I did miss you! While I am not too lazy to blog, I have been very busy with packing and moving, and furniture shopping and painting, and making home decor and reno decisions. Maybe this blog can feature
some of my projects as they develop!

I have been so busy, in fact, that I got Jian Ghomeshi’s book out from the library, and it sat on my new (and beautiful) kitchen counter for three weeks before it was due to be returned without me having even looked at it! And, it’s a bestseller! How sad.

I guess I’ll have to read this book instead:

Hmm. Somehow I think Arnold is better in TV interviews than in print. We shall see.

Spookily signing off,

Miss Giggles

“I’d like to raise a toast to the written word,” the bearded Ferguson said as he accepted the award, pulling a flask out of the sporran attached to his Highland tartan outfit.

“So. Thanks. Ladies and gentlemen: To the written word. And finally, to answer the question you’re all wondering — yes I have something on underneath!”

Ferguson, 48, is widely revered for such comedy chops, having won the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for humour writing three times.

But his Giller-winning novel (a Viking Canada publication) takes on a serious tone as it focuses on an email scam in Nigeria, where a woman is searching for the culprits behind her father’s death.

The mystery follows his previous historical novel, “Spanish Fly,” about con artists in the 1930s.

Writing two books about scammers has made Ferguson “very, very paranoid,” he admitted.

“The more you write about cons, you start to see them everywhere,” he said after nabbing the Giller. “It’s like when your wife’s pregnant and you see pregnant women everywhere, it’s the same idea.”

Clearly, penning more serious work hasn’t caused Ferguson to lose his satiric edge, which he attributes to his Irish mother.

Earlier in the night, when asked about the lavish praise the Giller judging panel has heaped on “419,” he quipped: “I think that means they suspect I have incriminating photographs of (them), which I don’t.”

In its citation of “419,” this year’s jury members — Roddy Doyle of Ireland, Gary Shteyngart of New York, and Toronto-based Anna Porter — said: “It is tempting to put ’419′ in some easy genre category, but that would only serve to deny its accomplishment and its genius.”

Ferguson, who is well known for his travel books, said the Giller honour gives him some reassurance as he delves more into literary fiction.

That doesn’t mean he’s done with his travel writing, though: his next book will be about Rwanda, said the native of Fort Vermilion, Alta., whose dream when he started writing was to work for “Lonely Planet.”

And what will he do with the Giller prize money?

“We’ll travel for sure, at some point,” said Ferguson, who studied screenwriting and film production at York University and has also lived in Ecuador and Japan.

Ferguson’s book was up against titles by Montreal authors Nancy Richler, Alix Ohlin and Kim Thuy. Rounding out the Giller short list was Russell Wangersky of St. John’s, N.L.

With a short list chock-full of relatively unknown authors, this year’s Giller was said to be a wide open race. Some of the nominees sounded downright dazed to be included at the glitzy awards show.

Wangersky, who attended the black-tie bash with his editor-wife Leslie Vryenhoek, found the experience “very, very strange.”

“It’s a long way from working in your kitchen and making sure the cat’s water dish is full, which is more like what writers deal with,” said the journalist, nominated for his short story collection “Whirl Away” (Thomas Allen Publishers).

“(These aren’t) my clothes — it’s my shoes and my bow tie and the rest of it is someone else’s stuff. It’s very, very different.”

Ohlin’s “Inside” (House of Anansi Press) — about a group of characters trying to help each other — is also up for the $25,000 Rogers Writers’ Trust of Canada fiction prize. The author — who was raised in Montreal and is now a professor of creative writing at Lafayette College in Easton, Penn. — said the nominations have helped readers find her work.

“I’m not someone that anyone had ever heard very much about me in Canada up until now, so the idea that anyone is talking about the books at all, or reading them or emailing me about it, it’s very new and it feels very wonderful.”

Hosted for the second year in a row by CBC personality Jian Ghomeshi, the show — broadcast from the Ritz-Carlton — featured presentations from actress Kim Cattrall, gold medallist Rosie MacLennan and actor Allan Hawco.

The menu included asparagus cremini mushroom salad, filet mignon with foie gras and vegetables, and a double-chocolate mille-feuille.

Established in 1994 by businessman Jack Rabinovitch in honour of his late wife, literary journalist Doris Giller, the prize celebrates the best Canadian novel or short story collection published in English. Finalists receive $5,000.

This year’s jury read 142 works of fiction submitted by 51 publishing houses from across Canada.

Richler was nominated for the mother-daughter post-war saga “The Imposter Bride” (Harper Collins Canada), and Thuy for the immigrant novel “Ru” (Random House of Canada), translated by Sheila Fischman from the original French version that won a 2010 Governor General’s Literary Award.

Jamal Osman, an award-wining London-based journalist and filmmaker specializing in Africa

“Corruption is part and parcel of the Somali media. Journalists don’t normally ask themselves if a story is important or interesting. It is about how much money they can get from their sources to publish it…  The sad reality is that such behaviour can be witnessed on a regular basis. Something I often say to fellow Somali journalists is that we were meant to expose corruption; instead, we are the bad guys,” Osman writes.

Osman’s view, outlined in a recent article in The Guardian, contributes to the ongoing dialogue on ethics and integrity in the journalism industry. I find it particulary interesting because in the case of Somalia, it is a matter of life and death. Here is Osman’s article.

Somali journalists are dying from corruption as much as conflict

Somalia is one of the deadliest places to be a journalist. Yet many are endangering themselves through bad practice

It’s been a terrible year for Somali journalists. Fifteen of them have been murdered in 2012 so far – mostly victims of targeted killings. That makes Somalia one of the deadliest places to be a journalist. In all of these cases, the perpetrators have never been caught.

As a Somali journalist, the issue is close to my heart and I would like to shed light on it. In my view, journalists in Somalia fall victim to three circumstances.

First, the country has been in a state of war for more than two decades and some are unfortunately caught in the crossfire: they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Second, those journalists working for government-run or pro-government media are seen as “soldiers” by opposition groups such as al-Shabaab, the Islamist group linked to al-Qaida. Although al-Shabaab don’t always claim responsibility for such attacks, it’s not difficult to know which killings they carry out.

Third, the majority of journalists killed in Somalia are murdered as the result of a grudge.

Somali journalists carry the slain body of their colleague, Abdisalan Sheikh Hasan, during his funeral in southern Mogadishu, Somalia, December 19, 2011.

While the murder of a journalist is always a heinous crime, corruption and clan loyalty can take Somali journalists on the wrong path. I’m not in any way suggesting they deserved to be killed, but abuse within the profession has led to the deaths of many.

Bad practice in journalism is not exclusive to Somalia. I live in Britain and the political and journalistic world is still licking its wounds from a huge scandal on phone hacking that has led to a prolonged official inquiry.

The difference in Somalia is that bad practice can lead to a journalist’s death.

Corruption is part and parcel of the Somali media. Journalists don’t normally ask themselves if a story is important or interesting. It is about how much money they can get from their sources to publish it. It’s known locally as sharuur, and it’s a form of bribery.

The sad reality is that such behaviour can be witnessed on a regular basis. Something I often say to fellow Somali journalists is that we were meant to expose corruption; instead, we are the bad guys.

It’s common to see Somali journalists getting paid at press conferences. Once the talk is finished, they queue up to collect their cash. And you can even hear the press conference organisers instructing them how to present the story.

I am starting to be able to spot the sharuur influence on a news item just by noticing the words that have been used. I can even recognise if the reporter was happy with the amount of money that she or he was paid.

For those working with well-established Somali media outlets, the sharuur is higher. It can be up to £1,000 for a news piece. But there’s also a large group of journalists known as beesha caalamka, meaning “international community” – those who call themselves journalists just because they own a small video camera, an audio recorder or even a notebook. Just by looking like journalists they can get their sharuur for attending a press conference, though it’s much less than others are paid.

The phenomenon is getting worse. In the past, media owners would trust their journalists to find stories that could provide a good sharuur and then give them a share of the fee. Now they are appointing sharuur managers to be in complete control of the financial flow.

In the rest of the world media outlets tend to finance themselves through sales of newspapers and/or advertisements. In Somalia it’s through corruption.

If a politician wants to be interviewed, he or she will just negotiate the sharuur and journalists will publish what the sources demand. Sometimes political rivals take revenge through the media: when you become the mouthpiece for someone’s enemy, you become a target. And in Somalia it’s easier to kill someone than to complain.

On one trip to Mogadishu, I remember visiting the port to film general views of it. As soon as I arrived, a policeman at the port’s authority came to me and asked aggressively: “Are you one of their friends?”

I had no idea what he meant. Once I told him who I was and what I was doing, he explained to me that a group of so-called journalists had stormed into his office claiming they were having a bad day and wanted him to pay them sharuur – threatening that if he failed to pay they would write a negative article about him.

Later, I was told that when there’s no sharuur in town, some of the inexperienced journalists go around intimidating local officials and businessmen to extort money.

Locals in Mogadishu describe two types of militia: those with guns and those with cameras. Corrupt journalists expose themselves to serious potential consequences.

Clan loyalty, which is incredibly strong among Somalis, is another huge problem for journalism. Supporting a warlord/politician who belongs to your clan is prevalent – and when you side with your fellow clansmen, you eliminate impartiality. Rival clans will look at you as a clan member, not as a journalist, and thus view you as a target.

As a Somali journalist, I’m ashamed to be associated with the profession, especially when operating in the country. Somali journalists fail to recognise their basic responsibilities to the public. As a result of sharuur, important stories are ignored and Somalis are deprived from their right to impartial information.

The profession needs to be cleaned up. The media owners should do it to save the lives of their employees.

I feel as if we are watching a group of people committing suicide one by one. If a Somali journalist is killed today we just say, “Oh, sad, another one killed”, then another one …

I strongly believe that if more Somali journalists respected their profession there would be fewer targeted killings. We would also do a better job in serving our people. And that would be a win-win situation for all of us.

By Jamal Osman | Published in THE GUARDIAN on October 11, 2012

“Can you even remember a time before you were creeping photos of ‘hot’ people on Facebook? Barely. Right? So maybe, as it turns out, the ‘80s were more innocent.”

Say what you will about the era in which your siblings, cousins and ultra cool day camp counsellors grew up, but the year Jian Ghomeshi describes in 1982 sounds like a whirlwind adventure made possible without tablets, Netflix or Starbucks.

1982’s style and content is appealing to FIMS students interested in pop culture and especially music history, because Ghomeshi likes to juxtapose his 1980s possessions with contemporary ones. For example, he compares vinyl records to MP3s on iPods. Such cultural differences reflect how the definition of cool has evolved. As our FIMS classes teach us, our contemporary possessions and experiences define who we are. In the eighties, Ghomeshi used his then-stylish Adidas bag to show us his cool persona. Wait until you read what happens to said bag: what transpired became a defining moment for fourteen-year-old Ghomeshi, and yes, Wendy, who is indispensable in any 1982 plot synopsis, was there to witness it.

Wendy embodied everything that makes Ghomeshi’s idol David Bowie cool, so each conversation between the two, not to mention simple hellos to her in the hallway, is dramatized in the book. Interestingly, Ghomeshi admits to giving serious thought about his outfit before a highly anticipated date with her, whereas few boys express anything but indifference towards fashion. Then again, he interrupts this train of thought about what to wear with a rant about the logistics of contacting Wendy. Using lingo that describes how we connect with others in 2012, Ghomeshi points out they “didn’t have text messages or Facebook or IM-ing or DM-ing or BBM-ing in the ‘80s. Communicating with someone you liked involved high-stakes exposure and risk.”

Ghomeshi’s ability to intersperse his memories of the early 80s with reflections on technological developments explains his mass appeal as a Canadian cultural icon. Ghomeshi’s stories are relatable for current high school students in and outside of Thornhill, Ontario, as well as the senior citizens who eagerly attended his book signing at Chapters South London in September. “The ‘80s may not seem like that long ago to some of you, but they were prehistoric if you’re counting in technology years,” Ghomeshi says. Every explanation of how communication has changed is also well articulated through his effective use of short sentences. Now, “we would refer to the popular points of discussion on Twitter as items that were ‘trending.’ But in 1982, we called it ‘talking with your friends’.”

Ghomeshi’s observational humour underscores his qualifications to be a radio show host on CBC. He has commentary about everything, including the fact that “most blonde girls with perfect noses want to be pop stars.” As a point of reference, Britney Spears wasn’t yet in The Mickey Mouse Club in 1982; she was a one-year-old naturally brunette infant. But enough about Britney; rest assured, the music-filled time machine that is 1982 mainly focuses on the summer when Ghomeshi attended The Police Picnic with Wendy.

This isn’t the first story written about an awkward immigrant teenager growing up in suburban Canada. It does, however, make you wish you’d recorded more of your embarrassing moments as they happened. Ghomeshi humbly admits his memory of the ninth grade is hazy, hence why he classifies the book as creative non-fiction.

As university students, there is still time to record our personal milestones in detail, though publicly blogging about chasing the guy or girl of your dreams isn’t necessary. It couldn’t hurt to play David Bowie in the background as you write about daily life at Western, if only as a salute to Jian Ghomeshi, a broadcaster who understands today’s cultural zeitgeist so well that he can seamlessly connect it to stories from thirty years ago.

1982 isn’t a memoir by a profit-hungry entertainer eager to reminisce about how he became a multi-millionaire; it’s a book with a broken cassette tape on the cover by a public sphere broadcaster passionate about music. In other words, adding Ghomeshi’s memoir to a course’s required readings could be the best thing to happen at Western since the eighties.

~~~

Sarah Prince is an MIT student at Western University and Editor of Hot On The Street. Likes nut free baked goods, but loves chai tea lattes more. Sometimes you can spot her as the girl in the red jeans.

About a year ago, I Heart Hamilton joined in when we as a city threw our proverbial hat into the ring to get Q – the arts and culture show hosted by Jian Ghomeshi – to come to our hometown for a live broadcast. Although we lost the bid to London, I was excited to learn we would get the chance to give Jian a warm welcome when Hamilton was one of his book tour stops to promote his memoir 1982.

Hosted by Bryan Prince, Bookseller, the independent bookstore did a fantastic job organizing the event and proceeds from the evening were to benefit the Carnegie Gallery building fund. Earlier in the week Bryan Prince asked people to submit suggestions via Twitter for an 80s playlist. Settled in our seats the night of the event, we were treated to some tunes, some of which were specifically chosen because they appear in 1982: The Police’s “Roxanne,” Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me,” and, of course, the Queen and David Bowie classic “Under Pressure”.

Lobby of Lincoln Alexander Centre

Here at I Heart Hamilton, I love a good Playlist and I really like how Jian’s book is structured like a mixtape. Music is inextricably linked to memories and Jian weaves anecdotes from his youth together with the soundtrack of his formative years (the book’s namesake 1982 being a particularly significant year for him). Even though the decade of the 80s is a generation removed from me, the way Jian describes witnessing life-changing concerts and idolizing musicians (David Bowie featuring so prominently that he counts as one of the book’s main characters) is so relatable.

What resonates most about the book is the way Jian describes feeling like an outsider, something that seems to be universally felt. My heart went out to the fourteen-year old Jian while reading the book as he relates his experiences growing up, facing all kinds of rites of passage that we all do. It made me think about my own awkward and slightly painful middle and high school years and reflect on what would make my own version of 1982. Of course, for Jian, the challenges he faced are made all the more difficult by having immigrated to Canada and struggling with his cultural identity as well. The book made me chuckle out loud as much as it pulled at my heartstrings and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

It must be noted that the event was held at Lincoln Alexander Centre – a beautiful venue that I had never been to, and couldn’t even picture where it was, attached to the Crowne Plaza building on King East. It was a tragic twist of fate to be in that space – the Honourable Lincoln Alexander passed away that morning, a loss that was felt deeply in the city and across the country. Jian opened his appearance by saying it was an honour that fate brought him to Lincoln Alexander Centre on this day. He began his talk by reading the essay he wrote, a tribute to Linc, that he had prepared to read on the following Monday’s episode of Q. Jian described Linc as “one of Canada’s great role models,” and expressed that his passing is a “tremendous loss for Canada.” It was a touching and fitting tribute.

My view from the stage, waiting in line for the book signing

Jian has such a warm, approachable presence. His first words being “Hi there,” (any regular listeners of Q understand how cool that would be to hear him say live) Jian stepped out from behind the podium with a relaxed approach that really engaged the audience. We were treated to a couple of excerpts from 1982, and seeing and hearing Jian read some of the passages himself really brought the book to life. The book reads in Jian’s rhythm and I could already hear his voice as I read it. I’m sure those who hadn’t already read the book left with a copy, courtesy of Bryan Prince.

The talk was followed by a Q&A portion which opened things up to the audience. There were a few moments that stood out to me. One person asked Jian where he sees himself in the future, career-wise. His idol’s presence was still going strong: “We’re destined to be chameleons like Bowie,” Jian noted. “We can be multi-faceted people.” That resonated with me, particularly being at this stage in life when you’re expected to choose something to “be” and “do”. It was inspiring to hear – just look at Jian’s career – he’s a writer, musician, host, interviewer, producer. We don’t have to be just one thing and stick to it.

Another question that hit me was when Jian was asked if there is anywhere in Canada he would still like to visit. At this point, Jian really has been everywhere (much like the song, he joked) and he noted that as Canadians, we don’t travel enough within the country. I agreed with that comment and it reminded me of my own concept to “Be a tourist in your own city,” which is the approach I’m taking here in Hamilton. I later mentioned that to Jian when I met him during the book signing. He replied that my blog concept is a “great idea” and I was pumped to get Jian’s stamp of approval!

With Jian Ghomeshi

When it was time for the book signing, Jian was so thorough and took his time with everyone, signing messages in each book and pausing to chat. The 80s playlist was back on, and I couldn’t get over that when it was my turn to walk across the stage to meet Jian, what tune should be playing? “Under Pressure”! (If you’ve read the book, you know he draws particular attention to it.) Perfect!

Little did I know – a year ago when we were campaigning to get Q to Hamilton – it would turn out that I would meet Jian the following year. Another classic full circle moment for I Heart Hamilton, and one I’m thankful for.

To be continued, Jian – come back any time!

- Kristin

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the BlissDom Canada 2012 conference for bloggers, social media experts and brands with fellow chick Lyndsay.  We had a great time meeting people, hanging out and learning from the micro sessions and speakers.  I have put together a little poem about my observations on the conference – read this with the tune of “My favourite things” from the Sound of Music in mind!

Friday we skipped, oh so sad to have missed it,

Marilyn Dennis and kick off reception,

Saturday morning, on time we arrived,

Anxious to see what Bliss-Dom would be like!

Hot Starbucks coffee and crunchy granola,

Three microsessions, so many to choose from,

SEO, Marketing, Your inner Expert,

These are the things that I learned at Blissdom!

Super great brands, tasty snacks and those swag bags,

Happy to see, friendly faces to chat with,

Afternoon speakers, I laughed and I cried,

Tried not to miss, not one single word!

Time for dinner, steak, martini,

Karaoke time!

Costumes and pizza and yes, Andy Kim,

It’s over until… next year!

Thanks to everyone for such a great experience – see you next year!

Note, I did have the pleasure of going to the Evergreen Brickworks for my excursion on Sunday.  Stay tuned for a future blog post on my visit.

All Photos by Anita Woo

I’ve been on this wave of positivity lately and wanted to spread it with you all!  I found this NME article today with the “”50 Most Uplifting Songs Ever” and Mr. David Bowie of course is included.

I’m hoping to catch THIS guy at Writers’ Festival this weekend talk about his own affinity to Bowie.  He is by far one of my favourite interviewers ever and I wouldn’t mind filling in on his sick days at Q.  (Listened to this amazing podcast last night with him and Regina Spektor, I’d love for artist like that to be so candid with me on a regular basis!)  His new book 1982 was not what I was expecting in terms of content (I really was more interested in how he achieved his career goals) but it provided a cool insight into a journalist’s budding interests and how his teen years shaped who he is today.  Of course with music-orientated anecdotes about dating that had you cringing or stories about waiting outside for Rush at a suburban studio for two weeks.

This is another one of my super-happy songs that always gets me moving!  Have an awesome day, everyone!

J.K. Rowling’s ‘The Casual Vacancy’ hits stores September 27

To finish up a week full of interviews and appearances, J.K. Rowling was interviewed by host Jian Ghomeshi on the Canadian radio show Q to talk about her new novel for adults.

During the interview, Rowling was asked if it was a relief to publish the novel, to which she responded, “It was such a relief. It felt very liberating to finally have it publish and to be able to people talk about it… Yeah, I would say my over righting feeling was a sense of relief.”

The author again talked about not feeling the need to publish the novel. “For the first couple of years in the writing of The Casual Vacancy, I kept telling myself you don’t have to publish this…” Rowling elaborated, saying that it was “nice” to think that no one knew what she was doing, and that there was no rush to publish the novel.

Rowling also discussed about accepting the fact that she would never write anything as successful as Harry Potter. She explained that even as early as 2000 she knew that she would never do another Harry Potter because “lightning doesn’t strike twice.” She remarked that it would be wrong for her to try to “duplicate” Harry Potter, or even try to amount to the same success.

Interestingly, Rowling revealed her thoughts on failing, “I honestly do [feel free to fail]… I’m 47 years old… There are worst things in life than writing a book people don’t like.”

In concluding the interview, the two touched on the private author’s relationship with the media. Rowling responded to critics’ claims that she is reclusive saying, “It is absolutely false. I am not remotely reclusive.”

Listen to the whole interesting interview right here.

Saturday was CBC Day at IFOA. Personalities from the public broadcaster appeared throughout the morning and afternoon. I found my way to the Lakeside Terrace for the last session of the evening. The latish start (9pm) obviously didn’t dissuade the crowd. Most of the chairs were filled when I arrived. I found a single spot near the back.

© readings.org

It was the DNTO readings, hosted (appropriately) by Sook-Yin Lee. First up was Nora Young, host of Spark. Young read a fascinating section from her book, The Virtual Self. The book examines how our immersion in the digital world is altering the rest of our lives. “Seeing yourself as unexceptional can be very profound,” she said.

Young was followed by Wiretap host, Jonathan Goldstein. Goldstein, known for his dry wit and deadpan delivery, didn’t disappoint. His reading about attending the birth of his nephew had the crowd in throes.

Last to read was the host of Q, Jian Ghomeshi. Ghomeshi began with an impression of his father before reading a charming excerpt depicting his 14-year-old self trying to muster the courage to call his older crush on his family’s communal phone.

After the readings Lee sat on stage with the others. This was the first literary event I’ve attended that featured a panel of all radio hosts. There was a noticeable ease and level of comfort in their performance not always seen at readings. There was also a thread of camaraderie that ran through the event and added to the casual manner of the discussion.

The funny and interesting assembly became more group-discussion than one-on-one interviews. It varied from how much CBC censors their other work to how much each reveals about themselves to broader questions of journalism and broadcasting. Goldstein claimed, “I’m not a broadcaster.”

Young said, “I conceal just about everything. It’s not in my nature to talk about myself.”

Ghomeshi explained that, “people do this (broadcasting) different ways.” He talked about how he made it a priority to adopt a more conversational tone to his interviews. Goldstein added, “I do my best work behind people’s back…in the darkness of the studio, like mould.”

A spirited Q&A capped off the evening. By now it was 10:30 but people were still hoping to ask questions. Always a sign of a pleased and engaged audience.

Visit readings.org for more event listings. Follow Iain Reid on twitter at @reid_iain.

July 19th, 2012

CBC Radio One’s morning program ‘Q‘ is one of my favorite shows on any radio network. Though normally produced at CBC’s headquarters in Toronto, host Jian Ghomeshi and his producers occasionally take their show on the road, which allowed my son Ewan and I to attend a live taping held in WNYC’s Greene Space in 2011. That night Jian interviewed guests Joy Behar and Fran Leibowitz and the band The National played too. He was very personable when we talked afterward, and pleased to meet U.S. listeners like us. That visit to NY was a prologue as the show has a spot on WNYC’s evening schedule this summer, 10 PM on the FM frequency, 93.9. I still listen on the Internet most mornings while at my desk, but it’s also great that I can hear it in the evenings if I missed it earlier.

Last month, during the NXNE festival, when fans of CBC Radio 3, the indie rock outpost of CBC, got a tour of CBC HQs, producer Pedro Mendes and Radio 3 host Grant Lawrence brought Jian out to meet the group. He was charming, and when I (re-) introduced myself he remembered having met me and Ewan in NY more than a year ago. That afternoon I took this photo of Jian, in the soccer jersey, and Grant, in flannel.

Today I was glad to read a profile of Jian in the Globe & Mail from last weekend. Reporter Brad Wheeler adopts a somewhat snarky tone, but overall, it’s a good article, with info like this:

“Last month, Ghomeshi won the Gold Award for best talk-show host at the New York Festivals International Radio Awards. Q, the popular daily arts, entertainment and culture magazine he hosts with aplomb and a soothing baritone, air[ing] on 120 public radio stations south of the border, including in major markets such as New York, Chicago and San Diego. . . . Q’s unprecedented American victories are explainable. The show takes pop culture seriously, attracts A-list guests, engages in lively debate and manages a rhythmic flow of its varied content. You have a host in Ghomeshi who comes with an exotic cultural background, a radio-friendly baritone, and who’s cocky and well-read enough to take on a variety of issues and interview subjects in an in-depth way. ‘The type of show Jian does draws on a lot aspects of the host’s personality,’ says Robert Harris, long-time CBC personality and producer. ‘It stretches your brain power, and the audience reacts to it.’ . . . . Some of the new listeners no doubt react to Q’s hip list of musical guests. Moreover, the artists and labels themselves are on board. Would rapper andQ guest Jay-Z have done Radio One five years ago? No chance. ‘American managers are reaching out to me, wanting to know which shows they should do,’ says Patrick Sambrook, a prominent artists’ manager whose clients include Kathleen Edwards and Sarah Harmer. ‘Q is on the top of the list for international artists coming to Canada. It’s the show that you want to be on.’”

To this I would add that ‘Q’ broadcast a nearly one-hour interview with Neil Young and Daniel Lanois, when “LeNoise” was released last year, a rare bit of media access that Neil chose to give ‘Q.’ More recently, Jian interviewed Chinese dissident artist, Ai Weiwei, who chose to appear on ‘Q’ despite continuing threats to his freedom by the Chinese government. I haven’t heard Ai WeiWei on any NPR programs. Clearly, ‘Q’ has become a go-to show for artists, authors, and many public figures. If you enjoy filling your day with intelligent talk radio, I recommend you listen to this terrific program. Being nowhere near Canadian air waves doesn’t matter, as it’s easy to listen to CBC on the Web.

Jian, whose family comes orginally from Iran, moved from England to Canada when he was fourteen is writing a book, 1982, about his teenage obsession with David Bowie, which will be published in Canada, and he told me, the U.S.

from:  http://philipsturner.com/2012/07/19/depth-profile-cbcs-jian-ghomeshi/

———————————————————————————————

Jian Ghomeshi was born on June 9th, 1967 (time of birth unknown) in London, England according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jian_Ghomeshi

June 9th, 1967

6 + 9 +1+9+6+7 = 38 = his life lesson = Touching.  Sensitive.  Hugs.  Biceps.  Wrapping his arms around you.  Reach out and touch someone.

———————————————————————————————

June 9th, 1967

6 + 9 = 15 = his core number = Canadian.  Hype.  Pitchman.  Commercial success.

———————————————————————————————

June 9th, 1967

9 +1+9+6+7 = 32 = his “secret” number = Mainstream.  #1.  Blockbuster success.

———————————————————————————————

June 9th, 1967

June 9th

6 + 9 +2+0+1+2 = 20 = his personal year (from June 9th, 2012 to June 8th, 2013) = Sound judgement.

20 year + 12 (December) = 32 = his personal month (from December 9th, 2012 to January 8th, 2013) = USA.  America.  UK.  Mainstream.  #1.  Blockbuster success.

———————————————————————————————

Each letter of the first name rules 9 years of life.  Ages 0 to 27 are ruled by the sum of the month of birth and the first three letters of the name.

June 9th, 1967             Jian Ghomeshi

6 (June is the 6th month of the year) + 10 (J is the 10th letter of the alphabet) + 9 (i is the 9th letter of the alphabet) + 1 (a is the 1st letter of the alphabet) = 26

So the number 26 ruled his first twenty-seven years of life.

26 = Radio.  Broadcasting.  Popularity.  Handsome.  Photogenic.  The media.

———————————————————————————————

Ages 27 to 54 are ruled by the sum of the day of birth and the fourth, fifth, and sixth letters of the first name.

June 9th, 1967              Jian [Jian] Ghomeshi

[Since Jian only has 4 letters, n is used as the fourth letter, and then starting over again with his first name, J and i are the 5th and 6th letters].

9 (born on the 9th of the month) + 14 (n is the 14th letter of the alphabet) + 10 (J is the 10th letter of the alphabet) + 9 (i is the 9th letter of the alphabet) = 42

So the number 42 rules his ages twenty-seven to fifty-four.

42 = Everybody loves Jian.

———————————————————————————————

—————————————————————————————–

—————————————————————————————–

—————————————————————————————–

comprehensive summary and list of predictions for 2012:

http://predictionsyear2012.com/

—————————————————————–

—————————————————————–

——————————————————————

discover some of your own numerology for FREE at:

http://numerologybasics.com/

—————————————————————————————–

—————————————————————————————–

—————————————————————————————–

learn numerology from numerologist to the world, Ed Peterson:

https://www.createspace.com/3411561

—————————————————————————————–

—————————————————————————————–

—————————————————————————————–

Sex Numerology available at:

https://www.createspace.com/3802937

—————————————————————————————–

—————————————————————————————–

—————————————————————————————–

http://electionnumerology.com/

After reading some heavy and emotionally powerful stuff in The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang, I was in dire need in something lighthearted to read. There’s nothing more satisfying than book therapy well light reads of course. After reading The Rape of Nanking my prof suggested that I read a specific book and so I’m going to share it with you guys now. Well I have two books to share .

1982

1982 by Jian Ghomeshi

I didn’t know much about Jian Ghomeshi until recently. Well I only heard about him when he visited my University last month and most of my friends listen to his radio show “Q” which airs on CBC Radio One. This book is about a Persian-Canadian Fourteen year old growing up in 1982 and being obsessed with David Bowie. I’ve skimmed through it so far and I have to say there are some laugh out loud moments and I’m looking forward to reading it.

About A Boy by Nick Hornby

The first time I came across About A Boy was when my brother quoted a line from the movie which made me laugh. I only found out later that there was a book. I decide to give it a go and I hope I enjoy it .

That’s it for my bookhaul. What books did you get?

Cheers,

Savindi

A Q & A with Toronto sculptor Evan Penny.

Jian Ghomeshi’s book launch at The Opera House.

Massey Hall Presents Canadian Songbook at the Rivoli.

Nuit Blanche Guide.

Dolorous Jewellery Fall/Winter 2012.

Young Lions Music Club.

Summer 2012 Instagram Bingo.

But let’s back up a little bit.  Earlier in the day I attended The Price of Oil at The Auburn.  Arno Kopecky and Andrew Nikiforuk discussed, along with WordFest Alumnus Chris Turner, the social cost of oil, and the consequences of our society being ‘addicted to oil.’

This wasn’t exactly a show for everybody, as it certainly had an agenda, but fortunately for me I tend to agree with most of the agenda, as did most of the crowd. It’s always interesting to hear people tell you exactly what you want to hear!  That being said, these people are leading writers in their field, and it interesting to hear their opinions of the present and the future as it concerns how we power our country.

Now back to tonight, where the chaos that surrounds Jian Ghomeshi descended upon the Vertigo Theatre. While every guest of WordFest can and should be considered an A-lister, some names are obviously a little bigger than others, and some might attract a little more attention than others. Jian Ghomeshi is one of those names and boy does he bring a lot of attention with him. I have no doubt there was more buzz about this event than any we’ll see all week.

There are pros and cons to this, but at the end of the day, I think having somebody like Jian attend, can only help introduce more Calgarians to WordFest who otherwise might not have known about it or attending.

But bringing such attention also creates a few logistical problems, most notably that I can’t get a ticket.  Yes, I do have a fancy pass, but at times when there are more tickets sold than seats available (which didn’t happen here, but it was awfully close), I am forced to pull a few strings and talk my way backstage.  Fortunately I’m kind of a big deal, and this is no problem whatsoever. After a couple of winks and a quick exchange of pleasantries, I am travelling through the catacombs of the Vertigo, the faint rumble of a passing train heard through the walls, and before I know it, I’m sitting behind the curtain as Michael Bernard Fitzgerald starts off the show with a couple of tunes.

In the dark that is backstage, I’m approached by a shadowy figure that turns out to be the evening’s host, Ken Lima-Coelho.  He introduces himself, tells me to tweet away (or as much as the limited reception will allow me), and to enjoy the evening!  I debated mentioning that I’d enjoy it a lot more if there were a couple of snacks and a bottle of Merlot, but decided against it.  I don’t need to burn every bridge the moment I cross it.

When Jian took to the stage, the crowd expectantly erupted, and I immediately realized that this wasn’t the typical WordFest crowd.  This crowd was as much about a celebrity sighting as it was about a literary journey.  This is exactly how I imagine a reading would be with J.K. Rowling.  It also meant there would be a lively crowd.

The bulk of the evening featured Ken and Jian discussing growing up in the early 80’s and two separate readings of the best-selling memoir, 1982. Well, perhaps memoir isn’t the right word.  As the author pointed out, his book isn’t a typical memoir, chronicling one’s birth, their life, and their death; instead it examines a specific moment in time.

Following the discussion and readings, was perhaps the part of the evening that most were looking forward to: questions from the audience.  Not being able to see from my position behind the curtain, I imagined the Vertigo looking like the scene I saw earlier today to Book Rapport; fifty or more hands reaching skyward trying to get Ken’s attention.  Then came the first ‘question.’  Now, I will need to confirm this, but what I heard is a woman saying she doesn’t have a question per se, but that she painted a picture for Jian, that she’d like to give him.

Why can’t I see what’s going on!?  Never have I seen somebody bring a gift for the presenter.  Never!  From what I can gather, the painting is of this woman and Jian, but I can’t be sure.  Ken asks him if he often receives marriage proposals when on tour, which Jian responds without answering, that a painting isn’t a marriage proposal.  I need to find out more about this, and confirm that what I am imagining is what actually happened.

When the event did come to close, it was as if there was a fire or something, as the theatre cleared out in about thirty seconds.  How can it take 300 people twenty minutes to enter a room, but thirty seconds to exit it?  Before I could gather my jacket and briefcase and head over to the curtain to take a peek, the theatre was empty.  Not mostly empty with a few lingering guests, but completely empty.  I suppose they were all rushing to get in line for the book signing, which seemed to be a little longer than normal.  Usually a line up for a signing lasts about twenty minutes, but I see this one is still going strong almost an hour later.

Now it’s back into the theatre for the night’s final performance, Word of Mouth…

-Bryan

www.wordfest.com
@wordfesttweets
@TheRevBW
#wordfest2012

No title has been more anticipated for me than Salman Rushdie’s Joseph Anton: a Memoir. After a Fatwa sentenced him to death, following the publication of his work The Satanic Verses, Rushdie, living under the literary-influenced pseudonym, Joseph Anton, re-traces the events that let he and his family to eventually emerge from hiding.

My crush on iconic CBC host Jian Ghomeshi is nicely requited with 1982, a memoir of adolescence and trying to fit in with the cool kids, as a “naïve” Persian-Canadian, during a personally pivotal, political and social era. 

Christopher Hitchens is sure to move even the most contrarian among us with his posthumously published collection of essays in Mortality, reflections about his path through the cancer that would take his life.

And, while I was a little late to it, if you haven’t read it yet, do read Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail.  Author Cheryl Strayed traces back an unbelievable journey of self-imposed challenge and rebuilding, as she decides to trek solo along the daunting expanse of the Pacific Crest Trail. 

Finally, my love of art and nature combine in the October release of George Littlechild: the Spirit Giggles Within, a retrospective of 40 years of this truly gifted Canadian First Nations artist. Littlechild’s unique combination of spiritually infused work, using mixed media and vibrant colour offers a soul-inspired journey through one of Canada’s true artistic treasures.    

– Chris

Held since 1973 in Sault Ste Marie, the organisers have brought together local talent from the arts and music and showcased it for the community to enjoy. There are now more performances, exhibitions and educational activities than ever in the festival. There are many Sault Ste Marie hotels so there’s no reason not to attend!

What’s more impressive is the array of talent on offer. You might fall in love with a new local talent or maybe one of the famous performers. Over the years they have attracted artists like Dizzy Gillespie, Ashley MacIsaac and Carlos Montoya to name a few. It’s testament to the popularity of the festival.

But it’s not just music artists. They’ve hosted a number of writers and comedians to puppet theatre and even mimes such as Marcel Marceau. Dance and theatre are also a crowd pleaser. Everything from ballet to orchestras have received rave reviews from attendees; there really is no telling what you’ll find.

We’ve picked out just two of our favourite performers at this year’s festival.

Nikki Yanofsky is Jazz’s newest prodigy. Despite being aged 18, her music shows maturity far beyond her years. At the age of 13, she released an Ella Fitzgerald tribute album which made everyone take notice. In 2006, she debuted at the Montreal International Festival, wowing everyone who saw her perform.  In 2010, she also had the honour of singing at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

Jian Ghomeshi is a multi-talented and award-winning entertainer. He’s a writer, musician, producer and broadcaster. He may be best known for co-creating the national daily talk program, Q, on CBC Radio One and CBC TV. He’s a gifted talker which makes him a fantastic interviewer. On Q, he’s interviewed Woody Allen and Al Gore to Jay-Z and Barbara Walters. He’ll be reading from his new book, 1982, and taking questions.

We’ve made a playlist featuring all of the performers this year. Enjoy!

Who are you looking forward to seeing at this years festival?

Also – surprise! – it’s Wednesday! Evidently I was still feeling weighed down by all that Thanksgiving turkey yesterday (N.B. Canadian Thanksgiving) and I completely lost track of the days. Apologies, good compatriots. If you had Thanksgiving this past weekend, I hope you enjoyed it; if you don’t get to indulge until November, I hope that you enjoy it when you do. And if you’re European or otherwise Thanksgiving-averted, bully for you, I’ll keep the pumpkin pie to myself.

#1. NW by Zadie Smith

#2. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

#3. Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta

#4. Up and Down by Terry Fallis

See my four-star review here.

#5. The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

#6. This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz

#7. There Was A Country: A Personal History of Biafra by Chinua Achebe

#8. New York Drawings by Adrian Tomine

#9. 1982 by Jian Ghomeshi

#10. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

No More Bullies Yearbook is a unique compilation of #NoMoreBullies’ celebrity support after just one year in existence. MajicMorning uploaded the 1:03 minute long video on the Majic 100 Ottawa Youtube channel on October 1, 2012. Supporters range from politicians (Premier Dalton McGuinty,) to media personalities (Rick Mercer) to musicians (Blue Rodeo.) All are either sporting a trademark #NoMoreBullies bracelet or promoting the hashtag in some way. The video alphabetically categorizes their proportionate pictures in a yearbook, which resigns with its youth audience. A grid system effectively organizes the images. The black impact typography used is impactful, and the yearbook’s front cover is visually interesting due to its texture. Dramatic acoustic background music and a neutral monochromatic colour scheme communicate bullying’s gloom.

Like any yearbook, No More Bullies Yearbook is a vehicle to display accomplishments. In this case, it is the celebrity support received by the group in one year. The video reaches a balance between the subject matter’s sadness and optimism for a bully-free tomorrow. Various school elements are incorporated (a music listening device, a pencil and newspapers,) to set the scene. Yet, much white space, complete with handwritten comments and drawings, gives the illusion of freedom within the publication. The video evokes a sense of optimism which draws viewers in, thus continuing to spread the group’s initial message. As a result, Magic 100 #NoMoreBullies’ video compels the audience. It has deep meaning and is designed well.

My dad suggested I check out CBC Radio 3 one day back around 2006. I clicked through a number of different artists and stumbled upon Hey Ocean! They only had a few songs posted but I listened to them on repeat for weeks. I loved their sound then, and I love it now.

The band is from Vancouver, and came together about 6 years ago. They’ve travelled across Canada performing a few times now and I’ve been lucky enough to catch a few shows in Kingston and another in Quebec City.

I can turn on their music and enjoy it anytime no matter my mood. I just really like them and really like sharing things I like, so here, have a listen!

How about A Song About California from their sophomore album It’s Easier to be Somebody Else.

Pretty good, eh? Yupp, I love it.

Their new album IS provides a different sound, its fuller, more complete. Here’s their song Big Blue Wave.

Kind of makes me want to dance… all the time.

Simply. I’m addicted to their music. I hope you enjoy it too. If you do, they are touring around Canada right now and they will be playing in Toronto on Friday at the Great Hall. It’s a good show. You should check it out.

The band started up a kickstart account asking friends and fans to help them fund their dream of touring the world. No word yet on where/when the world tour will go/happen. Trust that I will write about it when its announced.

To end. An acoustic version of one of my favourite songs.

Follow Hey Ocean on Twitter! @heyoceanband

*** UPDATE ***

Hey Ocean! appeared on CBC’s Q with Jian Ghomeshi on October 12th for a performance and interview. Click here to listen.