Lori Henry wrote a an article on Wayne Norton‘s Women on Ice for Suite 101.com recently. I’m pleased to see that even now that it’s (finally!) summer, people are still interested in this book. And why wouldn’t they be?? Great pictures, interesting characters, stories from Western Canada’s history, and, well, hockey!

Here’s a quote from the article. Click here to read the whole thing.

“This historical tome will doubtless become the book most referred to in all subsequent work on women’s hockey in Western Canada.
. . .
This historical account of women’s hockey in Western Canada, Women on Ice by Wayne Norton, covers more than just the game of ice hockey. The book reveals the attitude about women’s role in society in the late 1800s and early 1900s, as well as how society reacted when women decided to take to the ice.
Most importantly, Wayne Norton has filled the book with quotes, clips of newspaper articles, historical photos and commentary that make this a significant contribution to the records of this area. As he state, the women mentioned have all since passed away, so no firsthand accounts are available. Without this book, their stories would most likely be overlooked and lost forever.”

Read more at Suite101: Women’s Hockey in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Banff http://wcanadatravel.suite101.com/article.cfm/womens-hockey-in-vancouver-calgary-edmonton-and-banff#ixzz0rsrjx3F4

Thecommentary.ca editor Joseph Planta interviewed Howard Richler last week. About Strange Bedfellows: The Private Lives of Words, Planta said: “It’s a fascinating, informative, and engrossing book on a great number of words, their origin, original meaning, and for some of them, where the English language has stolen them from. It’s also often amusing, and I find myself still—weeks after getting the book—dipping into it.” You can listen to the interview here.

Beryl Young has a great new website. Check it out for information on her books, author visits and other news. Take a look at Beryl’s childhood photos — beautiful bows! www.berylyoung.com

Join critically acclaimed BC poets Garry Gottfriedson, Rita Wong, and Joanne Arnott for a poetry reading to celebrate the release of Garry Gottfriedson‘s Skin Like Mine, a bold collection in which Gottfriedson tackles issues facing first nations today. Through their poetry, these three authors have explored the rhythms of the land, the rhythms of the body and the destruction that can be caused to both. Rita Wong is the author of Forage (2007) and Joanne Arnott is the author of Mother Time (2007).

A program open to all ages Thursday July 22
7:00 pm-8:30 pm
Free
Meeting Room, Level 3
Central Library
350 West Georgia Street

For more information please contact VPL – Popular Reading Library at 604-331-3691

View the Vancouver Public Library’s calendar here: http://www.vpl.ca/cgi-bin/api/calendar.cgi

On Wednesday, June 16, Jean Rae Baxter (The Way Lies North) will be reading at the Artword Artbar, 15 Colbourne Street, Hamilton, ON. 7:30 p.m. Check the Artbar calendar for more details.

WESTFEST is a free three-day celebration of the arts: music, literature, visual arts, theatre, and more. Sheila James (In the Wake of Loss) will be reading on Saturday, June 12, from 12-1:30pm. Sheila is an engaging and entertaining performer and her readings from her short stories are very theatrical — if you’re lucky, she may even sing for you!
For more information, click here.

On June 25, Jack Hodgins will be signing books at Laughing Oyster Books, Courtenay, BC. Time to be determined, but it’ll be in the afternoon.