Review: Sleeping with Satan: Salem Witch-hunt, 1692

This poetry collection chronicles the stories of the women of Salem during the witch-hunt of 1692. They roughly take the reader from the bones of the events, through the tragedy and its impact on the lives of the survivors and perpetrators alike. Nearly all of the poems take the point of view of one of the women or girls, accusers and accused.

I chose this book for the Hallow e'en book review because the subject of the witch-hunt is so often brought up around this time. This isn't a book to thrill or entertain; it is a melancholy and sober work. It is not merely about the events of the witch-hunt, but the persecution of women which is ongoing in so much of our world. These poems touch very lightly on folk religion, mostly in the early poems featuring Tituba. The focus is largely on misogyny, the victims targeted because they are wealthy, fashionable, or prominent women of influence.

Mary Ann Mulhern, from St.Thomas, Ontario, now lives in Windsor. Her poems have appeared in Tower, the Windsor Review, Room of One's Own, and Windfall. Click here to read my review of Mary Ann's book Touch the Dead.

Inside Out

I wear hats
with golden plumes
my bodice scarlet
roses threaded
round and high
sultry underskirts
edged with lace

in a Salem court
my clothes turn me
inside out
a witch hidden
in silky seams
sewn by
the Devil's hand

on Gallow's Hill
my eyes feed
a midnight owl
my dress lines
nests of crows
torn lace
trailing down

Book Review: The Nightcrawler by Mick Ridgewell

Think back to the old stories, the fairy tales and myths. The hero is approached by a man, or a woman, desperately poor and almost unimaginably ugly. They ask for something simple, maybe some bread or shelter for the night. The hero is disgusted and turns them away. When does that ever end well?

Today I will be reviewing The Nightcrawler by Mick Ridgewell. Earlier this year, I interviewed the author. Since then, the Nightcrawler has been placed on the Horror Writers Association's Stoker Reading List and recommended for the Bram Stoker Award.

 I will admit that I my experience with the horror and thriller genres begins and ends with academic work with Gothic novels so cannot make any comparisons with other works. But I can commend the storytelling which is, after all, what is most important.

My personal taste is for novels where engaging characters drive the plot, and the Nightcrawler certainly delivers there. It is a story about journeys for two men, but primarily of corporate VP Scott Randall. Despite the modern urban setting of the story, there is a deep, mythic quality to Scott's trip to L.A. It seems the spirit of Nemesis has come to visit in the form of a homeless man in Detroit. Given the current global recession, having Randall chased by the furies of the homeless does have its resonance, especially when the story unfolds from Detroit across the U.S.A.

Ridgewell carefully works up to the surreal so gradually that, like Randall, the reader has one foot in the realm of psychological terrors when the Nightcrawler is fully revealed. The chilling atmosphere is insidious. If nothing else, you'll never be able to hear the phrase 'okey dokey' quite the same again.
The Nightcrawler is available in digital formats from Barnes and Noble, Samhain Publishing, and in print and for the Kindle at Amazon.

Mick Ridgewell will be signing copies of The Nightcrawler in the upcoming months:

Mason's Haunted House of Shalom in Amherstburg. Oct. 19, 20, 26, 27, 28, and 30, from 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm. A portion of the proceeds from each book sold will be donated to the House of Shalom Youth Center.

Oct. 23rd Stars of the Game will be hosting a launch party for The Nightcrawler at 7:30.

The fine people at Stars will be serving up some tasty treats and I will have copies of The nightcrawler available.

Oct. 21st at the Caboto Club attending a fundraiser for Windsor Essex Literacy Leadership Student Program.

Dec. 2nd in Maidstone at the Windsor Essex Local Authors Book Expo at St. Mary's Hall, from 10:am - 4:00 pm.

Press Release: Writing Salon with Marty Gervais

 

 

 

“THE WRITING SALON” WITH MARTY GERVAIS

Every other Monday starting Monday September 24th at the Arts Council Windsor Region starting at 5:30pm. 

“The Writing Salon” is an opportunity for both established and aspiring writers to meet and workshop their work in a productive setting under the guidance of Windsor writer and publisher Marty Gervais. This is sponsored by the Resident Writing program at the University of Windsor in partnership with the Arts Council Windsor and Region. Writers are asked to bring 
one or two pages of poetry or prose, but not exceeding 750 words (fiction or non-fiction).

It is suggested that writers bring multiple copies (7 to 10 copies) of these works so they can be distributed to other workshop members. This program is free of charge and runs every two weeks. Writers will gain knowledge of how to improve their work, and details about editing and publishing. The sessions are held between 5:30 and 7 p.m. every two weeks beginning Sept. 24 at the Arts Council Windsor Region Office (Artspeak Gallery) 1942 Wyandotte St. W., Windsor.

BIO

Marty Gervais is an award winning journalist, poet, playwright, historian, photographer and editor. In 2011, he was nominated as the City of Windsor’s first Poet Laureate, and runs a Poet Laureate’s Blog.

In 1998, he won the prestigious Toronto’s Harbourfront Festival Prize for his contributions to Canadian letters and to emerging writers. In 1996, he was awarded the Milton Acorn People’s Poetry Award for his book, Tearing Into A Summer Day. That book also was awarded the City of Windsor Mayor’s Award for literature. In 2003, Gervais was given City of Windsor Mayor’s Award for literature for To Be Now: Selected Poems.

As a writer, he has written more than a dozen books of poetry, two plays and a novel. His most successful work, The Rumrunners, a book about the Prohibition period was a Canadian bestseller in 1980 and was re-released in an expanded format in 2010 and was on the top ten Globe and Mail bestseller list for non-fiction titles. Another book, Seeds In The Wilderness (a collection of essays with Quarry Press/General Publishing) stemmed from interviews he conducted with such notable religious leaders as Mother Theresa, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Hans Kung and Terry Waite. With this latter book, Gervais photographed many of these world leaders.

Gervais received his M.A. in Creative Writing under the supervision of Morley Callaghan. He is founder of Black Moss Press, one of Canada’s oldest literary publishing firms, and is managing editor of The Windsor Review

Press Release: Having Words; Art Talks with Marty Gervais

HAVING WORDS; ART TALKS WITH Marty Gervais, Windsor’s Poet Laureate. This new monthly series brings together writers who will read and talk about their work with Marty Gervais at ArtSpeak Gallery. The series is intended to promote informal discussion about the craft of writing, exploring the challenges and joys related to poetry. The event to be held on Thursdays is free. It begins at 7 p.m. The event is sponsored in part by the Poet Laureate program of the Cultural Affairs Office of the City of Windsor and the English Department at the University of Windsor.

Fall Harvest Creative Writing Workshop @ WrEd Ink

Fall Harvest Creative Writing Workshop @ Juniper Ued and Rare Books 1990 Ottawa Street, Windsor.
October 2nd - November 20th (Tuesdays 7-9 pm) with Laurie Smith B.Ed., M.A., co-publisher of Cranberry Tree Press. Enrollment limited. 8 weeks for $150

Call Roger at Juniper Books (519) 258-4111 to register

Press Release: Poetry Classes @ Juniper Books

Contemporary poetry with Laurie Smith, of Cranberry Tree Press. Tuesday evenings beginning July 3 (tentative). Location changes (motivational field trips) will be announced on a weekly basis, but home base will be Juniper Used and Rare Books, 1990 Ottawa St. 4 weeks/ $100. For more information or to register please email.

Press Release: Call for Artists EPIC Lavender Fest

EPIC Lavender Festival – Call for artists

Attention Artists and Artisans!

We’re excited to host the 1st Lavender Festival ever in Essex County and it will be an EPIC event! We’d love to have you get involved and showcase your wonderful talents.

The festival will be held on Sunday, July 7, 2012 from 10 am to 5 pm at Serenity Lavender Farm 130 County Road 50 East, Colchester. This event is open to any Artist, Musicians, Writers and Artisans selling handcrafted materials. Please note no Electricity will be available.

All items to be sold must be original pieces created by the person.

10×10 spots are only $40.00.

To register for a 10×10 spot please complete the application available on our website and email to Suzanne@serenitylavender.com or mail to Serenity Lavender, 130 County Road 50 East Colchester, Ontario N0R 1G0. Fees must accompany the registration form. cheques will not be cashed until after the applicant is accepted. NSF cheques will be charged a fee based on bank charges.

Booth locations will be selected by lottery.

Please bring your own tables, chairs, self standing canopies. Vendors must have their spaces staffed at all times. Set up begins at 8 am and tear down starts at 5:15 pm on the day of the show.

Visit the Serenity Lavender events page to download the application.

Laurie Smith's The Truth About Roller Skating @ Tecumseh Mall

Laurie Smith, author of The Truth About Roller Skating, is holding a reading of her book at Coles, Tecumseh Mall this Saturday from 2-4pm. You can read my  review of The Truth About Roller Skating here. You'll not want to pass up this chance to scoop your own copy and meet the author!

Sketch(es) of the Day: Ron Silliman's alphabet

As a graduate student, I assisted with an event held at the University of Windsor, in honour of Ron Silliman's poetic work: the alphabet. The conference was called, fittingly, the alphabet Symposium. I herded wayward scholars, scampered across campus to sort out last-minute tech issues, comforted the anxious, and handed out spiffy name tags as well as the programme which I had lovingly written and typeset (no one commented on its flawless appearance but I knew that they knew). Aside from these moments of excitement, I spent a lot of time sitting alone at the sign-in table. I had spoken with Dr. Louis Cabri, my supervisor, about my new habit of sketching public scenes. He encouraged me to record the event, and so I gave it a shot.

Why don't I have a sketch of Ron Silliman? I really don't know; it might have something to do with the arrangement of the room. I was quite excited to practice my rusty life-drawing skills on the scholars but I soon came to realise that everyone has the same when they're at the podium. That, and they look like they're eating or taking a microphone to the eye (sorry about that).

On a technical note, I was still getting used to using a waterbrush (a paintbrush with a water reservoir in the handle). It was still hard to control the water flow. I was also getting used to the Caran d'Ache neocolor ii crayons that I've since come to enjoy to much. But in these early days, both of these now-beloved tools were a real pain.

Review: Contes du Détroit

A treasury is the term for this book. Contes du Détroit (Tales of Detroit) is a collection of fairy tales and folk tales told for generations by the French community of Essex County, and their neighbours on the American side of the Detroit River. The tales were gathered in 1938 by Joseph Médard Carrière. Carrière was a scholar of Franco-Ontarian language and culture. His transcripts of oral storytelling are published here for the first time, edited by Marcel Bénéteau and Donald Deschênes. The book won the Prix Mnémo in 2006. However, there is some question concerning his sources of these tales; 25 years after he collected his stories, he claimed Joseph Groulx of Tecumseh as his source. It is a claim which his daughter denied at the time. It is unlikely that the question will ever be resolved.

The book has a broad appeal; being the first edition of these stories, they are published with critical apparata, and can be read and enjoyed for their charm. There is a conversational, casual quality to the stories which truly evokes the oral storytelling tradition of another time. For readers unfamiliar with the local French dialect, there is a glossary of archaic and regional words which pepper the stories. Among the unfamiliar stories, there are also version of traditional classics but told with a local twist.

For a taste of the collection, here is the shortest story from Contes du Détroit:

Tinette et Ses Roulettes

Une fois, j'étais après jouer avec Tinette.
Tinette m'a volé mes roulettes. J'ai dit: «Tinette, donne-moi mes roulettes!»
Tinette dit: «Je te donnerai pas tes roulettes sans que tu me donnes une croûte de pain.» 
J'ai été à maman. J'ai dit: «Maman, donne-moi une croûte de pain.»
Maman dit: «Non, je te donnerai pas une croûte de pain sans que j'aie les clés.»
J'ai été à papa, je lui ai dit: «Papa, donne-moi les clés.»
Papa il dit: «Non, tu auras pas les cles sans que j'aie de l'huile d'ours.»
J'ai été à l'ours pis j'ai dit: «L'ours, donne-moi de l'huile.»
L'ours dit: «Non, je te donnerai pas d'huile sans que j'aie une cuisse de veau.»
J'ai été au veau, j'ai dit: «Veau, donne-moi une cuisse.»
Le veau il dit: «Non, je te donnerai pas une cuisse sans que j'aie du lait.»
J'ai été à la vache pis j'ai dit: «Vache, donne-moi du lait.»
La vache elle dit: «Non, je te donnerai pas de lait sans que j'aie du foin.»
J'ai été à la fourche, j'ai dit: «Fourche, donne-moi du foin.»
La fourche dit: «Non, je te donnerai pas du foin sans que j'aie du lard.»
J'ai été à la truie, j'ai dit: «Truie, donne-moi du lard.»
La truie elle dit: «Non, je te donnerai pas du lard sans que j'aie des glands.»
 J'ai été au chêne. J'ai dit: «Chêne, donne-moi des glands.»
Le chêne il dit:  «Non, je te donnerai pas des glands sans que j'aie du vent.»

J'ai venté le chêne, le chêne m'a glanté; j'ai glanté la truie, la truie m'a larré; j'ai larré la fourche, la fourche m'a fouiné; j'ai fouiné la vache, la vache m'a laité; j'ai laité le veau, le veau m'a cuissé; j'ai cuissé l'ours, l'ours m'a huilé; j'ai huilé papa, papa m'a cleté; j'ai cleté maman, maman m'a croûté; j'ai croûté Tinette, Tinette m'a rendu mes roulettes.

Contes du Détroit is available from Amazon.ca, and the University of Windsor Bookstore. You can also read three of the tales from the collection at the Virtual Museum of Canada.

Last Day for Canada Writes Poetry Contest

Deadline to submit: May 1 at 11:59 p.m. ET

This prize is awarded once a year to the best original, unpublished, poem or poetry collection submitted to the competition. All Canadians can participate.

The competition is blind. A jury composed of well-known and respected Canadian authors will select a 1st place winner and 4 runners-up.

The First Prize winner will receive $6,000, courtesy of the Canada Council for the Arts, and will have his/her poetry published in Air Canada’s enRoute magazine and on the Canada Writes website. He or she will also be awarded a two-week residency at The Banff Centre's Leighton Artists' Colony (details about the residency here), 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, and their stories will be published on the Canada Writes website.

Submissions to the poetry category must be between 400 and 600 words.

A fee of $25.00 (taxes included) for administration purposes is required for each entry.

Submit your entry electronically by visiting the CBC Canada Writes here.

Traditional Publishing via Star Wars Figures

Author James Renner explains how the traditional publishing industry works. His use of visual aids, Star Wars action figures in this case, is very effective. I hope he, or someone with equal prowess, makes a sequel about the print-on-demand/Self Publishing industry. Enjoy!

Interview: Author Mick Ridgewell

Mick Ridgewell's first novel, the thriller Nightcrawler, premiers in digital form at Barnes and Noble and Amazon's Kindle Store this Tuesday. Ridgewell was born in Fort Erie, Ontario, grew up in Windsor, and now lives in LaSalle. In addition to Nightcrawler, he has written numerous works of fiction including Black Chaos, which placed second in a short story competition at Spinetinglers in December 2010.

Increasingly, modern authors are embracing new tools available for the first time through digital publishing, and online workshop venues. Ridgewell refined the manuscript for Nightcrawler through Authonomy, publisher Harper Collins' platform and community for uncovering new writing talent. For Ridgewell, writing often comes down to questions:


Almost everything I write starts with a ‘What if.’ Getting that what if is like deciding to go out for dinner. What if we went out for dinner tonight? The rest is like getting in the car and figuring out the details on the way there. Usually fairly early in the process I envision the end. Once that happens, it’s just a matter of connecting the dots.

With The Nightcrawler, I was reading Stephen King’s On Writing – A Memoir of the Craft, and ‘What if you are driving across country, and you see the same person, over and over again,” popped into my head. The Nightcrawler was born out of that idea.


What are some of the authors, films, or books which inspire or influence you?

Some years back, Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles restarted my love for reading, so I guess the inspiration began there. However, as far as authors go, Stephen King is at the top of the list. It was actually his On Writing – A Memoir of the Craft that motivated me to begin The Nightcrawler. I have since read all but his two most recent published books in order of release. Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend and Orwells’s 1984 would also be on the list. Stepping away from horror, I have to say I am a big fan of the Harry Potter series and more recently, my daughter steered me toward The Hunger Games series which pleasantly surprised me. I do read more horror than any other genre, but if a book has well developed characters (characters that I can form an emotional bond with, whether the emotion is good or bad), then I will enjoy the story.

How would you characterise the type of horror in your work?

I describe The Nightcrawler as a paranormal thriller. Many of the situations in The Nightcrawler are things that could happen to anyone. Throw in some nightmares, nasty vagrants, creepy crawlies and a dead sister, and I hope it is a story that will have you looking over your shoulder when someone cheerfully says, “Okie Dokie.”

Describe your experience workshopping Nightcrawler at Authonomy; what was that like?

Authonomy is a community of writers and readers from all over the world. It is a website, administered by HarperCollins UK. After uploading your writing, other members can read, comment and support the work. The top five books each month are reviewed by HarperCollins. I had The Nightcrawler on the site for eleven months, achieving the end goal of a review from a HarperCollins editor. During that time The Nightcrawler received over 700 comments, many of which were very helpful in making me a better writer. 

Is there anything else that you would like to say to our readers?

Never give up your dreams. At 53 years old, I am anxiously awaiting the release of my first novel. If you have something you always wanted to do, then take the first step to achieving it. I am living proof that if you jump in with both feet, good things can happen.

Thank you for joining us, Mick!

Nightcrawler will be available in digital formats May 1st from Barnes and Noble, and Samhain Publishing.
The Nightcrawler paperback by Mick Ridgewell can be pre-ordered from Amazon.ca

Book Launch: In Pursuit of the Golden Key

Windsor's creative community sure knows how to celebrate! This year is the bicentenary of the War of 1812, a conflict which formed the character of our region for years to come. Artists Dennis White and Steve Gibbs have put together a merry chase: a treasure hunt, a book, and a golden key at the centre of it all. What is the treasure, you might ask? The official website puts it simply:

The riddles, poetry, quotes and artwork all contain information that when put together will lead you to solving the puzzle and to a document entitling you to the grand prize — the treasure. The first person to correctly solve the puzzle will receive the Golden Key that will open a treasure worth over $10,000 CND. 

Why not come out to the Art Gallery of Windsor for the official book launch May 5th at 11 am?

Yes two hundred years have come and gone
Since war once ruled this land
A little knowledge you will need to solve the task at hand
A riddle or two will lead to a clue of lives from days gone by
But be aware
With whom you share
For in them the answers lie
Leotie's treasure is yours to find
It is not as hard as you think
For within these pages
Through different stages
You are bound to find a link
So your journey begins with clue number one
Good luck! As you begin today
Is it a clue for you to shout, "I've won!"
Or one that will lead you astray?

Press Release: Spring Reading at Phog

Biblioasis is proud to present an evening of poetry and fiction at the Phog. We hope you'll join us to ring in the spring (or raise a glass?) with some of our best story writers and poets.

WHERE: Phog Lounge, 157 University Ave

WHEN: Tuesday April 24, 7 PM

WHAT: An evening of poetry and fiction with Amanda Jernigan (author of Groundwork, an NPR Best Poetry Book of 2011), Mike Barnes (winner of the Danuta Gleed Award, 2009), and Claire Tacon (winner of the Metcalf-Rooke Award, 2011).

Press Release: Armando Viselli @ Windsor Public Library

Thanks to the Windsor Star and the Windsor Public Library for this, rather last minute, news. Long time Erie Street resident and author Armando Viselli will be giving a talk at the Central branch of the Windsor Public Library today at 2 pm.

"Windsor Public Library will host An Afternoon with Armando - a talk featuring a local Italian-Canadian octogenarian's experiences during the German occupation of Rome in the 1940s and his early days in Canada as an immigrant after arriving here in 1951."

Click here to read more!

Interview: Writer Brendan Houghton

Windsor has its own source for satire now that Brendan Houghton's The Windsor Naysayer is here. The Naysayer features fake news articles, weather, and book reviews. Satire itself, sometimes light and fun, sometimes harsh and bitter, is hardly new; for as long as people have observed their societies, there have been writers who poked fun at it. Political satire is the most common form today, seen in television programs such as The Daily Show, or This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and websites like The Onion.

Houghton was born in Windsor, in 1981. He studied Journalism at St.Clair College, left to work in sales, and is now studying Business at the University of Windsor. About his work on the Naysayer, he has this to say:

I have always written in my spare time, started writing for local blogs in 2008. Took a long hiatus from writing, and one day I decided to make my own website, rather than write for someone else's site. It started as a simple creative outlet, and a way to challenge myself to see if I could write regularly, because that was always something I had trouble doing. I look at the site as more of a collection of short stories than an actual “parody news” website. I think Windsor is a great city, and the people here have a very unique sense of humour and a unique outlook on the world. We are caught in the middle of the US and Canada, and to me, because of that, we need to laugh at ourselves, and everyone who doesn't live here and looks at us in an unflattering way.

I chatted with Brendan today about his influences, and what might be next for his work.

The Naysayer has been compared to The Onion. What are your thoughts on that?

Its useful when describing the website to someone just for association purposes, but they tackle nationwide issues, and we tackle local issues/culture/happenings. So, we are different from them in a lot of ways. They do satire, so do we.

Are there any writers who inspire or influence your work?

Certainly: Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, Ambrose Bierce, Mark Twain. I'm also influenced by television, Monty Python, South Park, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, The Black Adder; those all come to mind. The movie Dr Strangelove is another influence on what I do.

 What are your hopes for the future of The Windsor Naysayer?

I'd like to take it to other cities. Start a Toronto Naysayer, a Montreal Naysayer, A Vancouver Naysayer, etc. Have it as a sort of sounding board for people who like to parody what goes on in their particular cities, because I know that every city has its own unique culture and sense of humour, and I'd like the Naysayer to reflect that.

Is there anything else you would like to say to our readers?

Yes. If you have an idea, don't think about it too much, just do it. Many times in my life I've had ideas about projects I'd like to start but I never started them because I'd over think everything and then I'd just end up not doing it. For the Naysayer it was different - I just did it.

A warm thank you to Brendan for joining us today.

Review: Touch the Dead by Mary Ann Mulhern

The grave digger's daughter, former nun, and present poet Mary Ann Mulhern shares her peculiar childhood in this collection of poems inspired by growing up in a graveyard in the 1940s. Mary Ann, from St.Thomas, Ontario, now lives in Windsor. Her poems have appeared in Tower, the Windsor Review, Room of One's Own, and Windfall.

Touch the Dead was short-listed for the Acorn-Plantos award in 2007, an award for Canadian poetry written with accessible language and imagery. The poems in this collection are directly inspired by the poet's memories of her childhood, experiences reflected and transformed into strikingly moving images. The language is intimate and narrative. Each short poem tells the story by drawing the reader into a moment from years ago. Coming to terms with mortality, but also the co-existence of life with death run through the poems making the collection very engaging.

'Root Cellar' by Mary Ann Mulhern from Touch the Dead

My father digs a root cellar

deeper than a grave

Earth takes back her harvest

apples, potatoes, turnips and squash

Seeds still alive

like a woman whose

buried children turned to ghosts

while they still had breath and eyes

to beg for sustenance

Apples for a Sunday pie

potatoes for a stew

turnips and squash streaming in a pot

Sweet resurrection

Touch the Dead and other works by Mary Ann Mulhern are published by Black Moss Press and available from Amazon.ca.

Creative Writing Workshop

Get lost in a good book...yours.

Do you have a story to be told? Are you ready to let your imagination run away with you? Join the fellowship of first time creative writers in this new workshop series, and learn just what you can do! Bring yourself, your imagination, and writing tools of choice. Each workshop session will put you through the paces of a professional writer. And the best part? It’s still fun, friendly, and never the same!

Instructor Sonia Sulaiman BA. B.Ed. MA is an Ontario Certified Teacher with more than a decade of experience teaching students of all ages and skill levels. Sonia is a member of ACWR (Arts Council Windsor and Region), Back Room Gallery Artists’ Co-op, and Storytellers of Canada.

$60 for 6 weeks. Enrollment is limited.

6:00- 7:30 pm

May 12, 26
June 9, 23
July 14, 28

Registration at Back Room Gallery
4749 Wyandotte St. E, Windsor, Ontario (one block east of Pilette)
519-915-3535