Sunday September 22, 2013 at Queen's Park Circle, 11am - 6pm
Click on a segment below to learn more.
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM :: Writing Gordon Lightfoot - Dave Bidini
July, 1972. As musicians across Canada prepare for the nation's biggest folk festival, held on Toronto Island, a series of events unfold that will transform the country politically, psychologically – and musically. As Bidini explores the remarkable week leading up to Mariposa, he also explores the life and times of one of the most enigmatic figures in Canadian music: Gordon Lightfoot, the reigning king of folk at the height of his career. Through a series of letters, Bidini addresses Lightfoot directly, questioning him, imagining his life, and weaving together a fascinating, highly original look at a musician at the top of his game. By the end of the week, the country is on the verge of massive change and the '72 Mariposa folk fest – complete with surprise appearances by Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and yes, Lightfoot – is on its way to becoming legendary.
Dave Bidini is the author of nine critically acclaimed books including On a Cold Road, Tropic of Hockey, Around the World in 57 ½ Gigs, and Home and Away. He has made two Gemini Award-winning sports films and has several films in development. Dave has written for a number of newspapers and magazines, including the New York Times, the Village Voice and the Globe and Mail. For twenty-five years, he was a founding member of the Rheostatics, Canada's most beloved independent band.
12:00 - 12:30 PM :: Copernicus Avenue - Andrew J. Borkowski
Set primarily in the neighbourhood of fictional Copernicus Avenue, Andrew J. Borkowski’s debut collection of short stories is a daring, modern take on life in Toronto’s Polish community in the years following World War II. Featuring a cast of young and old, artists and soldiers, visionaries and madmen, the forgotten and the unforgettable, Copernicus Avenue captures, with bold and striking prose, the spirit of a people who have travelled to a new land, not to escape old grudges and atrocities, but to conquer them.
Andrew J. Borkowski was born and raised in Toronto’s Roncesvalles Village. As a freelance journalist, he has published articles in the Globe and Mail, the Canadian Forum, Quill & Quire, TV Guide, and the Los Angeles Times. His short fiction has appeared in Grain, The New Quarterly, and in Storyteller magazine. His short story “Twelve Versions of Lech,” which appears in Copernicus Avenue, was nominated for the 2007 Writer’s Trust/McClelland and Stewart Journey Prize and published in Journey Prize Stories 19.
12:30 - 1:00 PM :: Six Metres of Pavement - Farzana Doctor
Ismail Boxwala made the worst mistake of his life twenty years ago: he forgot his baby daughter in the back seat of his car. After her tragic death, he struggles to continue living. A divorce, years of heavy drinking, and sex with strangers only leave him feeling more alone. But Ismail’s story begins to change after he reluctantly befriends two women: Fatima, a young queer activist; and Celia, his grieving Portuguese-Canadian neighbour who lives just six metres away. A slow-simmering romance develops between Ismail and Celia. Meanwhile, dangers lead Fatima to his doorstep. Each makes complicated demands of him, ones he is uncertain he can meet.
Farzana Doctor’s first novel, Stealing Nasreen, received critical acclaim and earned a devoted readership upon its release in 2007. Her second book, Six Metres of Pavement, was named one of Now Magazine’s Top Ten Books of 2011. It also won the Lambda Literary and Rainbow Awards (2012). Farzana was named as one of CBC Books’ “Ten Canadian Women Writers You Need to Read Now” and was the recipient of the Writers’ Trust of Canada’s Dayne Ogilvie Grant (2011).
1:00 - 1:30 PM :: Writing the Revolution - Michele Landsberg
For 25 years, two‑time National Newspaper Award‑winning journalist Michele Landsberg wrote a highly influential column in the Toronto Star, recording and interpreting history from the front lines of the feminist movement. Her writing showed a fearless advocacy on behalf of women and children, peace and pluralism, human rights and social justice. Writing the Revolution is a collection of her key columns. With her trademark blend of kindness, toughness, bluntness and humour, Michele reflects on when she was right, when she was wrong, and what was happening behind the scenes. She also hails the passionate new generation of feminists working to see that the revolution continues.
Michele Landsberg began her career with The Globe and Mail in the 1960s. She joined Chatelaine Magazine in the 1970s, under the editorship of leading feminist Doris Anderson, before moving to the Toronto Star. Her time as a columnist for the Star spanned twenty‑five years and won her two National Newspaper Awards. She is also the recipient of the Governor‑General's Persons' Medal for her tireless advocacy on behalf of women. She is the author of three best‑selling books: Women and Children First, Michele Landsberg’s Guide to Children’s Books and This is New York, Honey!
1:30 - 2:00 PM :: Paramita, Little Black - Suzanne Robertson
In her first poetry collection, Suzanne Robertson meditates on the nature of intimacy; moments that bind stranger to stranger, human to animal, heart to mind. Inspired by the Buddhist paramitas, the poems attempt to both transcend and stay grounded in a conventional universe. Follow the plight of a secretary grappling with her noonday demon, her love affair with Little Black, and the metamorphosis of her marriage as she harnesses the power of poetry, marrying words “to the wind horse,” “to the lies and the gossip and the truth of the river / as it pours out the mouth of right-now.”
Suzanne Robertson's poems and short stories have appeared in various Canadian literary anthologies and journals, and she has been the recipient of a Chalmers Fellowship from the Ontario Arts Council. Her first collection of poetry, Paramita, Little Black, published by Guernica Editions, was shortlisted for the 2012 Gerald Lampert Award. Suzanne lives in Toronto, where she is member of Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography and works at the Children’s Aid Society.
2:00 - 3:30 PM :: Diaspora Dialogues Feature
Join Diaspora Dialogues for a program of readings, hosted by Andrew J. Borkowski, by the following authors: Irfan Ali, Dorianne Emmerton, and Terri Favro.
Diaspora Dialogues supports the creation and presentation of new fiction, poetry and drama that reflect the complexity of the city through the eyes of its richly diverse writers. Publishing and mentoring activities, as well as a monthly multidisciplinary performance festival, help encourage the creation of a literature that is vibrant and inclusive, while bringing these works to a wide audience.
3:30 - 4:00 PM :: Writing Gordon Lightfoot - Dave Bidini
July, 1972. As musicians across Canada prepare for the nation's biggest folk festival, held on Toronto Island, a series of events unfold that will transform the country politically, psychologically – and musically. As Bidini explores the remarkable week leading up to Mariposa, he also explores the life and times of one of the most enigmatic figures in Canadian music: Gordon Lightfoot, the reigning king of folk at the height of his career. Through a series of letters, Bidini addresses Lightfoot directly, questioning him, imagining his life, and weaving together a fascinating, highly original look at a musician at the top of his game. By the end of the week, the country is on the verge of massive change and the '72 Mariposa folk fest – complete with surprise appearances by Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and yes, Lightfoot – is on its way to becoming legendary.
Dave Bidini is the author of nine critically acclaimed books including On a Cold Road, Tropic of Hockey, Around the World in 57 ½ Gigs, and Home and Away. He has made two Gemini Award-winning sports films and has several films in development. Dave has written for a number of newspapers and magazines, including the New York Times, the Village Voice and the Globe and Mail. For twenty-five years, he was a founding member of the Rheostatics, Canada's most beloved independent band.
4:00 - 4:30 PM :: Copernicus Avenue - Andrew J. Borkowski
Set primarily in the neighbourhood of fictional Copernicus Avenue, Andrew J. Borkowski’s debut collection of short stories is a daring, modern take on life in Toronto’s Polish community in the years following World War II. Featuring a cast of young and old, artists and soldiers, visionaries and madmen, the forgotten and the unforgettable, Copernicus Avenue captures, with bold and striking prose, the spirit of a people who have travelled to a new land, not to escape old grudges and atrocities, but to conquer them.
Andrew J. Borkowski was born and raised in Toronto’s Roncesvalles Village. As a freelance journalist, he has published articles in the Globe and Mail, the Canadian Forum, Quill & Quire, TV Guide, and the Los Angeles Times. His short fiction has appeared in Grain, The New Quarterly, and in Storyteller magazine. His short story “Twelve Versions of Lech,” which appears in Copernicus Avenue, was nominated for the 2007 Writer’s Trust/McClelland and Stewart Journey Prize and published in Journey Prize Stories 19.
4:30 - 5:00 PM :: Six Metres of Pavement - Farzana Doctor
Ismail Boxwala made the worst mistake of his life twenty years ago: he forgot his baby daughter in the back seat of his car. After her tragic death, he struggles to continue living. A divorce, years of heavy drinking, and sex with strangers only leave him feeling more alone. But Ismail’s story begins to change after he reluctantly befriends two women: Fatima, a young queer activist; and Celia, his grieving Portuguese-Canadian neighbour who lives just six metres away. A slow-simmering romance develops between Ismail and Celia. Meanwhile, dangers lead Fatima to his doorstep. Each makes complicated demands of him, ones he is uncertain he can meet.
Farzana Doctor’s first novel, Stealing Nasreen, received critical acclaim and earned a devoted readership upon its release in 2007. Her second book, Six Metres of Pavement, was named one of Now Magazine’s Top Ten Books of 2011. It also won the Lambda Literary and Rainbow Awards (2012). Farzana was named as one of CBC Books’ “Ten Canadian Women Writers You Need to Read Now” and was the recipient of the Writers’ Trust of Canada’s Dayne Ogilvie Grant (2011).
5:00 - 5:30 PM :: Writing the Revolution - Michele Lands
For 25 years, two‑time National Newspaper Award‑winning journalist Michele Landsberg wrote a highly influential column in the Toronto Star, recording and interpreting history from the front lines of the feminist movement. Her writing showed a fearless advocacy on behalf of women and children, peace and pluralism, human rights and social justice. Writing the Revolution is a collection of her key columns. With her trademark blend of kindness, toughness, bluntness and humour, Michele reflects on when she was right, when she was wrong, and what was happening behind the scenes. She also hails the passionate new generation of feminists working to see that the revolution continues.
Michele Landsberg began her career with The Globe and Mail in the 1960s. She joined Chatelaine Magazine in the 1970s, under the editorship of leading feminist Doris Anderson, before moving to the Toronto Star. Her time as a columnist for the Star spanned twenty‑five years and won her two National Newspaper Awards. She is also the recipient of the Governor‑General's Persons' Medal for her tireless advocacy on behalf of women. She is the author of three best‑selling books: Women and Children First, Michele Landsberg’s Guide to Children’s Books and This is New York, Honey!
5:30 - 6:00 PM :: Paramita, Little Black - Suzanne Roberts
In her first poetry collection, Suzanne Robertson meditates on the nature of intimacy; moments that bind stranger to stranger, human to animal, heart to mind. Inspired by the Buddhist paramitas, the poems attempt to both transcend and stay grounded in a conventional universe. Follow the plight of a secretary grappling with her noonday demon, her love affair with Little Black, and the metamorphosis of her marriage as she harnesses the power of poetry, marrying words “to the wind horse,” “to the lies and the gossip and the truth of the river / as it pours out the mouth of right-now.”
Suzanne Robertson's poems and short stories have appeared in various Canadian literary anthologies and journals, and she has been the recipient of a Chalmers Fellowship from the Ontario Arts Council. Her first collection of poetry, Paramita, Little Black, published by Guernica Editions, was shortlisted for the 2012 Gerald Lampert Award. Suzanne lives in Toronto, where she is member of Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography and works at the Children’s Aid Society.
