and visual artists to get away and focus on their art.
Not only do these retreats provide valuable time to create, they also provide the chance to network and join a community of other writers and artists from across Saskatchewan, other provinces, and other countries. At recent retreats, participants have worked on creative non-fiction, essays, series of poems, novels, art exhibitions, paintings and more. And they have been enthusiastic about how much hard work they’ve accomplished behind the scenes, away from the chickadee-feeding, guitarstrumming, quinzhee-building after-hours fun that’s often photographed. In this issue of Freelance, we’re fortunate to have a rare opportunity to see a few retreatants at work. We don’t usually take at-work pix, because – obviously! – that interrupts work time. However, on the last day of the 2014 Winter Writers/Artists Retreat, several people offered to provide a glimpse.
David Carpenter. Photo Credit: SWG Staff.
Participants say they appreciate the silent working hours, solid blocks of writing time, mix of solitude and community, and yes, uninterrupted time to try new forms
SWG Freelance April / May 2014 and deeply explore their work. Here’s what some of them have to say:
held each fall. A Writer-in-Residence also attends to provide feedback and support and lead group discussions. (Open to Saskatchewan residents only.)
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Dates to Remember:
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“The retreat continues to offer an oasis in a world of distraction, allowing my creativity to be the focus so that I can get very real and specific work done towards my goal – in this case, a second novel.” – Anne Lazurko, Weyburn. “The retreat at St. Peter’s is simply the best place to write. The beautiful, peaceful setting, the gifts of time to work and the ongoing conversations with other writers and artists make the retreat an invaluable experience.” – Kim Aubrey, Saskatoon.
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Summer Retreat: June 27-July 25, 2014 (Application deadline: 4:30 p.m., April 15, 2014)
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Facilitated Retreat: November 13-16, 2014 (Deadline: 4:30 p.m., Sept. 15, 2014)
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Winter Retreat: February 6-27, 2015 (Deadline: TBD)
For more, see the SWG website, http://www.skwriter.com/ sk-writers-artists-retreats, or skretreats@skwriter.com.
“I never think of these winter retreats as a holiday. I think of this place, this retreat, as a site for a deeper engagement with my work. Where I live in Saskatoon, there is too much busy-ness to attend to. Here, there is writing to attend to, pure and simple. Each time I come here, I am astonished at my own efficiency. And as long as our best writers come here from near and far, the exchanges of wisdom will be worth their weight in gold.” – David Carpenter, Saskatoon.
So… If you’re wondering: Is a Writing Retreat Right for ME? consider this:
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1. Do you need time to start, continue, finish, or polish a creative writing project? 2. Are you committed to the art and craft of writing? 3. Can you work quietly – and alone? (These are not teaching situations, and may NOT be best for people who thrive on constant social interaction.)
Robert Hardwood. Photo Credit: SWG Staff.
4. Do you enjoy meeting other literary and visual artists? (Yes, there are some social opportunities, including shared meals and informal/spontaneous evening events – for those not working late, as some do…) 5. Can you focus on your work in a simple, monastic setting? (The SWG retreats’ location is lovely, but don’t expect luxury.) If all five of these apply, and if you are a published writer (or aim to be one) who is committed to building or maintaining a literary career, consider a Summer or Winter Retreat! Applicants of all ages and backgrounds welcome; all are assessed by an independent jury, based on the quality of their submissions, including creative work samples and statements of what they hope to achieve at the retreat. If all five of these apply, but you’ve never been published or attended a retreat before, consider the Facilitated Retreats
Allison Kydd. Photo Credit: SWG Staff.
SWG Freelance April / May 2014
Highlights from Saskatchewan Aboriginal Storytelling 2014 by Susan McKenzie
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s the snow banks dissipate and we welcome spring in to our lives. The Saskatchewan Aboriginal Storytelling 2014 is one of those events that happily linger in mind. I would start by saying that I feel honoured to be working with the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild as the SWG Aboriginal Program Coordinator and Grain Business Administrator. I look forward to supporting the dreams and aspiration of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit writers and supporting the establishment of the collaborative Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild, Saskatchewan Arts Board, and Canada Council for the Arts National Aboriginal Editor Circle program in Saskatchewan.
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My initiation into the SWG Aboriginal Programming was fast and furious. I started the position right smack in the middle of the traditional storytelling season and began my duties with the Guild with the much-celebrated partnership with the Library Services for Saskatchewan Aboriginal Peoples Inc.’s annual storytelling event. The Saskatchewan Aboriginal Storytelling 2014 kept the Guild’s staff, partners, and storytellers throughout different Nations, actively engaged specifically in the Regina, Saskatoon, and Prince Albert regions this past winter. The Wanuskewin Heritage Park – Saskatoon session was the first of the three events. Errol Kinistino, Leah Dorian and Wes Fineday offered and explored diverse storytelling sessions based on their nation’s cultural perspectives and history. They shared their own unique experiences mixed with their gift and style of storytelling. The stories took us back in time with song, spoken word, and book adaptations to a crowd that would most certainly rival the audience of any United Nations and Indigenous Nations conference worldwide! I found the audience to be filled with people of all nations starting with Indigenous Peoples to this land, and new Canadians from abroad! Regina’s Royal Saskatchewan Museum session featured diverse presenters each holding natural gifts and as they shared often. Their life’s experiences came through as each individual presented. Rhonda Donais, Rodger Ross, and Dennis Omeasoo delighted and engaged audiences ages 2 to over 6o plus. Many of the stories and song took us back in time, honoured sacred places, and highlighted special relationships with each other and the natural and spiritual worlds. Rodger Ross’ session can be described as “up front and up close” as the young pre-school and school aged children jumped (literally) at the chance to sit on the stage as Rodger offered a tactile storytelling exchange between himself, special items, and participants. This process of storytelling seemed to help the audience understand teachings and inspired a resonating and deep connection to the stories he shared throughout his session.
Aboriginal Storytelling-Saskatoon; Caption: Wes Fineday, Leah Dorion, and Errol Kinistino share stories at Wanuskewin Heritage Park in February during Aboriginal Storytelling month. Photo Credit: SWG Staff.
Prince Albert - John MCuelenaere Public Library’s session, with storytellers Darwin Atcheyum, Lyndon Tootoosis and Allan Adam stories, poetry, and song filled the auditorium with sacred beauty, community heart, and
SWG Freelance April / May 2014
Aboriginal Storytelling Month in Regina took place at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum with Rodger Ross, Rhonda Donais, and Dennis Omeasoo. Photo Credit: SWG Staff.
love for language. The 2014 event held in Prince Albert was extra special as the storytellers seemed to speak directly and knowingly to the audience present. Another highlight was the Northern Saskatchewan’s Allan Adam session. Allan is a Dene storyteller, poet, and traditional singer and he had for the first time echoed the Dene language for the SWG and the John MCuelenaere Public Library audiences and community. This session is a first time break through that can be called “a breaking down of cultural barriers.” This is certainly something to celebrate and an aspect of growth in terms of diversity that the SWG can build upon. As I reflect on the project and pull together the final report, I think back a few weeks amidst the often frigid prairies winter weather conditions to the flurry of activity in finalizing posters’ securing project venues, working out details with the invited storytellers and promoting the event throughout the province of Saskatchewan. It seems nature rings in and continues to mark the change of time. The Saskatchewan Aboriginal Storytelling 2014 has ended some time ago and the Spring Equinox has recently passed. As the snow melts into the ground and the daylight increases its ever so appreciated presence, extending positive energy, light, and warmth onto all of us, I want to share some lingering sentiments that were reinforced through attending all three events. Life is sacred and what
a true gift we, as Indigenous people and Saskatchewan as whole have living amongst such diverse beautiful Indigenous Nations with such rich ancient traditions. The diversity in culture, language, and varied dialects brings a richness that is to be celebrated and approached with respect, and through learning about, and following protocol. This sacred time of the year is a special time for us to gather, share teachings, and stories through Elders, Traditional Knowledge Keepers, and contemporary storytellers. I wish to thank all those involved for their contribution in making Saskatchewan Aboriginal Storytelling 2014 such a success in so many ways. I look forward to supporting and working with the Elders, Storytellers, partners, and funders and together we can expand and develop new audiences for future presentations and events.
STAY CONNECTED with Saskatchewan’s
writers and enjoy member discounts! Renew your Guild membership online at www.skwriter.com
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SWG Freelance April / May 2014
Inspiration and the Law By Amy D. Banford
Mark Twain once said, “Only one thing is impossible for God: to find any sense in any copyright law on the planet.”
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n 1994, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in a dispute between John Fogerty and his former record label, Fantasy Inc. The dispute arose when Fantasy Inc. sued John Fogerty for copyright infringement, claiming that a song he wrote as a solo artist sounded too much like a song he wrote as a member of the band Creedence Clearwater Revival. Cases like this surely make us sympathize with Mr. Twain.
Single Words
At its core, copyright law is an attempt to balance users’ interests with an author’s rights. As technology advances and the debate between free culture and permission culture rages on, copyright law continues to evolve to become more nuanced and complex.
There is no hard and fast formula that dictates how many words or phrases must be copied in order to find copyright infringement. Each case is judged on the facts that are particular to it. When determining whether or not there is a substantial similarity, the court will consider a number of factors, including plot, dialogue, themes, setting, and characters. None of these factors is determinative and each case is judged on its own particular facts. Substantial similarity is not necessarily measured only by the quantity of copied material, but also by the quality of the material. However, quantity is often an important factor.
For writers, inspiration can come from many places. It is therefore important for writers to understand when inspiration is fair game and when it may have legal implications. Although copyright law can be complex and at times daunting, a brief overview of the legal concepts surrounding inspiration will hopefully reveal that it is not quite as confusing as Mr. Twain suggested.
Inspiration From Existing Material Inspiration can often come from other writers or artists. Writers borrow ideas from one another and take inspiration from the writers they admire. But there are limits on how much borrowing is acceptable and how much will lead to copyright infringement.
Test for Copyright It is important to understand that copyright law does not protect ideas. Rather, it protects the expression of an idea. This is why Suzanne Collins can echo the ideas of Shirley Jackson in her work without necessarily infringing Ms. Jackson’s copyright. A work is protected by copyright when it is original and has been fixed in some material form. A work does not have to be registered in order to attract copyright protection, however registration helps to prove a copyright should it be challenged.
Generally, a single word or name cannot be subject to copyright protection. This is because copyright infringement only occurs if there is substantial similarity to the original work as a whole. Mere similarity is not sufficient to find copyright infringement. Further, mere reference to a work will also not constitute copyright infringement.
All of this means that copying a single word or short combination of words will not likely lead to copyright infringement because it is unlikely that the copying of a single word would create the substantial similarity necessary to find copyright infringement. Although copyright does not generally subsist in a single word or name, in certain limited circumstances, it is possible for copyright to subsist in a character. Copyright will only subsist in a particular character when that character has become widely known and recognized. While Walt Disney has a registered copyright for the character, Mickey Mouse, Canadian courts have also found that George Lucas’ Ewoks are not distinct enough to be subject to copyright protection as characters.
Trade-marks Although copyright does not subsist in a single word, a single word may be protected by a trade-mark. The purpose of a trade-mark is so that a consumer can identify
SWG Freelance April / May 2014 the source of a product or service. The Trade-marks Act provides that an owner’s rights are infringed when another person uses a confusing trade-mark. Trade-mark law is largely concerned with fair dealing and the concern is that a consumer will be confused as to who provided a certain product or service. Under the Act, a trade-mark is confusing when its use in the same area would lead to an inference that both products or services are provided by the same person or organization. To determine whether or not a mark is confusing, the court will look at the distinctiveness of the mark, the length of the time the mark has been used, the nature of the service or product, the nature of the trade, and the degree of resemblance between the marks or ideas suggested by them. None of these factors is determinative, and all of the factors will be weighed together. However, the degree of resemblance factor is often the most important. In Canada, the name Harry Potter is registered as a trade-mark, but does not have a registered copyright for the character. This means that although writing a book about a character named Harry Potter (which has no other similarities to J.K. Rowling’s books) might not be an infringement of copyright, it could be an infringement of the trade-mark owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Fair Dealing To be safe, it is usually best to avoid directly using the intellectual property of another person. However, the Copyright Act does include some recently expanded fairdealing provisions. This means that a person can use small portions of a work without the copyright holder’s permission for the purposes of research or private study, criticism or review, news reporting, education, parody, and satire. These fair dealing provisions are what allow students to quote from books in their papers and Weird Al Yankovic to write the song, Like A Surgeon without getting permission from the author and without infringing copyright.
Inspiration From Real Life People Real life people can often be a source of inspiration. While copyright is not normally an issue with this type of inspiration, other legal issues can arise such as violation of privacy, misappropriation of personality, and defamation.
Violation of Privacy When making reference to a real life person or event, issues outside of intellectual property can arise. In Saskatchewan, The Privacy Act provides that it is an actionable wrong to
violate someone’s privacy. For writers, this means that the name, likeness, or voice of a person cannot be used for any purpose of gain where the person is identifiable and the user intended to exploit that person’s name, likeness, or voice. However, consent is a complete defence. In other words, if a person gives their permission to use his name or likeness, then it can be used.
Appropriation of Personality Misappropriation of personality occurs when someone associates his product with another person without that person’s permission. The concern is that one will give the impression that a particular person had endorsed the author’s product when that person has not done so.
Defamation Issues of defamation can also arise when making reference to real-life persons. Defamation is a false statement that harms a person’s reputation. Although freedom of expression is constitutionally protected, the prohibition of defamatory statements is an allowable limit on that freedom.
Conclusion Inspiration can come from almost anything and while certain forms of inspiration are fair game, other forms might have legal implications. Although many of these implications are rooted in copyright law, some can also stem from trade-mark or privacy law. If you are writing about a real-life person, be careful what you say, and either get permission, or eliminate anything that might identify that person. If you are taking inspiration from another work that is not part of the public domain, be sure that you either fall within the fair dealing provisions or that you get permission from the copyright or trade-mark holder. Amy D. Banford, a student-at-law at McKercher LLP, has an interest in Intellectual Property law and a passion for reading. With offices in Regina and Saskatoon, McKercher LLP has over 60 practicing lawyers in all major areas of law. This article is for information purposes only and should not be taken as legal opinions on any specific facts or circumstances. Counsel should be consulted concerning your own situation and any specific legal questions you may have.
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SWG Freelance April / May 2014
The Future of Storytelling By Michelle Greysen
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or anyone in the Internet world of online learning, the word MOOC is not as odd as it would appear: a ‘Massive Open Online Course’ is the new learning module for self-driven knowledge. These worldwide free online learning, enrichment and professional development sessions are now offered from many faculties. With an easy sign-up procedure, these non-credit selflearning sessions are engaging professional development seekers through recorded lectures, discussion boards, social media tools and non-compulsory peer-reviewed homework. Many MOOC’s exist through the offerings of websites such as Coursera, Udemy, iversity and more.
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iversity1, a Berlin web-based company working in collaboration with universities and professors, provides massive free open online courses from intro level to undergrad. It has recently completed its first offering of a Storytelling-MOOC2, a popular eight-chapter course that ran in the late fall of 2013 and is destined to repeat. The course offered weekly video materials, lessons and interviews across a variety of topics including storytelling basics, serial formats, interactive and trans-media storytelling, reality and location-based telling and more. Lectures were packaged with information on tools, interfaces and the architectures of current storytelling. This multidisciplinary format included guest lectures, project presentations by writers, producers, media makers, executives, theorists, and many other professionals in multiple fields discussing content, structure, and technology from many perspectives. Defining storytelling was a starting point for my fellow 80,000 global web classmates and I. The age old question offered up was “Are there still more stories to tell?” Hot debate had me flipping sides often in a contention of original idea versus simply retelling, with the consensus finally settling in that every time a story is retold it becomes a different tale. My personal writer’s block panic of running out of ideas proved to be a non-issue once I opened up to the reality that a story is an emotional mix of both the teller and the readers’ perspectives. I no longer felt handcuffed to present an innovative thought knowing that there were unlimited creator points of view. The simplistic for me of letting the words flow was now being opened up to a new set of parameters. The next hurdle was “Has the internet shortened all our 1 https://iversity.org/ 2 https://iversity.org/courses/the-future-of-storytelling
attention spans?” For me, someone who tends to write long and paint broad narrative pictures, I have often felt threatened by the pending doom of the instant information age. Perhaps the new reader truly is conditioned to shorter smaller chunks of information. The basic beginning, middle, end; the meet, lose, and mythology sits intact but does the shorter attention span disrupt the narrative? Are today’s readers craving a faster hook and hold? Will a story have to be more of everything to be a success? More emotions, more absurd, a more over the top grab with a greater reward to the reader? In this era of gratification from technology overload of cat videos and skateboarding crashes it is apparent that the story in its purest form has to present to a new readership. Much understanding came in the discussions of what makes fiction work today. Is faster and shorter becoming the new norm? As writers we all know that stories recreate reality. If they do indeed mimic life are even the classics of the past read differently by today’s audience? There are many new storytelling methods challenging the old-norms. For me what resonated most was in the shifting of the traditional elements and the last big question of the course, “What is story?” We learned that the chronological story is for writers our linear truth. The series of events, the plot, and the order in which we present are the beats, scenes, sequences and acts of our greater tale. My moment of clarity came in realizing that my truth, my story below the plot remains in my hands although shifting how I present the beats, the sequences, to the new reader may be what it takes to sustain the future of writing success. In learning that storytelling is truly the basic form of human expression crossing all cultures I have come to appreciate that it is not just words and language. In today’s mass media world story is also told through dance, art, music, YouTube clips, video games, and more; all holding valuable plots with a connection from a storyteller to an audience. Stories will thrive as long as we, as writers, engage in the art form of the written word. Traditional books remain as just one of the many open channels to reach a readership and to send my story, my vision, my word-art on a global journey. Michelle Greysen is a professional freelance writer, author and professional blogger whose byline can be read in many publications across the country. She is also a storyteller, past, present and future. www.MichelleGreysen.com
SWG Freelance April / May 2014
Saskatchewan Book Awards Upcoming Events Saskatoon Brunch and Readings Sunday, March 23 | 11:30 am Delta Bessborough Hotel | 601 Spadina Cres., Saskatoon Host: Bill Robertson Readers: 2014 Nominees Marie Battiste, Lisa BirdWilson, Mari-Lou Rowley, Allan Safarik Tickets: $30 For tickets or information, please contact: Paul Denham 306-242-5969
McNally Robinson Reading
Guess Who? Regina Public Library Book Reader's Summit "Mystery" Reader James Daschuk, author of Clearing the Plains: Disease, Politics of Starvation, and the Loss of Aboriginal Life, published by University of Regina Press Thursday, April 3 | 7:00 pm | 2nd Floor Mezzanine Regina Public Library | 2311 12th Avenue The reading will open the Summit, which continues to Sunday, April 6. NB: this event requires online registration through the RPL website
Sunday, March 30, 2014 | 2:00 pm 3130 8 St E, Saskatoon | Readings by SBA 2014 Nominees: Dwayne Brenna, Adam Pottle and Elaine Will Everyone welcome; no charge Call (306) 955-3599 for more information
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SWG Freelance April / May 2014
Victor Enns and the Founding of Windscript By Shelley Banks Federal funding for three summer students was instrumental in getting Windscript off the ground. Among students hired were then-editor Taralyne Wilson, whose roles on the first masthead featured “Worry and Research”. Writers Bonnie Burnard, Mick Burrs, Judy Krause, Pat Krause and Bruce Rice helped as Enns’ advisory editors, with support from Byrna Barclay and others. Enns says the SWG Board was initially cautious about a magazine showcasing the work of young literary and visual artists, and the workshops planned to develop material for upcoming issues. Concerns ranged from whether the SWG’s mandate included education and support for youth, to skepticism about the possibility of producing a high school publication during the May to September employment grant period. But in the end, they decided to give it a try.
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Victor Enns, founder of Windscript. Photo Credit: Lynn Chalmers.
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creative grant proposal, federal youth employment program, and strong commitment to encouraging literary and visual arts helped launch the Saskatchewan Writer’s Guild’s Windscript magazine for high school students 31 years ago. “I called the proposal, ‘New Writers of the Lost Art’ after the movie that was popular then,” explains former SWG Executive Director Victor Enns, who led the founding of Windscript in 1983. “As I always encourage people in my grant writing workshops, you need some kind of hook so they’ll remember your application.” Enns, who has worked in arts administration for many years, was the SWG’s second ED, after Nik Burton. Enns had been a founding board member of the Manitoba Writers’ Guild before moving to Saskatchewan, where he worked with the SWG from 1982 to 1988, and then with the Globe Theatre before moving back to Manitoba. He is currently the Publishing and Arts Consultant for the Manitoba government department responsible for culture and on his own time, publishes The Mennonite Literary Society’s Rhubarb Magazine three times a year.
“It was a crazy time – but it was exhilarating,” says Enns, who was used to working on deadlines, thanks to his student newspaper days at the University of Manitoba, where he earned a degree in History and English. He says the decision was made to solicit visual art and creative writing directly from students, rather than simply approaching their teachers. And so student councils, community centres and youth organizations were contacted and more than 700 pieces of work flowed in. (Less than 12 per cent could fit in the magazine.) “When the publication actually came out, there were a lot of surprised teachers, because as any writer who wrote when he was young knows, it’s not something you share very often – if you are sharing it at all. And quite often, the people who are doing the most interesting work may not be the most successful in their schoolwork,” he says. The longest hold-up in production was settling on an appropriate title for the magazine. “It was a problem for the design concept not to have a name,” says Enns. “We did free-association, words about Saskatchewan, and kept coming back to (W.O. Mitchell’s) Who Has Seen the Wind – and we thought, that’s it. Windscript!” Born in Winnipeg in 1955 and raised in Gretna, Manitoba, Enns was known as Jerrett-Enns during his time with the Guild, but has since reverted to Enns. His books include boy (Hagios, 2012), Lucky Man (Hagios, 2005), Correct in this Culture (Fifth House, 1985), Jimmy Bang
SWG Freelance April / May 2014 Confessions, which features poems in the voices of Canadian soldiers; he hopes this will be published in 2015.
value and that they became better readers and supporters of the arts as a result.
Enns says it’s important for young writers and artists to see their work in print.
Enns still has the first copy of Windscript in his Winnipeg basement, and is proud of the super-sized, yellowing, 48page, 5,000-circulation publication, which introduced 88 young Saskatchewan literary and visual artists to the wider arts community.
“It’s a way for them to have what they’re doing validated,” he says. “Kids have drama, band, curling, chess clubs – something for almost every interest. But kids who read and write, and draw and paint generally have no place in a school to expose their work. We started Windscript before computers and the Internet, of course, but even now, it’s great when they can have the chance to see their work published.” He doesn’t know what happened to those first Windscript contributors, but says even if they didn’t go on to be widely published, he hopes the experience offered something of
“I’ve never regretted the amount of time I’ve spent making things happen in the arts,” he says. “It has been incredibly rewarding.” Shelley Banks is a writer, editor, blogger, and photographer based in Regina.
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SWG Freelance April / May 2014
Saskatchewan Book Awards Nominees Awards for Writers University of Regina Book of the Year Lisa Bird-Wilson Just Pretending Coteau Books
Marie Battiste Decolonizing Education: Nourishing the Learning Spirit Purich Publishing
Dwayne Brenna Stealing Home Hagios Press
Lisa Bird-Wilson Just Pretending Coteau Books
Bernard Flaman Architecture of Saskatchewan: A Visual Journey, 1930-2011 University of Regina Press
National Bank Financial Wealth Management First Book Award
Cathy Littlejohn Métis Soldiers of Saskatchewan: 1914-1953 Gabriel Dumont Institute Daniel Macdonald A History of Breathing Playwrights Canada Press Mari-Lou Rowley Unus Mundus Anvil Press
SaskPower Fiction Award
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Rasmussen, Rasmussen & Charowsky Aboriginal Peoples’ Writing Award
Lisa Bird-Wilson Just Pretending Coteau Books Anne Lazurko Dollybird Coteau Books
James Daschuk Clearing the Plains: Disease, Politics of Starvation, and the Loss of Aboriginal Life University of Regina Press Emily Eaton Growing Resistance: Canadian Farmers and the Politics of Genetically Modified Wheat University of Manitoba Press Bernard Flaman Architecture of Saskatchewan: A Visual Journey, 1930-2011 University of Regina Press Elaine M. Will Look Straight Ahead Cuckoo’s Nest Press
Saskatchewan Arts Board Poetry Award
Allan Safarik Swedes’ Ferry Coteau Books
Gary Chappell Full Throttle Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing
University of Saskatchewan College of Arts & Science and Library Non-Fiction Award
Mari-Lou Rowley Unus Mundus Anvil Press
James Daschuk Clearing the Plains: Disease, Politics of Starvation, and the Loss of Aboriginal Life University of Regina Press
SaskEnergy Children’s Literature Award
Emily Eaton Growing Resistance: Canadian Farmers and the Politics of Genetically Modified Wheat University of Manitoba Press Florence Bean James with Jean Freeman Fists Upon A Star: A Memoir of Love, Theatre and Escape from McCarthyism University of Regina Press J. Michael Hayden The Catholicisms of Coutances: Varieties of Religion in Early Modern France 1350-1789 McGill-Queen’s University Press Jeet Heer In Love with Art: Françoise Mouly’s Adventures in Comics with Art Spiegelman Coach House Books Joanne Weber The Deaf House Thistledown Press
Paul Wilson The Invisible Library Hagios Press
Leah Marie Dorion, Michif Translation by Norman Fleury The Diamond Willow Walking Stick: A Traditional Métis Story About Generosity Gabriel Dumont Institute Jean Freeman Terror on Turtle Creek Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing Alison Lohans, Illustrated by Gretchen Ehrsam Leaving Mr. Humphries Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing Larry Warwaruk Brovko’s Amazing Journey Coteau Books Dianne Young, Illustrated by John Martz Dear Flyary Kids Can Press
SWG Freelance April / May 2014
City of Saskatoon and Public Library Saskatoon Book Award Lisa Bird-Wilson Just Pretending Coteau Books Dwayne Brenna Stealing Home Hagios Press Adam Pottle Mantis Dreams: The Journal of Dr. Dexter Ripley Caitlin Press Mari-Lou Rowley Unus Mundus Anvil Press Elaine M. Will Look Straight Ahead Cuckoo’s Nest Press
Drs. Morris & Jacqui Shumiatcher Regina Book Award James Daschuk Clearing the Plains: Disease, Politics of Starvation, and the Loss of Aboriginal Life University of Regina Press Daniel Macdonald A History of Breathing Playwrights Canada Press Joanne Weber The Deaf House Thistledown Press Paul Wilson The Invisible Library Hagios Press
The Invisible Library by Paul Wilson Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery and Hagios Press Robert David Symons Countryman: Artist Writer Naturalist Rancher by Terry Fenton University of Regina Press Clearing the Plains: Disease, Politics of Starvation, and the Loss of Aboriginal Life by James Daschuk Fists Upon A Star: A Memoir of Love, Theatre and Escape from McCarthyism by Florence Bean James with Jean Freeman Architecture of Saskatchewan: A Visual Journey, 1930-2011 by Bernard Flaman
University of Regina Faculty of Education and Campion College Award for Publishing in Education Coteau Books The Literary History of Saskatchewan: Volume 1 ~ Beginnings by David Carpenter (editor) Purich Publishing Breathing Life into the Stone Fort Treaty: An Anishinabe Understanding of Treaty One by Aimée Craft
University of Regina Arts and Luther College Award for Scholarly Writing
Decolonizing Education: Nourishing the Learning Spirit by Marie Battiste
Marie Battiste Decolonizing Education: Nourishing the Learning Spirit Purich Publishing
University of Regina Press Clearing the Plains: Disease, Politics of Starvation, and the Loss of Aboriginal Life by James Daschuk
James Daschuk Clearing the Plains: Disease, Politics of Starvation, and the Loss of Aboriginal Life University of Regina Press Emily Eaton Growing Resistance: Canadian Farmers and Genetically Modified Wheat University of Manitoba Press Gregory Marchildon Making Medicare: New Perspectives on the History of Medicare in Canada University of Toronto Press David E. Smith Across the Aisle: Opposition in Canadian Politics University of Toronto Press
Awards for Publishers Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport Publishing Award Hagios Press The Survival Rate of Butterflies in the Wild by Murray Reiss
Fists Upon A Star: A Memoir of Love, Theatre and Escape from McCarthyism by Florence Bean James with Jean Freeman Outspoken: Perspectives on Queer Identities by Wes D. Pearce and Jean Hillabold, Editors
First Nations University of Canada Aboriginal Peoples’ Publishing Award Coteau Books Just Pretending by Lisa Bird-Wilson Gabriel Dumont Institute Métis Soldiers of Saskatchewan: 1914-1953 by Cathy Littlejohn Purich Publishing Decolonizing Education: Nourishing the Learning Spirit by Marie Battiste Breathing Life into the Stone Fort Treaty: An Anishinabe Understanding of Treaty One by Aimée Craft
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SWG Freelance April / May 2014
Goat’s Honest Truth: Reading Craft By Gerry Hill, with notes by Laurie Graham
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n these pieces for Freelance, I’ve suggested approaching “craft” (my assigned keyword) the way we approach herding goats. Cultivate purity of gait, coat and bleating in individual goats (our beloved Pete or Louise, Pedro or Lulu, XK-47 or XKE), but focus on getting the whole herd up the road. Or just call the whole mass goat and get crafty with that. With such ideas in mind, or just past, let’s look at Rove, by Laurie D. Graham, published by Hagios Press late last year. I propose not review, or Rove-view, quite, but numbered commentary, which I’ve offered to Ms. Graham for annotation. Her comments appear in italics at the end of each section.
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The book contains just one poem, “Rove”, which engages in that most generative of longpoem devices: delay, refusal to end. Or if not refuse, at least downplay: While the turning of a page often accompanies, as it does in collections of discrete lyric poems, a closing of one piece and opening of the next, “Rove” wants to play through both top and bottom of any one page—more of an e-reader prose kind of page, as if arrows pointed beyond in both directions from a section of text neither ended nor begun, waiting for us readers to tap the screen and move along. They’re more about intersections than endings, these pages—also true of individual lines, most of the time, which tend to frolic goat-like to/from connection with the others. When I was editing this book for Hagios, I did the most tinkering on those entrances and exits to and from each page, coaxing each one to call out to the others. I was parked for a good while at the intersections, looking both ways. L.G.
2 “Rove”. Don’t try that with goats, I’ll tell you. But as title of a longpoem, it evokes process, movement, openness, exploration—all prime dynamics for longpoem enthusiasts—over wide and familiar fields: origins, land, history, language, body, identity. The words of “Rove” cast off in these directions and draw back, cast and draw again, in a constant flow of longish-lined couplets that exceed any simple lyric purpose. Always close at hand is
the local, the specifics of one person’s world, but rendered tentatively, far from “so sure”, as a refrain in one section goes, of itself. That is, we feel the longing and readiness to know but also the suspicion of knowledge itself. What do you know of your home when all you have is three generations in it? Casting about becomes home. Origin story becomes an accretion of what’s close by: the sounds of people’s voices, the things you watch them do. L.G.
3 Implicated in any specific time and place, in a poem like “Rove”, are all times and all places, at least those within the broad reaches of self and family and community stories, including histories. A girlhood, a grandmother’s story, a western Canadian city, a homestead, Batoche, Cossacks—this is poem as assembly of nows and then, heres and theres, and the voices of it all. Amid the heap there remains a bedrock chronology:
Freelance Advertising Rates We accept classified and display ads at the following rates:
Display ads: Full page: $150 1/2 Page: $100 1/4 page: $50 business card: $35 (SWG members pay 75% of above rates)
Classified ads: 20 cents per word (plus GST). Ads run in three consecutive issues unless cancelled SWG members may place one 25-word ad free of charge each year.
SWG Freelance April / May 2014
Amid the heap there remains a bedrock chronology: 1) farm stories, 2) suburban memories, 3) recent return home. Like any good chronology, it points off in many directions to make a rounder whole. Like any bad chronology, it’s constantly losing the thread. L.G.
4 This poem’s exploration of what brings any one of us here includes full awareness of its literary forebears. Thus, Andy Suknaski and Wood Mountain Poems (explicit in the text), Wah and Lee and Zwicky, Brand and Lilburn (Acknowledgements), and Robert Kroetsch (indirect but echoing throughout this text). There’s no poem without these goats. They’re part of the story. L.G.
5 What if we’re looking for the I-like guarantor of emotional truth (i.e., Just show me the goat, man)? What if we want to dwell in untroubled lyric or plain narrative?
Here I paraphrase a narrator in Michael Ondaatje’s In The Skin of A Lion: “Trust me, there is order here, very faint, very human.” “Rove” accumulates its truths until we’re deep in loss, deep in search for origins, deep in the joys and wounds of our own place. If you do want an ending, here’s a killer last line: “Look how the land rolls along beside us”. Shucks, Gerry. Just before that: “The sky has always been wide. / The ground still undulates once you get off the highway.” The reach for truth abounds. The question becomes: With what sort of hands does a homesteader’s great-granddaughter do that reaching? L.G. To conclude this article and this series, I’ll bleat three claims: that “craft” is pointless if enlisted only in the cause of beauty or wisdom, that the “nugget of experience” approach too often yields static stacks of words, that the craftiest poetry is the most open: in bp Nichol’s phrase from The Martyrology, “the precision of open-ness”. Long-time SWG member Gerald Hill (www.geraldhill.ca) lives, writes, and grandparents in Regina.
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SWG Freelance April / May 2014
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Saskatchewan Book Awards: Board Members Wanted Get on Board with Saskatchewan Book Awards! The Saskatchewan Book Award’s annual general meeting is in May and at least six volunteers are needed for the 2014-15 Board of Directors. Find out how you can make a difference to the Saskatchewan Book Awards by contacting Chair Joanne Skidmore at j.m.skidmore@accesscomm.ca http://www.bookawards.sk.ca/
SWG Freelance April / May 2014
GRANTS TO LOCAL WRITERS GROUPS This is a professional development grant that is intended to help the members of writers groups develop their craft. Application Deadline Applications must be postmarked by Monday June 30, 2014. Please note that applications and follow up reports must be submitted by that date. Email applications/ reports will be accepted.
Application Amounts Each writers group may apply for $500 for this upcoming fiscal year (August 01, 2014—July 31, 2015). If the group is approved for funding, cheques will be issued in September 2014.
Criteria for Funding Eligibility A local writing group is eligible for funding if it meets the following criteria: • a minimum of five members • two-thirds of the group are members of the SWG • it meets a minimum of six times per year to discuss writing by members • members meet in order to develop their craft • provided a follow-up report (with all the requested documentation) for the previous grant Responsibilities of Groups Who Receive Grants • Groups who receive grants have the following responsibilities: • include mention of SWG sponsorship on all appropriate publicity issued by the group • provide follow-up reports with the next year’s grant application • provide copies of receipts or cheques as part of the follow-up report Acceptable Uses of the Grant Allowable expenses may include, but are not limited to, the following: • fees to an author to offer a workshop • member travel expenses to allow them to attend meetings and craft development sessions • member participation fees in conferences, workshops, and other craft development sessions • critique manuscripts • attend conferences • attend workshops • hold retreats • attend author readings • give readings locally/arrange Open Mics—ex. cost of venue • writing exercises Restrictions The grants may not be used: • for self-publication • to buy books for the group • for the costs of a website • to promote the group or individual members • for social events, food, alcohol, or party favours NB: writing groups receiving a grant through this program are not eligible for funding through the Readings and School Visits Program within the same grant period Any unspent grant money must be returned to SWG by the following June 30th, unless the unspent amount is less than $50.00. For more information, please contact the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild:
General Office Phone Number: 306-757-6310 Toll free number (within Canada): 1-800-667-6788 Fax: 306-565-8554 Email: info@skwriter.com
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SWG Freelance April / May 2014
Crafting the Characters of Your Children’s Fiction – I By Alison Lohans
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good children’s story, whether for the picture book set, voracious middle-grade readers, or complex young adolescents, offers up an engaging question that’s encountered and conquered by empathetic characters that resonate with readers.
This article, and the next, will address character development. Character provides the lens through which readers see a narrative unfold, and the heart through which its authenticity is felt. Protagonists need to be likeable, but flawed. A successful character is usually a human child rather than an animal, and never an inanimate object.
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How to find the ideal character to live that burning story question, to plunge through highs and lows, struggling against carefully placed obstacles and emerging a person who has grown? In my experience, protagonists can germinate simultaneously with the spark of the question, or even hover in one’s awareness before a question arises. Other times, when the question requires a particular type of person to travel the journey, we dig deeper. Who would be the likeliest character to experience and proficiently narrate the problems of a story we need to tell? Once I had a tight deadline for a book proposal, with no guarantee of acceptance. The publisher had already stipulated the age and gender of the protagonist, which worried me in terms of this being something I could do. Given a strong setting and an intriguing premise I’d been longing to use, I desperately turned to freewriting in search of the voice of a ten-year-old boy. A persistent hunch insisted on second-person present tense – unusual in any genre. Fearing that I was wasting my time, I proceeded. To my surprise Connor Barclay’s restless voice emerged. I tested early chapters on adults well-acquainted with that age group. And Doppelganger got written. I often ask writing students to interview their characters. This method often yields surprising results. What is the character’s keenest wish? Worst fear? Most embarrassing moment? What are her flaws? How does this child relate to peers, siblings (how many, and in what birth order?) and adults? What did he eat for breakfast (did he actually like it)? Did the homework get done? If not, why? As the questions compound, energy accrues. As a mastercraftsperson you get a sense of whether this character will be an appropriate match for your story idea. By asking similar questions of secondary characters and charting their contrasting goals, fears, flaws, and relational styles, layers of conflict become apparent, adding subplots and depth. For those who work more analytically, we determine the crucial character traits for evoking an enlivened narrative,
SWG Freelance April / May 2014
bringing out the high points of the plot. Are we writing an adventure story? If so, would a shy dreamer constantly living in her head be an appropriate protagonist? Likely not – unless her growth trajectory is to become more outgoing by the end. How much should our characters resemble people around us? Early in my writing career I borrowed traits from various people to create an amalgam. Since then my characters have become more autonomous. Needless to say, it’s risky to have negative aspects of character be traceable to individuals who inhabit our lives. To echo Shirley Byers’ article on naming characters, it is crucial that names reflect their unique personalities. In addition to online sources, I routinely save the annual “new baby” section of the newspaper to confirm which names are in frequent use – including good first names for parents, friends, and other family members. Am I stating the obvious, saying that characters should be approached from within? We write from the heart of the child we once were, but research cloaks our characters in more current garb and ways of being in the world. The late Martyn Godfrey used to situate himself near teenagers to eavesdrop on their conversations. With headphones in
place, swaying to an imaginary beat, bystanders never guessed he was working. We view our characters face-to-face, eye-to-eye, with complete belief in them. For writing from a pedestal with a “lesson” is off-putting and prescriptive. This said, different frames of reference are helpful for creating protagonists of contrasting ages. This will be discussed in the next article, which will address young people’s developmental stages and suggest typical life questions that might be ripe subject matter. Alison Lohans has published 26 books for young people of various ages. This Land We Call Home (Pearson, NZ, 2007) won the 2008 SaskEnergy Young Adult Literature Saskatchewan Book Award, and her latest picture book Leaving Mr. Humphries (Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing, 2013) has just been shortlisted for the 2014 Saskatchewan Book Awards.
CHARITY REGISTRATION #11914 0556 RT0001
SASKATCHEWAN WRITERS’ GUILD DONATIONS
Help us continue to serve Saskatchewan’s writing community SWG General Donations for pressing or imminent needs in administrative, equipment and programming Writers/Artists Retreats to help provide a quiet refuge for uninterrupted writing uninterrupted writing time and thought-provoking exchange of ideas after working hours. Grain Magazine to assist in publishing SWG’s nationally and internationally recognized literary quarterly. Andrew Suknaski Writers Assistant Fund (WAF) to assist members in an urgent and immediate need Patricia Armstrong Fund to support educational programming for rural writers. Make cheque or money order payable to: Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild, Box 3986, Regina SK S4P 3R9 You can also donate via Paypal at: www.skwriter.com/payments-and-donations
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SWG Freelance April / May 2014
The Space-Time Continuum By Edward Willett
Escapism
Discounting all fantastical fiction as “mere escapism” is hardly a new pastime. J.R.R. Tolkien dealt with it in his
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ack at Weyburn Junior High I was once taken to task by a teacher for not remembering the name of the author of a book I liked. “If you don’t remember the author’s name,” he told me, “you’re just reading for escape.” A few decades on, I recognize the glaring flaw in that statement: namely, what does remembering the author’s name have to do with the value of the book? Would War and Peace be any less a classic if I couldn’t remember it was written by Franz Kafka? (That’s a joke. I know it was really written by Jane Austen.)
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But what really bugged me about that teacher’s statement— and made it stick with me—was the whole looking-downthe-nose-through-pince-nez-glasses attitude it expressed toward the kind of books I was choosing to read: mostly (though not exclusively) science fiction and fantasy.
Summer Retreat! Give yourself the gift of time to focus on creative projects at the SWG Summer Writers/Artists Retreat at St. Peter's Abbey in Muenster, SK. Retreats are for practicing writers and artists at all stages of their careers, and are open to participants from Saskatchewan, other parts of Canada and around the world. Note: These retreats are not teaching situations, but places where writers and artists are expected to practice their craft independently. The Summer Retreat will be held from June 27 to July 25, 2014. Deadline for applications is April 15, 2014. For more information or to apply online, visit: http://www.skwriter.com/sk-writers-artists-retreats, or contact skretreats@skwriter.com.
classic essay “On Fairy Stories” (readily available online— read it!). Escapist literature is supposedly inherently inferior to “interpretive” literature (or just “literature,” if your interlocutor is snobbish enough, implying that the other does not even fall under that rubric), the former taking you out of the real world (thereby turning your attention away from all the weighty real-world issues you should be engaged with), while the latter supposedly plunges you deeper into the real world, ensuring that you remain outraged about all the things right-thinking people are supposed to spend their time being outraged about. To which my first response is, “You’ve never actually read any fantastical fiction, have you?” All stories involving human beings offer the author’s unique perspective on human nature. And all stories will likewise reflect the author’s unique perspective on the real world he or she inhabits. Consider Tolkien. I’ve seen him derided for having a simplistic view of war, which, considering he fought in the Battle of the Somme and lost all of his closest friends in the war, is one of the more clueless statements I’ve ever run across. Tolkien wrote about a made-up world, a “secondary creation” in his terms, but his experiences and upbringing in the real world informed every aspect of the work, just as his devout Catholicism did. It’s unavoidable. Authors may create fantastic worlds, but they inhabit the real world, and therefore every work of science fiction or fantasy they create, no matter how outlandish the made-up world of the story may seem, still draws on their understanding of and engagement with the real world, every bit as much as the work of an author who writes a piece of mimetic fiction which attempts to accurately depict the “real” world. In that latter sentence, the key word is “attempts.” Because here’s the thing: every work of fiction is “escapist” in that it takes us out of the real world and puts us in a made-up world. Even the most “realistic” novel is still set in a madeup world. It may seem like the real world, but it really exists solely in the minds of the author and his/her readers. I have another beef with the idea that “escapist” = “bad.” It seems to come from what can only be called a Puritanical
SWG Freelance April / May 2014
attitude among the self-appointed arbiters of what is good and what isn’t in the literary world. You see this Puritanism all the time. Every summer, some newspaper can be counted on to ask its readers, “What are your guilty reading pleasures?” Inherent in that question is the idea that reading should be grimly focused on what the aforementioned arbiters consider Good For Us. After all, the thinking seems to be, how can you fully understand what a lousy world you live in and how unhappy you should be if you start reading purely for enjoyment? How can you feel properly outraged about this or that current social issue if you’re wasting your time exploring all of time and space? Taken to its extreme, this produces the people who proudly proclaim they don’t read fiction at all. They prefer their literary vitamins in cod liver-oil form, taken straight up as weighty nonfiction tomes or the many blogs-of-
perpetual-outrage. I’m sure it makes them feel righteous, just like the preacher I once heard proclaim that the only book he ever read, or anyone should read, was the Bible— but what a dreary existence! As C.S. Lewis famously put it, the people who really hate escape are jailers. Don’t jail yourself, or let others jail you, by spurning the works of science fiction and fantasy that can take you farther out of yourself and your mundane reality than you’ve ever been before. No, it’s not always comfortable in the cold reaches of space or the echoing halls of the haunted castles, amid the reek of dragon fire and rocket exhaust…but it’s exhilarating. See you there. Edward Willett is a freelance writer and performer in Regina. He is the author of 50 books of some sort or another.
Indigenous Writing Program September 15 - 27, 2014 (on-site residency) October 6 - December 12, 2014 (online program) Apply by May 1, 2014 Faculty: Witi Ihimaera, Lee Maracle, Richard Wagamese The Indigenous Writing Program is a unique opportunity for writers to develop their writing and storytelling voices amidst a vibrant community of renowned faculty and fellow writers. It offers an extended period of writing time: an intensive two-week residency at The Banff Centre followed by 10 weeks working online from your own home or work space. Writers receive invaluable one-on-one editorial feedback with outstanding faculty during the residency, and continue working online with a mentor-editor throughout the 10 weeks off campus. *Financial assistance is available from the Canada Council for the Arts for all accepted applicants. Assistance includes program tuition, accommodation, meals, and travel. "Emerging writers are nurtured and guided to their best place of vision where authentic, unique, and powerful stories are born." Richard Wagamese (Anishnaabe, BC), editor-mentor, 2012 Learn More: http://www.banffcentre.ca/programs/program.aspx?id=1460
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SWG Freelance April / May 2014
Books by Members
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Mishaps and Misfortunes By Doreen Bleich Pasquia Publishing, Tisdale ISBN 978-0-9731167-2-4
O’s Own Lair By Oren Robison Illustrated by Gary Lundgren Hougton Boston Printers ISBN 978-0-9920563-0-8
Queen of Fire By Regine Haensel Createspace ISBN: 978-1495909511
Author Doreen Bleich’s take on everyday life and the “mishaps and misfortunes” that go along with it are portrayed in this lively collection. Mishaps and Misfortunes is a gathering of comical, albeit sometimes embarrassing, adventures of the kind that happen to each of us in the course of our lives.
O’s Own Lair is a collection of the rollicking adventures of boys growing up in the 1950’s in small town Saskatchewan. A collaboration between two life long chums, Oren Robison and Garry Lundgren, O’s Own Lair is a title borrowed from Robison’s regular column by that name, in his monthly publication The Nipawin Bridge.
A new fantasy series, Queen of Fire book one in The Leather Book Tales. Rowan lives in a cottage in a northern forest, with her mother, learning to be a herbalist and healer. When tragedy strikes, Rowan discovers secrets and new abilities that upset her entire life, and make her question who she is. To find answers, she must find the courage for a journey that will take her far from home. The action moves from isolated farms to tiny villages, towns, and trading cities like Aquila City of Eagles in the land of Ameer, and to mysterious mountains. As Rowan travels she gets the feeling that someone is tracking and following her, but if so for what purpose?
Take, for example, her story titled What’s In A Name where poor Doreen winds up at a meeting of the Cultural and Recreation Board having entirely forgotten to change out of her “seven ninety-nine special from Macleods” rubber garden boots. Of course who should be there but the aptly named Elma Frost, the bank manager’s wife, who “looked like she’d just stepped from a beauty parlour- poofed, primped and painted.” Her story, Wearing Old Underwear Can Kill You, begins intriguingly with “I pushed the limit of the life of a pair of panties and nearly killed myself.” Doreen Bleich is author of two cookbooks, one novel, several short stories and numerous plays. She lives and writes in Nipawin, Saskatchewan. Mishaps and Misfortunes can be purchased by contacting Doreen Bleich at bleich@ sasktel.net
Any person who grew up in the fifties and sixties in small town Saskatchewan will remember places like the Roxy Theatre and the afternoon matinees,the skating rink where you’d thaw your frozen toes against a hissing radiator, the corner store where you could get licorice pipes and jawbreakers two for a penny. And remember the day you got your very first bike? How about playing street hockey with road apples as in this excerpt from the story titled Novelties of November: Garry Lundgren’s gorgeous hand drawn full colour artwork compliment each story to perfection.O’s Own Lair is avaiable by contacting Oren Robison at o.robison@sasktel.net
Regine Haensel was born in Germany and came to Canada in the 1950s. She grew up in Elrose, attended the University of Saskatchewan, and lived in various parts of Canada. She has worked as a waitress, an advertising copywriter, a teacher, and an arts administrator for the City of Saskatoon. Her short stories and nonfiction have appeared in magazines and anthologies, and have been broadcast on CBC radio. She has won several Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild Short Manuscript Awards.
SWG Freelance April / May 2014
Step Out of the Shadows and into the Spotlight! Calling All Members to Register on the Guild’s Website SWG Members, if you have not already done so, please consider posting your profiles on the Guild’s Find Saskatchewan Writers & Services webpage. We have numerous calls to the office each week asking about members who do not appear on the website. We know you’re out there and we want you to add your profile to make it easier for reading hosts and other folks to find you. It’s quick and easy to do: simply click on the Members Area button on the left hand sidebar, login with your password,* and click on Member Profile. On this page you will find a form. Enter your information and Save Updates. Then click on Find Saskatchewan Writers & Services to register your page. Climbing High By Madelon Smid Published by: The Wild Rose Press ISBN: 978-1628301625 Billionaire, Jake Ingles is mass media’s golden boy. The cameras love his fabulous face and form, the press, his high powered business deals and daring adventures. Then, on a mountain in France Jake saves the one incomparable woman he will love for all time, and discovers his fame places her in danger. To hold her, he must escape his paparazzi pursuers. Siree McConnell, Forensic Accountant, chooses to live anonymously to avoid the press she abhors. She longs for the ecstasy she finds in Jake’s arms, but refuses to tangle with the gorgeous male if it means stepping back into the spotlight. Now Jake needs Siree to save his corporation and Siree must choose to take that step, in order to aid the man who saved her life and enthralls her heart. But will rescuing Jake put her in greater danger and tear them apart forever?
Under Currently Editing at the top of the Find Saskatchewan Writers & Services Listing page, there are several dropdown menus. Choose each one in turn to add your information. Make sure tosave your updates after each section. *If you do not have login and password information, please contact Stefanie at info@skwriter.com. Thank you for helping us help you! We want to help you shine!
Tune in to Words on Air Words on Air now airs live at 12:30 noon on Wednesdays on CJTR Regina Community Radio. CJTR 91.3 FM , www.cjtr.ca, podcast, Channel 341 Access7, Channel 806 SaskTel Max anyone from the Writing Community is welcome to contact host and programmer, Jeanne Alexander 306-585-6238 or jalexander@sasktel.net to make arrangements to be a guest. The response has been great and it is gratifying that so many have expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to promote their works. Some SWG events are promoted on each program. Thanks for Listening. Jeanne Alexander
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SWG Freelance April / May 2014
John V. Hicks Manuscript Awards Program The John V. Hicks Manuscript Awards program of the SWG recognizes three unpublished book-length manuscripts annually. The award rotates between the genres of poetry, fiction, and literary non-fiction. In 2014, the SWG will honour three unpublished, full-length manuscripts of literary non-fiction (the work may be intended for children or adults). Prizes are as follows: 1st place: $1,000; 2nd place: $650; 3rd place: $350. The winners will read from their work at the John V. Hicks Awards Dinner at SWG's annual Fall Conference (expenses paid). Deadline: Submissions must be postmarked or emailed by the last working day of June each year. In 2014, the deadline is Monday, June 30. If you are sending material close to this date, please consider Xpress Post, Priority Post, courier, or special delivery. Late submissions will not be accepted.
To submit: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Entries must be submitted by or postmarked by Monday, June 30, 2014. When mailing or dropping off your entry, please submit 3 hard copies of your manuscript. Please keep a copy of your manuscript, as manuscripts will not be returned. A $25 entry fee must accompany the entry. Make cheques and money orders payable to the Saskatchewan Writers' Guild. Due to the length of the manuscripts we will not accept email, fax or digital memory stick submissions.
Rules:
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1. Entrants must be Saskatchewan residents as of 31 December 2013. 2. Only one entry per person is allowed in the manuscript awards. 3. All entries must be original work. If the work is an adaptation of material not in the public domain, permission of the original creator must accompany the entry. 4. Copyright for the entry remains with the author. 5. No more than 50% of the manuscript may have been published in magazines and anthologies or by broadcast media. 6. The manuscript must be a full-length work: a minimum of 35,000 words in length. 7. The writer’s name and contact information should appear in the cover letter only. All entries will be numbered upon receipt so that they may be judged anonymously. If the writer’s name appears on any page of the manuscript, it will not be accepted for the competition. The name of the manuscript may appear on both the cover page and subsequent pages and the pages must be numbered. 8. There is no application form; instead, please send the entry plus a cover letter that includes the following: • • •
9.
your name and all contact information (including address, home and work numbers, and E-mail address) the name of your work confirmation of the following: • that you were a resident of Saskatchewan as of December 31, 2013 • that the work is original to you • that no more than 50% of the manuscript will have been published or broadcast before the announcement of the awards in November
The following submission criteria must be followed or the entries will not be accepted: • • • • • • • • • • •
entries must be in English use plain text fonts (e.g. Times New Roman, Arial, Courier) and not in display fonts such as Algerian 12 point font use black ink on 8 ½ x 11-inch white copy bond paper entries must be single-sided at least a one inch margin on all sides the title and page number must appear on each page the paper must be clean (no smudges, drawings, hand-written corrections, or stamped words) to fasten submissions, use paper clips (including fold-back clips)—avoid staples or any other fastener which goes through the paper (including binders, presentation covers, or coil binding) avoid hole punched paper good-quality photocopies are acceptable
11. The jury may decide not to award a particular prize if they believe no submission merits it. 12. The decisions of the jury will be final. 13. Winners agree to permit the use of their name and title of their work in promotion by the SWG 14. Winners agree to acknowledge the Saskatchewan Writers' Guild in any publication of the winning works. Mailing Address Saskatchewan Writers' Guild Box 3986 Regina, SK S4P 3R9
Courier Or Drop-Off Address Saskatchewan Writers' Guild Suite 100-1150 8th Avenue Regina, SK S4R 1C9
For more information Contact Tracy Hamon, Program Manager (306) 791-7743 (phone) programs@skwriter.com.
SWG Freelance April / May 2014
Member News Jean Freeman named ACTRA Woman of the Year Saskatchewan writer/actor/playwright/ community supporter Jean Freeman has been named ACTRA's (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) 2014 Woman of the Year. Each year, this distinction is given to a woman in Canada who has shone both in her artistic and advocacy achievements. Jean is the fifth woman and the first Saskatchewan actor to receive this honour. Past recipients are Shirley Douglas, Tantoo Cardinal, Sandi Ross and Mary Walsh. Jean was the first actor to join the Saskatchewan branch of ACTRA in 1967 and has been named a Life Member of the union, as well as the Canadian Public Relations Society, the Regina Women’s Network and Regina Little Theatre. Jean was one of the first employees of CKCK-TV and later became a CBC Radio on-air personality on “Matinee Comment” in Winnipeg and Regina. She has received numerous honours, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in the Mayor’s Arts & Business
Awards, Woman of Distinction from the Regina YWCA and Trimark Canadian Women’s Mentor Arts and Culture Award. Jean co-authored Fists Upon a Star: A Memoir of Love, Theatre and Escape From McCarthyism, with the late theatre pioneer Florence Bean James, short-listed for a 2014 Saskatchewan Book Award. Most recently, her children’s book, Terror on Turtle Creek, has been short-listed. Jean is also a former employee of the Saskatchewan Arts Boardand a current member of the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild. For more information, visit ACTRA's website.
Thunder on the Prairie Available at Canadahistory.ca Keith Foster’s award-winning article on the North-West Rebellion/Resistance titled Thunder on the Prairie and published in the February/March 2013 issue of Canada’s History (formerly The Beaver), is now on its website. Go to canadashistory.ca, click on Magazine, then Online Exclusive, and scroll down to Shifting Riel-ty. At the bottom of the screen, readers may grade this article from 1 to 5.
Please feel free to forward this message to anyone you think may be interested. This article won first place for literary non-fiction in the SWG short manuscript contest a few years ago.
SWG Welcomes New Members! Terry Comfort Oliver Green Frances Greenslade Marie Hanson Albanee Harden-Pryde Rebecca Kennel Ryan LeBlanc Elizabeth Mansuy Melanie McFarlane Nicholas Olson Jeanne Palmer Heather Peat-Hamm Rachel Peters Jack Phalen Justin Redekop Tara Rein Ralph Smith Joan Tessier Kelley-Anne Wilson
Residency - September 1, 2014 - May 31, 2015 The Regina Public Library invites applications from Canadian Creative Writers for the Writer-in-Residence position. The successful candidate will be working with the public through consultations, community/school visits, and workshops/seminars while devoting 70% of their time to personal writing projects. They must live in Regina or surrounding area during the term. Include résumé, 10 page writing sample, and three letters of reference from the writing community. Clearly explain experience working with the public, literary publications history, literary field background and importance of this opportunity to you and your writing. Experience as a writer-in-residence or teacher an asset. All literary writing genres considered. Salary: $40,000/annum Deadline: 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 5/14
Apply to: Writer-in-Residence Search Committee c/o Marketing & Communications Regina Public Library P.O. Box 2311 (2311 -12th Avenue) Regina, SK S4P 3Z5 www.reginalibrary.ca
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Calls of Interest Short Story, Poetry And Black & White Line Art Contest
Looking For A Writers’ Group To Belong To (In Regina)?
The CANADIAN STORIES literary folk magazine is pleased to offer the 6th Contest for Short Stories, Poetry, Black & White Art.
The Prairie Phoenix group meeting is free and open to any and all ages, genders, genres, ideas and input.
Deadline: May 1, 2014. Notification will be approximately June 15, 2014. Cost: Each entry must include a $20 cheque made out to CANADIAN STORIES. This money is not refundable. Notification will be sent with SASE card. Return of original also with SASE. Material with uncouth language will be returned. Rules: All entries must follow the author’s guidelines outlined on www.canadianstories.net . Inquiries: Editor of CANADIAN STORIES ejanzen345@sympatico.ca
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CANSCAIP & The Writers Union of Canada Present Exciting news! CANSCAIP, in partnership with The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC), is pleased to launch its inaugural year hosting the 17th annual Writing for Children Competition. The Writing for Children Competition welcomes submissions for all ages of young people, from picture books to young adult (YA), and can be a springboard into a writing career. TWUC initiated the competition over sixteen years ago in order to discover, encourage, and promote new writers of children’s literature in every region of Canada. We are dedicated to fostering the creation of children’s literature in Canada, so please share with anyone who may be interested. Visit http:// www.canscaip.org/competitions for full details & submissions guidelines. Deadline: April 25, 2014
Our plan is simple: •
Bring your work, share it, and get feedback. When you choose to share your writing, please bring a few copies.
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If you are looking for likeminded people, inspiration, new ideas, a little nudge to pick up the pen again, check us out.
When: March 27th, 6:30 p.m., then the last Thursday of every month, unless location conflicts. Where: SWG Office, #100, 1150 8th Avenue, Regina If you have any questions, you can call Marianna at 306-924-4030 or email her at Marianna_11@hotmail. com.
Radio Book Club on CFCR in Saskatoon Radio Book Club, formerly known as The Book Show, is looking for interview subjects. Whether you’re a writer with a book to promote, or have thoughts to share about storytelling on TV, film or other projects, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact Ann at annabelle. foster@gmail.com. Radio Book Club airs on Wednesday evenings at 7:00p.m.on CFCR 90.5 FM in Saskatoon and streaming at http://www.cfcr.ca. Past episodes are available online at http://elbookshow.podbean.com
Saskatchewan History Articles Needed Deadline for submission: May 16, 2014 for the fall – winter 2014 Saskatchewan History. You are invited to submit an article about Saskatchewan’s history – overseas
and on the home front – during the Great War 1914-1918, for possible inclusion in the Fall-Winter
2014 issue of Saskatchewan History. A copy of the magazine’s submission guidelines can be viewed on website. Submissions can be forwarded electronically to saskhistory@archives.gov.sk.ca. For more information, contact Nadine Charabin, Publication Coordinator, by phone at 306-933-5832, or by email above.
Call For Sumbissions We need your stories for a brand new Canadian title... Chicken Soup for the Soul, Christmas in Canada! In October we released O Canada The Wonders of Winter and the publisher was so pleased they’ve asked us to create another Canadian title for Christmas 2014! We need true, dramatic stories, 1200 words or less, that take place at Christmas time in Canada. (Yes, you get paid!) Our publication date is October 2014, so the deadline for stories is May 30th. For full writers guidelines and how to submit your story, visit my website, www.janetmatthews.ca or www. canadiansoul.com.
SWG Freelance April / May 2014
Professional Development Indigenous Writing Program September 15 - 27, 2014 (on-site residency) October 6 - December 12, 2014 (online program) Apply by May 1, 2014 Faculty: Witi Ihimaera, Lee Maracle, Richard Wagamese The Indigenous Writing Program is a unique opportunity for writers to develop their writing and storytelling voices amidst a vibrant community of renowned faculty and fellow writers. It offers an extended period of writing time: an intensive two-week residency at The Banff Centre followed by 10 weeks working online from your own home or work space. Writers receive invaluable one-on-one editorial feedback with outstanding faculty during the residency, and continue working online with a mentoreditor throughout the 10 weeks off campus. *Financial assistance is available from the Canada Council for the Arts for all accepted applicants.
Assistance includes program tuition, accommodation, meals, and travel. “Emerging writers are nurtured and guided to their best place of vision where authentic, unique, and powerful stories are born.” Richard Wagamese (Anishnaabe, BC), editor-mentor, 2012 Learn More: http://www.banffcentre. ca/programs/program.aspx?id=1460
MFA program in Writing for Stage and Screen A new low-residency MFA program in Writing for Stage and Screen offered by the New Hampshire Institute of Art was launched last June with a select group of talented students from throughout the US and Canada. The program is unique in that its emphasis is not only on nurturing each student writer and his or her creative output, but also on the testing of that work with an ensemble of professional actors, directors, and other theatre and film artists gathered to give voice and feedback to student material at each
residency. The program’s faculty and professional mentors are established national-level playwrights and screenwriters, including New Yorkbased playwright Arthur Giron, who co-wrote the book for the musical Amazing Grace, currently scheduled for a Broadway opening next season and Hollywood screenwriter Clare Sera, who co-wrote the screenplay for the upcoming Adam Sandler film Blended to receive its national release this May. The program is committed to personalized individual attention and to facilitating the launch of each student’s career through the faculty’s vast national network of working professionals in theatre and film. All residencies are held in the culturally-rich mountain village of Peterborough, NH in the heart of New England. Enrollment is on a rolling basis and scholarships are available. Full program description and complete faculty listing with bios can be found at mfa.nhia.edu/ writing-for-stage-and-screen. Yes Canadians are welcome!
Write After Lunch: SWG launches a new talk series! Did you ever wish you could lunch with an author? Dine on words? The SWG has just the program for you! Join us at noon on the first Tuesday of every month for our new luncheon craft talks. Talks begin at 12:15 p.m. and end at 12:45 p.m., and you have two options to participate. You can attend in person at the Regina office (Suite 100, 1150-8th Avenue). Or if you prefer, you can participate from your home, office or favourite Wi-Fi spot as long as you have access to high speed Internet. The SWG is pleased to announce that we are now able to broadcast our sessions around the province and beyond using a live streaming video platform. We’ve chosen Livestream as our delivery system. This is a free service, but you do need to Login with your email and a password to access content. Instructions can be found on the Guild website. If attending in person, bring a bagged lunch and listen to some of your favourite authors talk about the craft of writing. We’ll provide coffee, tea, and water. Write After Lunch is a public event open to everyone and there is no need to register. Visit our website for more information: www.skwriter.com
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SWG Freelance April / May 2014
SWG Highlights
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Cassie Stocks givng a talk on humour at Write After Lunch (Feb. 4, Regina). Photo Credit: SWG Staff. Allan Adam, one of the storytellers at the Prince Albert Storytelling Month Celebrations. Judith Krause giving a talk on poetry at Write After Lunch (Apr.1, Regina). Photo Credit: SWG Staff. Colleen Murphy at her Saturday session at Talking Fresh 12, March 8, 2014 in Regina. Photo Credit: SWG Staff. Friday, March 7, panel at Talking Fresh 12 in Regina. (L-R) Bruce Walsh, Colleen Murphy, Lillian Allen, Armand Ruffo, Annette Bower. David Carpenter at the launch of Literary History of Saskatchewan Vol. 2 at Talking Fresh 12 in Regina. Photo Credit: SWG Staff. Poet Armand Ruffo at the Talking Fresh 12 panel discussion. Photo Credit: SWG Staff. Talking Fresh 12 presenters (L-R) Colleen Murphy, Armand Ruffo, and Lillian Allen. Photo Credit: SWG Staff. Lillian Allen with audience at her Saturday session at Talking Fresh 12 on March 8, 2014 in Regina. Photo Credit: SWG Staff.
SWG Freelance April / May 2014
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SWG Freelance April / May 2014
2014 Arts Congress
Living Art(s)
J
oin us at this year’s Arts Congress to discuss matters of resilience, risk taking, and public engagement in the arts. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet with Saskatchewan artists, arts administrators, patrons, presenters and those who just appreciate the arts in all its disciplines.
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Featuring Michael Greyeyes - Carolyn Warren - Larbi Sadiki Yann Martel - Alice Kuipers - Honourable Kevin Doherty
St. Andrew’s College | Main Lounge | 1121 College Drive | Saskatoon
Friday, May 2nd - Saturday, May 3rd For more information or to register, please visit www.artsalliance.sk.ca.
SWG Freelance April / May 2014
Backbone The SWG Thanks Our Donors Andrew Suknaski Writers Assistance Fund Sandra Birdsell Judith Krause Glen Sorestad
Kloppenburg Award
Cheryl & Henry Kloppenburg
Patron (over $500) Felicia Daunt Marilyn Matice
Grain
Adam Abbas Mona Bacon Cheryl Kloppenburg Rea Tarvydas
Benefactors ($200-$499)
Patricia Armstrong Fund
Supporters ($100-$199)
Robert Calder Mary Harelkin Bishop Lyn Goldman
Alison Lohans Sharon MacFarlane
Retreats
Sandra Campbell David Carpenter William Galbraith Frances Greenslade Lewis Horne Honor Kever Anne Lazurko Wynne Nicholson
Gail Bowen Brian Cobbledick Robert Currie Margaret Durant Betty Hegerat Karen Klassen Alison Lohans Helen Mourre Terry Toews Larry Warwaruk
Friends ($50-$99) Rita Bouvier
Joanne Epp Elinor Florence Sheena Koops Bonnie Logan Alex MacDonald David Poulsen Red Hawk Communications Inc Alma Wagner Roberts Dianne Young
Contributors (up to $50) Linda Biasotto Cathy Bendle Myrtle Conacher Jeanette Dean Todd Devonshire Adele Dueck Jean Fahlman Glenda Goertzen Lisa Guenther Susan Harris Robert Leech Ken Mitchell Kathleen Morrell Evelyn Rogers Edda Ryan Anne Slade
The SWG Foundation Thanks These Donors Facilitated Retreat Susan Hogarth
Judy McCrosky Bursary Fund Allison Kydd Judy McCrosky
SWG Foundation: Sharon Adam George Jeerakathil
SWGF Legacy Project Alison Lohans Cathy Fenwick George Jeerakathil Glen Sorestad Gloria Boerma Judith Silverthorne Lynda Monahan Robert Currie Rodney Dickinson
Caroline Heath Memorial Fund Lloyd Ratzlaff Candace Savage
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Freelance April / May 2014 Volume 44 Number 3
Publication Mail Agreement #40063014 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Administration Centre Printing Services 111–2001 Cornwall Street Regina, SK S4P 3X9 Email: adminprint@sasktel.net
We gratefully acknowledge the support of SaskCulture, Saskatchewan Lotteries Trust Fund and the Saskatchewan Arts Board