April - May 2012 Freelance by Admin Assist

Freelance April/May 2012

Volume 41 Number 3

Erroll Kinistino, Dr. Shauneen Pete, Rodger Ross - Aboriginal Storytellers Celebrating February Aboriginal Storytelling Month

coNTENTS President's Message �� 3

Volume 41 Number 3 April-May 2012 ISSN 0705-1379

Executive Director’s Report �� 4 Program News Regina Mayor’s Poetry City Challenge ................7

SWG Celebrates Aboriginal Storytelling Month......8

Cover photo credit: SWG staff Freelance is published six times per year for members of the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild and other interested parties. Submissions are welcome. Send in the body of your email message, or post, referring to Submission Guidelines: www.skwriter. com/publications/freelance. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild. Copyright remains with the writer and cannot be reprinted without permission. We do not accept poetry or prose at this time.

Career and Work Exploration.............................15 Talking Fresh 10 ..............................................16 The GG and Beyond ......................................18 The Creative Crossroads of the Americas .........20

Profile: Prairie Quills Writers’ Group ..................27 Is E-book Publishing Write for You?...................29 Funny You Should Write That ..........................32 The Space-Time Continuum.............................34 Letter to the Editor..........................................38 Member News................................................39 Viewpoint...................................................... 40

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Cathy Fenwick, President, Regina Lisa Wilson, Vice-President, Saskatoon George Khng, Treasurer, Saskatoon Darla Read, Secretary, Saskatoon Allison Kydd, Indian Head R. P. MacIntyre, La Ronge Scott Miller, Estevan Jarrett Rusnak, Regina Caitlin Ward, Saskatoon

Books by Members ��41 Markets & Competitions �� 43 SWG Foundation News....................................45 Contributors to this issue: Lisa Bird-Wilson Jordan Bolay Shirley Byers Lorna Crozier Cathy Fenwick Wes Funk R.P. MacIntyre Cassidy McFadzean

Ex-Officio: Judith Silverthorne

Saskatoon Courier or Drop-off Address: 205A Pacific Avenue Saskatoon, SK S7K 1N9

Freedom to Read .............................................12

Freelance Policy & Submission Guidelines ...........23

SWG STAFF Executive Director: Judith Silverthorne Accountant: Lois Salter Administrative Assistant: Milena Dzordeski Program Manager: Tracy Hamon (Regina) Program Coordinator: Sarah Shoker (Saskatoon) Communications Coordinator and Freelance Managing Editor: Jan Morier

Regina Courier or Drop-off Address: 1150 8th Avenue, Suite 100 Regina, SK S4R 1C9

Writing North: Writing the Extraordinary ............10

SWG Surveys.................................................22

Deadlines for next issue of Freelance: June-July May 1

Mailing Address: Saskatchewan Writers' Guild Box 3986, Regina, SK S4P 3R9

SWG Readings.................................................9

Contact: Phone: (306) 757-6310 Toll Free: 1-800-667-6788 Fax: (306) 565-8554 Email: info@skwriter.com or communications@skwriter.com Web site: www.skwriter.com

Adam Pottle Prairie Quills Writers’ Group Elliece Ramsey Bruce Rice David Sealy Judith Silverthorne Toby Welch Edward Willett

We gratefully acknowledge the support of SaskCulture, Saskatchewan Lotteries Trust Fund and the Saskatchewan Arts Board

President’s Message

his past winter I decided I would buy and read only books by Saskatchewan writers. I read in a number of genres, was going to name these authors here, but there were too many. It was time very well spent. As I read I often wondered if a particular book made it to the top of any best-seller list—if not, why not? I was again reminded of the value of our Guild and why I am an active member. The SWG, one of the most respected writers’ organizations in Canada, is an inclusive and democratic group, whose fundamental value is respect for ourselves, respect for each other and respect for our work. We are known for the value we place on our board members, staff, volunteers and members of the community we serve, as well as for the literary excellence of our members. A special thank you to SWG staff, whose team spirit and excellent work make our programs and services the best they can be. In the past few years, as a member of the SWG board, I have witnessed excellent, conscientious and dedicated service of SWG board members, who have exemplified and continue to exemplify strong leadership, with a focus on short and long-term vision and strategic planning. We have, according to our Constitution and By-laws, enacted and updated governance policies, updated financial and personnel management procedures, as well as program and operational policies. The SWG Board of Directors and Executive Director recently completed an Organizational SelfAssessment. The Saskatchewan APRIL-MAY 2012

Arts Board asked us, along with other Saskatchewan Arts PCOs, to complete this Self-Assessment Tool in order to ascertain our overall organizational effectiveness. This was a requirement for securing interim funding for the Guild’s upcoming fiscal year, since the deadline for the threeyear annual global funding application has been postponed until autumn of 2012. This action is a result of SaskCulture’s new fiscal year being changed to end on March 31, to be in line with the provincial government’s fiscal year end. Completion of the Organizational Self-Assessment will provide PCOs with transitional funding for the intervening months. Working on this self-assessment was another opportunity to examine our mandate, vision, programs, planning strategies, organizational effectiveness, governance, financial and personnel management, marketing and communications plans. The completed form encouraged input from all SWG board members before it was sent to the Saskatchewan Arts Board and serves as a resource for the board to consult as further discussions progress and decisions are made. This document was an excellent tool for us to use to examine and assess how effectively our board and staff are meeting our mandate and vision. Ongoing selfassessment helps us to promote the effective use of well-defined practices and foster overall organizational effectiveness, to assist in the development and delivery of ever improving programs and services to our stake-

holders and to promote organizational and personal growth. It is a format that will help us to monitor ongoing progress. Board members at our last board meeting expressed great satisfaction with the quality of the document and thanked our Executive Director for her tremendous contribution to the completion of the PCO Self-Assessment. Document completed, it is apparent to us that we are on target with our strategic plan, short-term and long-term goals. Our board and membership have a deep and diverse skill base, a major asset, while at the same time, one which presents challenges and a need to balance the SWG Board’s governance role with the needs and wants of its stakeholders. The ideal of good governance has a number of key requirements, which will ensure sustainable development of an organization. Key requirements are participation, which includes freedom of association and expression, transparency and sharing of information, accountability, effectiveness and efficiency, responsiveness and consensus, equity and inclusiveness. No board can be all things to all people. Good governance is an ideal for which we constantly strive, as we weigh all aspects of our obligations and make decisions that we agree upon, which provide maximum benefit for all of our members. Your board of directors is the trustee of the SWG’s mission and its financial responsibility, which we take very seriously. The board’s role is to provide direction on financial management,

FREELANCE

short and long-term planning, marketing and organizational effectiveness. To be effective a board must be guided by an appropriate set of governance principles. It must be governed by policies and best practices. The SWG Board Policy Committee and staff have been working on updating our policies, a process that was started a few years ago. We are making a concentrated effort to finish the policy review in a timely fashion. In January of this year someone was hired, whose work time has been dedicated to reviewing all of our policies to expedite the process. Several of the updates have been completed and others are close to being finished.

Drafts of these policies will be presented to the board for approval and those pertaining to operations and programming will be published in upcoming issues of Freelance and on our website. There was discussion at the March 18 board meeting regarding the future of Grain magazine. Caitlin Ward has agreed to be the new chair of the Grain ad hoc committee. Although Rod MacIntyre has stepped down as chair, he will remain on the committee. The ad hoc committee is conducting a broad study and investigating all options. SWG membership will be kept informed through reports in Freelance and at future AGMs before

a decision is made. There will be plenty of time for feedback and input from members. We regularly report on the changes in programming to inform members about actions, which have been carefully considered and weighed against all aspects of our obligations. Thank you to all who have helped to make the last several months very productive and enjoyable. We value input from members. Please consider responding to our requests for volunteers to sit on ad hoc committees, join forum meetings and help with special events. Best Regards, Cathy Fenwick

Executive Director’s Report

he Guild office staff is definitely in full throttle mode from now until the summer months. As is our goal, the staff have been diligently bringing opportunities to the membership through a choice of diverse programs and services. The exciting successes of some of the activities that have happened in the past little while are captured on the pages of this issue. Writing North, Talking Fresh, Aboriginal Storytelling, income tax and self-publishing workshops, mentorships, Signature Reading Series presentations, Freedom to Read, and the SWG author readings program to name a few. There are many more upcoming opportunities to participate in a series of professional development workshops, readings, writing competitions, and other events. We are also engaged in a myriad of other activities.

FREELANCE

Surveys Thank you to all who have already responded to our first surveys. (We’ve upgraded the software we’re using and now have more flexibility and options in ways for responding—new initiatives always seem to come with a learning curve!) Your assistance and opinions are valued as we continue with our series of online surveys. Paper copies have been sent to those who do not have Internet capabilities. We need your guidance in what types of programming you’d like to see continued and insights on how best to run some of them, especially given the ever tightening financial resources that we face. This is particularly important with regards to the newest survey about prioritizing what you feel as most important pursuits in programming and services offered by the Guild. As always there is a delicate balance between what is most beneficial

for the whole of the membership in all its diversities and complexities and how much funding there is to disburse among each of our offerings, and the staff time to implement them. We appreciate all your responses and we will take them into serious consideration in future planning. Annual Global Funding Changes On the topic of the financial management end of operations, SaskCulture has changed its fiscal year end to March 31st to coincide with the fiscal year of Saskatchewan Lotteries Trust Fund for Sport, Culture and Recreation and hence the alignment with the disbursement of lottery dollars. This means a change to the Guild’s three year annual global funding application date from the expected one this spring to November. As this timing straddles the first half of the Guild’s next fiscal year, and would leave us without funding APRIL-MAY 2012

for approximately six months, a process has been put in place to provide transitional funding this year. In other words, we will have the same amount of funds to work with for our 2012-2013 fiscal year as for the current one and very little changes to programs in the way of operations can be made during this time, unless through increased revenues from special grant applications, sponsorships and donations. Strategic Action Plan The Board finalized the five year Strategic and Action Plans at their meeting on March 18th. The staff now is able to embrace and initiate steps to achieve the strategic directions. Although not necessarily new goals, as some have been in the process for some time, a more concentrated effort will be forthcoming in targeting the areas of inclusiveness, learning how to adapt to the changing environment, building effective relationships and striving for financial security, as well as increasing the recognition of the Guild and creating stronger communications. An overview of the eight strategic directions will be available shortly for the membership, our funders and partners. Policy Update Now that we have a dedicated contract person (Carle Steel) working on reviewing, updating, and creating written policies, we are making great strides in completing this gargantuan task. One completed result is featured in this issue of Freelance, most notably the magazine’s own policies and submission guidelines. Presented in the centre as a pullout for those receiving printed copies, the document is available on the website as a separate file with the online version of the magazine, and also on the web page featuring information APRIL-MAY 2012

about Freelance. We encourage you to use this document as a handy reference when submitting articles and information for inclusion in the magazine. Inclusiveness and Diversity Initiatives As part of the strategic goal to be a more open and inclusive organization, and in an effort to have a more representative membership base reflective of the population in Saskatchewan, we’ve focused on creating associations with the Aboriginal Writing community. Besides hiring Joely BigEagle as the Aboriginal Program Coordinator, the Guild recently took steps to form an Aboriginal Advisory Circle to give recommendations about ways the Guild can be more welcoming about programs and services for Aboriginal writers. An initial meeting was held at the Guild offices with staff, board and constituent representation in attendance from a variety of organizations, university programs, as well as from writers and an Elder. Terms of Reference for the Circle have been created and approved by the SWG Board. The next step is to form the Circle and begin the important work of reviewing programs and making recommendations. Another exciting initiative is that the Guild is in the process of forming a partnership with the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Writers’ Circle Inc. (SAWCI). Based in Saskatoon, but with provincial ties, this group also runs the Ânskohk Aboriginal Writer’s Festival. They have accepted the Guild’s invitation to offer the Ânskohk festival in coordination with the SWG Conference. A Memorandum of Understanding is being developed to consolidate this and other ways we can work together to benefit each organization. The MOU has re-

ceived approval from the SWG board of directors and will be going to the SAWCI board for their approval process. We will be making a formal announcement once the two organizations have gone through their respective approval processes. There will be many great opportunities to share resources and programs. SWG Author Reading Program The SWG Author Reading Program is hugely popular and provides a wonderful opportunity for our members to share their work and relate to the public. Due to the need for being inclusive of more writers, and an increase in host school and library requests, the number of readings for the coming year for hosts is being reduced to two a year from three. For authors there will be a reduction from ten readings to a maximum of five readings per year. The fall also seems to generate a high quantity of requests because of Education Week and Library Week events, however, as there is also a need to accommodate requests during the last half of the fiscal year, a portion of the funds for the program will be earmarked solely for readings taking place from January to June. Please note that funds have recently become available for readings for spring 2012 due to less travel costs incurred than expected. Applications from hosts will be accepted and approved on a first come first served basis immediately. We thank those of you have experienced the results of a couple of glitches with our new software system for your patience and understanding. We believe our tech person has everything ticking along correctly now. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you feel something is amiss.

FREELANCE

Short Manuscript Award News The Short Manuscript Awards are being suspended once again this year, as the review process has not yet been completed.. (They’ve been suspended periodically over the years.) This most recent review follows a three year test-run with new guidelines that were introduced to attract more entries. The then Board asked for this review to ascertain if running the program was worthwhile endeavour for the Guild. Numbers have continued to steadily drop to less than ten percent compared to when the contest first commenced, and entrant fees cover only 15% of the costs of running the program. Once all review results are in and analyzed, the current Board will determine whether or not there will be a delayed moratorium to find ways to revive a flagging interest and secure funding for this program. Member Services We’re pleased that we can of-

fer some additional services to the members, by reinstituting Members News in Freelance, and Ebriefs, which somehow fell by the wayside over the years when these features weren’t being used. Retreat Registration and Fee Payment Change: Please note the new payment procedure when applying for a retreat. You will no longer be required to prepay retreat fees with your application. After the adjudication process, only applicants who have been accepted to attend a retreat will be invoiced for their fees by the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild. We’ve added a couple of “Contact Us” forms on our website for quicker communication. These can be used to request specific information and make suggestions to either the Board (www. skwriter.com/about-the-swg/ swg-board) or the staff at the Guild office (www.skwriter.com/ about-the-swg/contact-us). We hope these will prove to be a

quick and convenient way for you to connect with us. Grain News With regret we announce that Mike Thompson has resigned as Grain Business Administrator, effective April 20th. He and his wife are moving to Calgary where they will be closer to family, and Mike will take on duties with the magazine Alberta Views. We extend a huge thanks to Mike for his dedicated “stewardship” in bringing the Grain office forward into the 21st century. His innovative, friendly spirit and the revamped foundation work he’s done will see the magazine in good stead in the future. He will be hard to replace. As always if you have any questions about anything to do with the Guild, please feel free to contact us. We are happy to respond as expediently as we can. All the best for a brilliant and vibrant spring! Judith Silverthorne

John V. Hicks Long Manuscript Awards 2012 The John V. Hicks Manuscript Awards program of the SWG recognizes three unpublished booklength manuscripts annually. The awards rotate between the genres of poetry, fiction, plays, and literary non-fiction. In 2012, the SWG will honour three unpublished, full-length manuscripts of poetry. Prizes are: 1st place: $1,000; 2nd place: $650; 3rd place: $350. The winners will read from their work at the John V. Hicks Luncheon at the SWG’s annual Fall Conference in Saskatoon (expenses paid). Deadline: Submissions must be post-dated by Friday, June 29, 2012. 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. For more information: www.skwriter.com/awards/the-john-v-hicks-long-manuscript-awards or contact Tracy Hamon at (306) 791-7743 or programs@skwriter.com

FREELANCE

APRIL-MAY 2012

program news A World First - Regina Mayor’s Poetry City Challenge

by Bruce Rice

The challenge went out to provincial capitals, cultural capitals, communties with poets laureate, and other centres. Fifteen mayors have accepted so far. As of the Freelance publication date, Canada’s “Poetry Cities” are Victoria, Whistler, Surrey, Nelson, Edmonton, Jasper, Calgary, LaRonge, Moose Jaw, Regina, Brandon, Toronto, Owen Sound, Windsor and Cobourg. Mayor Fiacco has declared March 21 World Poetry Day in Regina, and April is now National Poetry Month in Regina. Robert Currie, the former Saskatchewan Poet Laureate is the poet selected by Moose Jaw. Currie and the late Gary Hyland were both appointed poets laureate for the city. “I’m excited and honoured to do a reading

APRIL-MAY 2012

Gareth Cook read in LaRonge on March 14. Regina’s Judith Krause will help to wind up the Poetry City readings accross the country. She will read at the April 30 meeting of Regina Council at 5:30 p.m. Bruce Rice, a Regina poet and recently retired City employee suggested the idea to the Guild. The Guild is coordinating the Poetry City project, in partnership with the League of Canadian poets. The City Administration has also enthusiastically supported the project. The League is promoting Poetry City through its National Poetry Month activities and has dedicated a webpage to Poetry City. The page will have a profile of the participating poets and they will be invited to post their poems. The participating cities will be recognized at the kickoff for National Poetry Month in Toronto.

Bruce Rice

photo: Kris Brandhagen

before Moose Jaw City Council for Poetry Month.” Currie says. “It’s a good opportunity to reach a new audience with the message that poetry matters in people’s lives.”

photo: Tom Bartlett

egina Mayor Pat Fiacco has achieved what may be a world first for poetry. The Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild and the League of Canadian Poets asked him to issue a challenge to mayors across Canada and Mayor Fiacco agreed. The challenge is to have a local poet read a poem into the proceedings of the council meetings in March or April. It is a celebration of UNESCO’S World Poetry Day on March 21, and National Poetry Month in April. The goal is to have local governments across Canada recognize the poets in their communities, the contribution of poetry to the arts in Canada, and the enormous contribution of small publishers to the history and cultural development of Canada.

Judith Krause

photo: SWG staff

Robert Currie

FREELANCE

SWG Celebrates Aboriginal Storytelling Month

boriginal Storytelling Month celebrations at the Guild’s Regina location was held on February 23 to capacity crowds thanks to three talented storytellers. Dr. Shauneen Pete, Rodger Ross and Erroll Kinistino shared Traditional and Contemporary Stories, blended with musical accompaniments provided by Erroll. Homemade bannock, made by our own Aboriginal Program Coordinator Joely BigEagle also proved to be a favourite addition to the tea and dainties served.

George Gordon Cree First Nation of Saskatchewan. As an urban storyteller and filmmaker, Rodger’s stories come directly from the Cree traditions and spirituality that guide him. Rodger Ross

Over sixty people enjoyed the evening’s entertainment. Although some left because there was no more room, the success has prompted a repeat performance at a bigger venue for next year. Watch for dates and information to be posted.

Erroll Kinistino

Dr. Shauneen Pete

Dr. Shauneen Pete, from the Little Pine First Nation, has been sharing stories in schools, at Wanuskewin Heritage Park and throughout the province for many years. She started telling stories as part of an undergraduate education assignment which gave her the confidence to share this traditional activity with others.

Erroll Kinistino is a traditional grass dancer, entertainer, actor and storyteller born on Ochapowace First Nation in Saskatchewan. He’s well-known for his role as Leon Deela on North of 60 and as Phil the bartender on Corner Gas and numerous other acting roles. He has been active in Saskatchewan’s theatre and music scenes for many years as an actor, director, singer and acoustic guitarist.

photos: SWG staff

Rodger Ross, owner operator of Creerunner Communications Ltd, has more than twenty-nine years in the film and video industry. He is Métis/Nehiyaw (Cree) and, although born and raised in Regina, he is a member of the

FREELANCE

APRIL-MAY 2012

SWG Readings

for fiction in 2010. He continues to write, travel the world and will be writer-in-residence at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary for four months later this year. The Blue Salon

Drew Hayden Taylor and Joely BigEagle

Drew Hayden Taylor Reading Author, award-winning playwright and journalist/columnist, Drew Hayden Taylor has worn many hats in his literary career. An Ojibway from the Curve Lake First Nations in Ontario, he entertained the crowd at the Regina Guild location with his Native humour that he is so famous for in his short-stories, novels, television scripts. He punctuated his autobiographic recounting with reading excerpts from his various works, which kept the audience in stitches of laughter. He has twenty-three books published and was nominated for the Governor General’s Award

The SWG’s first in the salon style meeting, took place on March 20, 2012 and featured Victoria teacher, poet and exRegina resident Tim Lilburn. The conversation lasted nearly two hours with Lilburn leading the discussion about poetry concerns, such as performance and transcription. A dozen people, from writers to dancers, listened and talked about various aspects of their own writing.

Tim Lilburn

Signature Reading Series The second Signature Reading Series of 2012 featured BC writer Frances Greenslade and Regina resident Anne McDonald. Greenslade, a former Regina resident, read from Shelter, her new novel that is quickly picking up speed and accolades in the literary world while McDonald wittily entertained the audience with readings from her book To the Edge of the Sea and over 35 formed a raucous chorus in a Canadian song.

Frances Greenslade photo: Melanie Siebert

photos: SWG staff

Call for Nominations 2012 Cheryl and Henry Kloppenburg Award for Literary Excellence This prestigious award was established in May 2010 by Cheryl and Henry Kloppenburg, lawyers by profession, but philanthropists at heart. It honours a Saskatchewan writer who has written a substantial body of acclaimed literary work with a prize of $10,000 and a painting by Saskatchewan artist Dorothy Knowles. The three Honorary Patrons of the Award are the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, the Mayor of the City of Saskatoon, and the President of the University of Saskatchewan. The presentation is made annually in Saskatoon in the fall hosted by the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild. Cheryl and Henry Kloppenburg present the award. Submissions for this award must be in the SWG office by 4:30 p.m. on June 29. Nominations Forms may be found on the SWG website at: www.skwriter.com/awards/the-cheryl-and-henry-kloppenburg-award-for-literary-excellence

APRIL-MAY 2012

FREELANCE

Writing North –“Writing the Extraordinary”: A Weekend of Literary Whimsy n January 20 and 21, 2012, amidst furious winds and thirty-below temperatures, four writers—Ray Hsu, David Bergen, Kevin Loring and Norman Nawrocki—descended upon Saskatoon to join Yvette Nolan. They came for the Writing North festival, an event taking place in a cavernous physics classroom at the University of Saskatchewan.

Yvette Nolan

This year’s festival, entitled The them of this year’s festival “Writing the Extraordinary,” was a sequel to last year’s, the first-ever Writing North, which attracted authors Patrick Lane, Kenneth Brown, Louise Halfe, and David Carpenter. “Writing the Extraordinary” marked an attempt to make the festival an annual event. The five writers originate from across Canada, from Vancouver and Winnipeg and Montreal as well as Saskatchewan. Just as they represented diverse geographies and cultural backgrounds, from First Nations to Chinese Canadian, they also represented different genres. Hsu is a poet; Bergen a novelist; Loring and Nolan playwrights; and Nawrocki a

FREELANCE

poet, essayist, and novelist. Together, the five embodied the gamut of contemporary Canadian writing. Despite the setting, the writers and the audience quickly grew comfortable with one another, and turned the classroom into a theatre for voices. On Friday the 20th, all five writers came together for a panel discussion, where each one addressed the notion of the “extraordinary”— what it is, how it’s experienced, and how it’s written. Each writer expressed his or her own perspective and then answered questions from the audience. From their styles to their writing approaches, the five writers were true individuals. Ray Hsu, with his fashionable glasses and hair coolly draped over his eyes, conveyed scholarly wisdom; David Bergen, tall, bespectacled, and with a deep, resonant voice, possesses a sense of humour drier than a prairie drought; Kevin Loring spoke with a unique mix of an actor’s energy and an author’s restraint, constantly standing and sitting down again; Yvette Nolan carried herself with the warmth and buoyancy one would expect from an experienced director and dramaturge; and Norman Nawrocki, with his impish grin and flashing blonde hair, was a manic force, hammering home his message of the importance of political awareness and dissent. The panel then ended, and after a dinner break, each writer gave a reading from their work. The full range of genres came into effect: Ray Hsu performed an early poem; David Bergen

read from a short story; Kevin Loring read from his Governor General’s Award-winning play Where the Blood Mixes; with the help of a theatre colleague, Nolan performed a scene from one of her plays; and Nawrocki told wonderful tales of anarchy. Each author stirred both laughter and contemplation in the audience. The readings then broke for the reception. The writers graciously interacted with audience members over coffee, tea and Nanaimo bars. Books were sold and autographed, anecdotes were exchanged, and, doubtless, advice was given. The writers then said goodnight and left to rest and prepare for the next day. On Saturday the 21st, the writers and their audience arrived at the school for nine-thirty a.m. Each writer led what was termed a “workshop.” The moniker was misleading, however. Poems were not corrected, stories were not critiqued, plays were not read aloud. Instead, each writer

Kevin Loring

photo: courtesy Kevin Loring

by Adam Pottle

APRIL-MAY 2012

spoke about the writing life: how they started, where their paths led them, what interesting things happened to them on the way, and how they ended up before the crowd at the University of Saskatchewan. The authors discussed individual works, how plays were workshopped, what authors catalyzed them, where they travelled to perform and to research, and, in some cases, how they had been persecuted for their writing. In particular, Nolan and Nawrocki talked about the perils of the writing life. Nolan described a death threat that had been left on her answering machine; and Nawrocki, still grinning impishly, told a story about receiving a punch from an audience member during a past performance. Despite these unsettling events, the writers stood before us, gleefully continuing their work. To be given a glimpse into one writer’s life is a rare and wonderful treat. Reading a poem or a novel or a play and then meeting and talking with the author provides not only a peek behind the scenes, it also reveals the artistic process, how the mill of the author’s

David Bergen

mind, equipped with its own idiosyncratic machinery, grinds out its products. Aspiring authors see examples of what they may become; established authors see themselves, and are comforted.

Norman Nawrocki

To be given a glimpse into the lives of five writers, then, is a feast for the mind, and the five authors who came to Saskatoon tickled the audience’s palate with a literary buffet. Individually and as a group, the five writers entertained and informed their audiences about the buoyancies, trials, and occasional dangers of writing. A simple but enduring message arose from this weekend of literary engagement: the writing must go on. Poems, books, and essays must continue to be written and read. Artistic organizations— such as the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild, the Saskatoon Writers’ Coop, and the Saskatchewan Native Theatre, all of which sponsored Writing North—must be supported. Individual voices must continue to flourish. This festival, like writing, is simply about freedom: the freedom to engage with stirring and even rebellious ideas; the freedom to convey those ideas openly and without muzzling; and the freedom to associate with a diverse range of people.

Ray Hsu

And for that reason, if for no other, the festival must continue. Adam Pottle is a Saskatoon writer whose work focuses on the dynamic aspects of disability.

photos: SWG staff

APRIL-MAY 2012

Partnering and generous support of this event is through the Interdisciplinary Centre for Culture and Creativity, University of Saskatchewan, Canada Council, Saskatchewan Native Theatre, Saskatoon Writers Coop, SaskCulture, Saskatchewan Lotteries and the Saskatchewan Arts Board.

FREELANCE

Freedom to Read: A Global Perspective “No one is Free when Others are Oppressed.” his anonymous quote was one of more than sixty that were projected on a wall at the Morrison Library in downtown Saskatoon for the Freedom to Read Week event Freedom to Read: A Global Perspective. The passages came from around the world, from authors defending banned books to public figures condemning oppression, emphasising the universal and timeless importance of the right to the freedom of expression. This ideology was given voice, body, and soul over the course of the event as it was discussed and dramatised by members of the local and liberal art communities. Phillip Adams, executive director of Sage Hill Writing Experience, provided opening statements. He introduced the concept of The Empty Chair, reserved for those who have been imprisoned or murdered

The Empty Chair

FREELANCE

for speaking against oppression, and emphasized that everyone should have freedom of expression as a human right. Saskatchewan playwright Yvette Nolan then raised the question, “Who silences who, and what does it mean?” She and four other local artists performed a reading that she wrote on the subject and its relationship to the repression and revolt within our own borders and around the world. The performers began with a ‘mic check,’ despite not having microphones, symbolically verifying that they had not been silenced. They recited a series of variations on the famous quote often attributed to Edmund Burke: “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” Their variations transformed the statement into one that is universal, referring first to “good men,” then “good women,” and then simply “good.” They invoked the idea that “We are all Khaled Said,” an Egyptian man who was tortured and murdered by police for expressing himself and became a symbol for a free Egypt and a free world. photo by Sage Hill

The reading then moved from freedom of speech to freedom to read, discussing Lawrence Hill’s award-winning novel The Book of

by Jordan Bolay

Negroes and the act of book burning. Ironically, Hill’s novel was re-titled Someone Knows My Name in the United States despite being based on the historical document called Book of Negroes, which is publically available, and was burned on several occasions. The act of burning a book was related to the Spanish Inquisition and the Fourth Reich, who both used the practice as an oppressive incitement of fear. Censorship was discussed on a more general level using the example of teaching history in the United States. The issue of American text books glorifying Christopher Columbus and exempting details of his oppression of the native inhabitants of the Americas is satirized by Yvette’s story of a game she plays with her students. Before teaching Columbus, she steals a student’s purse and claims it as her own (this game has been pre-planned with the student). Yvette is always challenged by the other students despite her humorous attempts at proving that the purse is in fact hers. She finishes by asking, “What if I said I discovered this purse as opposed to simply claiming it was mine?” The students don’t buy it, and Yvette uses their conclusion to encourage them to question Columbus’ own justification for colonization. From here the reading returns to literature, enumerating books that have been ironically challenged, banned, or burned. Among these are Fahrenheit 451, a novel about a dystopian not-so-distant future in which books are burned; The AdAPRIL-MAY 2012

ventures of Huckleberry Finn, banned for using the “n” word despite being an anti-racist novel; and the Harry Potter series, challenged for containing witchcraft even though it teaches equality on countless levels. The final book on the list, titled And Tango Makes Three, was read and dramatised by the group. Tango is a children’s story of a family of penguins in the Central Park Zoo. Unlike most of the other penguins, two of the penguins that love each other are both male and adopt a chic who grows up to be like any other penguin. The enactment of this story was humorous and heartwarming, but it also reminded the audience of the problems in our society and the reason for Freedom to Read Week. This book was widely challenged for introducing children to homosexuality. The performers concluded with a group chant, invoking the United Nation’s Declaration of Human Rights statement that anyone may express themselves freely through any medium. Although we are thankful to live in a nation where freedom of expression is a given right, there are still countless attempts made to restrain that freedom, such as challenging books like Tango that do not preach hate but simply strive to pass on a message. It is this sharing of ideas that is the central purpose of Freedom to Read Week. In a time of political unrest and intensifying censorship, it is of the utmost importance that we exercise our freedom of expression and speak out for those who have been stripped of that freedom. Jordan Bolay is an amateur writer currently completing an Honours degree in English at the U of S and hopes to one day be a professor of English literature. APRIL-MAY 2012

Freedom by Wes Funk

ver the years, I have presented many readings for Saskatoon Pride Week at the McNally-Robinson’s Annual Gay Latté Event. These have always been highly animated and rewarding gigs. These were evenings when a person literally felt the positive energy in the sweet summer air. But in mid-February 2012, I performed at another awareness, anti-bullying lit’ occasion at Lydia’s Pub one fantastic Sunday evening. The evening was appropriately titled The Eat Your Heart Out Judy Garland Queer Arts Festival, as Judy was known for having husbands who’d ended up being gay (three of them to be exact). The gig was extremely well-attended and a big success. It was standing room only! The readings (by both emerging and established authors) were honest, frank, tragic, funny and explicit. I loved it. It was such a great night that I didn’t want it to end! As I walked home, it occurred to me that we are a very fortunate society that we could be put on such a broad-minded function. A few days after this, on my 43rd birthday, I received affirmation that the performance was a landmark moment. My partner took me out for supper at a nearby Mexican restaurant and the young pretty waitress who served us enthusiastically informed me she knew who I was and was familiar with my work. She was adorable as she set down my mug of beer and gleefully spilled out that she’d been in the crowd at Lydia’s a few nights before and was enamoured by my presentation. That waitress got a good tip that night! Quite ironically, shortly after this, I was asked to be one of

the presenters at the Saskatoon Public Libraries’ Freedom to Read event. This was to be at the Frances Morrison Library where local ‘celebrities’ are brought in to put on a performance on the importance of literature, literacy, and freedom of speech. Yvette Nolan, the current Writer-in-Residence at the downtown library dropped me a line and told me she was the go-to person of the event and that she was equally stoked about it. A couple weeks before this gig, I asked Yvette if she would come on my talkshow Lit Happens and pump up Freedom to Read. My interview with her made for an exquisite episode—she turned out to be a highly engaging, well-spoken guest. This was one of the segments of the show where I really wasn’t even needed. We could have put Yvette on the set and simply let her speak! I believe she enlightened a lot of viewers that day, as she talked of how many journalists are imprisoned all across the world for simply doing their job and how there are still book-burning parties in may corners of the planet. That taping of Lit Happens had a profound affect on me and I decided right there in the studio that I would make this woman proud of me. That she would be so grateful that she chose me to be one of the presenters. The Freedom to Read event itself was great. I was teamed up with four other characters from Saskatoon’s creative community, making a cast of five diverse personalities from all walks of life. Yvette had penned a powerful script which we all stood at music stands and read from. The crowd was not huge, but the expressions on their faces told me they were truly engaged in what we were doing. Throughout the 40-minute skit,

FREELANCE

Ah, but I digress. The essence of what I would like to say here

FREELANCE

photos by Sage Hill

the cast-members all bantered with each other about the numerous books which have raised controversy over the years, including one of my all-time favourites The Catcher in the Rye! Other well-known works were discussed in the production—To Kill a Mockingbird, The Book of Negroes and the Harry Potter series. Because these books were all connected with some sort of controversy, they have all been banned at different points in time and in various societies. This is ironic as Harry Potter has done more for literacy than any other book in the world and Catcher is one of the most read novels of all time! Even Diary of Anne Frank has endured its share of controversy. Certain education systems have removed the book from their curriculums because the powers-that-be claim the book is ‘too much of a downer.’ Well… my thought is—the story is about a spirited little girl trying to overcome unbelievably cruel acts and adversity—the book should be a downer. Duh! The much-loved children’s book Tango Makes Three has survived enormous hatred by some readers because the story implies that there is a great possibility that a portion of the penguin population could actually be gay. Well… how immoral is that? Gay birds—my word!

Wes Funk, Arron Naytowhow, Sharon Bakker, Yvette Nolan at Freedom to Read event Frances Morrison Library, Saskatoon

is that I am hugely grateful that I live in a country where I have always been free to write what I want. As I left the library’s gallery after the event that day, I couldn’t help but beam as I strolled past the display of books one of the staff had so carefully setup. It was an exhibit of wellknown works which have shone brightly despite the enormous controversy around them. I was elated to see all my own titles right there beside Catcher in the Rye. In recent years, Wes Funk has taken his writing from a closeted hobby to a passionate sideline. His goal is to use his talent to educate people on diversity in Saskatchewan, while making readers laugh at the same time (or at least attempting to).

Manuscript Evaluation Service Open to all Saskatchewan writers at all levels of development, this professional assessment service (not editing) for unpublished work provides advice on steps to further develop your manuscript and on marketing and publicity. For complete details and fees visit: www.skwriter.com/ programs-and-services/manuscript-evaluation-service

APRIL-MAY 2012

Career and Work Exploration 30 lliece Ramsey is a Grade 12 student at Sheldon-Williams Collegiate, participating in a placement through the Career and Work Exploration 30 elective program. The class began in February, when students examined their interests and career aspirations and researched what organizations might suit them. Mary Kodas is a Learning Leader for this program at S h e l d o n - Wi l l i a m s. She looked at the options available to nurture Elliece’s writing skills. Elliece has had a long-held interest in creative writing and was one of the young voices selected for CBC Saskatchewan’s Youth Writing Com-

petition last year. The placement was for five afternoons a week for one month. Elliece chose the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild. She is surprised at how much work there is to be done and how few people there are to do the work. She developed a curiosity about the arts administration end of things and received hands-on experience of the everyday aspects of the job. Elliece now has a better understanding about what a non-profit cultural association does! She’s kept a record of the tasks assigned and will participate in information exchange with her classmates between placements.

photos by SWG staff

“It’s a great program and I’m happy to be a part of it. I’ve enjoyed my time at the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild,” she says. Her career choices are open-ended, but she would consider studying Arts Administration further. We’ve enjoyed having Elliece’s youthful enthusiasm and work ethic. Thanks Elliece, Ms. Kodas and Sheldon-Williams Collegiate.

A Celebration of National Poetry Month Join the SWG celebration of National Poetry Month with readings by Saskatchewan’s Poet Laureate Don Kerr and Regina poet Bruce Rice The Lieutenant Governor, Her Honour the Honourable Vaughn Schofield will be in attendance.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012, 7:30 p.m.

Government House 4607 Dewdney Avenue, Regina Open to the public. Admission is free and everyone is welcome. Please RSVP to Christopher Dove at 306-787-4063 or cdove@ltgov.sk.ca Don Kerr Born in Saskatoon Saskatchewan in 1936, Don Kerr studied and received a BA Honours in English from the University of Saskatchewan. After successfully finishing an MA from the University of Toronto, he headed to London, England to study. After a short stint in England, Kerr moved home to Saskatoon and began teaching English and Drama at the University of Saskatchewan. Throughout his lengthy career as a teacher and writer, he has written numerous books of poetry and many plays. His recent book Wind Thrashing Your Heart (Hagios Press) has been shortlisted for the Award for Poetry for Saskatchewan Book Awards. Bruce Rice Bruce Rice has published four books of poetry. His first book, Daniel (Cormorant) received the prestigious Canadian Author’s Association Award for poetry. He received a Saskatchewan Book Award for The Illustrated Statue of Liberty (Coteau). His most recent collection, Life in the Canopy, was shortlisted for Saskatchewan Book of the Year in 2009. An excerpt was also shortlisted for the CBC Literary Awards. Rice writes about community, reclaiming the voices of those who live on the margins, and how we are transformed by landscape and our footprints on it.

APRIL-MAY 2012

FREELANCE

Recap of Talking Fresh 10

alking Fresh is a writer’s festival organized each year by the SWG. This year, events were held at the MacKenzie Art Gallery on March 2-3 and focused on the theme of “Projecting the Novel: Books and Film.” The presenters included Alison Pick, who has written two novels optioned for film, Gail Bowen, whose Joanne Kilbourn series has been adapted into a series of television movies, Nino Ricci, whose 1990 novel Lives of the Saints was made into a television miniseries, and Karen Walton, who writes widely for

into films but each payment she earned from the options allowed her to continue working on her writing. Alison said she expected nothing to come of the film option and instead immersed herself in working on new projects. She suggested that the best film adaptations are those that exist as a work of art separate from the book, and noted that even in great beauty, there is letting go.

by Cassidy McFadzean

ity. Besides the economic benefits of having her work adapted, she spoke candidly about visiting the set and observing the many cast and crew members hired to make her novel come to life. She quoted Louis Begley’s statement that in watching an adaptation, a book’s themes seem “rather like melodies transposed into a different key.” Nino Ricci’s workshop, “How I Sold My Soul to Sophia Loren: The Sequel” offered a different perspective on adaptation. Nino emphasized the monetary benefit of having Lives of the Saints novel adapted into a television miniseries. Nino, the only presenter who had attempted to adapt his own novel, described the trials of learning how to write a screenplay. It was a process he found difficult, and the studio eventually went with a different screenwriter. Nino described how the many parties providing financing to a film often lead to creative compromises that can diminish the artistic integrity of the work. He spoke about how writers and producers had created a prominent role for Sophia Loren even when this meant drastically altering the crucial plot and themes of the

Gail Bowen’s workshop, “The Cheques Always Cleared: A Novelist’s Adventures in the Amazing World of TV Production,” focused on the adaptation of six of Gail’s Joanne Kilbourn books into television movies. To begin her discussion, Gail Talking Fresh 10 Panel: Gail Bowen, Alison Pick, screened ten Moderator Will Dixon minutes of television and film. The writers the television version of A Killstarted off the weekend with a ing Spree followed by a short panel discussion and Q & A folreading of the actual novel. The lowed by a red carpet reception differences were immediately and public readings. clear; while Gail’s novel had featured characters of varied Alison Pick started off Saturday physical appearances morning with her workshop, and focused on the “Uncertain Gifts: One Writer’s theme of not making Take on Being Optioned for judgments, the movFilm.” Alison spoke about her ie had transformed experiences in having her two many characters into novels, The Sweet Edge and Far conventionally attracto Go, optioned for film. Alison tive prototypes. While explained that a film option buys Gail expressed disapthe film producer a block of expointment at these clusive time to create a screendifferences, she felt play and does not guarantee the the adaptations nonebook will ever be made into a theless treated her film. In Alison’s experience, her books’ themes with books did not end up being made respect and sensitivAnn Campbell, Nino Ricci, Donna Boyle

FREELANCE

APRIL-MAY 2012

all photos: Dale Williams Photography Talking Fresh 10 Panel: Karen Walton, Nino Ricci

story. Nino spoke as a writer who had taken much inspiration from cinema, who found it thrilling to see his book recreated in the flesh, but who found the final product to be a bit of a letdown. Karen Walton concluded the day with her workshop, “Adaptables: the difference between Translation to Screens versus Adaptation.” Karen has penned many screenplays both for TV shows such as Flashpoint and movies such as Ginger Snaps, and gave an insider’s view into the world of adaptation. She confirmed that television writers often resemble the room of poorly groomed men depicted in 30 Rock, and said that film screenplays depend on budget, time, scope, and scale. In addition to explaining what a screenplay is and the differences between film writing and television writing, Karen gave insight into her own process of adapting a book into a film. It was clear that Karen’s adaptations are ruled by her love of literature, her respect for novelists, and her enthusiasm for each project. Overall, I found this year’s Talking Fresh incredibly inspiring and educational. The writers seemed to reach a consensus that film

APRIL-MAY 2012

adaptation can result in financial benefits, increased popularity of a title, and the wonder of seeing characters brought to life. Writers should be aware, however, of artistic compromises that may result from having a book adapted into a film or television miniseries.

Joan Olson, June Mitchell

Sandra Birdsell

Kelly-Anne Riess

Thanks to our Sponsors:

Celia Overend, first prize winner of the Red Carpet Reception

FREELANCE

The GG and Beyond “

ery surprising and exciting,” is how Dianne Warren describes her 2010 win of the Governor General’s award for her novel, Cool Water. She knew about the award a few weeks before the official announcement but was told not to tell a soul. “I did tell my husband but no one else, although I called my kids and my mother from Montreal the night before the announcement,” she says.

by Shirley Byers

collections. One of those, A Reckless Moon was a Globe and Mail top 100 book in 2002. She won the Marion Engel Award for a woman writer in mid-career in 2004. Cool Water is her first novel. Besides winning the 2010 GG, it was long-listed for the Giller prize. Currently at work on her second novel, Warren lives in Regina with her husband,

“I always wanted to be a writer but I was interested in visual art too. I was writing during my years as an art student,” she says. Her first stories were published in the early 1980s. She’s since published three short story

FREELANCE

“Although the novel is contemporary,” Warren says, “the shadows of the past are present in the story and in the physical setting. I wanted to deal with the reality of today, but build in what I call the burden of inheritance.” In her daily life, not much has changed since winning the top prize in Canadian literature, she says.

The event was a formal affair that included the actual presentation and then a reception at Rideau Hall. “They made us feel as though it was the event of the year, even though I’m sure they do something equally lovely at Rideau Hall every second night. One of the best things was receiving a customdesigned hand bound leather copy of Cool Water. It’s fabulous.” Dianne Warren was born in Ottawa, a mistake of geography—she says, since Saskatchewan is really the only place she knows well. Her roots are in Saskatchewan soil. Her grandparents homesteaded north of Swift Current, a city she still considers her home town. She studied visual art at the University of Regina.

a single day, the novel explores the ordinary/not so ordinary lives of a dozen of the town’s people.

“I didn’t quit my day job, [as Art & Learning Consultant at the Sask Arts Board] and I still have to do the hard work of writing the next book. What has changed is the interest in my work, although I’m wellaware that that is always a fleeting thing. The chance of getting lasting recognition is about the same as winning a big lottery pot, and I think it’s smart to keep that in mind.”

photo: Don Hall

visual artist Bruce Anderson. They have two sons.

Canadian sales of Cool Water have increased and she’s had some foreign sales. It will be released in the U.S. in July 2012.

A literary writer, she says, “My style is pretty straightforward and unadorned, although I do like visual images and use them to create structure and meaning. There are a lot of visual echoes in my writing.”

“I think more reviews is the main thing,” she says. “It’s hard to get a book reviewed and the awards certainly help with that. The awards also draw the attention of booksellers, book clubs and book bloggers, and it’s easier for agents to sell the rights outside of Canada if a book has won an award.”

Cool Water is set in the fictitious community of Juliet, in Southwestern Saskatchewan. Taking place over the course of

“I think I’ve had one person stop me and ask if I’m the writer of Cool Water, and even that was a surprise. Writers don’t make

APRIL-MAY 2012

very good celebrities anyway so that’s likely a good thing. Most writers that I know are not particularly gregarious, outgoing people. We tend to spend a lot of time alone. It’s the nature of writing.” Her family is definitely proud. “My kids text me photos of my book in various book stores across the country and I fear my mother has been bragging in Swift Current, but that’s what mothers do.” Both writing and non-writing friends have been great, she says. “My writing friends know how this business works and that there are lots of good books published in a year. I don’t mean to say that I was just lucky, but really, a different jury and

the award would have gone to someone else. That’s just the way it is and we all know that. So we’re going to be happy for each other when things go our way.”

And the best part about winning the Governor General’s award is? “The serious attention paid to my writing after many years of plugging away at this business.”

Does winning a GG change the way a writer feels about her writing? Is there a sense of having “arrived?” Or is there more pressure to succeed?

Shirley Byers is the author of two books and many articles published in North American magazines and newspapers such as Prairie Books Now, Prairies North, Small Farm Canada and Christian Science Monitor.

“I suppose I do feel more pressure to get the next book done. I’m not a fast writer and I like the process of revision. For me, that’s when the most exciting things happen to the writing so I don’t want to rush it. Of course I’m happy about the win, thrilled, but the job of writing is still the same.

SWG Professional Development Series The Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild Professional Development series encompasses the business of writing from the legal, financial, and technological aspects to publishing, marketing and promotion. One phase of the series is offered in-person for the entire month of May, consisting of four two-hour workshops in Regina and Saskatoon.

Regina

saskatoon

May 9 Archiving Linda McIntyre

May 9 Archiving Nadine Charabin

May 16 Contracts May 16 Contracts Patricia Warsaba, Q. C. TBA May 23 Marketing May 23 Digital Deb Rush Storytelling Nova Alberts May 30 Digital Storytelling May 30 Marketing Nova Alberts Suzanne Paschall

Workshop Fee: SWG Members $25 for one; $85 for four. Non-members $35 for one; $120 for four Registrations can be made online at www.skwriter.com/home/302 or by contacting Milena the SWG Administrative Assistant at 7917740 or info@skwriter.com. For more information please contact Tracy Hamon at 791-7743 or programs@skwriter.com.

APRIL-MAY 2012

Since 1937 the Governor General’s Literary Awards have been presented annually to the best English-language and French-language books in each of the seven categories of Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Children’s Literature (text), Children’s Literature (illustration), and Translation (from French to English, and from English to French. The awards were created by Lord Tweedsmuir, a prolific writer and author of The Thirty-Nine Steps, a suspense novel which was later made into an Alfred Hitchcock movie. In 1957 the awards were put under the administration of the Canada Council for the Arts. From then on a cash prize was awarded to the winners and in 2007, it was increased to $25,000. During her tenure from 1999 to 2005, Adrienne Clarkson began to obtain copies of every Governor General’s Literary Award winning book from fairs and second hand shops for the governor general’s study. As of 2004 there remained only two titles unrepresented.

FREELANCE

The Creative Crossroads of the Americas! San Miguel Writers’ Conference and Literary Festival, 2012: A literary journey for writers and readers

by R.P. MacIntyre

mid that lengthy title, they may have thrown in the words “marathon and history lesson” as well, for it was all those things. Sustained over four full days (plus a week or so of special classes if you wanted to attend—and had the money), the event included forty-two concurrent workshops, seven general addresses (including Merilyn Simonds and Naomi Wolf), three keynote addresses (featuring Margaret Atwood and Elena Ponistowska), daily breakfasts, lunches, author readings, individual consultations, agent pitch sessions and two BIG parties plus a play (Carol Lampert’s “The Dorothy Parker”). Cost: $495 USD. Really, it was a bargain, because the town of San Miguel de Allende was free, and what a place! In the thin, clear air, two kilometers above sea level, the town was founded by a monk (almost everything post-Columbian

Mexico is founded by a monk) Brother Juan de Miguel. It became a distribution centre for the silver mines of Guanajuato, sixty kilometres away, and at its peak, Guanajuato produced 65 per cent of Spain’s wealth. Spain marshaled a strict class hierarchy in those days, and if you were not in fact born in Spain, you were Criollo or worse and treated as such which gave rise to the first war of independence. One of its leaders, Ignacio Allende, came from San Miguel. Even though Ignacio was executed before Mexico achieved its independence, his home is now a museum on the original town square, immediately adjacent to a church that is a cross-pollination of the baroque and neo-classic architecture in red, iridescent stone. The town was virtually abandoned around 1900 after the collapse of its silver industry but was declared a heritage site by the Mexican Government in 1910 trying to

photo by R.P. MacIntyre

FREELANCE

attract tourists to its untouched architecture. In the 1950s, United States ex-servicemen were able to use their GI Bill for educational purposes at the newly founded Allende Arts Institute and today many of San Miguel’s inhabitants are families of those GIs and help make up a goodly portion of the town’s 68,000 souls. The Conference has reached a tipping point: from 85 full registrants a year ago, the organizers stopped accepting registrations at 217 this year. Many participants were partial registrants and the main ball room crammed 800 people in to hear Margaret Atwood’s keynote address, “Writing and Hope”. She did not disappoint. Her droll, self-deprecating wit (Margaret, with her brillo-pad hair, is her own selfconfessed hairdresser) mixed politics with poetry—“why else do we write if not in hope that someone will publish it, that someone will read it?” A footnote to Margaret Atwood’s presence in San Miguel: A truly international literary celebrity, she was apparently having lunch with member of the Canadian Embassy at a hotel directly across from the revolutionary Allende’s house in the town square. Here, a small demonstration of activists were protesting a Canadian mining company’s activity on ground sacred to some local indigenous people and the Canadian Government’s apparent lack of concern. The protestors, about twenty in all, brandished what appeared to be large leaves, maybe banana APRIL-MAY 2012

or type of palm. They held them aloft. I was not able to find out what they were or what they signified. When pressed about this issue on a panel she and the two other keynote speakers participated in (the session lasted almost a full two hours—probably the best consecutive two hours of the whole four days) she responded, (I paraphrase) “Shouldn’t they be protesting the Mexican government? Canada has no power in Mexico and what its government allows foreign mining companies to do.” Atwood’s fellow keynoters Joy Harjo and Elena Poniatowska reflected similar sentiments in their own ways. Joy Harjo, a first nations poet from Colorado, “released her fears” through her poetry which was amazing enough, but when she picked up her alto saxophone and started blowing, she blew us all away as well. “Americans” are not merely citizens of the United States,” she observed, “but all the people of both continents.” Elena Poniatowska may well be Mexico’s Margaret Atwood. Her books on the Mexican revolution—particularly women’s roles in it—are all widely read and exist in many languages. She is revered for her writing, her passion and the size of her heart—not to mention her longevity. Although the conference was translated simultaneously into Spanish or English, and although she writes in Spanish, she presented in English and her litany of Spanish-writing writers past was a tribute to the tradition in that language and shored up what might have appeared to be top-heavy on the English-

APRIL-MAY 2012

photo by R.P. MacIntyre

speaking writers’ side. When asked what her advice might have been to her fifteen-year-old self, she thought briefly then answered with the full weight of her aging voice, “Why did you not love yourself?” An already hushed house was moved to tears. And cheers. Other highlights had to include Canada’s Merilyn Simonds whose general address, “A Writer’s Place,” concluded, “Books remain landmarks of a writer’s place—we are passing through.” Naomi Wolf, whose topic of “Writing Riskily: Taking a Stand Within Your Prose,” was all about advocacy and activism. She confided that in her house, everyone “is entitled to their opinion”—including her young son who mistook the word “opinion” for “penguin.” So, in Naomi Wolf’s house, everyone is “entitled to their penguin.”

If you’re only ever able to attend one conference in your lifetime, I’d recommend the San Miguel.

Rod MacIntyre is a full-time fiction writer and editor. He travels extensively performing readings and presenting workshops.

At the conference I met people from all across the Americas, including Bolivia and Argentina, but most notably, a neighbour from Northern Saskatchewan, Myrna Guymer. I believe we were the only two from “home.” We’re likely to return.

FREELANCE

Your Opinion Matters - SWG Surveys Elliece Ramsey

he best way to find out what someone thinks is to ask them, so that is just what we did when it came to our programs and services. Recently, we have been sending out surveys requesting feedback on the programs that we run. The responses help us to know what our members value, as well as what improvements can be made. The questions focus on our members’ experiences with the programs. In one survey, participants were asked to prioritize the programs, while another asked about the elements of the workshops that were liked or disliked. Specifics about workshop

topics, times and sizes were also included, to provide us with the best possible view of what our members are looking for. A survey specifically for youth was also sent out, seeking answers to the question, “What do youth really want?” From the responses, we can better gauge what young writers in our community are seeking and how we can help them to develop their skills. The Guild already offers the youth publication Windscript, but this survey also suggests other possible ideas such as events specifically for young people, or providing ways for writers to connect using tech-

nology, as kids are wont to do today. The first of these surveys was about the Short Manuscirpt Awards and how valuable they are to our members and in what ways they would be best run. The answers that we receive to these surveys are very important. We would like to thank our members for taking the time to give us your feedback. If you wish to contribute your opinion, the current surveys can be found www.surveymonkey.com/s/DS5DJ2R (topic: SWG Workshops) and www. surveymonkey.com/s/DRJLSHD (topic: SWG Programs).

SWG Summer Retreats The Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild offers two summer retreats: • June 8-22 Spring Valley Guest Ranch • June 29-July 27 St. Peter’s Abbey Cost is $300 per week for Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild or CARFAC SASK members (Saskatchewan Residents), $475 (Out of Province residents, members of SWG or CARFAC SASK) or $550 per week (Out of Province residents, non-members of SWG or CARFAC SASK). Deadline for receipt of applications is 4:30 pm, April 20. Please send completed applications to: Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild, Attention Retreat Coordinator, Box 3986, Regina, SK, S4P 3R9. To apply online please visit website. For more information, please contact the retreat coordinator at skretreats@skwriter.com

Retreat Registration and Fee Payment Change: Please note the new payment procedure when applying for a retreat. You will no longer be required to prepay retreat fees with your application. After the adjudication process, only applicants who have been accepted to attend a retreat will be invoiced for their fees by the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild. Payment will be due two weeks prior to the start of the retreat, and may be submitted by cheque, PayPal or credit card (phoned in to the SWG office). Non-payment of fees before the deadline will result in rejection of your application, without exception. A non-refundable late fee of $35 will apply to all applications received after the application deadline, and will be payable at the time of retreat fee payment.

FREELANCE

APRIL-MAY 2012

Freelance Policy and Submission Guidelines This is the newly developed written policy and submission guidelines regarding the publication of Freelance. Please use this handy pull-out section as a resource for assisting you in submitting material. This information is also available on the Guild website: www.skwriter.com/publications/freelance Since 1973, Freelance has been the voice of the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild. An indispensable community-building link for writers living in every corner of the province, Freelance is provided free to all Guild members in good standing, partner organizations, associates, funders and sponsors.

As readings and activities are of a timely nature and unlikely to be published before dates and deadlines, these announcements are not accepted for Freelance. However, they are published in Ebriefs, our weekly electronic news bulletin. Please contact communications@skwriter.com for more information or to submit an item.

Freelance provides our membership with a wealth of information on SWG programs, writing markets and resources, national issues and advocacy, monthly literary events around the province, members’ new books, as well as literary news, articles, profiles, reports, classifieds, and much more.

Specific word count requirements vary according to the type of material submitted (article, column, reports, announcements, etc.) as noted below. Opinions expressed in contributed materials are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the SWG.

As an integral part of Guild member services, Freelance publishes information about members and their books free of charge in the Members News and Books by Members sections. SWG members are encouraged to submit career and new book updates. Proposals for articles about the craft, people, issues and business of writing, opinion pieces and reports on events and activities are also welcome. Freelance is funded through the annual programming budget of the Guild and with advertising revenues. The Communications Coordinator serves as Managing Editor of Freelance. Freelance is published six times per year in magazine form (8 ½ x 11, saddle stitched, 40-44 pages, black and white, ISSN 0705-1379) and is also available on the SWG website. SUBMISSIONS CRITERIA FOR CONTRIBUTORS Submissions to Freelance are chosen for publication based on readership interest, relevance, timeliness and quality. Submissions must be received by the deadline for copy published on the inside page of every issue of Freelance and must follow the Guild’s standard submission formats outlined below. While Freelance does consider unsolicited materials, contributors are encouraged to send a query prior to submitting their work.

APRIL-MAY 2012

We do not accept poetry or fiction at this time. This includes using poetry or fiction within other submissions, except for short quotes. Profanity, obscene or offensive material in submissions will not be published unless it is part of direct quotations and there is a compelling reason for them. Articles may be edited for style, length, and clarity at the discretion of the Managing Editor. All submissions are published at the discretion of the Managing Editor. Paid contributions to Freelance require contracts in accordance with the Arts Professions Act. SUBMISSION FORMATS To submit material by email, attach a separate word-processed text file in Word format (doc or docx) in a font size of 12-point (Arial or Times New Roman), with single-spaced, left-justified paragraphs without indents. Leave one blank line between paragraphs. Small notices may be submitted in the body of the email. Do not send announcements in a PDF format only (e.g. event poster, invitations, etc). Text information is essential.

FREELANCE

Send electronic submissions to communications@skwriter.com with “Submission for Freelance” in the subject line. Hard copies of manuscripts must be doublespaced on single-sided white paper using 12-point (Arial or Times New Roman) font size, in order to have the cleanest possible original for scanning. Additional standard formatting guidelines for submitting printed manuscripts are available on the Guild website: www.skwriter.com/ rsu_docs/34_publishing/formatting-manuscripts. pdf. Mail to the SWG Regina office: Box 3986, Regina, SK S4P 3R9. DESCRIPTIONS AND WORD COUNT: Articles: 500-1,200 words. Longer articles or reports will be edited for length or may be serialized in collaboration with the writer. Books by Members: Up to 150 words, plus a colour digital photo/scan of the book cover (see photograph guidelines). Include publisher name, ISBN number and brief author bio. Web links to author websites, blogs or book trailers may also be included. If you wish your book to be displayed in the Guild library, please forward a copy to the SWG Regina office. Columns/Series: Approx. 1,000 words each and run for three to six issues (six months to one year duration of Freelance) or longer. Columns and series are about a particular subject, usually a genre or focused aspect of writing, and can be written by one or several contributors. Letters to the Editor/Open Letters: Up to 500 words. An unsolicited letter commenting on previous material in Freelance, or issues affecting writers, the writing community, or the arts. Letters must be signed and submitted in advance of the copy deadline published in each issue of Freelance. Personal attacks or inaccurate, misleading, or defamatory statements will not be published. The management of the SWG may, at its discretion, publish a rebuttal or response to letters published in Freelance. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Freelance and its publisher, the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild, reserve the right to refuse publication of any letters and/or to respond

FREELANCE

to letters in a manner it judges most appropriate to the circumstances. When sending a letter please remember that Freelance is the public face of the SWG to potential members, funders, sponsors and on the national stage. Discussions, questions, complaints involving the operations of the Guild or Board actions are best addressed by a letter written directly to the Board or the Executive Director. Member News: 100 words. Announcements of members’ good news, awards, new books and other accomplishments. Include web links to author websites, blogs or book trailers. Photographs of the individual may also be included, subject to space. (See photograph guidelines.) Obituary Notices and Remembrances: 500-750 words. Calls inviting submissions for recollections or tributes are made, assigned and selected by the Managing Editor. Accompanying photographs may also be considered with appropriate permissions. (See photograph guidelines.) Reports: 750-1,000 words. Reports are usually written by board or staff members following an event or planned activity as an account on a particular occasion, or to impart information on an issue or decision, although they may also be assigned. Reports on events, activities, and newsworthy celebrations outside the Guild programming are also welcome and may be accepted, assigned or solicited. Viewpoints: 500-750 words. Opinion pieces and commentary about any topic involving writing or culture that falls within Freelance’s editorial vision. Viewpoints do not necessarily reflect the editorial viewpoint of Freelance. PHOTOGRAPH GUIDELINES: Acceptance of photographs and the number of photographs to accompany articles will be at the discretion of the Managing Editor after vetting for quality and suitability at the time of publication. PHOTOGRAPH SUBMISSION FORMATS: To be considered for publication, digital photographs accompanying articles must be high resolution (minimum 300 dpi) in one of the following

APRIL-MAY 2012

formats: jpg, tiff, or png. Photographs must be titled for attribution and identification. Original photographs in good condition may be submitted for scanning and will be returned. Please ensure that you have copies of photographs submitted as the SWG cannot be responsible for lost original material. Colour photos will be printed in colour on the web version of Freelance and in black and white in the print version. The Freelance Managing Editor may perform minor photo editing for sharpness, cropping, background cleanup, red-eye, etc. Publicity shots may be cropped. Please include a short caption identifying the subjects, date and location of the photograph. Images will be credited to the photographer’s name. PERMISSIONS: The photographer’s consent must be obtained in writing wherever possible for all photographs submitted, including those taken by the writer of an article and those of an archival nature. In compliance with privacy laws, signed SWG photographic release forms from subjects and/or other necessary permissions for use of photographs must be submitted with the photographs. SWG photographic release forms are available on the SWG website at www.skwriter.com/publications/Freelance. PAYMENT SCHEDULE: The payment for materials published in Freelance is 10 cents per word. Articles up to 500 words will be paid a minimum of $50 to a limit of $200 for articles of 2,000 words or more. Unsolicited articles will be paid at edited length; articles assigned will be paid at their contracted length. Payment for photographs is $25 each. Reprints of text and photographs are paid at the same rate as first rights materials. No payment is made for reports or photographs submitted by staff, board members, or any content submitted to Books by Members, Member News or Letters to the Editor and Open Letters. Author publicity photos or illustrations used on

APRIL-MAY 2012

the cover of Freelance to promote upcoming events for the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild are not paid. Payments are made after publication, according to the contract between the contributor and the SWG. If there are any changes to contracted word length, the contributor will be required to submit an invoice for the new payment amount. Contributors who wish to donate part or all of the payment for their work to the Guild or the SWG Foundation may indicate their intent on the contract. COPYRIGHT: 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 right/use only. Permissions will be sought for any material selected for reprinting. Payments for first time and reprint materials are made according to current Freelance rates. Unless otherwise agreed to in writing, the SWG will license only those rights indicated in the agreement between the contributor and the SWG. These rights include the right to present the work on the SWG website for a period of one year; the right to store the work for use in production and for legal purposes; and the right to keep the work available in digital form as part of the SWG’s electronic archive in perpetuity. All rights not specifically licensed to the SWG remain the contributor’s exclusively. Rights licensed to the SWG are non-transferable. Where a submission is rejected or the assignment terminated prior to publication, all rights revert to the contributor, who may submit the work elsewhere for publication. The creator retains the copyright in the work, whether or not it is published. ADVERTISING: Freelance accepts classified ads, display ads and inserts. All advertising must be submitted ready for publication with high resolution images (minimum 300 dpi) in one of the following formats: jpg, tiff, png or PDF. Freelance is distributed in

FREELANCE

print form (in black and white) and online in colour as a PDF and Flash Flip.

per issue. SWG members may place one 25-word ad free of charge each year.

Display Ads

Inserts Pre-printed insert rates are $150 plus binding charges. The Guild does not design inserts. Inserts must be of a suitable format and size to be saddle-stitched into the centre of an 8 1/2 by 11 inch magazine.

$150 $100 $ 50 $ 35 $ 25

Full Page Half page, Quarter page Eighth page Business card

Ad Format Freelance uses a 3-column layout, with a full column depth of 9½ inches. A single column is 2 1/8 inches in width; the three-column width is 6 3/4 inches. Bleeds are not permissible. Full page—7” horizontal by 9 ½” vertical Half page—7” horizontally by 4 ¾” vertical, or 3½” horizontal by 9½” vertical Quarter page—3½” horizontal by 4¾” vertical Other sizes between those given above are acceptable (as long as they fit the column width) and will be charged at the rate of $10.50 per column inch.

FREELANCE

198

2000

1975

1994

For more information or to email ads please contact Jan Morier at: communications@skwriter. com or mail to Freelance, c/o SWG, P.O. Box 3986, Regina, SK S4P 3R9 or by phone at 306791-7746 www.skwriter.com

1969

Classified ads Classified ads cost 20 cents per word (plus GST)

It is advisable to make inserting arrangements at least six weeks in advance of the issue date and to send a sample or mock-up of the insert before arrangements are finalized to ensure that the insert is suitable to our production processes. The number of inserts required must be confirmed at the time insert arrangements are made (currently 450). Inserts must be in the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild Regina office by the fifteenth of the month preceding issue date. SWG members receive a 25 per cent discount.

APRIL-MAY 2012

Prairie Quills Writers’ Group The group members reside in Swift Current and District. Prairie Quills is one of twentyone SWG Writers’ Groups which are flourishing and supporting their members and the community around them. Freelance: Tell me how your group began. Dianne Miller: In 2001 Madelon Smid, author of Smart Women came to live at Saskatchewan Landing and began to offer writing courses at Cypress Hills Regional College. Several members of her first class were motivated to form a group designed to support each other’s writing efforts. Freelance: Great name, I hear you’re well-known in your neighbourhood. Madelon A. Smid (MAS): In 2005 a brainstorming session of the group resulted in our name Prairie Quills. In 2006 Prairie Quills in association with the Swift Current Library began Listening Circle and over the next 5 years provided over 50 reading events with over 40 authors from the southwest involved. Anthea Loran: In 2009 our members made the decision to take our writing to the many seniors in assisted living venues who now found it too difficult to come out to public events. We wished to give back to the community which has supported us in our writing endeavours. I act as liaison between the various senior facilities and our group. Freelance: Describe the kind of work you do among your membership. MAS: Because writers often work alone with little encouragement, it is important for them to have a platform from which to

APRIL-MAY 2012

Back row L to R: Norman Krell, Joyce Oleson, Justin, Peggy Worrell, Ken Christopher and Ron Welgan. Front row L to R: Tekeyla Friday, Madelon A. Smid, Anthea Loran, Arlene MacKenzie

share their efforts, to receive affirmation and encouragement and to gain new knowledge from listening to other writers share their work. Freelance: How do you share your members’ work in the community? MAS: We support writers and writing in the community. Over the past 10 years, with the help of SWG grants we have brought in award winning writers and workshop leaders. In association with the library in Swift Current we began a monthly Listening Circle, where writers from the southwest area were invited to share their work with the public. Members of Prairie Quills have also provided various workshops on writing within the community, and assisted the library in providing special events for children, multiculturalism and special holidays. Under the auspices of the group many of our members have developed into award winning, published writers, an asset to our province.

Each November the group hosts a Gala at the Swift Current library. It features new work by our members written around a chosen theme. The event is used to showcase members’ work, as well as to thank the families, friends, community and our associates: Great Plains College, Swift Current Library and the Saskatchewan Writers Guild, who have supported us through the year. Guests have an opportunity to visit with the writers and purchase their work. Freelance: Does Prairie Quills publish members’ works? MAS: Yes, every second year we launch a new collection. We have published three anthologies, a fourth is in the works for 2012. Dianne Miller: The group uses 50 per cent of the profits from sales of the anthologies to sponsor workshops, with top authors, for middle year students. Several members mentored Grade Four students from Central Elementary School who created a newspaper for the Centennial.

FREELANCE

We sponsored poetry and prose competitions for children through the library and in 2011 members of the group judged the children’s competition for Doc’s Town and Prairie Quills provided the cash prizes. Our members support the work of the Lyric Theatre and have taken part in Write Out Loud.

Celebrating excellence in writing and publishing in Saskatchewan for more than nineteen years!

Freelance: Group members—what do you get from belonging to Prairie Quills and meeting on a regular basis?

SASKATCHEWAN BOOK AWARDS 2011

Anthea Loran: Each meeting provides time for actual writing that challenges us in new directions.

Conexus Arts Centre Saturday, April 28, 2012 Hospitality Reception 6pm Evening Program 7pm Tickets $90 each, Table of 8 - $700

Tekeyla Friday: I knew my muse had found its home among the other Prairie Quills writers, as they seemed a serious group offering support, and guidance to wanna-be writers ...they launched writers into the world of print. I have developed into a published writer because of the support of the group. Irene Bingham: The Prairie Quills have provided me with the motivation to continue to write and develop my skills to a higher level. The group gives me advice about searching for a publisher and going after an agent or editor. I have gained leadership skills by taking my turn at leading the group several times a year. Dianne Miller: I appreciate the camaraderie and support that comes from membership in the Prairie Quills. By belonging to the group, I’ve met many interesting people and gained an appreciation for a variety of writing genres. We critique each other’s work and, from that, I’ve continued to learn about the writing process. It’s stimulating to share an interest with like-minded people. William Gibbs: I feel I am part of something positive that is going on in the community. I love to tell people that I’m part of a writers’ group. Irene Bingham: I appreciate that the group provides various outlets for me to publish my short stories and make them available to the public. MAS: Presently we have 14 members, the majority of them are also members of the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild. We are always open to making room for other writers who are actively writing, and willing to take on our mandate of supporting writing in our community. If a writer is interested in joining, contact Madelon Smid at masmid@sasktel.net.

FREELANCE

Purchase Tickets on line at www.bookawards.sk.ca or contact Donna 306-569-1585

GUEST SPEAKER MARK ABLEY www.markabley.com

Award Sponsors U of S, U of R, Luther College U of R, Faculty of Arts U of R, Drs. Morris and Jacqui Shumiatcher, Ann and Roger Phillips, Sask Arts Board, Canada Council for the Arts, Ministry of Tourism Parks Culture and Sport, SaskEnergy, SaskPower, Rasmussen Rasmussen and Charkowsky, City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon Public Library

Four New Voices: Apprenticeship Reading Four New Voices features Charlotte Garrett, Michelle Hatzel, Lori Pollock, and Gayle M. Smith Thursday, April 26, 7:30 p.m Shumiatcher Theatre MacKenzie Art Gallery, 3475 Albert Street, Regina This event is open to the public, Admission is free and everyone is welcome. There will be free refreshments and a cash bar. The readers are celebrating the completion of their participation in the SWG’s mentorship program— come out and join them.

APRIL-MAY 2012

Is e-Book Publishing Write For You?

he first mainstream step in the e-book revolution was taken by horror master Stephen King in March 2000 when he announced that his book, Riding the Bullet, would only be available as an e-book. Adam Rothberg, the Simon & Schuster spokesperson in 2000, declared, “This could change the model of publishing.” He had no idea just how bang-on he was.

wherever they are. The public is embracing the breadth and variety of reading choices available to them. They have made e-books permanent additions to their lifestyle while maintaining interest in print format books.”

by Toby Welch

hire someone to do all or a few of the steps along the way.

Amazon’s Kindle e-book program is by far the most popular e-book publishing website in the world. Kindle e-books are downloadable onto the iPad, iPhone, Taking those statistics into coniPod touch, a PC, Mac, Blackbersideration, we must acknowlry, and almost every other device edge that e-books are here to except your toaster. But considstay in a big way. As a writer, ering that the Kindle Direct Pubwhy not jump onto the e-book lishing program required tech While sales of traditional print gravy train and get in on the acskills and patience that I don’t books remain steady, e-book tion? have, I opted to use Smashsales have skyrocketed. The words initially to get the eInternational Digital Publishbook published. Once you ing Forum, the trade and have your book written but standards organization for “This could change the before doing anything else, the digital publishing indusI recommend you download try, collects quarterly statisMark Coker’s Smashwords model of publishing” tics on e-book sales. The Style Guide, a free e-book data represents only the U.S. on the Smashwords webe-book sales from 12 to 15 site. If you don’t have an main wholesale e-book sellers I have published nine e-books e-reader, you can download it and doesn’t include sales from since March 2011 and have two onto your computer and read it other avenues so the figures more in the works. Three of them that way. It’s 76 pages but each are much lower than the true are fiction, three cover writing page is short, so don’t let it inamount of activity. According to issues, and the last three are on timidate you. To save yourself a the IDPF, revenue from e-book a variety of nonfiction topics. lot of time in the long run and to sales in the first quarter of 2002 As you can see, you can publish get your book’s formatting done was $1,556,499. E-book sales an e-book on any subject. right the first time around, opt in the third quarter of 2010 were for the nuclear method of for$119,700,000. I don’t need to There are many routes you can matting. Coker goes into great point out how astronomical the take to get your e-book pubdetail on how to get your e-book growth was in less than a delished. This is my e-book journey formatted and as long as you cade. and it had to satisfy two self-imhave Microsoft Word (any verposed criteria. First, it had to be sion), you’ll be good to go. As I The Association of American technologically simple. I gave up was so meticulous, it took about Publishers reports that e-book trying to figure out how to use three hours to format the first sales have tripled in the past a Palm Pilot and I’m just now book but it was worth it as I got year. In February 2011, e-books mastering iTunes so you can it right the first time around. sales in the U.S. were $90.3 milsee why I needed a route that lion, a growth of 202.3 per cent wouldn’t be too technologically Then I had to make a cover for from February 2010. Tom Allen, challenging. The other criterion the e-book. Again, you can hire the President and Chief Execuwas that it had to be free. As I someone to do this and that will tive Officer of AAP, commented am a full-time writer (i.e.: starvrun you around $25 to $50 but on this figure to the media, “The ing artist), I didn’t want to fork the Smashwords Style Guide February results reflect two core out any money to get my e-book had a great suggestion—to make facts: people love books and published. If finances are not an the cover, use Get Paint. It’s a publishers actively serve readers issue for you, you can always free software program that you

APRIL-MAY 2012

FREELANCE

Smashwords sells your e-books on their site but they also distribute the e-books to Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo, Apple, Diesel, and Scrollmotion. They are currently working with Amazon to be distributed through their Kindle program but it looks like that won’t happen in the immediate future as they are still “working to complete technical integration.” Since Kindle is the #1 e-book seller, you want to get your e-book on their site. The good news is that you’ll already have your book formatted in the Smashwords nuclear method on Word which Amazon accepts that so it doesn’t take you more than ten minutes from start to finish to get your e-book uploaded onto the Kindle site. Actually, it took me longer to sign up for an Amazon account than it took to get my e-book on there. The whole process is fast as they don’t ask you for anything that you didn’t already provide on the Smashwords site (like a synopsis, keywords, ebook cover, and such). The subsequent e-books were easier as I knew what I was doing. It now takes less than an hour from start to finish to format, create a cover, and get the books online. Other writers go through Kindle to format their ebook and then put them up on other websites afterward. You do not have to use Smashwords —you can upload the e-books

FREELANCE

onto the individual retailers yourself. If you do use Smashwords, there is a handy section on the website where you can pick and choose which retailers you allow them to sell your book on.

4. Just as over-pricing can be bad, so too can under-pricing. Consider the likely market of your book, and the cost of competitive books, and then price accordingly.

One of the most frequent questions people ask is what price should I sell my e-book at? My nine books range in price from $.99 - $2.99. Mark Coker addresses this topic on the Smashwords website, “This is a per-

5. A higher price is a doubleedged sword. It implies potential value and worth, yet it can also price the customer out of purchasing it. Set a fair list price, and then consider using Smashwords coupons to let the cus-

sonal decision for the author or publisher, but here are some recommendations to consider:

tomer feel like they’re getting a discount on a valuable product.”

1. Your e-book should be priced less than the print equivalent. Customers expect this, because they know your production cost (paper, printing, shipping, middlemen) is less.

As a fellow writer, I can’t suggest strongly enough that you do not even consider making your book available for free. Value your words so other will, too. Marketing experts say the only time it may be logical is when you have a number of books or a series available. You could offer one book or the first book in the series available for free in an attempt to draw in the readers.

photo: SWG staff

download at getpaint.net and it’s easy to use. I simply inputted a picture onto Get Paint and, using the text button, put the title and my name on top of the picture. It was very easy, even for a non-techie. I had the cover done in 15 minutes, most of that spent tweaking the font to the right size so it would show up in the thumbnail image when online.

2. A longer book deserves a higher price than a short book. 3. Consider the value of your book to the customer. As selfpublishing guru Dan Poyner notes in his Self Publishing Manual, for a customer to buy your book at any price, they must believe the value of the book is greater than the cost of the book.

How much money will you make? It depends on the website and the price you pick. At Smashwords you get 85 per cent of your book sales that go APRIL-MAY 2012

through their website. You get anywhere from 60 to 80 per cent of the sale price for books that Smashwords sells through it’s affiliate websites like Barnes and Noble, Apple. If you go through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing program, you get 35 per cent of the book’s sales. For a book priced at $2.99, you get $1.05. For a 99 cent book, you get 35 cents. Payment is made to you through PayPal on Smashwords and Kindle although payment by cheque can be arranged for a fee on Kindle. Of course, this can change at any time so double check before publishing if how much of a cut you get and payment options are a concern for you. Another frequent question is the issue of ISBNs. In the beginning, just focus on getting your e-book written, formatted, and available for sale. You can add an ISBN number at any time so deal with that later. When it’s time, you can go through the Canadian ISBN Agency and get your ISBN at no charge or on Smashwords you can opt to get one from them free of charge. Because I would rather spend my time writing than deal with government agencies (and because 99.5 per cent of people search for books by title or the author’s name and not via the ISBN), I spent the 30 seconds it took to get a free ISBN via Smashwords. As for marketing, I have done zero but will get on that once the urge to stop writing the ebooks doesn’t occupy all my free writing time. Writers who market say it reflects in their sales figures so that is a motivator to do it. Despite all the information and books available on e-book marketing, people tell me repeatedly that the best one is Mark Coker’s free e-book APRIL-MAY 2012

on Smashwords, Smashwords Book Marketing Guide. Beyond doing an e-book for the potential financial gain and the impending notoriety, there are a myriad of other reasons to write and publish an e-book. A Prudential realtor compiled an e-book to give to clients when they sign a contract with her. The e-book walks them through the buying or selling process so they know what to expect at every stage of the sale. She considers it a perk she gives her clients and has had great feedback from it. An opthamologist in Alberta wrote an e-book answering all the questions about laser eye surgery that people were repeatedly asking her. When demand for the book extended beyond her client list, she decided to offer it for sale. She opted to go through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing program and has had steady sales. My aunt Janet is a fabulous cook and has three daughters. When her oldest daughter left home, the daughter wanted to take all her mother’s recipes with her. So my aunt typed up all the recipes, printed them off, put them in protective sleeves, and put them into a binder for her to take with her. It was a lot of work. When daughter number two left home, my aunt compiled all the recipes into an e-book and emailed it to her. When daughter number three left home, she just hit ‘send’. I found out about my aunt’s ebook when I called her to ask for a copy of her Yorkshire pudding recipe. She emailed me the e-book and now I am the beneficiary of all of her amazing recipes. As you can see, there are many uses for e-books beyond offering them online for sale.

I hope this article has opened your eyes to the possibility of getting your work available to the masses via an e-book. You have nothing to lose but the time invested in the project. But be forewarned - publishing ebooks can be addictive!! Toby Welch has temporarily given up her hunt for a traditional publisher and will stick with e-books for the foreseeable future.

Words Out Loud Join us for a 3-hour workshop as part of Poetry Month with other like-minded souls. You’ll develop the confidence and skills to convey your own (or someone else’s) poetry in live presentation by writer/speaker/ actor/performer Jean Freeman Saturday April 28 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon SWG Office, Suite 100, 1150 8th Ave. Regina (there’s a lift to assist anyone who may need help with stairs) Fee: $35 for members, and $45 for non-members (maximum 12 participants) Jean Freeman is a well-known Saskatchewan writer, speaker, actor and performer whose 50 year career has spanned radio, TV, live performance, public relations, communication, promotion and marketing. She also spent six happy seasons playing the mayor’s grandmother on the CTV hit series “Corner Gas”, and can be heard now and again on CBC Radio’s “DNTO”. Register by April 20 by calling 791-7740 or emailing info@ skwriter.com More information at www. skwriter.com/home/308

FREELANCE

Funny You Should Write That

his world is a comedy to those that think and a tragedy to those that feel,” wrote Horace Walpole, 18th century man of letters and author of The Castle of Otranto, often hailed as the first gothic novel. Walpole’s epigram appears on my manager’s screen saver on the rare occasion when her computer lies dormant. My performance appraisal may reveal what the boss thinks and feels about me, and my guess is that both laughter and tears are involved. And as you live and work, so shall you write. “

I believe that compelling writing is composed of a quicksilver mix of comedy and tragedy, each dependent on the other for full effect. Success is all in the chemistry. You can’t compromise on either ingredient, going for the easy yuk or the overwrought sob, or you’ll end up with an unpalatable mess. If your writing is too formulaic, mixing smiles and frowns in predictable amounts, you risk ending up with a perfectly straight face. You might as well watch Peter Mansbridge – who, I will admit, does occasionally sport a dry smirk. In my book, a writer should embrace the duality of comedy and tragedy and channel the tension between the two for full effect – the highs and the lows, the laughter and the tears duking it out all over the page. When it hits your gut, it’s gotta feel real. Add in some believable characters, place them in ridiculous and/or heart-rending situations, and provide them with a dignity and humanity that keeps the reader turning the page, and you’ve got ’er built.

FREELANCE

For example, Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall, by no means a comic novel, expertly sprinkles dry humour in the midst of a treatise on the nature of power. Our protagonist Cromwell, a man tested by life at every turn, must rely on his wits and wit as he navigates the viper pit of Henry VIII’s court. After he meets Anne Boleyn, Cromwell’s star-struck family asks him a succession of questions, finally inquiring about the condition of Boleyn’s teeth. Cromwell’s exasperated reply: “For God’s sake, woman, when she sinks them into me, I’ll let you know.” Comedy gold. You may ask if I believe every larf must march in lockstep with death, taxes, and the slough of despond. What’s wrong with a bit of innocent fun, you ask? Sometimes you just want a cherry Coke and a hot dog. Absolutely, I reply, and please pass the mustard. I grew up on a steady diet of TV sitcoms and, to my mother’s great dismay, Mad magazine parodies of TV sitcoms. I grew up a tad twisted, to be sure, but who didn’t? However, humour has a best-before date, unlike your average hot dog. To every joke there is a season, and times have changed. Frazzled women drivers and addled foreigners with funny accents are no longer guaranteed thigh-slappers. What is funny nowadays? With apologies to Wolf Hall or Nicholas Nickleby, our shrinking attention spans demand that brevity constitute the soul of wit. In a strictly professional, non-timewasting exchange with another writer, I tweeted this assessment of contemporary comedy: “The current perspective

by David Sealy

is a vignette glimpsed through a cracked window that subverts, emphasizes, or completely changes the view.” It ain’t exactly Steve Martin, but I did get through 129 characters without mentioning Lady Gaga. These days, chuckle-hungry netizens embrace the Internet as their number one source of free comedy, the humour either inadvertent or intentional. No longer do you need to mope around the tv waiting for Cheers to come on. No tapping your fingers on the tabletop as you wait for the newsboy to drop off the latest installment of Snoopy’s exploits. Humour has become democratized and instantaneous. Everyone thinks they’re funny. Check out your Facebook or Twitter feed. The quip-to-pixel ratio is very high indeed. A lot of Twitter folk, myself included, aspire to writing the perfect one-liner, and 140 characters offers the discipline to hone your craft. Just like a tree, you start small and branch out. Does this trend indicate the end of serious humour writing? Why follow the Canada Food Guide when Dairy Queen is faster and has a drive through? Well, you can’t live on Blizzards and Dilly Bars forever. I maintain that people still crave a substantial story –one with a beginning, a middle, and an end. And if a well-written narrative takes the reader on a journey to somewhere they’ve never been and changes them somehow while illuminating the human condition, so much the better. The vast majority of Internet content, however amusing it may be, only serves to stimulate a hunger for the real thing.

APRIL-MAY 2012

Nonetheless, humour writers aren’t above pushing the envelope to get noticed. As befits the mood of the times, when it comes to humour, some like it black. Trevor Cole’s novel Practical Jean won the 2011 Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, and the work possesses an undeniable edge. Publisher’s Weekly says, “… Cole delivers a cagey satirical noir ... Wicked humor glints kitchen-knife bright as the unhinged Jean blithely traverses the suburbs dispensing her most intimate friends.” My goodness, I’ve heard of kitchensink drama, but kitchen-knife humour? In any case, our altruistic hero Jean Vale Horemarsh wishes to spare her friends and loved ones the indignities of old age, so she bumps them off in their prime. I have a feeling we’re not in Hoodoo McFiggin’s Christmas territory anymore.

A photocopied page from Terry Fallis’s The Best Laid Plans graces the kitchen bulletin board of my workspace. It’s a witty little excerpt, using parliamentary lingo to describe two people makin’ whoopee: “the cut and thrust of debate,” “hurtling towards royal assent,” etc. The page reliably amuses my coworkers, but Fallis took the long road to success, self-publishing the work before eventually winning the 2008 Leacock Medal and the 2011 Canada Reads competition. So take heart, all you pun-loving innuendo fans. The world has not yet passed you by. If you write it, they will … wink-wink, nudge-nudge.

David Sealy is the recipient of the 2012 City of Regina Writing Award for his play Stuck with the Queen.

SWG Board Nominations Committee The Nominations Committee of the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild is looking for nominees to stand for the Guild’s Board of Directors at the 2012 AGM. “We need a greater balance of older and newer members,” says Nominations Committee Chair, Rod MacIntyre. “This is you chance to influence board policy and witness the broad range of Guild activities from the inside.” Please indicate your interest by contacting either the Guild office (info@skwriter. com), or Rod MacIntyre ( ro d @ r p m a c i n t y re. c o m ) directly.

Upcoming Deadline for Grants to Writing Groups The Guild provides an annual professional development grant to eligible Saskatchewan writers groups. Applications must be received in the SWG office no later than 4:30 p.m. on June 29. Each writers group may apply for $500 for the following fiscal year (August 1, 2012-July 31, 2013). Criteria for Funding Eligibility A local writing group is eligible for funding if it meets the following criteria: • it has 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 • it has provided a follow-up report (with all the requested documentation) for the previous grant If the group is approved for funding, cheques will be issued in September. 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 with unspent funds in excess of $50 as part of the followup report For more information and application form please visit www.skwriter.com/programs-and-services/ swg-writers-groups-grants or contact Tracy Hamon at (306) 791-7743

APRIL-MAY 2012

FREELANCE

The Space-Time continuum: Days of future past by Edward Willett

cience fiction looks forward, not back, but there’s a saying that you can’t know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been. So where did this time-and-spacespanning literature spring from? What are its roots?

uncaring universe than the likelihood of life on Mars. Yet neither Wells nor Verne is considered “the father of science fiction.” That title belongs to Hugo Gernsback.

horrible than the last!”) But he wasn’t worried about style. He used his stories to toss off scientific predictions like one of his electrical devices might toss off sparks. Microfiche, skywriting, solar power, holograms, fax machines, aluminum foil and a “parabolic wave reflector” (radar) were all part of Ralph’s daily life—but certainly not yet part of the daily lives of Gernsback’s readers.

Gernsback wasn’t a writer, at Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, least not to start with. Rather, is often called the first science he was a pioneer in the fields fiction novel. Though of course of electricity, radio and televiit wasn’t called that, it may have sion. He sold America’s first been the first time a writer took home radio kit in 1904 ($7.50 notice of a recent scientific discovery—the properties of electricity—and extrapoMany of the children lated a story from it. (Not who read amazing that if you really hooked up giant electrodes to a creastories under the covers ture made of scavenged went on to become body parts you would get the results Dr. Frankenstein scientists, engineers or achieved, but in the early science fiction writers 19th century there was still room for the possibility.) themselves However, modern science fiction primarily stands on the shoulders of two other 19th century writers: France’s Jules Verne and England’s H. G. Wells. Verne played on the public’s interest in burgeoning technological and scientific advances and told stories of fantastic journeys to the moon, beneath the seas, to the centre of the Earth, and even Around the World in 80 Days. Wells, on the other hand, focused less on the future of technology than on the future of society. The Time Machine was a parable concerning future relations between the working and ruling classes. And The War of the Worlds, the first alien invasion tale, was more about the insignificance of humanity in an

FREELANCE

at Macy’s). When government regulation of radio put him out of business, he repackaged the left-over parts as kids’ electronics kits. He also founded New York radio station WRNY, where some of the world’s first regular TV broadcasts began in 1928. But he also moved into publishing. In 1908 he founded the world’s first radio magazine, Modern Electrics. For a 1911 issue, finding himself short of material, he filled a few empty pages with a piece of fiction, entitled “Ralph 124C 41+: A Romance of the Year 2660.” The story was so popular he wrote more, even publishing them as a novel in 1925. As a prose stylist, Gernsback left a lot to be desired (“Bang! Bang! Bang! Three shots rang out! Each more

Based on Ralph’s success, Gernsback founded a brand-new magazine in 1926: Amazing Stories. It was, he wrote in the first issue (which you can read online at pulpmags.org, along with many other magazines from the era), “entirely new—entirely different” from any other magazine, because it would be devoted to what he called “scientifiction.” He defined scientifiction as “a charming romance intermingled with scientific fact and prophetic vision.” His rationale for the new magazine could have been written yesterday: “It must be remembered that we live in an entirely new world. Two hundred years ago, stories of this kind were not possible. Science, through its various branches of mechanics, electricity, astronomy, etc., enters so intimately into all our lives today, and we are so much immersed in this science, that we have become rather prone to take new inventions and discoveries for granted. Our entire mode of living has changed with the present progress, and it is little wonder, APRIL-MAY 2012

sian” (focused on the effects of science and technology on society) strains, prepares us and excites us for—and sometimes alarms and warns us about— what that future may hold. Hugo Gernsback died in 1967, not quite living long enough to see humans walk on the moon. Science has honoured him by naming a lunar crater after him. Science fiction, meanwhile, hands out awards every year for the best new work in the field.

therefore, that many fantastic situations—impossible 100 years ago—are brought about today.” Gernsback saw the new genre as a way of “imparting knowledge, and even inspiration, without once making us aware that we are being taught,” and that’s exactly how it worked out: many of the children who read Amazing Stories under the covers went on to become scientists, engineers or science fiction writers themselves. Gernsback, as Ray Bradbury put it, “made us fall in love with the future.”

They’re called Hugos. Edward Willett lives in Regina, is the author of more than 40 books for children, young adults and adults. He is the Writer in Residence at the Regina Public Library for September 2011 through May 2012.

Implicit in science fiction is the realization that the future will not be like today, and in both its “Vernesian” (focused on the science and technology) and “Well-

Oral Storytelling Workshop Thursday, April 19 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm First Nations University of Canada Building 226 - 203 20th Street East, Saskatoon Maximum 15 participants FEE: $35 for SWG Members $45 for non-SWG members Registration open until April 16 by calling 791-7740 or emailing info@ skwriter.com.

SUMMER ADULT PROGRAMMES “The experience at Sage Hill July 23 – August 2, 2012 was beyond my expectations. It had a profound gentleness Intro: Kimmy Beach & John Gould —like walking on clouds. Poetry: Ken Babstock Everyone focused on the collective success. Fiction: It brought out the very best Helen Humphreys & Lawrence Hill in creativity and human nature. Science Fiction: Spider Robinson On an individual basis:

SPRING POETRY COLLOQUIUM May 4 – 17, 2012 Barry Dempster

I got braver.”

Non-Fiction: John Vaillant

SAGE HILL HELPS GOOD WRITERS WRITE BETTER www.sagehillwriting.ca • sage.hill@sasktel.net APRIL-MAY 2012

FREELANCE

Call for Associate Poetry Editor The Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild is seeking an Associate Poetry Editor for Grain, the journal of eclectic writing. Are you passionate about poetry? Do you keep your finger on the pulse of the local and national literary community? Grain, the journal of eclectic writing, is a literary quarterly that publishes engaging, diverse, and challenging writing and art by some of the best Canadian and international writers and artists. Every issue features superb new writing from both developing and established writers. Duties: • Review works under the direction of the Editor—this may include looking for potential themes, and using your familiarity with the content and style of Grain to determine whether pieces are a good fit for our journal • Provide timely reports to the Editor on submissions that could qualify to be published • Be available to communicate with the Editor (whether by email, telephone, or face to face) about submissions and offer suggestions for revisions Qualifications: • Copyediting experience • Expertise in poetry—whether as a scholar, critic, or a published poet • Experience working in creative team environments and must demonstrate a proven willingness to work cooperatively and collaboratively This contract will last until December, 2012, with the possibility of extension. The position will require approximately 15 hours/month. Although the Grain office is in Saskatoon, the Associate Editor may reside anywhere in Saskatchewan. Please send your résumé along with a cover letter that includes a brief statement explaining your philosophy of editing to the attention of the Editor, Grain Magazine, PO Box 67, Saskatoon, SK, S7K 3K1, Canada or grainmag@sasktel.net. Applications for this position must be received by 4:30 p.m. April 20, 2012.

Business Administrator The Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild is seeking a Business Administrator for Grain, the journal of eclectic writing. The Business Administrator works closely with the Editor to ensure the continuous, timely production of this award-winning literary journal. The Business Administrator ensures the “nuts and bolts” of the operation are working smoothly and efficiently. The successful candidate must be able to juggle multiple priorities and deadlines, be PC literate, and preferably possess some familiarity with the magazine publishing industry. Details on application deadlines and procedures are available on the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild website: www.skwriter.com

FREELANCE

APRIL-MAY 2012

FREELANCE

Letter to the Editor Dear Board Members: I can’t tell you how disappointed I am about the new out-of-province colony fees. It sends a very strong message that the Guild is shutting its doors on writers who do not live in the province. I can only assume that the Guild in general and the Colony Committee don’t want us at St. Peter’s Abbey. Or that they want only those who can afford the almost-double fee on top of air fare. I was present when the first colony proposal was approved by the membership. There was unanimous support for drawing participants from outside of Saskatchewan because of the opportunities members would gain from meeting writers from far away as well as from near. Anne Szumigalski and Ken Mitchell were particularly passionate about this premise, which remained in effect until now. It helped to prevent parochialism and expand the literary borders of the province. Encouraging a geographic mix of participants, provides Saskatchewan writers with the chance to share information and books, and provide and seek support from those outside of one’s closest community. If I may speak of my personal contribution, over the years I have written dozens of support letters and back cover blurbs for those I’ve met at the Abbey. And that site, for me, has been the source of over 15 books, all of which acknowledge my gratitude. It will now be much more difficult for me to afford this retreat. The raising of fees to such an extent is a backwards step, one that I did not expect from an organization that should have the common welfare of writers in mind. As I mentioned above, it sends a very strong message FREELANCE

to writers like me who have felt welcomed in the past. Yours truly, Lorna Crozier President’s Response: Thank you Lorna for expressing your concerns regarding the recent increase in fees for out of province residents attending our retreats. In no way is the increase in fees intended to discourage out of province writers and artists from attending SWG retreats. The cross pollination of ideas that occurs during our retreats speaks very positively about the value and importance of the geographic mix of attendees. The “real” costs of the program have increased significantly and continue to be subsidized by the SWG. We had no choice but to increase fees for out of province participants. In addition to the fees we collect and the donations we receive (to offset costs of facilities and other expenses), the retreat program is entirely subsidized by Saskatchewan provincial funding agencies, through the SWG. In 2012, a total of $33,000 in provincial funding will be allocated to the retreats program. Many of the costs of the program are not seen by participants: an onsite coordinator, our administrative assistant, communications coordinator, accountant and executive director work together to keep the program running smoothly. In 2011, the retreats program benefited 43 writers and artists. Of those, 17 came from outside Saskatchewan— representing almost 40 per cent of total attendance. At the summer retreat, 13 out of the 20 attendees at St. Peter’s—65 per cent—were from out of province. We need to balance the support of Saskatchewan writers with Saskatchewan-based funding as well as encourage participation from non-Saskatchewan residents.

Fees to attend our retreats are comparable to other programs in other provinces. For example, the Writers’ Guild of Alberta offers three retreats in 2012, one in Banff (nine nights), and two at Strawberry Creek (four nights). You can see their fees at: www.writersguild.ab.ca/Retreats.asp. You will notice that our fees are in line with those of other organizations offering writing retreats. We have needed to address this issue for some time. In the December 2009 issue of Freelance, Mari-Lou Rowley, then Chair of the colony committee, wrote: “We welcome colonists from outside the province and the country, and consider the cultural exchange an integral benefit of our colony experience. However, it is difficult for the SWG board to support increasing colony subsidies for out-ofprovince residents, particularly in the current funding climate. Therefore, we felt there was no recourse but to charge out-ofprovince residents 75% of colony costs (still a generous 25% subsidy from the Guild). This change will come into effect for the summer 2010 colonies.” www.skwriter.com/rsu_docs/5_ retreats/message-from-colonycommittee-chair--mari-lou-rowley_december-2009.pdf While the increases have been held off for a couple of years since this statement was made, the inevitable is upon us. Lorna, I sincerely hope that we continue to see you at our retreats. We value both your current and past contributions. The Guild has in the past and will continue to welcome writers, such as yourself who live outside of Saskatchewan. Respectfully, Cathy Fenwick APRIL-MAY 2012

Member news Announcements of members’ good news, awards, new books and other accomplishments. Include web links to author websites, blogs or book trailers. Photographs of the individual may also be included, subject to space. To share your news (100 words) in the next issue of Freelance, send it to communications@skwriter.com by May 1, 2012.

Playwright BD Miller has been commissioned by Regina Summer Stage, through funding provided by the City of Regina Arts Commission, to write an original dramatic work commemorating the 1912 Regina Cyclone. The new full-length play will feature the popular music of the era. Auditions will be held the first or second week of May, with performances slated for July 8, 10, 11, 12, and 13 at the Regina Performing Arts Centre (RPAC). For audition information, contact Regina Summer Stage at (306) 522-9078 or visit their website. Pam Martin, a member of SWG and also of the Wild Rice Writers’ Group here in La Ronge announces that Acorn Press in PEI is publishing her first book of poetry in 2013! Lit Happens is now available to watch all over the world. SHAW acquired a YouTube channel and uploaded a number of episodes to the site. Check out Wes Funk at www.youtube.com/user/shawtvsaskatoon. Lit Happens will also be going into syndication in 2012. They will be bundled into half-hour episodes that will be aired regularly on SHAW. Calling all collectors of Gary Jahnke’s work. Group interested in publishing a selection of writing and art by Gary Jahnke. Needs help locating and cataloguing this work. All details held in confidence. Contact: Sharon Butala: sharonbutala@gmail.com or Ted Dyck: tdyck@sasktel.net APRIL-MAY 2012

SWG members Robin and Arlene Karpan won the Travel Media Award for their book Saskatchewan’s Best Hikes & Nature Walks at the Saskatchewan Tourism Awards of Excellence gala on March 22, 2012. The book features over 100 hikes throughout Saskatchewan from easy strolls to exciting backcountry adventures. Moose Jaw Launch of Kaleidoscope by Gail Bowen. Sunday, April 29, 2:30-4:30 pm. At “The Willy Hodgson Life Enhancement Centre” (cited in Gail’s novel), Victoria Towers, 123 Fairford Street East, Moose Jaw, Sk. Bannock & Berry Juice. Door prizes. Meet Gail and get your copy of Kaleidoscope signed. For info: heatherghodgson@gmail. com

New Lieutenant-Governor Appointed Vaughn Schofield, 2009 recipient of the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal has been appointed the 21st lieutenant-governor. Born in Regina and educated at the University of Saskatchewan, she has served in a leadership role in numerous organizations such as the Canadian Forces Liaison Council, St. John Ambulance (SK), The Hospitals of Regina Foundation, MacKenzie Art Gallery and more. She is an honourary lieutenantcolonel for the 38 Service Battalion. She is currently the CEO of the Western Group of Companies.

City of Regina Writing Award Reception You are invited to a reception honouring Dave Sealy, winner of the 2012 City of Regina Writing Award and to honour runner-ups B.D. Miller and Katherine Lawrence. The event will be hosted by Kelley Jo Burke with a reading by Dave Sealy. Tuesday May 29, 7:30 p.m. Wascana Centre—Main Floor Theatre, 2900 Wascana Drive, Regina, SK Everyone welcome. Free admission. Refreshments provided. Cash bar. For more information visit www.skwriter.com or call Tracy Hamon at 791-7743.

FREELANCE

Viewpoint: Protocol of Place: A Response I read James Romanow’s piece, “Viewpoint: Protocol of Place,” with interest and was compelled to write in response. I appreciate James’ views and his ruminations on the issues of inclusion and diversity in the SWG and find many things noteworthy and interesting in James’ piece. So much so that I could potentially write at length if I responded and commented on all of the many points he makes. Instead, I will confine my remarks to two items, namely, the notion of protocol of place as well as a comment on the idea of prayer. First, to explain more fully the idea of “protocol of place,” I offer my understanding, as follows. “Protocol of place” acknowledges the First Peoples whose traditional territory we are on. It follows traditional Aboriginal protocols of asking permission to enter another’s traditional territory and being welcomed into that territory. In a contemporary context, I think it serves as a reminder about the significant bond that we share as peoples tied together by Treaty and by Scrip, the two methods used by the Canadian government to formally extinguish Aboriginal title to the land and make way for European settlers.

by Lisa Bird-Wilson

of this land and have been the traditional stewards of the land. When non-Aboriginal people participate in protocol of place it has a couple of effects—it allows the sharing of cultural practices and leads to greater awareness and understanding between and amongst communities. Personally I believe it is significant and important for all people who live in or travel to a particular locale to understand in whose traditional territory they are standing. How many of us can name the Treaty area in which we live? How many of us have taken the time to understand the Treaty and Scrip history of Saskatchewan/Western Canada? If not, then it’s because it’s been socially, culturally, politically, and educationally deemed unimportant and that, in itself, is a revealing notion. Participating in protocols around territory and place reinforces Aboriginal perspectives and takes a step toward acknowledgement that Aboriginal people and perspectives are valid and valued. It reminds us that there is more than one way to view the world, something I imagine we can all appreciate as artists and writers.

Protocol of place can be accomplished in a couple of ways, including acknowledgment of the traditional territory and/or welcome to the traditional territory.

Incorporating protocol of place allows us the opportunity to take the time and to make the effort to connect with Aboriginal people and helps us connect to the notion of sense of place— a concept integral to Aboriginal perspectives and understandings.

I believe protocol of place is a gesture of respect toward Aboriginal peoples and a sign of recognition that Aboriginal people are original inhabitants

And now, a comment about prayer—protocol of place need not include prayer by an Elder. But it might. I’ve seen welcoming ceremonies where there

FREELANCE

is no prayer. I’ve seen others where prayer is used. If Aboriginal people are going to be invited to open an event with traditional words and in their traditional way, then I believe we need to be prepared to accept the form in which those words are presented, free from censorship. From my perspective, here’s how I see it: In Aboriginal cultures, where all the world has spirit, is animated, the spiritual aspect of Aboriginal culture is part of a deep worldview that is grounded in the spirit of the earth and all that is here. In this worldview, even a rock has a spirit. On that basis, I hope that people can understand the significance that the spiritual aspect has to connecting with the “place” and the “sense of place.” Place/territory/land, however you want to frame it, is connected as much to a spiritual sense of place as it is to a physical one. It makes sense that a formal appreciation of the importance of traditional territory includes, acknowledges, and accepts all aspects of that sense of place. Over the past few years, the SWG has taken some steps to be a more inclusive and equitable service organization. Really positive, progressive steps. Now is the right time to do this—to move forward with a protocol of place. Including such a protocol in the opening of meetings and the annual conference is simply a matter of respect, all around. It’s our chance to begin to understand one another better. Ekosi.

APRIL-MAY 2012

books by Members Foodshed: An Edible Alberta Alphabet by dee Hobsbawn-Smith TouchWood Editions ISBN: 9781927129159

Saskatchewan returnee dee Hobsbawn-Smith’s new book, addresses a fundamental question that crosses every border. “You know your doctor, you know your lawyer, you know your accountant. Who’s your farmer?” Meet 76 Albertan farmers, ranchers, cheesemakers, fishermen, orchardists and market gardeners—smart, canny, funny, computer-literate—whose stories are the stories of Canadian farmers from sea to sea. They produce a mind-boggling array of fruits, cheeses, grains, vegetables, meats and fish, from asparagus to zizania. Foodshed examines the issues and the ground that farmers stand on: government involvement, sustainability, the environment, animal welfare, farm labour. Foodshed includes 26 of her favourite dishes. Dee is a chef, poet and writer. Foodshed is her fifth book. APRIL-MAY 2012

A Book of Great Worth by Dave Margoshes Coteau Books ISBN 10: 1550504762

The new book from Dave Margoshes, A Book of Great Worth, is made up of linked short stories set largely in inter-war New York City. The stories revolve around Harry Morgenstern, a reporter for the vibrant Yiddish press of the day - a character modeled on the author’s father. The stories build emotionally to form a compelling portrait of, as the author’s afterword puts it, “a fundamentally decent man in morally perplexing situations.” This is Dave’s first book of fiction since the 2007 Saskatchewan Book of the Year-winning Bix’s Trumpet and Other Stories. “A Book of Great Worth reflects Margoshes’ deep understanding of a man’s humanness and capacity to love as he strives to bring out the best in himself and others. This captivating invention is a pleasure to read.” –Sandra Birdsell

I Love Saskatchewan by Kelly Anne Riess Macintire Purcell Publishing ISBN 978-1-926916-13-2

Saskatchewan writer, poet and filmmaker Kelly Anne Riess’s debut children’s book reveals to youngsters what a great place Saskatchewan is to live or visit. It’s a must-have treasure for those who live in Saskatchewan or a nostalgic reminder for those who have moved away. With bright, simple illustrations and gentle rhyming scheme, this board book is certain to become a reading time favourite of any toddler. Children will delight in I Love Saskatchewan as they recognize many of their favourite spots in the province, including Lac La Ronge, Scotty the T.rex in Eastend and Lumsden. From the Crooked Trees of Alticane, Mac the Moose in Moose Jaw, the Saskatoon Pelicans and famous Hoop Dancers, I Love Saskatchewan makes the province come alive.

“Margoshes treats us to a wide array of virtuosic storytelling.” Quill & Quire FREELANCE

An Institute of Our Own: A History of the Gabriel Dumont Institute By Lisa Bird-Wilson Gabriel Dumont Publishing ISBN 978-1-926795-01-0

In the early 1970s Saskatchewan’s Métis and Non-Status Indians took up various forms of public protest, including road blocks, sit-ins, and occupations of government buildings. Jobs and education were top concerns; Native people were faced with harsh economic and social conditions and Native leaders could see that education was the key to improving peoples’ lives. The activism of the early ‘70s sowed the seeds for the eventual development of the Gabriel Dumont Institute (GDI)— Canada’s first, largest, and most prominent Métis educational institute. Lisa Bird-Wilson chronicles the Institute’s 30-year history. Her account includes details of a financial crisis that nearly killed the Institute and the rebuilding that followed. Based on personal interviews with many of the Institute’s founders and champions, Bird-Wilson paints a compelling picture of the issues, the times, and the people involved. Available at: www.gdins.org Lisa Bird-Wilson is a Saskatchewan Métis writer whose nonfiction and fiction have appeared in magazines and anthologies across Canada.

FREELANCE

Outcast of River Falls By Jacqueline Guest Coteau Books ISBN 978-1-550504804

After the death of her father, Kathryn must go to live with her Aunt Belle in Alberta. But a shock is in store for this wellbred young Toronto lady. Arriving at the town of Hopeful, Kathryn is horrified to learn her new home is a group of shacks called River Falls, a Métis community. Never having known her true heritage, Kathryn is further shocked to discover it’s not even a permanent home. Barred from owning land, the Métis must find a way to live in the road allowances, or ditches – the strips of government land between the public highway and the private properties of recognized citizens. Excitement comes in the form of a mysterious stranger known as the Highwayman, a shadowy Robin Hood figure who rights wrongs against the Métis people in his own way. Jacqueline Guest is the author of more than a dozen books for young readers, specializing in sports themes and historical fiction. Jacqueline’s novels for young readers are unique in that many of the main characters come from different ethnic backgrounds including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis.

A Woman Clothed in Words By Anne Szumigalski Coteau Books Collected, edited, and with an introduction by Mark Abley ISBN 978-1-550504781

Collected for the first time, the most powerful writing, poetry and otherwise, created by Anne Szumigalski, Governor General’s Award-winning poet from Saskatchewan. Anne Szumigalski, renowned for her breakout poetry collection Woman Reading in Bath, and her Governor General’s Award winning collection Voice, was one of Canada’s most prominent poets. With her published works, as well as with her teaching and magnanimous guidance, she did much to put prairie Canadian poetry on the map. From Mark Abley: “I don’t mean this as a book for scholars. It’s a book for people to read. I hope its contents will surprise and please you, and make you want to return to Anne Szumigalski’s other writing, the lavish product of what Judith Krause once called a tongue of heaven blessing all the vowels and consonants on earth.” I offer these pages not in a spirit of apology but of celebration. Anne died in 1999. APRIL-MAY 2012

Markets & Competitions Inclusion in the Markets & Competitions listing is not an endorsement of any contest, market, event or otherwise. This is only an informational resource. We encourage all readers to thoroughly investigate all contests or markets before submitting their work.

Deadline: April 20, 2012 2012 Seniors’ Writing Challenge! Senior adults (65+) are invited to enter the 9th Annual Saskatoon Public Library Seniors’ Writing Challenge. You can submit poetry, short stories, reminiscences or skits. For every piece you submit, your name will be entered into a draw for one of three $100 McNally Robinson gift cards. Details available at any Saskatoon library branch in March or online at http://saskatoonlibrary. ca Deadline: May 1, 2012 Far Horizons Award for Poetry Entry fee: $25 (for Canadians) The Malahat Review, Canada’s premier literary magazine, invites emerging poets from Canada, the United States, and elsewhere to enter the Far Horizons Award for Poetry. Eligible poets have yet to publish their poetry in book form (a book of poetry is defined to have a length of 48 pages or more). One prize of $1000 (CAD) is awarded. Poets contributing to The Malahat Review have won or been nominated for National Magazine Awards for Poetry and the Pushcart Prize. For details: http://malahatreview.ca/contests/far_horizons_ poetry/info.html

APRIL-MAY 2012

Deadline: May 1, 2012 CBC’s Canada Writes Poetry Prize Competition is now open! Awarded once a year to the best original, unpublished, poem or poetry collection submitted. The competition is blind. A jury composed of well-known and respected Canadian authors will select a 1st place winner and 4 runners-up. First Prize winner will receive $6,000, courtesy of the Canada Council for the Arts, and will have his/her story published in Air Canada’s enRoute magazine and on the Canada Writes website. He/she will also be awarded a two-week residency at The Banff Centre’s Leighton Artists’ Colony, and will be interviewed on CBC Radio’s The Next Chapter with Shelagh Rogers. The 4 runners-up will each receive $1,000, courtesy of the Canada Council for the Arts. A fee of $25 (taxes included) for administration purposes is required for each entry. Submit online or download the submission form. www.cbc.ca/ books/canadawrites/literary prizes/poetry/

Deadline: May 30, 2012 Room (www.roommagazine.com) Canada’s oldest literary journal by and about women. Looking for original, unpublished art, fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry that explore all iterations of women’s labout, from a labour of love, birth labour, the labour movement, traditional and nontraditional women’s labours. Send to the attention of Lorrie Miller. For full submission details see the website. Deadline: June 1, 2012 Saskatchewan History Issue: Fall-Winter 2012 Call for Papers seeking articles about any aspect of SK’s military or wartime history. Including: scholarly papers that may be peer-reviewed; feature articles; photo essays; book reviews about literature related to the history of SK and prairie provinces. Submission guidelines at www.saskarchives. com/web/history.html Send to saskhistory@archives.gov.sk.ca. For more info, Nadine Charabin, Publication Coordinator, at 306933-5832, or saskhistory@archives.gov.sk.ca

Windscript Please join Windscript editor Sheena Koops as she hosts readings by contributors at the launch of Windscript Volume 28, the SWG magazine of high school writing. Wednesday, May 23 7:00 p.m. Unitarian Centre College and Angus Streets, Regina (during the Cathedral Village Arts Festival) Refreshments will be served and all are welcome!

FREELANCE

Deadline: June 15, 2012 Dave Greber Freelance Writers Awards. This award recognizes the excellence of writing and research in the area of social justice writing and also provides support for independent freelance writers during the publishing process. Please see www. greberwritingaward.com/submissions.htm for details.

are two categories for entry, Poetry and Short Fiction, and a selection of prizes. For more information and to enter please visit www.aestheticamagazine.com/ submission_guide.htm Submissions previously published elsewhere are accepted. Entry is £10 and allows for the entry of two works into any one category.

Continuous Submission Pink Magazine Stephen LaRose is the editor of Pink, a new women’s magazine that wants to hear from women authors, especially those who have just had their latest works published. For more information, contact Stephen LaRose at Stephen@ getcompass.ca or call (306) 529-5169

August through May

Deadline: June 15, 2012 Room Magazine’s Annual Fiction, Poetry and Creative Nonfiction Contest www.roommagazine.com Calling all women writers, send your contest entries. Entry fee: $30 per entr. Prizes: 1st prize in each category $500, 2nd prize - $250. Winners will be published in a 2013 issue. Other manuscripts may be published. Poetry: max. 3 poems or 150 lines. Fiction and Creative Non-fiction: max. 3.500 words. Electronic entries accepted. Details on website. Deadline: August 31, 2012 Aesthetica is inviting all writers and poets to submit to the Aesthetica Creative Writing Competition 2012. The competition celebrates and champions creative writing, nurturing talent and bringing work to international attention. There

Field: Contemporary Poetry and Poetics (www.oberlin.edu/ocpress) Published twice a year by Oberlin College Press, Oberlin, Ohio. Reads submissions August through May. Accepts poetry only. Pays contributors at the rate of $15 a page. Poems (2-6 at a time) should be submitted through online submission manager. Continuous Submission BookLand Press submissions (book-length manuscripts only) non-fiction – Canadian History; non-fiction – Canadian Sports; Aboriginal Literature – booklength manuscripts of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry by Aboriginal authors; Fiction; Poetry. Send submissions via email (preferably in a Word file as an attachment) to submissions@ booklandpress.com For details visit www.booklandpress.com

Continuous Submission ENC Press (www.encpress.com) accepting submissions of fresh, original, entertaining novels (45,000 to 75,000 words) driven by engaging characters. “We are looking for full-length, character-driven novels that contain elements of social and political satire or commentary, offer unusual insights into foreign cultures, have a strong element of humour and tip a few sacred cows along the way. We avoid genre fiction unless the genre is but a context for a satirical commentary on human condition.” Details on website.

Aboriginal Writers’ Facilitated Retreat

August 15-19 Spring Valley Guest Ranch Ravenscrag, SK All Aboriginal writers welcome, please join us for our second annual facilitated gathering. Limited to six writers, so apply early. For more information call Joely BigEagle at 791-7744, email swgap@skwriter.com or visit www.skwriter.com/sk-writers-artists-retreats/ aboriginal-writers-facilitated-retreat-application-form

FREELANCE

APRIL-MAY 2012

LEGACY PROJECT Dear SWG Member,

Dear SWG Member,

“Are you a builder or a bystander?”

I have an invitation to extend to you, the members of the Saskatchewan Writers Guild. You know about the SWG Foundation’s Legacy Project, I think. It is an ambitious, yet eminently attainable goal of acquiring our own building, one that would not only permanently house the offices of the Guild, but which could be a home for an array of services to writers. The potential uses are legion, as would be the opportunities to generate ongoing revenue streams for the Foundation and the Guild.

The SWG Foundation Legacy Project has made me ask myself this question. The Legacy Project is about the future of writing in Saskatchewan. It’s about a building—a place to learn, to teach, to explore and to celebrate writing—a permanent place for Saskatchewan writers to gather and to be proud of—a place to call home. I decided at the last AGM that I am a builder. And this year I wrote a cheque to the SWG Foundation (Legacy Project)—with a warm hand I might add—a cheque for $10,000.00. I have also made a personal commitment to write a cheque for $10,000.00 for the next four years. Why? Because I want to show you I am serious about this project. I want to be part of a legacy— one that will ensure that writers will have a permanent place on this Saskatchewan landscape. In fact I feel the timing for this venture is even more important during this time of rapid change and uncertainty. It seems it is an important time to be a builder. I also do this because I am grateful to the writers who came before, those who had the vision to establish the Saskatchewan Writers Guild— an organization that was there when I needed them—an organization that supported me and my writing goals and they were also there to celebrate my successes. I am hopeful that you will join me in showing your support of the Legacy Project by making your contributions and showing your gratitude to the SWG’s existence. Everyone’s contribution counts. I ask you, “Are you a builder or a bystander?” Jo Bannatyne-Cugnet Co-chair SWG Legacy Project

APRIL-MAY 2012

My invitation is this: please join me in making a regular monthly contribution to the SWG Foundation Legacy Project. Fixed, regular monthly contributions are the sure and certain way to provide significant money to the Project on a continuing basis, without straining personal financial capacity. I signed up to contribute $20 per month through PayPal which I accessed on the SWG Foundation payments and donations page on the SWG website. Just be certain to select the Legacy Project as the recipient of your contribution. I’m not a wealthy man. I am pretty much retired now, and live of a modest but adequate income. And I am an aspiring writer. And I want a home for writers, a building. And I can help pay for that with fixed monthly contributions. You can be certain that we will approach business and corporations, foundations, governments, whatever organizations we can find, to ask for substantial financial support for this project. But we cannot legitimately do so unless we writers demonstrate our own financial support for the project. It comes down to this: I want to be a builder, not a bystander. Please join me. I’m giving $20 a month, but pick your own level. Please do it now. Rod Dickinson Co-chair SWG Legacy Project

FREELANCE

yes, I'd Like to Make a Donation

I would like to donate to: q Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild q Grain Magazine q Patricia Armstrong Fund q Writers’ Assistance Fund (WAF) q Writers/Artist Retreats Please 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 SWG Registered Charity Number 119140556 RR 0001

weLCOME NEW MEMBERS Ileen Boechler, Saskatoon SK Cheryl Kai Chatterson, Regina SK Nancy Dalziel, Regina SK Todd Devonshire, Martensville SK Jackie Driedger, Saskatoon SK Gloria Guest, Moose Jaw SK Robert Harwood, Val Marie SK Delila Jahn-Thue, Lake Alma SK Ben Korkola, Regina SK Candice Lee-Zens, Regina SK

I would like to donate to: q SWG Foundation

Melanie McKay, Regina SK

q Caroline Heath Memorial Fund

Jeff Park, Saskatoon SK

q Endowment Fund

Jackie Pitman, Battleford SK

q Facilitated Retreats q Judy McCrosky Bursary q Legacy Project Please make cheques or money orders payable to the SWG Foundation PO Box 3986, Regina SK S4P 3R9

Carey Rigby-Wilcox, Saskatoon SK Stephen Rogalski, Regina SK Carrie-May Siggins, Regina SK Pat Stewart, Val Marie SK

You can also donate via Paypal at: www.skwriter.com/payments-and-donations

Shayna Stock, Regina SK

SWG Foundation Reg. Charity Number 818943870 RR 0001

Jordan Thornton, Regina SK

Thank you for your donation. A tax receipt will be issued.

Toby Welch, Airdrie AB

Donations to the Gary Hyland Endowment Fund can be sent to The South Saskatchewan Community Foundation Inc. #2-2700 Montague St. Regina, SK S4S 0J9

FREELANCE

APRIL-MAY 2012

BACKBONE SWG Thanks Our Donors PATRON (over $500) Lorne Erickson Estate BENEFACTORS ($200-$499) Calder, Robert Goldman, Lyn Lorer, Danica MacIntyre, Rod Monahan, Lynda

SUPPORTERS ($100-$199) Birnie, Howard Conacher, Myrtle Durant, Margaret Edwards, Karen Haigh, Jerry Halsband, Ilonka Hertes, David Khng, George Tuharsky, Terry FRIENDS ($50-$99) Aksomitis, Linda Aubrey, Kim Birdsell, Sandra Bowen, Gail Campbell, Sandra Charrett, Doug Epp, Joanne Fenwick, Cathy Fisher, Chris Funk, Wes Guymer, Myrna Hamilton, Sharon Hillis, Doris Koops, Sheena Kostash, Myrna Krause, Pat MacFarlane, Sharon McArthur, Wenda Miller, Dianne Mitchell, June Wardill, William Young, Dianne

APRIL-MAY 2012

CONTRIBUTORS (up to $50) Armstrong, William Baker, Brenda Butala, Sharon Dean, Jeanette Ehman, Amy Jo Freeman, Jean Glaze, David Gossner, Carol Grandel, Loaine Guymer, Myrna Halsband, Ilonka Herr, Sharon Hindle, Jean Lonsdale, Margaret Martin, Miriam Mitchell, Ken Popp, Muriel Rae, Annie Schwier, Karin Trussler, Michael WRITERS’ ASSISTANCE FUND (WAF) Kerr, Donald RETREATS Buchmann-Gerber, Annemarie Goetz, Melody Krause, Judith Lawrence, Katherine Sarsfield, Pete GRAIN Kloppenburg, Cheryl

SWG Foundation Thanks to Our Donors SWG FOUNDATION Adam, Sharon Daunt, Felicia Estate of Mossie Hancock Freeman, Jean Glaze, David La Ronge Wild Rice Writers’ Group Nilson, John & Linda Peter, Anthony Sorestad, Glen ENDOWMENT FUND Buhr, Nola Carpenter, David Conacher, Myrtle Malcolm, Dr. David FACILITATED RETREAT Hogarth, Susan JUDY MCCROSKY BURSARY McCrosky, Judy LEGACY PROJECT Bannatyne-Cugnet, Jo Boerma, Gloria Fenwick, Cathy Friesen, Bernice Gossner, Carol Khng, George Lohans, Alison Powell Mendenhall, Marie Remlinger, Paula Jane Slade, Arthur Story, Gertrude Yeager, Michele

FREELANCE

Freelance April/May 2012

Saving for the Guild’s future (Donor status is cumulative)

LEGACY PROJECT

Volume 41 Number 3

“Are you a Builder or a Bystander?” Contributors Friends Supporters Benefactors Patron

up to $100 $101. to $1,000 $1,001 to $5,000 $5,001 to $10,000 over $10,000

Please 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 SWG Foundation Reg. Charity Number 818943870 RR 0001

Thank you for your donation. A tax receipt will be issued.

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

FREELANCE