Are zombies more Canadian than vampires?

5 things I love about Vancouver February 5, 2010

Over at the Raincoast blog, Dan Wagstaff is running the 5 Things Vancouver travel series — a sort of miniguide to Vancouver for Olympic tourists and visiting terrorists. It kicks off with an entry from me, in which I politely don’t express my feelings about the Olympics. (Image from cfarivar’s Flickr stream.) [...]

peter

ABD February 4, 2010

A recent online thread about the existential angst of grad school reminded me of a conversation I once had during my PhD years about how grad school is like a monastery. That is, when it’s not like a Kafka text. Consider the similarities. You spend a good portion of your life resisting the earthly delights [...]

peter

A few more details about the W2 reading January 31, 2010

The lineup has been announced for the night I’m reading at the W2 Real Vancouver Writers and Culture Series. I’ll be appearing in the bright lights of the big city with Kevin Chong, Jen Sookfong Lee, Catherine Owen, Chris Walter, Jenn Farrell, Jane Sayers, Shay Wilson and Larissa Lai. Also, the plan is to stream [...]

peter

Story bundle on the Kindle store January 30, 2010

I’ve bundled together three of my short stories for sale on the Kindle. The stories are: Has the World Ended Yet? Beat the Geeks Deja Yu Makes the Pain Go Away If you prefer to read them individually, or as regular old PDFs, you can still buy them from my online store. I think The Warhol Gang is going to [...]

peter

My first reading in years January 29, 2010

I’m reading at the Real Vancouver Writers and Culture Series in downtown Vancouver Feb. 10 (a Wednesday night). I haven’t read in years, so this should be fun. I plan on reading a bit from the new book, The Warhol Gang. I’ll post more details as I have them. (Apologies for cross posting, but this [...]

peter

Is Artnet talking to us? January 28, 2010

So the Internet has been alive with news of A Tool to Deceive and Slaughter, an art “object” by Caleb Larsen that “perpetually attempts to sell itself on eBay.” Collectors may only purchase A Tool to Deceive and Slaughter by agreeing to a contract that says the work will immediately attempt to sell itself again. [...]

peter

The future will be a hoax January 27, 2010

I tried to set my most recent book, The Warhol Gang, slightly in the world of tomorrow. There are surveillance cameras everywhere, hologram theme parks, terror drills, virtual shooting ranges, CGI news stories — in short, consensual mass hallucinations. I struggled to find the right balance to these things, so that the book was slightly speculative without [ […]

peter

Be proud of arts January 23, 2010

Some random graffiti I saw on the way home:

peter

No exit January 21, 2010

previous | index | next I think I’m going in circles. (The photo is from one of my late-night rides through the Downtown Eastside’s back alleys. What am I doing riding through the DTES alleys at night? Well, now you sound just like that cop.)

peter

A lifetime of regrets January 19, 2010

previous | index | next When you’re dead, you’re defined by everything others wanted you to be.

peter

Are zombies more Canadian than vampires?

September 2, 2009 — peter

Well, I do like their views on poetry.

Zombies won’t pretend to like your really awful poetry before trying to suck your brain out through your nose, and shambling onto their next victim. They could give you a grant for the poetry, but no, they’re just going to kill you and spare the rest of us from your terrible verse. No. Need. To. Be. Fancy.

Posted in Uncategorized. 2 Comments »

CanCult uncut

Larissa Lai: an Automaton interview February 8, 2010

There’s a great interview with Larissa Lai about her new poetry book Automaton Biographies in Vancouver’s weekly The West Ender. The discussion with interviewer Jackie Wong is as thoughtful and engaging as you might expect an interview with Larissa to be. You can read the article here. By the way, if you live in Calgary, Larissa will be visiting her old home […]

Brian Lam

Decoding Hallelujah February 8, 2010

Leonard Cohen’s song “Hallelujah” was at first a little-known cut on his 1988 album Various Positions. Since then, it has spread like a musical virus, now having been covered by over 200 artists, and recently gained the coveted Christmas Number One spot in the UK through the X-Factor's Alexandra Burke version. It's become for singers what Everest i […]

jought

Globe's Ian Brown wins Charles Taylor Prize February 8, 2010

Jury lauds writer for his sensitive exploration of ‘a netherworld where medicine and morality meet’ and for telling the story of his disabled son ‘with artless candour, quirky humour and unsparing detail.’

John Barber

A poem drives through the poet's mind February 8, 2010

....blade down.

Brenda Schmidt

Dave Bidini: Enhanced, optimized and amped February 5, 2010

In keeping with the policies of this newspaper, we are obliged to reveal that the following column was Auto-Tuned and pitch-corrected. We used the literary equivalent of the HitMaker 2000, the device popularized on recent awards telecasts by musicians who leave nothing to chance

(author unknown)

Sneak peek at Gary Clement's cover for Rogue Stimulus February 6, 2010

Coming soon from Mansfield Press. Featuring 72 poems in protest of Stephen Harper, by writers from across Canada.Over and out.

Razovsky

12 or 20 questions: with Sonnet L’Abbé February 6, 2010

Sonnet L’Abbé is an award-winning author of two collections of poetry, A Strange Relief and Killarnoe, both published by McClelland and Stewart. She is a regular reviewer for the Globe and Mail and has taught writing at the University of Toronto. She is currently writing a dissertation in English Literature at the University of British Columbia. 1 - How did […]

rob mclennan

Behind the scenes of Guy Maddin’s Night Mayor February 3, 2010

We’ve just added 2 short films to NFB.ca about the making of Guy Maddin’s short film, Night Mayor (see below). The film, about a man who is thwarted in his attempt to harness the power of the Aurora Borealis as a means of projecting images of Canada to all Canadians, was commissioned by the NFB on the occasion of its 70th anniversary. On what inspired the st […]

Julie Matlin

Extremely Bad Advice: A Man After My Own Smarts February 4, 2010

Dear Steve,This town you call "Single Guy Falls?" Is there a subdivision for smart guys who actually want to date smart girls? Because there seems to be a dearth of those these days, and even when guys are smart, I find that they don't want a smart partner. I've been told that they have me or other friends for intelligent conversations. T […]

Steven Murray

CIBC launches iPhone app February 4, 2010

I’ve accessed my bank account on my iPhone but I can’t say it was easy. CIBC has become the first bank to change that, launching a mobile banking app for the iPhone that lets customers check balances, transfer funds, pay bills and Interac email money transfer. It also uses the GPS on the iPhone to point out the nearest ABM. The app also works with the iPod t […]

Gillian Shaw

Audio: Lebowitz, Burdick, Wells February 4, 2010

A terrific reading last night at the Halifax Public Library. Thanks to those who came and for those who couldn't make it, herewith the audio of Rachel Lebowitz, Alice Burdick and meself. Enjoy.

Zachariah Wells

Live Video: Great Lake Swimmers - Still February 2, 2010

Tony Dekker and a few friends perform Still in San Francisco for Spin Earth - there is also a short interview with the band at spinearth.tv.

(author unknown)

Another Mighty Small Mag: Bywords February 2, 2010

Thanks to Amanda Earl for taking time out of (I imagine, thanks to the below!) an extraordinarily busy day to tell us all about Bywords. What does a day at the Bywords look like? Bywords.ca is a volunteer non profit organization with the volunteers working primarily on line from Australia, Toronto and Ottawa. There are a lot of different activities, so no da […]

Rosalynn

in and out February 2, 2010

I, Timmy posted a photo: view in space

nobody@flickr.com (I, Timmy)

From The Outside Looking In: Slate Joins Media Covering DTES February 1, 2010

We’re starting a new set of posts in the run-up to the Games called From The Outside Looking In. In this series we will be posting excerpts of and links to articles from those major news media outlets that take the time to look beyond the steel, glass, mountains and water of our great Potemkin village to report on the horrors of the Downtown East Side (albei […]

Scout Magazine

A Softer World: 524 February 1, 2010

back buy this print digg facebook reddit stumbleupon next

(author unknown)

Above Chinatown February 1, 2010

View from Princess and Alexander.

Bryan Scott

Emergence January 31, 2010

ecstaticist posted a photo: Good large | BEST in original | My top 100 Greeting the day from 3000 feet in the helicopter. The cloud textures this day were quite fascinating. The strait of Georgia is largely covered in a low cloud cover.

nobody@flickr.com (ecstaticist)

sunrise ethology January 30, 2010

I, Timmy posted a photo: view in space

nobody@flickr.com (I, Timmy)

Little Robot Boy Challenges The Mighty Sky Cephalobot [Concept Art] January 31, 2010

In a sky the color of the sea, a young robot undergoes his rite of passage. He must leap from a tiny flying vehicle onto the back of the massive mechanical squid who rules this volume of atmosphere. These amazing skyscapes and robots are the work of Canadian concept artist Robert Kim, whose fluid lines and bulging bots are a nice mashup of anime style and cl […]

Annalee Newitz