Book Launch

Tomorrow night I'm going to a book launch and I couldn't be more excited. It's for the new book written by the current Writer in Residence, David A. Poulsen. The book is called Old Man and the launch is at 7:00PM at McNally Robinson in Saskatoon, so if you're around you should definitely check it out.

There are several reasons why I'm so excited. First of all, I love book launches. It is my most hopeful dream that I will one day have one of my own, so I would never turn down the opportunity to go to someone else's. Having a book published is an enormous accomplishment (especially in this day and age) and whether it's the first or the twenty seventh, it's worthy of celebration and fanfare.

Second, David is probably one of the nicest human beings on Earth. Seriously, I can't tell you how much he's helped me with my own writing. He is always going above and beyond the call of duty and he's been incredibly supportive. I'm excited to support him in his own endeavors for a change.

Third, and maybe the most important reason, Old Man promises to be an excellent book. I've read the synopsis and I'm desperate to get my hands on it. I can't wait to be the proud owner of one of the first copies. You better believe I'll be getting it signed too.

What's your favourite part of a book launch? Being one of the first to one a new brilliant piece of fiction or non-fiction? Getting to meet the author responsible for some of your favourite reads? Being the discoverer of fantastic new talent? Share below in the comments section!

Word on the Street

I know you probably looked at the title of this post and thought I was making some kind of slang remark, but I'm not. This past weekend I attended Word on the Street, a literary festival here in Saskatoon. There are lots of cities that have them, and Saskatoon actually only started last year. Sadly, last year I was working and could only sneak out on my lunch break to catch one reading. This year, I had the day off and could spend as much time as I wanted wandering about.

If you've never been to this kind of literary event, they're great. They had tents set up all over the place, with authors giving readings, panel discussions and poetry slams. There were book and magazine sellers set up with booths, fun activities for the kids and music. It was a literary extravaganza! And I had a ball. I took in a reading from author Alice Kuipers, watched a poetry slam and saw a panel discussion featuring Yann Martel discussing his experiences with his book, Life of Pi, being turned into a movie (and got my copy signed). And do you want to know the honest truth? My favorite was the poetry slam.

I've never been one to enjoy poetry. I've written it from time to time, and there are a few poets I like (yeats), but I don't enjoy poetry books. I don't read them. This, I enjoyed. The poets were fantastic speakers. They made me split a gut laughing, almost cry with sorrow and made my heart swell up with happiness. They put on a wonderful show. And if they'd been scheduled for another show, I would have watched it again.

There's something about wandering around a place filled with literature, fellow book lovers and other writers. It's exhilarating and nurturing at the same time. I hope if you hear about an even like this near you, you'll find a way to make an appearance. You'll be glad you did.