Very excited to announce that I have approved the proof of my short story collection, and that Where Pigeons Roost and other stories is now available through me and through Amazon!
The cover page of Where Pigeons Roost, designed by Maria Buscemi
In Where Pigeons Roost, four women trapped in worlds of their own making journey between obsession and redemption.
« Feather and Gaelyn reached the foyer, not yet knowing that each would remain disappointed by her life while being secretly pleased her twin would fare no better. They did not yet know that their final competition – whom would outlive the other – would be moot, the winner forever undeclared. » – Excerpt from Stalemate, from Where Pigeons Roost
The book’s official launch will be held in November in Toronto, Canada. Details to follow!
I would like to thank the lovely audience of the Who You Calling Crazy? reading last week. It was the success for which our writers’ group had hoped:
We performed our pieces brilliantly (if I do say so myself), were accompanied by great music, and collected 200$ for the Child Development Institute. We even got coverage in one of the local papers (in French), Le Métropolitain.
Our group will plan another public reading in 2014, and in the meantime, we will be working on new pieces of fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry.
The Who You Calling Crazy authors and musician: l. to r.: Darren Elliot, Lisa Jackson, Simone Dalton, Angélique Jenney, A.M. Matte, Sophie Tolias, and Alex Normand
La première séance de lecture que j’ai organisé avec mes collègues écrivains de langue anglaise s’est très bien passée. Sous le thème Who You Calling Crazy, nous avons partagé nouvelles, récits et poèmes afin de partager nos écrits et de lever des fonds pour le Child Development Institute à Toronto (200 $ ont été remis au CDI).
Nous nous sommes beaucoup amusés et préparons une prochaine séance de lecture dès l’année prochaine.
La séance de lecture a également été mentionnée dans le journal Le Métropolitain.
Mes collègues écrivains lisant leurs textes au Free Times Café.
Demain, j’aurai le plaisir de participer à une séance de lecture pendant laquelle je lirai des extraits de mes nouvelles Where Pigeons Roost et A Treat.
La page couverture de mon recueil de nouvelles Where Pigeons Roost.
Le tout se déroule le 3 octobre au Free Times Café à Toronto, dès 19h30, et sert non seulement de tribune aux auteurs qui liront leurs textes, mais aussi de levée de fonds pour le Child Development Institute.
Bien que j’aie hâte à la séance de lecture, ce n’est non sans ressentir un tantinet de nervosité. Voici quelques conseils que j’ai recueilli et retenu afin de faire de toute séance de lecture un succès sans pareil:
1) Choisir un extrait du texte à lire qui représente bien le style de l’auteur, tout en s’assurant de ne pas trop révéler l’histoire.
2) Porter des habits confortables qui représentent, eux aussi, le style de l’auteur.
3) Préparer une courte introduction et/ou de courtes transitions pour bien situer les lecteurs/le public dans l’action de l’extrait.
4) Imprimer en gros caractères et/ou à double interligne une copie de l’extrait qui sera lu. Dans le cas d’une lecture à partir d’un livre, bien étiqueter les pages afin d’éviter un temps mort à fouiller pour le prochain extrait à lire.
5) Prendre le temps de pratiquer la lecture à haute voix. Il est également bon de se chronométrer afin de s’assurer de présenter la bonne longueur d’extrait.
6) Varier le débit de la lecture. En moyenne, lorsque l’on est nerveux, l’on a tendance à accélérer le débit. Donc, une façon de bien lire est de ralentir. Par contre, là où des passages de haute tension le demandent, il peut être intéressant pour le public si l’auteur lit un peu plus vite.
Pour des conseils en anglais reliés aux séances de lecture, lisez à l’article A Reading Is A Performance.
Deux lettres d’amour au spectacle La lettre de Productions Nemesis
C’était devant des spectatrices enjouées que les improvisatrices de La lettre ont repris leur succès extérieur du Festival Fringe de Toronto dans le cadre de la Fête de la culture 2013.
Inspirées par les lettres fournies par les membres du public, Catherine Berthiaume, Barbara-Audrey Bergeron et Audrey Ferron ont incarné des gens à l’épicerie, un cortège de noces, des bijoutiers et des précieuses de Molière.
À leur tour inspirées par le spectacle, deux spectatrices ont rédigé des lettres d’amour chantant les louanges des comédiennes et du spectacle La lettre.
I immensely enjoyed reading my pieces at those events and I’m thrilled to have one more opportunity to share at the Who You Calling Crazy? reading by emerging authors at Toronto’s Free Times Café on Thursday, October 3rd, starting at 7:30 p.m.
« A reading is a performance, » said Terry Fallis* in one of his University of Toronto Building An Audience courses.
Maybe I revive this outfit for one of the readings? (Award Gala photo by Danielle Maheu)
With three readings coming up over the next few months, I have reviewed my notes on the subject for a few hints that can help prepare the best performance possible:
1. Choose a section that reflects the book / that reflects you as a writer.
2. Make eye contact with the audience.
3. When reading, it’s good to « act » the characters a little.
4. Use your voice as your instrument. Adjust your voice/performance to fit the writing. Change volume – lower the voice for dramatic moments (but not so much as to be inaudible) and raise the voice for excitement.
5. Vary the pace – slow down to add drama; use pauses, let the audience hang before delivering a punchline (coup de grâce), or speed up for intensity.
6. Practice, practice, practice. Before the reading, try out your piece. Practice in front of friends, or in front of a mirror. You can even time yourself, so that you know how long your reading takes.
I’ve been rehearsing my readings, timer at hand, to help me choose the best sections. Want to know which I picked? Feel free to attend any one (or all) of the readings to find out!
*I know, I know, sometimes I should just call my blog a fan page for this award-winning author…
Suite à son succès au Festival Fringe de Toronto cet été, le spectacle d’improvisation interactif La lettre sera en reprise à Toronto en septembre, dans le cadre de la Fête de la culture, grâce à un appui de la Bibliothèque publique de Toronto. Au plaisir de vous y voir!
I confess: I’m one of those writers who loves to read her stuff out loud. Preferably when other people are around to listen, absorb, critique, discuss.
That’s why I’m very fortunate to have three opportunities to read excerpts of my short stories in the next few months.
Then, on September 15, 2013, at 1:45 p.m., the Toronto Writers’ Cooperative is once again providing a reading opportunity, thanks to the launch of its Voices 2013 anthology, a perfect-bound anthology of co-op members’ work, in a range of genres.
Both events are held at the Elizabeth Beeton Auditorium on the first floor of the Toronto Reference Library, and are free.
Finally, on October 3, 2013, at 7:30 p.m., another conglomerate of writers will gather to share a range of work – from short fiction to creative non-fiction to poetry – under the theme Who You Calling Crazy? While this event, held at the Free Times Café in Toronto, is free of charge, donations to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health will be gladly accepted.
I’ve been practicing and timing (and even editing) the excerpts I plan to read, and am excited about these opportunities to share my writing live. If you happen to be in town, come on by and let me know what you think of my performance.
I’m excited to be reading as part of the Toronto Writers’ Co-operative literary evening, called Exchanging Notes, next month. On September 5th, 2013, the TOWC has invited award-winning author (and my one-time mentor) Terry Fallis to chat at the Toronto Reference Library.
Prior to the interview with Terry, two TOWC members will read their work – yours truly is one of them. It all goes down at the Elizabeth Beeton Auditorium at 6:30 p.m. I’ll be reading an excerpt of my short story Where Pigeons Roost, about a woman who becomes obsessed with the underground game of pigeon-thwacking.
See you there!
Exchanging Notes: the interviews
with Terry Fallis
Host John Miller converses about the writer’s life and craft with Terry Fallis. Terry is the author of The Best Laid Plans (Leacock Medal for Humour, 2008) and The High Road. In 2011, The High Road won CBC Canada Reads as the “essential Canadian novel of the decade.” TBLP is currently in development as a CBC-Television mini-series. Terry’s continuing publisher, McClelland and Stewart, published Up and Down in 2011. It debuted on the G&M bestsellers list. Terry’s 4th novel, No Relation, will be published in May, 2014. His 5th novel is currently underway.
Terry has extensive experience in provincial and federal politics, and communications consultation with the agency he co-founded, Thornley Fallis.
A.M. Matte and John Warren of the T.O. Writers’ Co-op will read from their work.
