Look who's visiting Thessalon September 27

NEWS RELEASE

STORIES IN THE NORTH

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Author Waub Rice coming to Thessalon

Stories in the North is at it again.

Their fall author event, featuring workshops and readings, takes place Saturday, September 27.

Guest author is CBC video journalist and author Waubgeshig Rice (pictured).

Rice will lead in a Saturday morning workshop, aptly titled, The Heart of Storytelling: Conveying Emotion to Share Experiences. 

Rice will demonstrate with examples from his work in different media to show how emotional elements can effectively bind the reader/viewer/listener to the story.

He'll also illustrate that with passages from his fiction.

Participants can also expect to do some writing exercises.

Writers and aspiring writers are invited to sign up for a 10 a.m. workshop with Rice as he teaches how to convey emotion in stories.

For those who don't know Rice, he's done terrific work on shows like 8th Fire and his novel Legacy has just hit book stores.

An afternoon session that same day will include lunch and a question and answer session with John Degen, executive director of the Writers' Union of Canada (TWUC).

Degen knows all about writing in Canada, probably better than anyone else.

Before his job at TWUC, he was the Ontario Arts Council's literature officer, the executive director of the Professional Writers Association of Canada, and the communications manager for Magazines Canada.

He's also a published novelist and poet.

One of the questions that will be presented to Degen will be: Can a writer make a living in Canada these days?

Bring all of your questions as John has been to all the great Canadian writing events and met pretty much every Canadian author you can name.

He'll share stories and the scoop on what he's learned about writing in Canada.

To reserve your spot in one or both workshops, email [email protected] or call 705-842-2451.

Workshop sessions are $25 each or $40 for both.

Both sessions will take place at Zion United Church 224 Main St., Thessalon.

Even if you're not a writer, you'll want to attend the evening show when Rice reads from his new book, Legacy.

Musical interludes will be provided by some exciting performers including the Au Saubles Connection made up of Samantha Giguere, Aine O'Gorman, Vanessa Ervin, and Carolyn Devon.

Thessalon First Nation's Bill Bisaillon will lead in drumming and vocals will also be provided by Julia Bisaillon.

Doors open at 7 p.m. for this show.

Admission includes a buffet of finger foods.

A cash bar will be available.

Legacy, published by Theytus Books, is Rice's second novel.

It's a fictional account of how a family copes with tragedy and takes place on a fictional reserve somewhere on Highway 17, between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie.

The story begins with a group of siblings who lose their parents in an accident.

After one of them dies a violent death in Toronto, the story follows the others as they each try to move forward through battling issues like substance abuse and some returning to their culture.

The idea for the story first came about in 2009 while Rice was working for CBC in Winnipeg.

With the project underway, Rice applied for and got a Canada Council Arts grant.

He returned to Toronto to work on the book.

"The title is meant to signify the legacy of tragedy that defines some aboriginal families these days," says Rice who was inspired by the many people he'd met who had legacies of tragedy.

Rice, who now lives in Ottawa, grew up on Wasauksing First Nation (Parry Island).

After studying Journalism at Ryerson University, he freelanced first and then began a career at CBC.

He currently works in Ottawa as a video journalist.

His first book, Midnight Sweatlodge, a collection of short stories written mostly during various stages of his youth, was published in 2011.

Rice has an Algoma connection too, having married Sarah McGregor, formerly of Bruce Mines.

Sarah's grandparents are from Garden River.

Rice is looking forward to the Thessalon visit.

As for Degen, he was previously the literature officer with the Ontario Arts Council, the executive director of the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC) and the communications manager for Magazines Canada (formerly Canadian Magazine Publishers Association).

He's a published novelist and poet and was founding editor of Ink magazine and host of The Book Room, an online audio show featuring author interviews and readings.

Degen is said to be responsible for the founding of Thessalon's Stories in the North, having gotten things started when he visited several years ago to read from his novel, The Uninvited Guest.

For more about Stories in the North, visit their webpage.

You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.

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