Our September and October Writer-in-Residence
Doretta Lau is the author of the short story collection How Does a Single Blade of Grass Thank the Sun?, shortlisted for the City of Vancouver Book Award, longlisted for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award, and named by The Atlantic as one of the best books of 2014. While in residence at Historic Joy Kogawa House in September and October 2019, she is writing a comic novel about a dysfunctional workplace called We Are Underlings and a collection of poetry about grief. Join Doretta Lau for one or both public workshops.
(Free for members. You may join as an annual member on PayPal or bring a cheque for $25 to the workshop. Your annual membership to the Historic Joy Kogawa House Society supports our author residency and educational tour programs.)
Developing a Creative Ritual That Promotes Healing
A workshop for writers who want to develop a process to create without falling prey to late-stage capitalism’s push for productivity. Join us to figure out what kind of writing routine works best for you.
When: Sunday, September 22, 11am to 1pm
Where: At Historic Joy Kogawa House, 1450 West 64th Avenue. To register, RSVP at info@kogawahouse.com
Reconnect with Your Writing Practice
A workshop for writers who want to rediscover their love of writing or want to deepen their connection to the craft. The most important thing is that writing is not a chore—it can be a source of joy.
When: Saturday, October 19, 11am to 1pm
Where: At Historic Joy Kogawa House, 1450 West 64th Avenue. To register, RSVP at info@kogawahouse.com
New French edition of Obasan released by Livre de Poche this fall
New French Language Edition of Obasan
Word Vancouver, Historic Joy Kogawa House et les Éditions du livre de poche invitent la communauté francophone de Vancouver au lancement d’une nouvelle édition du roman classique Obasan par Joy Kogawa. Obasan raconte l’histoire de l’internement de Canadiens d’origine japonaise au cours de la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Cette soirée, sur le thème du pardon et de la réconciliation, sera ponctuée de lectures d’extraits de l’ouvrage et d’une discussion animée par l’historien, Maurice Guibord. L’événement aura lieu à Historic Joy Kogawa House, vendredi le 27 septembre de 19 h 30 à 21 h. Offert en collaboration avec Le Salon du livre de Vancouver et La Société historique francophone de la Colombie-Britannique. RSVP à info@kogawahouse.com
LiterASIAN celebrates Pacific Rim Asian Canadian writing
Come find our book sales table at this year’s LiterASIAN for titles by Rita Wong and Fred Wah, Sally Ito, Philip Huynh, May Q. Wong, and CE Gatchalian. Friday, September 27, our volunteers will be at the opening reception at Chinatown House; Saturday, September 28, we’re at Sun Wah Centre. This year’s theme is Genesis: Writing Life Into Art. LiterASIAN has a full schedule of events, workshops, and panels happening all throughout Vancouver’s historic Chinatown. Purchase a $25 Festival Pass on this Eventbrite page for access to the entire festival. Thanks to publishers Talonbooks, Gooselane Editions, TouchWood Editions, and Turnstone Press for book donations.
East of the Rockies at VIFF
Joy Kogawa and JAM3’s interactive narrative AR app will be part of VIFF Immersed, a two-day conference (September 28 and 29) designated for immersive works such as virtual and augmented reality. Released earlier this year by NFB, East of the Rockies is told from the perspective of a 17-year-old girl forced from her home and made to live in BC’s Slocan Japanese internment camp during the Second World War. Narrated by Joy’s granddaughter Anne Canute.
An Evening with Marco Fraticelli
Montreal poet, editor, and publisher Marco Fraticelli will read from his two latest books of haibun (a combination of haiku and prose). Drifting is based on the actual diaries of Celesta Taylor, a widowed domestic who lived in the Eastern Townships of Quebec at the turn of the last century; Fraticelli adds his haiku resonance to her journal entries. A Thousand Years contains Fraticelli’s constructed love letters of Chiyo-ni, a well-known woman haiku poet who lived in Japan in the 1700s. The letters are juxtaposed with Chiyo-ni’s actual haiku. Fraticelli will examine the intricacies of writing from another person’s point of view that is grounded in historical research. He will explain why haibun was his form of choice for these two projects, and address the juxtaposition of fiction and non-fiction in his writing.
Writing across gender may be harder, require more research and humility. We may fail or get ‘called out’ for letting our biases show … But the attempt at understanding, empathy, and inhabiting the soul of someone whose life experience is not ours, helps us grow as writers, and people too.
—Sarah Seltzer, literary critic, in The Atlantic
Tuesday, October 22, 7:30 to 9pm. By donation at the door ($5 to $10 requested) To RSVP, please email info@kogawahouse.com.
Post-Show Artist Talkback with Tetsuro Shigematsu
Join us at the Tuesday, November 12, performance of Kuroko by Tetsuro Shigematsu. Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre and The Cultch present the story of Maya, a hikikomori—an extreme recluse—who has spent the last six years in her bedroom exploring Virtual Reality. Until one day, she meets a mysterious player online who challenges her to the ultimate quest: saving her own father’s life. How? By visiting the scariest place IRL, Suicide Forest. A world premiere from the acclaimed creator behind Empire of the Son and 1 Hour Photo, and directed by Amiel Gladstone, director and co-creator of the smash hit musical.
Please join us for one or all of these amazing events and workshops this fall!