It makes SO much sense! After all, everyone knows how desperate publishers are to maximize profits on a potential series.
Jewel and Julia the sure-to-be-a-hit followup to the smash bestseller Julie and Julia
Reserve your copy NOW!
Who: The Shebeen Club and the Surrey Writers’ School
What: $15 gets you dinner and a drink (cash, plzthxkbai) with the finest of Literati
When: 6-9pm Monday, August 17th
Where: The Shebeen, Behind the Irish Heather in Gastown, 210 Carrall Street
Why: not? It’s a great new school run by actual, talented local writers, and it’s a Monday. What the hell else have you got going that night?
With great pleasure the Shebeen Club will be hosting an informative, educational, and slightly decadent (think Dorian Gray as an academic advisor) evening with Lois Peterson, co-founder and coordinator of the brand-new Surrey Writers’ School.
Surrey School District’s recent announcement that it had axed the Surrey Creative Writing Diploma Program left scores of South Fraser region writers without accessible writing classes.
The Surrey Writers’ School (SWS) was created by Surrey writers / teachers Lois Peterson, Ed Griffin and Doug Brunt to replace the now deceased Diploma Program. “Surrey’s writing program acquired a strong following over the past 16 years,” says SWS Coordinator Lois Peterson. “We know there are people out there wanting to learn skills to write for publication and their own personal satisfaction. ”
Rising like a Phoenix from the ashes (only of course not so cliched) of the Continuing Education Program, the Surrey Writers School aims to serve interested, active writers of the Lower Mainland. We hope you’ll come help us celebrate the birth of this newest edition to the literary scene in BC.
It’s the 21st Century, folks. That “Edwardian Dandy” look may be okay for Johnny Depp, but if you’re not as gifted in the “devastating physical beauty” category, it’s critical to keep your look modern and fresh. To that effort, the esteemed (if hardly ever, you know, read) New Yorker magazine sponsored a makeover of its beloved, if fusty, mascot, Eustace Tilley.
You can click through all the selected winners (in the finest tradition of literary magazines, I believe not one of them got paid) or you can scroll below to see some of my personal favorites. Yes, I’m a little bit Goth. What can I say: everything old is new again.
Big Daddy Tilley
Tilley Makeover Horror
Mr Burns is a Tilley for the new century
Zombie Tilley. So hot right now.
Eustace Tilley goes sci-fi
and my favorite, and not just because that stupid Facebook quiz told me I was Dorian Gray:
The Picture of Eustace Tilley
This is a post for Blogathon, by the way.
Charles Dickens breaks through writer's block
Yes, I’m stepping down, not that my slightly insane schedule ever let me do a proper job of this. It’s a great position for someone who’s organized and community-minded, who likes to support and promote events, groups, and individual writers around Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. It’s highly social, and great exposure. I’d say the job takes four or five hours a week to do properly, since the Lower Mainland is so active and there’s so much to keep track of. Here’s the official posting:
CALL FOR LOWER MAINLAND SUNSHINE COAST REGIONAL REP
The Federation of BC Writers is looking for a member to serve as the LowerMainland/
Sunshine Coast Regional Representative. As a regional representative, your responsibilities
include:
• participating as a member of the Federation board of directors
• helping to organize Federation-sponsored regional events
• representing the Federation at regional literary events
• writing quarterly regional reports for WordWorks magazine and e-newsletters
• communicating regularly with regional members
• acting as a resource for member queries
• maintaining a regional email list
If you’re interested in serving a two-year term for this position, please send an email to
bcwriters at shaw.ca that includes your resume (attached as a Word document) with a succinct cover letter that tells us 1) why you’re interested in the position, 2) how much time you’re able to commit on a monthly basis, 3) a bit about your writing background, and 4) your skills and interests by Friday, July 30. Please put Regional Rep in the subject line.
This is as good a spot as any to mention that this Saturday I’ll be participating in Blogathon, a 24-hour, 48 blog post postathon, to raise money for the Fed. You can sponsor me by selecting “raincoaster.com” from the list of available blogs to sponsor. All the posts will be going up over there. After Blogathon, you just tote up your donation and send the cheque straight to the Fed, which will put it to good use on behalf of British Columbia’s home-grown literary talent.
You’d think they could have seen this one coming, what with him being infamously secretive and all. On the other hand, how do they know it’s fake? Is this PostModernism in its highest form?
“An interview purporting to be with Banksy in last Saturday’s Guide (One last thing … , 18 July, page 98, the Guide) was, it transpires, conducted with someone impersonating the graffiti artist. We apologise to Banksy for this error and for any offence and inconvenience caused.”
The Shebeen Club 