Carrie Mac Writes What She Would Like to Read
Carrie Mac’s stint as a mentor at this year’s Young Authors’ Conference is a return engagement, as she was here in 2013.
Carrie Mac Writes What She Would Like to Read Read More »
Yukon words, poems and books. Our Yukon is home to incredible authors, writers, and storytellers. Enjoy our creative works by Yukoners!
Carrie Mac’s stint as a mentor at this year’s Young Authors’ Conference is a return engagement, as she was here in 2013.
Carrie Mac Writes What She Would Like to Read Read More »
As I began searching for idioms with a digestive theme, in honour of this year’s “Poop” edition of What’s Up Yukon, I discovered…
Once upon a time there was a shepherd boy who was diligently doing his duties, according to Aesop, but perhaps got a little bored…
The Yukon’s new Story Laureate is John Firth, as announced in January by Commissioner Anne Webber. Over the next two years…
Meet Our New Story Laureate Read More »
Kim Hudson’s highly-varied background looked like indecision in the beginning, but she says it has turned out to be a rich resource…
Kim Hudson Launches Her New Book, The Bridge Read More »
Blue Camas, Blue Camas is a new children’s book, written by Danielle S. Marcotte and illustrated by Alyssa Koski…
Blue Camas, Blue Camas Read More »
Peter Jickling was part of What’s Up Yukon’s editorial team from 2012–2015, during which he wrote a weekly column…
Hot Takes From Peter Jickling Read More »
It’s a good life … or, from the movie Oliver!, “It’s A Fine Life” (a very fine life!). Yes, I’ve taken to incorporating song titles…
Tibetan Buddhist monk Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche has been coming to the Yukon for nearly two decades, every year until the pandemic hit.
Transforming Your Experience Read More »
The extreme focus on the drama of the Klondike Gold Rush tends to obscure the stories about the gold seekers…
Tales From Before And After The Gold Rush Read More »
Ripple Foundation, a national youth-education charity with a goal of cultivating the next generation’s creative literacy skills…
Once again, this year, the annual Klondike Visitors Association (KVA) Authors on Eighth writing contest has two entry levels…
The Two Levels Of Authors On Eighth Read More »
The world should have more ducks, really, and according to a well-known idiom, they should be in a row. That’s right…
Who Doesn’t Like Ducks? Read More »
I don’t know about other languages, but English tends to have names for groups of creatures. These are called collective nouns…
Having Fun With Animal Names Read More »
Even if you are poor You can still shop at the free store The free store is no joke, ‘Cause you can buy an’ be broke…
I’m not just sure when David Thompson started writing his tales of an alternative Klondike, but he began submitting entries…
Tales Of ‘An Alternative Klondike’ Read More »
His mellow voice started crafting an unvarnished tale, with campfire simplicity. I had never heard of the Edmonton Story Slam “Slam Off”…
The Delta Rambler Slams Edmonton Read More »
Hands up those of you who have ever wished you could be invisible. Right? Right? Me too! There are all kinds of reasons it would be fun…
The Cloak of Invisibility Read More »
This book tests my understanding of the word calamity, which is usually defined as “a state of deep distress or misery.”
There Is Much to Savour In This Memoir Read More »
For some odd reason, this idiom has popped into my head several times in the past weeks: “Don’t throw out the ‘baby’ with the bathwater.”
Don’t throw Out The Baby … Read More »
I submit this poem as part of my own journey here in the Yukon. Thankful for living on the traditional territories…
At first all the birds were white, And Eagle was their Chief. All the birds had a meeting. They decided to paint each other.
How The Birds Got Their Colours Read More »
What does a rat even smell like? Well, I have no idea … even though I’ve seen a rat or two in my lifetime…
Rat-a-tat-tat … I Smell A Rat Read More »
This past Christmas season, Yukoners were introduced to a new children’s book created by local illustrator Tedd Tucker.
The Simple Joys Of Yukon Count Read More »
You will see Dumbo the elephant You will hear Porky the pig You will touch Bambi You will see Woody the Woodpecker You will hear
If ever you should find yourself alone in the vast woodlands of the North and you happen upon large, humanoid footprints in the mud…
Seeking The Sasquatch Read More »
So, remember that Christmas comes but once a year … and embrace that thought and whatever meaning this humble idiom holds for you.
Christmas Comes But Once A Year Read More »
Eleanor Millard’s story is a familiar one. She came to the Yukon in 1965 and got captured. She has mostly been here since…
Allan Benjamin is a poet, a cartoonist, a fiddle player and a snowshoe racer from Old Crow, Yukon.
Didee Didoo: Underground Read More »
Yukon authors Kay Deborah Linley and Kathryn Couture wrote books about a kayaking tour, as well as a fantasy series about wolves.
Writing is a lonely task: sitting at home and putting words on paper is the main part of an author’s life.
A Celebration Of Words: Writer’s Festival Read More »
Yukon Conversation Society (not to be confused with the Yukon Conservation Society) is a group of artists, a creative collective.
Artists Creating A Zine Read More »
I have fond memories of strapping on skates to glide over the deep-blue, almost-black pond ice on our Saskatchewan farm.
Phil Finds a Friend is a children’s book for youngsters. It tells the story of Phil, who goes adventures around the Yukon, to find a friend.
Yukon Dogs – A Children’s Book Read More »
The first mention of “bite the bullet” was, according to Wikipedia, in Rudyard Kipling’s late-1800s novel The Light That Failed.
My Piggy Bank I wonder if I have enough to buy a teddy bearI wonder if I have enough to buy a bubble gumI wonder
In my world, ceremonies are a regular thing. I have the honour of leading the people of Whitehorse United Church in worship.
Ritual and Ceremony Read More »
In the blink of an eye. That is how quickly this idiom of biblical origin (from 1 Cor. 15: 51–52) has been changed, as it describes a mysterious and wonderful moment, at the trumpet sound, when everything will change.
In A Moment … ‘In The Twinkling of An Eye’ Read More »
Berry-picking season is an amazing time of year. Sweet wild strawberries, Soapberries and Saskatoons are all summer-time treats.
Berry Song, A Story For Us All Read More »
Christopher Ross writes about his journalism experiences at the Dawson City Insider from 1997-1999 and what happened after.
Looking Inside the Insider Read More »
The Dawson Challengers had a dream to contest for the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup (better known as the Stanley Cup.
The Bookshelf: When Dawson Made Hockey History Read More »
The idiom make a beeline for is a bit of a mystery as we watch the erratic dance of bees – So, what’s with bees and beelines?
Fly Straight Like a Honeybee Read More »
Living in your comfort zone feels better than feeling like “a fish out of water.” Do you know the idiomatic origins of the phrase?
A ‘fish’ called (insert your name here) Read More »
If I Build an Airplane: I’m going to use rope Instead of seatbelts. I’m going to use snowshoes Instead of airplane skis
Didee Didoo: If I Build an Airplane Read More »
Construction Site: I always pick up nail and screws I always pick up boards I always pick up plywood I always pick up insulation
Didee Didoo: Construction Site Read More »
I’m not even an animal yet …‘Cause I’m not as strong as a grizzly bear ‘Cause I’m not as big as a moose ‘Cause I’m not as fast as a fox‘
I’m not even an animal yet … Read More »
The lady mooned the poor bear And he bit her in the rear The bear bit the poor spouse When she went to the outhouse
She Mooned the Poor Bear Read More »
most emojis are straightforward, but there seems to be a lot of speculation surrounding the poop emoji. Is it actually poop?
Discovering the origin of the poop emoji Read More »
Never would a canary be seen in a coal mine, unless under duress. Find out what canaries under duress have to do with “bye-bye, birdie”
Idiomatic Origins: Bye-bye, birdie! Read More »
Allen Benjamin’s Didee & Didoo: Ronald’s Liquor Cabinet…I think he has a big bottle of…
Didee & Didoo: Ronald’s Liquor Cabinet Read More »
When It’s 46 Below: Your ice cream won’t thaw out. Mosquitos won’t bite you. You won’t suffer from heat stroke.
Didee Didoo: When It’s 46 Below Read More »
Didee Didoo: Due To Covid 19. Walmart will be closed in Old Crow Canadian Tire will be closed in Old Crow McDonald’s will be closed…
Didee Didoo: Due To Covid 19 Read More »
Didee & Didoo: The caribou wades the creek in silence. Through the river, rocks and barely a ripple mark the caribou passage.
Peter Steele begins by defining his terms: “’Meander’ reads ’To wander at random’” This is very definitely what happens in this book,
Meanderings: The Steeles wandered at random around the world Read More »
This year some Canadian writers finally made it to Frankfurt, but where is the Yukon? No Yukon writers made it to the Frankfurt Book Fair.
Searching for the Yukon at the Frankfurt Book Fair Read More »
From 1995 to 2001 Dr. Jaime Smith was the territory’s only psychiatrist. Jim Robb devotes page 38 in The Colourful 5% V:III to this Yukoner.
Memories of the Yukon’s only psychiatrist: Still a Yukoner in his heart Read More »
Journey of 1000 Miles chronicles Hank DeBruin and Tanya McCready-DeBruin’s attempts at the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest.
The Bookshelf: Seeking Redemption on the Yukon Quest Trail Read More »
Whitehorse author Joanna Lilley has won this year’s Borealis Prize: The Commissioner of Yukon Award for Literary Contribution.
And the winner is … Commissioner of Yukon Award Joanna Lilley Read More »
October is national library month! Libraries across the territory are celebrating Yukon Public Libraries Week October 18-23.
Love your local library! Read More »
Robert Service’s great-granddaughter honours her ancestor. Charlotte Service-Longépé wrote Robert W. Service La Piste de l’Imaginaire.
Robert Service’s great-granddaughter honours her ancestor Read More »
Graphic novels are Gallagher’s favourite art form. This exhibit is an artistic journey to produce a horror graphic novel set in the Yukon.
A Yukon Horror Story, So Far Read More »
Slam Poetry allows the creative license that he found journalism lacked. At Jenni House Tse will interrogate being a Yukon settler of colour.
Christopher Tse: Unraveling roots on the page Read More »
Ramshackle Theatre in the Bush “I’m already out in the yard,” Fidler says. “I’ve got my chainsaw out and I’m clearing the paths.”
Theatre in the Bush 2021 Read More »
Poetry with a bit of a difference, it has a strong ecological bias. Goodbye, Ice: Arctic Poems by Lawrence Millman
The Bookshelf: A poetic memoir of northern travels Read More »
There are two idioms that have been bothering me for weeks, months even. But let’s talk about something more pleasant—cookies.
Idioms that irk me (and I’m not easily irked) Read More »
By the time you’re reading this column, the paperback version of Eva Holland’s fascinating study of fear will be out from Penguin Canada.
Learning how to cope with fear in overdrive Read More »
Compared to the Klondike-era poems we’re familiar with, it seems that Tara Borin’s poetry breaks ground by presenting a post-gold rush, post-Robert Service perspective of Dawson.
Regulars and Rooms for Rent Read More »
In 2017 Paul Rath attended the North Words Symposium in Skagway. He joined an early morning session in the library hosted by Deb Vanasse, an
Learning to be a good person through fishing Read More »
I shovel dog poop. I shovel moose poop. I shovel caribou poop. I shovel rabbit poop. I shovel wolf poop. I shovel squirrel poop. I
Didoo survived without an electric knife. Didoo survived without an electric kettle. Didoo survived without a microwave. Didoo survived without a toaster. Didoo survived without
Didoo survived without these things Read More »
Love reading? Your local public library would like to make you a proposal – more free access to ebooks, audiobooks and online learning tools.
Throughout the month of February, the Yukon Public Library (YPL) system will be highlighting these new resources, along with ways for Yukoners to access them, with the New Reasons To Love You Library Campaign.
If it’s right as rain, it’s as it should be; it’s normal and expected; it’s right on track, exactly as anticipated. It also refers to a congenial frame of mind, or even a state of physical comfort.
It’s raining, it’s pouring (but it’s still all right) Read More »
The present book, one of several projects Michael Gates has had on the go since he retired, is one he was commissioned to write by Victoria Gold, the owners of the Eagle Gold Mine.
Christopher Wheeler has had a long-standing dream to become an author. When COVID-19 arrived, it brought with it the opportunity for him to pursue this
A Parade of Dreams Read More »
Thirteen year old Isaiah Silas has had a love for comic books from a young age. This admiration inspired him to teach himself to draw, and has since grown into a talent that he hopes to expand into a successful business, making and selling comic books.
I get high when I snowshoe. I get high when I canoe. I get high when I mush dogs. I get high when I bike.
Book Review: Bury Your Horses by Dan Dowhal
Why did it have to be snakes? Read More »
Mary Kay outlived Big Joe. Sarah Baalam outlived Baalam. Eliza Steamboat outlived Robert. Annie Fredson outlived Daniel. Sarah Abel outlived Abel. Mary Thomas outlived John.
They outlived their husbands Read More »
What’s of particular interest to readers in this year of the COVID-19 pandemic, is that London managed to predict the spread of a virulent disease three years before the so-called Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918.
Jack London imagined a virus Read More »
It’s easy to see why Ben Lerner’s The Topeka School (McLelland and Steward, 2019) was among Barack Obama’s favourite reads in 2019. At once a
A politically-minded family drama Read More »
I have to pack a bucket of water for Eliza Steamboat I have to pack a bucket of water for Robert Steamboat I have to
In these days of highways and 1000-year level flood dikes, it’s easy to forget that the best way to get to Dawson used to be by sternwheelers. While most of the stampeders made their way here in small boats and rafts in 1898, a sizeable number cruised to the fledgling town from St. Michael’s, Alaska, in riverboats and steamers and, once the White Pass chugged into Whitehorse, still more hopped on boats from there.
The Klondike Gold Rush Steamers Read More »
I have to know about gravitational torque I have to know about stride frequency I have to know about running tangents I have to know
Running is rocket science Read More »
If I were a turtle, I wouldn’t need a bulletproof vest. If I were a kangaroo, I wouldn’t need a pocket. If I were a
Another Silly Poem Read More »
Each year there is a writing contest called Authors on Eighth connected to an annual walk along the Writers’ Block along Eighth Avenue in Dawson City.
Authors on Eighth overcome COVID-19 Read More »
I went down to the Victoria Marathon And I got to see John Fogerty in concert John doesn’t need a cane to walk Because he
Everyone experiences fear at some point in their lives. This universal emotion and our response to it forms the core of Eva Holland’s first book, Nerve.
There are all sorts of ABC books out there, but they are seldom as focussed on a particular subject as this one, which manages to do the job of introducing all the letters while remaining firmly in the air.
An ABC Aviation Adventure Read More »
The England-born, Yukon-based writer has just released her third poetry collection, Endlings, in which each poem is inspired by a different extinct animal species. The passenger pigeon
Howls of the past are echoing again thanks to Joanna Lilley Read More »
Let’s begin at the end. “On 9 September 2014, at a press conference in Ottawa, Prime Minister Harper announced to the world that one of
From South to North with the Erebus Read More »
We will continue to offer curb-side pick-up for those that are not ready to come in and browse or for anyone with a cold or other symptoms. Based on books we have in stock our staff has come up with three book recommendations for people eager for new things to read
Well Read and Welcome Back! Read More »
Here are three books to thumb through while you wait for the end of the world or a Yukon spring, whichever comes first.
Social Distancing Perfect Time For A Good Book Read More »
Let’s surprise Kelly, But not Martha. Let’s outnumber Peter, But not Stephen. Let’s pick on Tracy, But not on Bertha. Let’s hunt for Michael, But
Gwich’in Expressions: Ddhah kak vadzaih Tr’anah’in We see caribou on the mountain Dinjik daang nał’in I see four moose Łall tsal nihłàh tsiigīdī’in The pups are playing together
Shoo’ii & Sheek’aii – Gwich’in Ginjik Native Language Read More »
It was the first time Peter Jickling had read a book aloud cover to cover. He reflected that he got a different sense of the book as a whole than you would putting it down and picking it up, as we usually do.
Whitehorse poet’s defiant reading marathon Read More »
We’re wise I use a frisbee for a plate. I use a parachute for a tent. I use a hardhat for a bowl. Uncle uses
We’re wise & Didoo’s Beliefs Read More »
Many classic stories have food and drinks intrinsically linked to their narratives. The Whitehorse Public Library has taken this idea and run with it, creating Page to Plate – a series of workshops for youth linking literature and cooking.
Meals inspired by literature Read More »
Peter Steele’s book arrived on my desk at just about the time in my cataract affliction when I was unable to read it, the white
Seventy tales from the Yukon, Atlin and Tibet Read More »
A promise made is a promise kept, as they say. However, as a child, promises that were made were not always kept. And sometimes, shamefully, promises were made with fingers crossed behind our backs, a move that rendered the promise null and void.
Crossing your fingers is more than just child’s play Read More »
What I Call Things You call it stuff, I call it junks. You call it corral, I call it fence. You call it path, I
What I Call Things & Gee! Stuff Is Getting Faster! Read More »
It’s a Dog-Eat-Dog World No one will pay your bills But they’ll ask you for a dollar. No one will buy your food But they’ll
It’s a Dog-Eat-Dog World & When We Were Hippies Read More »
Lawrence Millman has written 16 books, including Hiking to Siberia. The latter is the subject of this column and the source of most of the stories Millman read to an attentive audience at the Alchemy Café when he visited Dawson City.
What is in a definition, and what if a word is ill-defined? Have you ever told a joke that just seemed to go too far
On vices and vises Read More »
Gwich’in Ginjik Native Language Ch’ivēedzyāa at’iinihthān kwaa I don’t like mushrooms Łuh chīl sheenit kanahée Get wood chips for me Ch’igéechān Agwāł’aii I found a shoulder blade Diik’ee
Let’s Learn Gwich’in: Gwich’in Expressions Read More »
The idiom Bob’s your uncle is commonly heard in Britain. Perhaps you’ve heard it watching British mysteries or British sitcoms.
If Bob’s your uncle … Read More »
There’s a peaceful little townOn the banks of the river.Where the wolf an’ the caribou roamThat’s where he calls his home.In summer there’s no nightsDays
Didee and Didoo – Gwichin Warrior Read More »
Truth be told, I had always thought that “Auld Lang Syne” was some saintly old soul and it was just this year that I realized and appreciated, for the first time, the depth of meaning beneath these lyrics.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot? Read More »
Murray Martin gives WUY permission to share this poem free of charge every holiday. We wish you a safe and Merry Christmas, and please drive responsibly at all times of the year.
On the Other Side of the Coin Read More »
In Persia, there once was a wise king with three sons. He mock-banished the young princes from his kingdom so they could go out and test themselves against the dangers of the real world. Their journey became a fairy tale known as “The Three Princes of Serendip.”
The lost camel of an ancient Persian fairy tale Read More »
People who write a lot have different perspectives and relationships with words than those who simply read or say them. If the pen is truly
Words are a writer’s tool box Read More »
They’re ookey and they’re spooky … and perhaps one of the ookiest and spookiest of the household was Thing T. Thing, the disembodied hand affectionately
The writing’s on the wall… Read More »
The Walk Between Worlds monthly storytelling event provides Yukoners a chance to hone their craft We’re all tellers of stories. Some are one-liners. Maybe you’re
What’s your story? Read More »
Tedd Tucker’s apartment looks like a bookstore these days. That’s how it goes when you take on every aspect of publishing your first book yourself
Now you know your ABCs Read More »
How do you solve a problem like “flibbertigibbet?” Unless you had a grandmother like mine, that’s a word you’d probably never heard before Oscar Hammerstein II used
Taking flibberties with the (Widdle) English language Read More »
Didee’s name was Moses TizyaAn’ Didoo’s name was Martha Tizya.And they both used canes.Didoo Martha wore a hankerchiefAn’ Didee Moses wore Didee’s hat.Didee an’ Didoo
Didee an’ Didoo were real Read More »
For 20 years, from 1994 to 2014, Al Pope produced a regular column for the Yukon News. It was called Nordicity. He said it started because
Missives from One Bucket Creek Read More »
Walking past the library on a recent Friday evening, we passed a young woman pushing a stroller with a very young occupant. The baby was
Literacy is one of the best gifts you can give Read More »
As I continue my conversations with Joe Copper Jack, I begin to understand that it is not just about the content, or events of the
Shigwitrit gwidal My Working Tools Ai shi’ii I have snowshoesDii k’ee shi’ii I have a gunSrii shi’ii I have a knifeVah troo tr’it’ii shi’ii I have a sawGwik’ih shi’ii I
Let’s Learn Gwich’in: My working tools Read More »
Dawson City would not be nearly as well-known as it is without the writings of three men who lived here for parts of their lives.
A stroll along the Writers’ Block Read More »
John Firth’s latest book includes the signature of a ghost. Caribou Hotel, Hauntings, Hospitality, a Hunter and the Parrot.
A contemporary Yukon storyteller Read More »
As the new school year rolls around and fall begins, Yukoners find seasonal ways to appreciate their surroundings in this place called home.
Lullabies to a northern landscape Read More »
I’m going to snowshow. I’m going to ski. I’m going to canoe. I’m going to bike. I’m going to run. I’m going to walk.
How I’m Going to Reach 100 Read More »
Wise and wordy Sally Lee Baker weaves wicked words in Toni Tanager, the latest instalment in her series of alliterative children’s books. In doing so,
Faro writer nabs excellence award Read More »
The year was January 1975 When I trapped with Andrew Tizya. I was just a young man And Andrew was my teacher. We mushed our
I Trapped With Adam Tizya Read More »
Everyone knows Neil An’ he’s from the mouth of the Peel. Neil is a famous person Who comes from Ft. McPherson. Neil is even known
Didee & Didoo: Mouth of the Peel Read More »
Well-Read Books celebrates a lifetime of books with its 20th anniversary and it’s a labour of love for the partners that own the store, which
From the cradle to the grave Read More »
Opinions are like belly buttons. Everybody has one. Except Adam and Eve, reportedly. Even a casual glance at Facebook, Twitter, or similar social media platforms
This is what I think about that – Just saying Read More »
I was fortunate enough to sit with Joe Jack, the grandson on Copper Chief, son of Billie Jack and Agnes Boss. Through stories, Jack traces
A true telling, unchanged and sacred Read More »
The last entry in this space provided a platform for a more-or-less true tale of undeserved punishment recalled (and still resented) from the mists of
P and Q can make for some perky Saturday hookups Read More »
The winners of the contest are announced annually at the final stop of the Authors on Eighth Walking Tour, which always concludes at Berton House
Want to win gold for your writing? Read More »
Dinjii Zhùh/ Oonjit Kyuu – Gwich’in /English Words By Chih Ahaa Shiaxe – My axe Shiteapot – My teapot Shitent – My tent Shistove –
Let’s Learn Gwich’in: My Things Read More »
My fiddle is a piece of mine. My guitar is a piece of mine. My wheelbarrow is a piece of mine. My snowshoes are a
Didee/Didoo: Piece of Mine Read More »
In the course of his Massey Lecture series in 2013 (published as Blood: The Stuff of Life, from House of Anansi Press), Lawrence Hill used a
How real life can inform fiction Read More »
You have to run. You have to snowshoe. You have to canoe. You have to speed walk. You have to ski. You have to mush
Didee & Didoo: My Definition of an Elder Read More »
The Carcross sargent flew the torch to Old Crow An’ our job was to take it to Ft. McPherson. The torch will travel to every
Didee & Didoo: Ranger Torch Relay Read More »
Joanna Lilley has always loved reading. She’s one of those people that you’ll find in the theatre reading a book before the movie begins. It fits
Joanna Lilley feels most herself when she’s writing Read More »
His name is Dean An’ he’s not even a teen. He’s not even a man But he knows the land. He’ll teach us older guys
Didee & Didoo: Bush Kid Read More »
Heather O’Neill is pleased to be returning to the Yukon this year for another engagement during the Yukon Writers’ Festival and Young Author’s Conference. She
With over 100 titles and four million books in print, Sigmund Brouwer is a bestselling author of books for children, young adults and adults. He
Sigmund Brouwer says put your character in a problem situation Read More »
David Geary is no stranger to the Yukon. He was here to work with Gwaandak Theatre a year ago last February. Now he’s looking forward
David Geary says to “be hungry for other people’s stories” Read More »
They own the land. They own the water. They own the air. They own the trees. They own the plants. They own the berries. They
Didee & Didoo: Animals, Birds and Fish Read More »
Jan Redford describes herself as a compulsive journal writer who always knew that she would like to be an author. “I remember filling pages with
Fear should never be a deterrent Read More »
In 1990, a number of organizations joined together to merge the Young Authors’ Conference (YAC) and the National Book Festival into the more far-reaching Yukon
What is the Yukon Writers’ Festival? Read More »
“What fascinates me about writing haiku is that I have found it to be the perfect vehicle for the kind of art that I want
Ongoing fascination for haiku Read More »
This slender volume contains brief biographies and photographs of the men from the Yukon who fought and died for Canada between 1914 and 1918. Seven
A Commemoration of the Yukon’s WWI Fallen Soldiers Read More »
Peter Jickling has a casualness about him. He sits, relaxed, sipping a beer as he relates the inspiration for his new book of poetry, Downtown Flirt.
Come on baby, let’s go downtown Read More »
Arctic Fox – ch’ich’yāa Bear – shoh Caribou – vadzaih Ducks – dats’an Eagle – ch’izhìn Fish – tuk Grouse – daih Hawk – chinìitrān
Let’s learn Gwich’in: Wildlife Alphabet Read More »
Somewhere in the Boreal Forest, there is a small community called Rockton. It’s sometimes called the City of the Lost because it’s inhabited by people who, for
A Trip to the City of the Lost – Returning to Rockton Read More »
There’s nothing of him to touch And sometimes he talks too much. Sometimes I can hear my own voice An’ answering back is his own
Didee & Didoo: My Echo Read More »
Previews are supposed to pique your interest and entice you to buy the book, not tell you how it ends, but there is no harm in quoting the final sentence if it is a good one:“In the distance, snow-covered peaks rose through the whiteness. Far off, somewhere below in the fog, a wolf howled.
ZHOH – The Spirit of the Wolf Read More »
I didn’t need my snowshoes. I didn’t need my skis. I didn’t need my skates. I didn’t need my snowboard. I didn’t need my kicksled.
Didee & Didoo: Merry January in Nanaimo Read More »
I had an amazing experience under the Northern Lights as I recall
it was like midnight angels… blanketing full over me
My Aurora Borealis Read More »
Merry Christmas to Ellen and Robert Bruce. Merry Christmas to Hannah and Joe Netro. Merry Christmas to Jessie and Charlie Thomas. Merry Christmas to Fanny
Didee & Didoo: Christmas in Heaven Read More »
When you see Allan Benjamin, If you could please mention to him, I’d like to hear him play again. Tell him to come our way
Didee & Didoo: Message to Allan Benjamin Read More »
With over 225 novels to her credit, Nora Roberts is a bestseller by any definition. Wikipedia says the books are all romance novels, so I’m
Murder and romance in small-town Alaska Read More »
What’s it like to share the heart and soul of something you’ve written? Peter Jickling, the new host of Brave New Words, said, “It’s right
Not new, but still brave Read More »
Yukon-based writer Joanna Lilley has published her first novel, Worry Stones, after 17 years of working on it. “I wasn´t working on it every day,
An author’s dream … Read More »
When he arrived in Yellowknife, back in 2004, with his wife, Serena, and baby daughter, Janessa, it didn’t occur to John Henderson that he might
John Henderson: Celebrating the Great White North Read More »
“Yukon soldiers are buried in more than 50 cemeteries on four continents.” –Michael Gates Lest we forget … This is why Michael Gates (Yukon historian
For those who answered the call … Read More »
Sebastian Fricke and Rose Seguin share their journey, their “inner compasses” with us as they travel and write on their way through Alaska and the
The Northern Seduction Read More »
“I’m a fifty-pager,” says Whitehorse writer Pat Ellis, commenting on her preference for producing short history booklets. Her latest, Financial Sourdough Starter Stories—“The Trump Family,
Where the Trump family fortune got started Read More »
Of the five writers who have attracted folks to come and visit buildings and gravesites in the Klondike, that are attached to their names, Jack London was the first.
An Old-fashioned public reading at Jack London Square Read More »
The Wolves of Winter is Tyrell Johnson’s first published novel. It’s set in the Yukon, but he hadn’t actually been here until he came to Whitehorse for last month’s Yukon Writers’ Festival.
A dystopian life near the Blackstone River Read More »
Visual artist Hilary Lorenz will take hand-crafted cards along her art adventure on the Chilkoot Trail in July.
Magic on the Trail Read More »
Each summer the Klondike Visitors Association (KVA), honours the memory of four writers who have meant a great deal to Dawson City and the Klondike: Jack London, Robert W. Service, Pierre Berton and Dick North.
Authors on Eighth celebrates Klondike literature Read More »
The Atlin writers’ festival not only offers music but also offers literature, readings and workshops.
Atlin Lit Up! lights up the Yukon writing scene Read More »
Marcelle Dubé has written the fifth novel of her Mendenhall Mystery Series titled The Forsaken Men. Her Mendenhall isn’t a subdivision of Whitehorse, but rather a fictive place in Manitoba.
Investigating lost bull semen Read More »
The Northern Review, which is published by the School of Liberal Arts at the Yukon College, describes itself as “a multidisciplinary journal exploring human experience in the Circumpolar North.
The Northern Review looks at literature Read More »
“Christopher Skaife is both a raven master and a master storyteller. Compulsively readable, I devoured the book in a single sitting!”—Lindsey Fitzharris, author of The
The Ravenmaster: My life with the ravens at the Tower of London Read More »
The sad truth was, you could not live in Syria and have a clean heart. How could you, when you live in a place where you’re randomly shot at and car bombs explode outside your home?
A raw and real experience of the war in Syria Read More »
Zsuzsi Gartner built her early career as a writer in journalism, working as a newspaper reporter, then a TV current affairs producer and then a magazine writer and editor, but has been interested in creative writing from an early age.
Zsuzsi Gartner: Aspiring to the darkly tragi-comic Read More »
CBC/Radio-Canada got involved in the Canada 150 sesquicentennial celebrations in a big way, starting about a year earlier with an open call for submissions to be put in a 2017 yearbook.
Putting Canada 150 between two covers Read More »
Owen Laukkanen is unabashedly a writer of commercial fiction, also known as “genre” fiction, having produced a novel every year since The Professionals came out (and was nominated for four major genre awards) in 2012.
Owen Laukkanen: “Keep writing and edit your own work ruthlessly” Read More »
Lots of writers can point to a specific event or person that sent them in the direction of a career in writing; Tyrell Johnson isn’t one of those people.
Tyrell Johnson: ‘Write the story you would want to read’ Read More »
At the caribou calving grounds There’s only wildlife sounds. The water is clear an’ clean And the land is so pristine. It’s a place for
Didee & Didoo: Sacred Caribou Calving Grounds Read More »
Newfoundland and Labrador writer Michael Winter will be a mentor at the 2018 Yukon Young Authors’ Conference at F.H. Collins Secondary School May 3, 4
Michael Winter: Keeping track of things in the world Read More »
The local writer selected to be a mentor at this year’s Young Authors Conference is Jamella Hagen, who teaches creative writing at Yukon College.
Jamella Hagen: Part of Writing is Being Ready to Write Read More »
PHOTO: Dan Davidson The Yukon Writers’ Festival takes place May 2 through 5, with events throughout the Yukon In 1990, a number of organizations
Gearing up to explore ideas and the written word Read More »
A Sea Shell … by Victoria aged 7 [almost 8]. PHOTOS: Nadine Peters
Poetry Corner: Victoria Peters Read More »
When we look back on Canada’s sesquicentennial year (and yes, I did look it up to make sure I spelled it correctly), what will we think of it?
Looking back at Canada’s Centennial Year Read More »
Author Kate Harris shucked her space dreams and, with her friend, Mel Yule, picked up the courage to embark on a different trip: to cycle the Silk Road from end to end.
Bridging the Divide Read More »
With I Am Canada – A Celebration (North Winds Press) Heather Patterson has come up with a novel way of assembling an overview of special things about our country.
13 Ways to look at Canada Read More »
In keeping with this column’s focus on Yukon related material, I’m returning this week to a successful thriller that is set in a version of
Strange things won from the midnight sun Read More »
In days past, we had people like Sir Winston Churchill, a world-class orator and master of the insult We all know nostalgia ain’t what it
Whatever happened to the artful riposte? Read More »
“To most people, the pack ice looked like a cold, endless wasteland that spread across one’s entire field of vision. But, if one watched it
A new narrative on gold rush history Read More »
Yukon author Eva Holland has taken advantage of Amazon’s Kindle Singles format to produce what might have been a 45-page volume about the early history of Arctic exploration.
A tale of Arctic exploration Read More »
On Sunday, December 10, you are invited to come out to the roastery at Bean North Café and listen to readings by several poets and writers.
An afternoon of coffee and fresh ideas Read More »
Winter Child, the first novel by Virginia Pésémapéo Bordeleau to be translated to English, is a lyrical journey through a mother’s grief of losing and outliving her child.
Through dark to the light Read More »
With over 280,000 visitors and 1,000 authors, the Frankfurt Book Fair is the largest book fair in the world and an important event for international trade deals, with over 7 000 exhibitors from 100 nations, according to the fair website.
Yukon writers gear-up for Frankfurt Book Fair Read More »
Summer, 1972 Pierre Berton recreated a trip he had taken back in the 1930s rafting from Bennett Lake to Dawson City.
Drifting Home covers 3 generations of Bertons Read More »
Volume 44 of The Northern Review contains the complete list of the papers from The North and the First World War Conference that was held in Whitehorse, and in Dawson City, May 9-12 2016.
The Northern Review remembers World War I Read More »
The new musical drama Stonecliff tells the story of Michael J. Heney, the son of poor Irish immigrants in the Ottawa Valley who went on to build one of the world’s most spectacular railways – the White Pass and Yukon Route – to serve the Klondike Gold Rush in 1898.
Stonecliff brings together a remarkable team of artists (Part 2 of 2) Read More »
Just for the heck of it, let’s take a look at three English words that, on the surface of things, appear to have a lot in common.
Three little words on the same little page Read More »
There’s no need to be a closet comic nerd anymore. The genre has exploded into accepted popularity over the last 10 years and it’s definitely
Canada’s first superheroine saved from obscurity Read More »
The editor at What’s Up Yukon doesn’t often receive handwritten letters, but there were two on file when I arrived. We’ve sent Mrs. Schorn a
What’s your digital footprint? Read More »
Continuing this series of reviews of books that deal with the Canadian identity and, to an extent, with the idea of Canada at 150, we
People who crafted the promise of Canada Read More »
“Ship’s logs, myths, stories of quiet exaltation and wrenching lamentations can all become poetry when the experience resonates deeply with the rhythm of the human
Once again I was about to die. Like every other literary artist before me I was about to die forgotten in a ditch at the
A Satirical Race Through a Parallel Universe Read More »
Auguries, by Clea Roberts Whitehorse author Clea Roberts newest book, Auguries, is published by Brick Books. The title “Auguries” refers to an ancient practice of
Fresh poetic summer reads Read More »
During a year when there have been a lot of serious books written about our national identity, it stands to reason that a nation that
Poking Fun at Some National Icons on Our Birthday Read More »
Every summer, Rose and her family pack up and head to their cottage in Awago Beach. There, the long days melt into lake swims and
Slap on a Hat, Slip into this Book Read More »
The Yukon Imagination Library — non-profit organization that gives free books to Yukon children from birth to age four — is turning 10 this year.
There’s Always a Stack of Books Hidden Under Their Quilts Read More »
When Yukon playwright Patti Flather launched the book of her highly acclaimed play, Paradise, on a warm June evening at Baked Café in Whitehorse, Mac’s
From stage to page Read More »
Simply stated, the best narrative I’ve read about country lifestyle in the contemporary north and the only one featuring Atlin and the Yukon.
Memoirs of an Atlin School Marm Read More »
It was the summer he turned twelve, after his failed attempts to save the fox kits, that he began collecting bones, scouring the grass and
Ordinary Bones of Extraordinary People Read More »
Dan Carruthers’ more recent thriller, Anya Unbound (2017), introduces us to Sean Carson, a recovering widower, who stumbles across a 17-year-old Polish girl on the
Yukon’s Fictional Geography Read More »
The Yukon Imagination Library — a local non-profit organization that gives free books to Yukon children once per month from the time they are born
Imagine the Yukon – Part 1 Read More »
… A wind was blowing from the mountains, and the surface of the snow was swirling along like snakes, the way it often did on
Wilderness Living with a Canine View Read More »
MacLeod’s Books in Vancouver is a book lover’s dream. Books are piled up from floor to ceiling. Fortunately, the friendly staff helps you to navigate
An Inspiring Book, Found in a Unique Bookstore Read More »
I was in Grade 10 in 1967. For some reason my school provided high school students with tree saplings to take home and plant. Why
Remembering Canada’s Centennial Year Read More »
The Story of Canada in 150 Objects Canadian Geographic & The Walrus Magazine format 130 pages plus pullouts $15 On an older note, there are
Books to Celebrate 150 years of Canada Read More »
His Naturalist’s Guide to Spirituality, The Road is How, is a lyrical account of Trevor Herriot’s three-day, 40-mile journey
A Naturalist’s Guide to Spirituality Read More »
ookbook-cum-community memoir: A Taste of Haida Gwaii: “They love cooking. The only trouble is cooking doesn’t love them back…”
A Feast of Living Off Canada’s Northern West Coast Read More »
An attack leaves two girls hospitalized. Two families looking for answers. In the Break Metis writer, Katherena Vermette tells the stories.
A book Canadians “must read” Read More »
The first volume of Lewisohn’s trilogy The Beatles: All These Years. The main drawback is that at only about 800 pages, it’s over too soon.
“As Jack knelt in the bloody snow, he wondered if that was how a man held up his end of the bargain, by learning and
The Things that Weather You, Shape You Read More »
“Exploring the Frontiers of Language” will be the theme of this year’s edition of the North Words Writers Symposium, which will be held in Skagway
“Think of magic as a tree. The root of supernatural ability is simply the realization that all time exists simultaneously. Humans experience time as a
Playing in the Dark Read More »
Bestselling Canadian author Lawrence Hill pursues a lifelong interest in African diaspora narratives. As a part of the research for a book he’s writing about
When the Land Has a Character Read More »
Jamie Bastedo is not new to the Yukon. He first came to the territory 35 years ago as a biology graduate student. “Think Never Cry
Sheri-D Wilson, who calls herself The Mama of Dada, is an award-winning spoken word poet, educator, speaker and activist, who has performed in literary, film
Yukon based writer Joanna Lilley has just published her second collection of poetry If there Were Roads by Turnstone Press; she says that there are
All Her Roads Lead to Poetry Read More »
“To come here is to travel into a past that still intrudes the present.” –an excerpt from A Walk With the Rainy Sisters: In Praise
A Contemplative Celebration of Place Read More »
Breasts, boobs, tits, tatas. Mind the title, because, yes, this really is a story about tits, but it’s also, oh! so much more than that.
Of Breasts and Beyond Read More »
I’m very jealous of what Whitehorse based Lily Gontard and Mark Kelly have managed to pull off with their delightful book, Beyond Mile Zero: The
Chronicling the Vanishing Alaska Highway Lodge Community Read More »
James Bernard MacKinnon, commonly bylined as J.B. MacKinnon, will be coming to the Yukon from Vancouver to be the Yukon Public Libraries’ choice as a
Writing as a Full Time Profession Read More »
This is the second of a five part series by Dan Davidson about the professional authors participating in the Yukon Writers’ Festival and the Young Authors
Using Stories to Make People Think Read More »
Do you or someone you know love books almost as much as their pet? These three books draw on the animals in our outer lives
Growing up is hard. And the microcosm of high school — with its changing expectations and responsibilities and the push-pull of social dynamics, while, at
Superhero Highschool Read More »
Born in England, but transplanted to Newfoundland when she was very young, Kathleen Winter credits libraries with kick starting her interest in writing. “We moved
A Mentor for Yukon Young Writers Read More »
It’s (hopefully) coming to the last wintery blows before the ice breaks; the spring will soon rush in and soon after we can cast our
Books to Spring Forward Read More »
Stories are invaluable teachers, says B.C. author Caroline Woodward, they have the ability to “give us whole worlds.” Old stories, too, are relevant artefacts that
History Offers Timeless Perspectives Read More »
“We imagined ourselves free of the hassles and troubles we’d accumulated in Toronto. We imagined a life without rushing, without the subway, without neighbours at
The Grass is Greener Wherever Convenience Resides Read More »
“… but also they were a family, because this story is all about that. About humans and human-ness. Fathers and daughters, brothers and sisters. Love
A Fable of Feminist Lore Read More »
Each October, the city of Frankfurt in Germany plays host to the second largest literary trade fair in the world, with 7,153 exhibitors representing 106
Bringing Yukon literature to the world stage Read More »
“This is how you want to talk about your beers — with pride and a bit of humour too — and to do that, you
A Pioneering Memoir to Keep the Brew True Read More »
“Mannering was in the august high noon of his life. He was prosperous, and well dressed, and he owned the largest and most handsome building
A Provocative Gold Rush Mystery From the Other Side of the World Read More »
Vurt (Jeff Noon, 1993) A mad romp through a Trainspotting-like drug culture, Vurt features virtual-reality ‘feathers’ that take you to bizarre and forbidden worlds, shadow-creatures
Double Think Twice Read More »
How to Survive in the North is a graphic novel where three northern tales — two historical and true, one fictional and set in present-day
Modern-day Cartoons for Historical Folks Read More »
Whoooo the heck is Cedric, anyway? We’ll come back to that later. About a year after Beth Hawkes moved to Salt Spring Island with her
“Maybe she didn’t cry because tears were a currency in her life for so long that holding them back meant she was richer.” Birdie is
Birdie – Tracey Lindberg Read More »
Anyone who has ever put pen to paper knows it can be a daunting experience. To stare at a blank page waiting for the strike
Writing Down the Soul Read More »
Libraries are the most thrilling silent spaces to walk into; to me, they’re goldmines of intrigue. But when going in blind, the variety and selection
How to Choose a Library Book Read More »
In “Spell of the Yukon,” Bobby Service suggests, The realm’s Utopia—snock snarls of forests; Avalanches that out-grumble politicos; Gold that outweighs paper dollars backed by
Faye Ferguson understands the value of documenting one’s life stories, for both the writer and the eventual reader. Ferguson is a personal historian based in
“People always blame strange occurrences on a full moon, but I think shit is weird every single day.” “That’s a lie.” “I’m going to get
Comics capture real life stories Read More »
You may know Irish Canadian author Emma Donoghue by the fame she has gained from her 2010 novel Room, and its film adaptation. I must
The Wonder builds up slowly to a thrilling ending Read More »
“His mother used to say the soul was a bird that lived in the nape of the neck. At night it flew out of the
Practically unheard of – the top 10 books reviewed last year were evenly split between male and female authors. And never before: the number of
Writing toward inclusion Read More »
Zhoh, the Clan of the Wolf: Fiction of the first humans to inhabit The Yukon. I knew Bob Hayes novel would be physically accurate.
Predator and Prey 14,000 Years Ago Read More »
“While a part of me was glad I wasn’t like my brother, no part of me wished to be more fortunate than my mother. To
The Collapse of Family Read More »
Former Yukoner Jerome Stueart and Yukon author Marcelle Dubé will read together form their books on Dec. 13 at Baked Cafe. It will be an evening about fantasy novels.
It was one of my former writing students who managed to shame me into signing up for NaNoWriMo this year. If you’re not familiar with
While others hunker down against winter’s wrath, the local literary scene is hotter than ever. The winter Writers’ Roundtable organized by the Friends of the
Write through the winter Read More »
Every December since 2009, Lise Schonewille, manager of Mac’s Fireweed Books, celebrates Winterval, the start of the holiday season, with local authors in the store.
Titles Hot Off the Presses Read More »
“She was thinking about the way she’d always taken for granted that the world had certain people in it, either central to her days or
Humanity in a Post-Apocalyptic World Read More »
British artist David Hockney displayed his latest piece here: a complete collection of his artwork in a huge book. The book costs about 2,500 Euro
Book Fair Fever in Frankfurt Read More »
“There’s no ‘should’ or ‘should not’ when it comes to having feelings. They’re part of who we are and their origins are beyond our control.
“Stories are not only words, you know. Words are just the clothes that people drape on stories.” – Brian Doyle, author of Mink River I
The Threads that Hold Us Together Read More »
Do ghosts exist? For some they do. The main character in Marcelle Dubé´s novel, Shelter, moves into a haunted house in a small town in
A Good Read for Halloween Night Read More »
As humans we are obsessed with counting things. We keep track of the numbers in our lives. We are always keeping score, measuring, recording and
The Importance of Numbers in Our Lives Read More »
My first experience working for a newspaper was immediately out of high school. I was hired to be the receptionist at an office in Portage
What is it About Newspapers? Read More »
Ever since the advent of the internet, pundits of all description have been predicting the demise of print journalism. Traditional newspapers and magazines, once so
Long Live Print! Long Live What’s Up Yukon! Read More »
I have been writing for this paper for three years, now. I remember the day my first piece was published. It was my first publication
Boreas always tires of summer on the same day each year, the same day a very special baby girl was born. After a bite off
The Magical Fall Wind Read More »
I am not one who likes to read dry historical tomes. I like to absorb my history through the sugar coated pill of historical fiction, written
Engaging Historical Fiction Read More »
Ever since she was a little girl, Teva Harrison drew. She studied art after high school. But, as it often goes, “needing to make a
Learning how to Live Joyfully Read More »
Toronto-based poet Claire Caldwell’s role as writer-in-residence at the Berton House in Dawson City ends this month. Caldwell is no stranger to the Yukon. She
Rooted in the Yukon Read More »
Inspired by the Yukon winter and the road closures that lead to a feeling of isolation, Elle Wild wrote her first crime novel and set
Strange things make a great story Read More »
Steve Pitt came to the Yukon in 1982 to attend his sister’s wedding. She was marrying Dal Fry, son of Art and Margie Fry. That’s
How Two Pierres had an Adventure in the Yukon Read More »
Whitehorse resident Maureen McCulloch wrote her debut novel to bring a message into the world. She wrote the book under the pseudonym, Maureen Senecal. “I
Searching for Inner Truth on the Chilkoot Trail Read More »
In 2015 Victoria-based poet Yvonne Blomer paid a visit to Whitehorse and did a reading of her poetry book, As If a Raven. In her
June brings summer and Father’s Day, and is also a time of special significance to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer community (LGBTQ). June
Celebrating Fathers and Gay Pride Read More »
Writing poetry since she was a child, Nova Scotia based author Shauntay Grant says she has always loved creative writing. “The oldest poem I’ve kept
Fresh Words and Deep Roots Read More »
Mark Zuehlke grew up in the Okanagan, hearing tales of Remittance Men – those eccentric British immigrants sent here in the late 19th century by
Mark Zuehlke and the Remittance Men Read More »
Most writers would be delighted if something they wrote could survive 10 minutes after they shuffle off this mortal coil. But 400 years? To use
The Last Word in Wordsmithing Read More »
On May 20 to 22 haiku lovers from across Canada will descend upon the Gold Rush Inn for three days of all-things haiku. The Haiku
Kluane Country has long inspired writers. Three such writers will be doing readings in Haines Junction and Whitehorse on May 17 to 19. Whitehorse writer
Literature in the Kluane Country Read More »
For years I have heard the name Voltaire and have not had a chance to locate any of his works. Then the fateful day came
A Candide Account of Voltaire Read More »
Unlike many a published author, Saskatoon writer Sandy Bonny didn’t study to become one. It just happened. “I haven’t got an English degree,” she says,
Nurturing Good Writing Read More »
As I turn from Mountain View Drive and toward our Whistle Bend home, I am yet again gobsmacked by the sudden and looming sight of
In praise of Whistle Bend Read More »
July: The Ballad of the Sad Cafe by Carson McCullers (American, 1951) Hopefully hopeless, Anna Karenina details the rise and fall of a Russian beauty
A Very Literate Year (Part 2) Read More »
Three of the country’s best storytellers will soon descend on Whitehorse for the Northern Lights Writers’ Conference. The conference features Terry Fallis, author of Best
The Craft of Storytelling Read More »
Local Yukoners will face-off to defend their favourite books as part of the Northern Lights Writers Conference, running Jan 23-23. Author of Best Laid Plans
Literary Fisticuffs Read More »
Dark satire about one of the most hopeful and ultimately oppressive revolutions in history, Animal Farm cuts deep into the heart of Soviet communism while
A Very Literate Year (Part 1) Read More »
Mushing season has begun. While waiting for the Yukon Quest or the Iditarod, here are some suggestions for armchair mushers. Racing Toward Recovery by Mike
Books for Armchair Mushers Read More »
Pat Ellis first arrived in Whitehorse in the early 1950s. She was a 19 year-old art student from Winnipeg and Whitehorse was a much different
The Good Ol’ Days of Squatting Read More »
Poetry, spoken, plays and short stories at Brave New Words. An evening of music poetry and cocktails. The brave can get up, it’s an open mic.
The Frankfurt Book Fair is the biggest book fair in the literary world. Publishers, agents, authors and readers from all over the world come to
A dispatch from the Frankfurt Book Fair Read More »
It’s the fall season, which means two things: the slow-creep of cold weather and a near-existential dread of the aforementioned. It also means, for thousands
Three Books for Adventurous Souls Read More »
As the crew who came here to film an episode of the Canadian television series Murdoch Mysteries a few years ago told me, Dawson is
Fun fiction from the Klondike Read More »
It’s a dark and rainy night, when Kate Williams finds an injured stranger on the Highway. She pulls over to help him, not knowing that
This place is in my blood Read More »
What kind of world will be handed down to my daughter’s generation? That question led conservation ecologist Alejandro Frid to write A World for My
A scientistʼs letters to the future trace a journey to find optimism Read More »
“We want to freshen up the image of the library … as the cool place that it is,” Sarah Gallagher tells me with a sideways
Joanna Lilley’s craft extends beyond poetry. With the publication of her new book, The Birthday Books (Hagios Press), the author shows she can write prose
Joanna Lilley Shows Her Love for the North in The Birthday Books Read More »
John Firth’s massive Yukon Sport: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, published in November 2014 by Sport Yukon, is a heavy book.
The Ultimate Guide to Yukon Sport Read More »
Jacob Scheier wrote his first collection of poems about the loss of his mother; he was 20. She had gotten sick when he was in
Grief Writing in Dawson Read More »
It’s been ten years and three months since we moved to this street. The neighbors are friendly. It’s quiet and neat. The bus and the
The Adventures of Suburban Joe Read More »
The following excerpt is based on true events that took place around 1980. What’s Up Yukon’s editorial staff would like to remind you that there
Three French Guys and a Moose, Part Four Read More »
I dream of my hometown. Walking through these streets again, listening to music floating from open windows like light. Harmonica, accordion. Walking these streets where
The following excerpt is based on true events that took place around 1980. What’s Up Yukon’s editorial staff would like to remind you that there
Three French guys and a moose: Part 3 Read More »
Compared to what I did last time (playing my banjo and singing in front of a rowdy bar crowd) the prospect of reading poetry to
“Writing poetry makes me happy,” Joanna Lilley says. “I am somewhere else when I write poetry. I am an intuitive writer.” The Whitehorse based poet
Intimidating but Great Read More »
What does knitting have in common with writing poetry? Both must be done carefully. One mistake can ruin the whole image. Jamie Sharpe knitted a
Mind Stretching Poetry Read More »
If you peruse the 365 poems that make up the Tumblr feed from Lori Garrison’s latest poetry project, Today, In the News, you won’t find
A voice in her periphery, one that was indelibly twisted into her memories, rose above the unfolding dialogue in her mind and, like the instinct
At the beginning of his noon hour public lecture David Neufeld said he was working on his book but didn’t want to finish it because
One River, Many Maps Read More »
Part One was published in the Jan. 29, 2015 issue. It left the three French guys heading out on a big hunting trip. Claude and
Three French Guys and a moose: Part 2 Read More »
Living in the suburbs, having children and a husband, driving a minivan: for some this may sound boring, but it is Cea Sunrise Person’s dream
The Dream of a Normal Life Read More »
“It’s an exploratory adventure,” says Sofia Fortin, one of the masterminds behind the currently ongoing SMRT Pop Ups initiative at Rah Rah Gallery. “A bunch
Claude, Jacques and Marcel just finished their shifts at the copper mine outside of Whitehorse and decided to go for a beer in town. They
Three French Guys and a Moose Part 1 Read More »
If there is anyone left in Canada still interested in figuring out how Neil Young’s brain functions, his second memoir Special Deluxe, A Memoir of
Neil Young’s Wild Ride Read More »
When Edmund Metatawabin’s (Ed) residential school memoir, Up Ghost River, jumped off the new-books shelf of the Yukon Public Library and landed in my book
Up Ghost River Without a Paddle Read More »
In Heaven We will never die an’ we’ll never cry. We’ll never be sad an’ nobody gets mad. There is no grief an’ there is
Didee & Didoo – Poem “In Heaven” Read More »
Dr. Hunter Stockton Thompson was a champion of fun. If he is remembered at all, it is through exaggerated shades of his personality. Bill Murray
Death of the American Dream Read More »
It’s not often I give myself an impossible writing assignment but I’m doing so now because I’m intrigued by the challenge. Book reviews often have
“ One hundred writers from around the world in 86 events”, was the motto of the 2014 Vancouver Writers Festival. It kicked off with an
People Will Always Need Stories Read More »
Writing a first draft of a novel is like the beginning of a romantic relationship: Everything is exciting, new, and there is a lot to
Creativity Boot Camp Read More »
Cursive writing has gravity, compared to printed writing. Cursive is used for special occasions, like thank you cards and letters to lovers, or to grandparents
Priest is diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) and is not able to speak, but her eyes said it all: she was blown away by
Writing With the Ultimate Deadline Read More »
While reading The Boreal Feast, Miche Genest’s second cookbook, I wanted to pack my baggage and travel to Scandinavia. Genest surrounds recipes with stories and
Experiencing Finnish Cuisine Read More »
Last evening our current writer-in-residence, Anik See, presented two of her essays to 15 people at the Dawson Community Library. See focuses particularly on landscape
Keeping Busy On The Berton House Beat Read More »
In 1938, when Anik See’s maternal grandparents wanted to get married, they had to satisfy the authorities in their German homeland that neither side had
Landscape and Solitude Read More »
It’s an unfortunate household that doesn’t occasionally sit down to a simmering pot of delicious moose or other wild-game stew. It’s a meal that can
Dumplings For Your Moose Stew Read More »
Every season is book reading season, but the most exciting season to read books is in the fall. The feeling of the change from summer
Book Reading Season Read More »
On a cold and cloudy February day in 1899 a group of eleven men boarded the City of Seattle, a ship bounded for Skagway, Alaska.
A Piece of Alaska-Yukon History Read More »
“They can’t be taking that little girl in there — really.” Those were the whispered words that Dawn Kostelnik heard as a child in the
Stories Made of Living History Read More »
It was a rainy and windy afternoon in LePage Park on Friday, July 11, when author Jessica Simon started reading her poem, “A Spot to
A week full of poetry Read More »
Looking for a book that fits into a backpack for a camping trip? Rachel and Ursula Westfall`s first self-published novella, Estella of Halftree Village, is
Dr. Maya Angelou lived her life like she wrote her poems: fearlessly, with inner grace and free spirit. When she died on May 28, at
Life Lessons from a Phenomenal Woman Read More »
If she were to write a love letter to Whitehorse, Lindsay Zier-Vogel says it would be to the Yukon River early in the morning. And
Collecting material possessions fills me with ambivalence. If anything, the accumulation of objects causes stress, and the old adage “the things you own end up
A Book is an Actual Thing Read More »
Andy Nieman’s first book, called Free Man Walking, is like a train journey through his life. Each chapter starts with a poem and takes the
Breaking Free From the Darkness Read More »
Have you ever wondered about the names of the plants and wildflowers along the Alaska Highway? With the summer outdoor season just around the corner,
Guided Discoveries Read More »
Tamara Neely, the stalwart editor of What’s Up Yukon since October 2012, is having a kid. As assistant editor, I’ve watched her grow rounder month-by-month
Captain Neely leaves the ship Read More »
When I first travelled to Canada and the United States I was impressed with the service I got — from the smallest breakfast restaurant, to
Exploring Good Service in Whitehorse Read More »
Books really get around in the Yukon. On a behind-the-scenes tour of the Whitehorse Public Library, with Joyce Kashman, librarian, and Julianne Ourom, director of
It’s Not About “Shushing” Anymore Read More »
Something new was added to the Takhini Hot Springs Road neighbourhood, where I live, last fall. We now have a Little Free Library at Bean
The Little Free Library that Could Read More »
A good poem can be a flower seed planted in the mind of the reader. Everything is in the poem; it just needs fertile ground
Poems Like Flower Seeds Read More »
Imagine it’s the year 2036 and the Government of Canada is bankrupt. This is the stage Norm Hamilton has set for his first novel, From
New Novel Portrays Dire Future Read More »
I’m interested in enthymemes. An enthymeme is an argument in which at least one constituent part is not stated, but implied. When I use the
The Case of the Missing Premise Read More »
I was just wondering whatever happened to Donovan Bailey, and then there he was — all over my Internet. As a guy who tries to
Bailey’s Back, and He’s Got a Book in His Hands Read More »
Writing tends to be a pretty solitary activity, but with their books completed and published, nine Yukon authors are ready to celebrate. Mac’s Fireweed Books
Celebrating Local Books Read More »
Would you pay $250 to feel human? In Amber Dawn’s new book How Poetry Saved My Life is a poem called “What’s My Mother F***ing
Four Books that Will Make You Feel Human Read More »
I’ve never been to New Orleans but my friend Casey Mclaughlin has, and when she returned she brought me a book called 1 Dead in
Brave New Words is a forum for writers to be brave and read their work. This season Susanne Hingley is taking the reins from Lauren Tuck.
I was tricked by this book, The Paradox of Choice. I was sure this book was a great marketing book. I was drawn in by
With the onset and advance of technology, we are constantly being faced with new challenges and choices that our predecessors had not encountered. In my
Technology vs. Tradition: An Ode to the Paperback Novel Read More »
In 1929, the largest aerial search and rescue operation in our country’s history gripped Canadians for months. That August, a group of eight prospectors led
The Challenges of an Arctic Rescue Read More »
At the age of 30, Jerome Stueart met his mother for the first time. It’s an unusual story, but not unique. So here’s the twist:
Turning fact into non-fiction Read More »
Rude? Normally, yes. Eavesdropping is never in vogue, unless, of course, you’re a writer. Eavesdropping involves observing, listening and perhaps inhaling details, without being obnoxious.
For starters, try eavesdropping Read More »
One night each month, the Baked Café in Whitehorse fills up with people clutching pieces of paper waiting their turn to stand in front of
Welcome to the “Big Word Party” Read More »
On March 1, I saw a headline on the front page of the Globe and Mail that gladdened my heart. It was, “This Spring, Real
Quiche? Yes. Pansies? No. Read More »
The muse is a mysterious woman, pursued then waited for, enticed then pleaded with; until she is loosed in our imagination. She is sometimes elusive
Musing about the muse Read More »
I remember the first time I climbed a tree … and it is not because I got my knee caught and my father had to
The first First, is better than the last Last Read More »
In the days of LPs, when groovy was used to describe a wonderful feeling, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were also singing about a rare
Metaphorically speaking, it’s like this … Read More »
She unscrewed the cap on her Coke and it “fff’ed” as air escaped. Inflight turbulence, she reckoned. The captain had warned them at takeoff. People
Giller Prize winner Elizabeth Hay is among five authors taking part in this year’s Yukon Writers’ Festival which starts April 30. The five writers will
Giller prize winner attends Writers’ Festival Read More »
“Fool that I was, for many years, I tried to reject any notion of an artistic life,” says poet Garry Thomas Morse. “For me, a
Morse of the North: First Nation poet featured at Poetry Festival Read More »
Two southern authors alone on a road trip through the Yukon. Sounds like a good premise for a novel, doesn’t it? On June 4, two
At about that time, Jack was learning that a stitch in time, saves nine. Although it’s an extreme example, the above sentence will no doubt
Vain jangling, a lullaby for readers Read More »
Ravens are laughing outside my window as I write this. The sun came up at 5:30. A river runs through my city and mountains to
When we find ourselves in the place Just Right Read More »
If you asked your spouse if you could take five years off work in order to devote your time to writing, what would they say?
Simon says, Put your writing first Read More »
Every 10 minutes Ben Barrett-Forrest gets a message on his cell saying that someone in the world is Tweeting about his new video on YouTube.
Five Minutes of Fame Read More »
Close to Spider Man: stories, Ivan E. Coyote, Arsenal Pulp Press, 2005 (second printing) 93 pages. What I enjoy about Ivan Coyote’s stories is their
Coyote Teaches Us About Love in the Time of Collaring Read More »
Happy Birthday, Canada! You have come into your own these past 141 years, warmly regarded as a place of strong values, freedom and a sense
Ich Bin Ein Yukoner Read More »
On hillsides around us the trees are all blooming; While yards are responding to home owner’s grooming; And out on the highway the RV’s are
Come to the Klondike Read More »
At What’s Up Yukon, it’s as easy as one, two, three. That’s right, this one’s about numbers. And … it gets complicated. Again, this is
With such a literary family, it was only a matter of time before Maible Matrishon published her very own book. The Grade 4 student at
by the Globe and Mail‘s Gary Mason A couple of years ago, I flew to Whitehorse for the opening of the Canada Winter Games. Prime
A guest column: The Yukon’s peaceful, easy feeling Read More »
DAWSON CITY If you’re a writer or a would-be writer and you’re struggling to knuckle down and fill a blank page, why not enter a
Make a Date on the Eighth for Authors on Eighth Read More »
Soooo, notice anything different about today’s paper? We have found a new printer: Webco Leduc. It is a company that has come highly recommended and
What’s new for you Read More »
Northern Reflections, Desmond Carroll, paintings by Ted Harrison, The cover of Northern Reflections shows an inukshuk and a blazing sun over ice. One of Ted
More than a devotional (book is insight into community) Read More »
To get away from the rain here in Whitehorse, Daisy and I went to Vancouver for our vacation. I have used this line many times
What I did on my summer vacation Read More »
Why is it that some people have an insane amount of money while others have very little? This question popped into my head when I
It’s better to give than to receive Read More »
What do you call a group of novelists? A narrative of novelists? A nonsense? A nuance? A nebula? A collective name would come in handy,
Nebula of novelists take the NaNoWriMo challenge Read More »
It is not as if I am addicted to it, rather it is just that it is sooo available. That computer, with its vast assortment
Confessions of a political junkie Read More »
Nineteenth-century photographs of female lunatic asylum patients and Euripides’ play The Bacchae are the inspiration for two poets giving readings in Whitehorse at the end
Poets give ‘voice’ to women of the past Read More »
“I’ve been told several times by lots of people that it ain’t going to happen overnight. It could take years and years.” Luke Roberts is
Serious About Comedy Read More »
Did you know that new drivers in the Yukon need 50 hours of instruction before they can take their road test? I didn’t know that.
Government-imposed one-on-one time Read More »
If you’re one of the many Yukon writers currently trying to churn out 50,000 words within 30 days as part of National Novel Writing Month,
The Play’s the Thing Read More »
The vibrant theatre community in Whitehorse is making room for some new, budding talent. After years of bringing innovative and imaginative works to local stages,
Calling All Young Writers Read More »
Award-winning journalist, Carol Morin, wants to hear from Northern women. “What’s really important to me is, as women, we all encounter the same struggles,” said
Northern Women Asked to Put it in Writing Read More »
If you’ve worked with young children for close to three decades like MaryAnn Annable-Roots has, you’ve seen a lot of tears, laughter and runny noses.
Reading: Not Just a Fad Read More »
Inspiration comes to novelists in many ways, but not usually on four feet and with a pedigree. Even so, it was an Alaskan malamute who
Sled Dog Drives Plot for Yukon Novel Read More »
“Jesus wept.” That is the shortest verse in the Bible and one of the most powerful. It has a subject and a verb, and that’s
The long and the short of it Read More »
Yukon writers are pairing up to give a series of weekly readings at the Whitehorse Public Library starting Feb. 5. The readings begin with Al
Yukon writers pair up to perform Read More »
Do you think there’s a writer hidden inside you, but you’ve no idea how to find them? Writer and life coach Vicki Pinkerton may be
Getting Naked on the Page’: The Core of the Matter Read More »
Yukon writers are pairing up to give a series of weekly readings at the Whitehorse Public Library starting Feb. 5. The readings begin with Al
Yukon writers pair up to perform Read More »
I know what you are thinking: Hmmm, there is something different about this issue of What’s Up Yukon. Allow me to unburden you: the very
Author R. Bruce Macdonald at the edge of his boat on the Beaufort Sea near Tuktoyuktuk, NWT. “Literally, the first day we had the ship
North Star Provides Direction, Hope Read More »
When you think of tigers you think of a steaming jungle — black stripes mimicking a tangle of branches and shadows, hiding one of the
Ten Lessons from a Tiger Read More »
In a world where imagination is the only contender and where the laws of physics are hotly contested—in the circus world—the act of balancing rivals
I released the cold brass doorknob and walked up a half-step into an invisible wall of ammonia, iodine, freezer-burned meat and brown-sauce stench so thick
Unspoken universal language Read More »
Lise Schonewille, bookbuyer at Mac’s Fireweed Books, pegs Northern books as her biggest sellers, followed by general fiction, sci-fi/fantasy, mystery and crime. Her counterpart, in
On Booksellers and Bestsellers … Read More »
Nothing says “lead” like a top hat, white tie and tails, a walking stick and leather-soled taps. Nothing says “lead” like Fred Austerlitz (Fred Astaire).
Q: What do Brian Fidler, Barbara Chamberlin and Harreson Tanner have in common? A: Those of us in the media often spell their names wrong.
A ‘rase’ by any other name … Read More »
If you’re new to the Yukon or to the world of writing and would like to set up a writers’ group, one way to do
From Roundtable to Writers’ Group Read More »
Omigosh, I cudn’t hardly beleave my eyes when I seen yer name in the paper. Are you the Darrol Hockey that sold me an icebox
Before your vocal chords burst into the chorus from Julie Andrews’ “My Favorite Things” (dash it all, I hate to spoil your fun), I’m not
These are a few of my favourite things … Read More »
Imagine that this is a story about you and a poem – 25 delicious lines about gathering pancake berries at Moosehide that you submitted to
Bringing a play from the idea stage to the big stage can be overwhelming. Where do you start? Who is there to help? What the
24-hour contest can be a whacky first step Read More »
I remember back in the day when you could buy a great hamburger … a great hamburger as defined as a handful of meat, infused
It’s worth the paper it’s written on Read More »
For Barb Dunlop and Marcelle Dubé, organizers of Yukon Writers’ Conference, distance and destination were real advantages to attract editors, agents and publishers north for
Writers North and South, Merge Read More »
When I was a kid I used to sit on my hands after school and wait for the Whitehorse Star. I’d check the previous night’s
A Boy and His Tiger Read More »
I spend breakup at Kathryn’s cabin, at Marsh Lake, about 60 clicks out of Whitehorse. I have given up the pottery studio. It was a
Seth Gordon, director of last year’s comedy Horrible Bosses, and its co-star Jason Bateman team up once again for Identity Thief, also starring Melissa McCarthy,
An Entertaining Comedy Read More »
Sometimes I’m asked how I deal with writer’s block. Usually I say that I can’t afford to get infected; that writer’s block is a luxury
Hello Blockage My Old Friend Read More »
Whitehorse resident Clea Roberts is achieving national and international success with her 2010 book of poetry Here Is Where We Disembark. Roberts spent 10 years
Bathing in the Poetry of the Forest Read More »
It’s interesting how city bus drivers can reflect the personality of their town. In one large city I saw a driver pull away as a
A Taste of the Yukon Part 1 of 2 Read More »
Yukon legend Dick Stevenson earned his status honestly, which, according to Captain Dick’s Au’toe’biography: One Toe of a Tale, is a rarity for the captain
The Sourdough Who Created the ‘SourToe’ Read More »
When local poet Michael Reynolds reads at the 2009 Whitehorse Poetry Festival, he’ll join a closely connected group of guests that includes Michael Ondaatje, Don
World of Words: Poetry Festival reached for the stars Read More »
Why does Snoopy always stop typing after “It was a dark and stormy night”? Lily Gontard, former editor of Yukon, North of Ordinary would suggest
Starting and Staying Strong Read More »
Montreal poet and essayist Erin Mouré is an Albertan with roots in Galicia, Spain. “I think in three languages all at once and every day,”
World of Words: A Poet shares her diverse sense of ‘Place’ Read More »
“Yukoners are definitely hitting above their weight,” polar scientist David Hik told Claire Eamer after the Canadian Science Writers’ Association (CSWA) presented her with the
World of Words: Helping children explore the past in the present Read More »
Celebrate Northern literature on August 13 during Authors on 8th, a literary walking tour through the lives of Klondike authors Jack London, Robert Service and
World of Words: Modern-Day Mythology on 8th Read More »
Laying out the paper is like a controlled plane crash,” my editor said across the table from me at A&W, pausing with a knowing-turned-quizzical look
The view from the ‘terminal’ Read More »
Imagine taking a roller coaster ride and then writing about it as if you were still on the ride. That is an example of the
Take a walk on the wild side Read More »
Pride in Canada’s military has always been a dignified and understated series of gestures in my hometown of Trenton, Ontario. It is decidedly more important
I am proud of Trenton, Ontario Read More »
Forty years ago, an undiscovered English painter, new to the Yukon, had his first Canadian art show at the Whitehorse Public Library. Now, that painter,
World of Words: Painting a northern paradise Read More »
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire: an idiom seen this summer around Whitehorse. While it seems obvious, it’s amazing how frequently we miss the “smoke signals”
Smoke that serves us well Read More »
In this haze the Yukon skyline, normally full of distince edges, has become a Tony Onley canvas, vistas folding into each other, fading with the
Driving North in July Read More »
Just as the metaphorical river is never the same after the water rushes past, you really can’t go home again. Home, for me, is my
How far from home? Read More »
Dawson City is featured in the novel Toronto writer Pasha Malla drafted about cities, this summer, at Berton House. But what the writer-in-residence could not
A Writer’s Observations … While Being Observed Read More »
It is an occupational hazard of being an editor that you sometimes get paralysed over the meaning of one word. This week, the word was
Power to the people Read More »
Dawson’s first public library opened in a tent on Front Street in 1897, with 1,500 volumes donated by the Forty Mile Prospectors to “the mushing
World of Words: The rugged history of Yukon libraries Read More »
Joanne Bell’s novel, Juggling Fire, is inspired by her daughter, Mary Fraughton. One night Fraughton asked her to come outside on the road and watch
Artrepreneur: Fire Under the Northern Lights Read More »
An excerpt from Jessica Simon’s New Book Chapter One … Under the skiff of snow that blew across the parking lot, a row of footprints
Yukon poet Michael Eden Reynolds’ first book, Slant Room, released today by The Porcupine’s Quill, shows us a stark natural world, and us in it.
World of Words: Poetry in a Slant Room Read More »
Eighty-one-year-old Larry Jacobsen, author of Jewel of the Kootenays, presented Yukon Public Libraries with an irresistible offer, a book tour “with all the work done
The Chronicles of a Miner Read More »
I say, “Fall.” You think … ? OK, hard to play that game here, but I would guess that your word associations may include such
Your first thought is … Read More »
In Philadelphia to attend a science-fiction convention, I received an email telling me that a young gay teen, Jorge Lopez Mercado had been dismembered, partially
Vigils bring people together Read More »
Where will the ravens all gather now that the tree tops are gone? Where will they hatch their nefarious schemes and plot from midnight to
Where Will the Ravens All Gather? Read More »
“We’re a productive bunch!” said Claire Eamer when she was asked to attend the Yukon Authors book-signing bash at Mac’s Fireweed Books this Saturday, Dec.
Launch into winter with local writers Read More »
To the Editor, Hookey, you fiendish, fiendly fiend. Like an anarchic CBC host maliciously injecting a noxious ear worm such as Seasons in the Sun
Another Mack attack Read More »
When Bette Colyer arrived in Whitehorse in 1961, her challenge was “to build a library system from a desk and a pencil.” Born in Cape
World of Words: The Yukon’s Rugged Librarian Read More »
Original black-and-white illustrations for The Midnight-Blue Marble animate the maroon walls of Baked Café for the month of December. A grid of 15 pieces of
Artrepreneur: From Illustrations to Intrigue Read More »
Young Adult (YA) readers love adventure, and a look at work by Northern authors Joanne Bell, Keith Halliday and Anita Daher shows why. YA stories
World of Words: Adventures in YA territory Read More »
Mid-morning … and there’s a fairy tale moon in the sky; a sliver of silver fit for cows to jump over, curved enough to hold
Crescent Moon in December Read More »
Think about your life and the stories you might tell of it. Think of the grand adventures, great accomplishments, and life lessons. I know how
The Vatican’s Bookstore Can’t be Wrong Read More »
Just as a reformed smoker is often the first person to complain about a hotel room that smells of tobacco, I shall now complain bitterly
When ‘cool’ is not cool Read More »
“If it hadn’t been for the hospital nearby,” says Saskatchewan playwright Kenneth Williams, “I would have been born in residential school.” The year was 1966,
Playwright Encourages Writers to “Get Scared” Read More »
There’s a coyote on the airstrip at Braeburn today, trotting north on the cleared runway with his nose in the air and his tail like
These iPads and Kindles gladden my heart as I see it as one more step toward re-establishing the written word as the king of communication.
Rekindling an old flame Read More »
“Think of our history as a smörgåsbord, upon which there is more than you can possibly eat,” says Michael Gates, author of the new book,
World of Words: History as a Smörgåsbord Read More »
Creative magic—the kind that turns charcoal-pencilled drawings into animation—that’s the magic of KINO (the German word for “film”). Edward Westerhuis says he’s the “official unofficial
The ‘Brave New Words’ of filmmaking Read More »
Time flies when you’re having fun! Our goal at What’s Up Yukon has always been to be a true reflection of Yukon’s living culture. Before
From the publisher’s desk Read More »
By now, bookworms from Whitehorse to Cape Spear know Trafford Press released numerous copies of Better Than a Cure without notifying the Yukon author, Ramesh
Writers Can Learn From Ramesh Ferris Read More »
I have been voraciously reading David Sedaris’ books for a few weeks now. There are few writers who can make me laugh so hard that
I Am In Love With David Sedaris Read More »
Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems, opens with the autopsy report of hockey great Terry Sawchuk. It ends with a photo of his face, a jigsaw
The many scars of Terry Sawchuk Read More »
The fox emerges tentatively from under the Waterfront Building, making a quick, furtive survey of his surroundings, and padding to the top of the dyke.
Yonder, a Flash of Red Read More »
I shall, from time to time, give to the readers of What’s Up Yukon information about the state of this arts and recreation paper. This lead
This is your paper Read More »
Every book needs a story, even a cookbook, and Miche Genest’s Boreal Gourmet, released this month by Harbour Publishing, is just that. Boreal Gourmet presents
World of Words: Boreal Gourmet serves up storied fare Read More »
When graphic novelist and Grade 7 teacher Rebecca Hicks was in school, reading “comics” under the desk would have earned her a trip to the
World of Words: Graphic novels – no longer restricted reading Read More »
I reckon I need a hard hat, Darrol. Last week Eva goes and puts up a bunch of plastic thingy-ma-jigs all over the place that
May is National Crime Writing Month, and in celebration, Yukoners have reviewed work by finalists in three categories. A Nominee for Best Crime Novel: Arctic
World of Words: Locals review great Canadian crime fiction Read More »
Iremember the steamboats, the old man said. I remember them coming in spring. I remember the paddlewheels churning the water and bringing us many good
Lily Gontard is learning to embrace the paradox that is the Internet. It’s a technical wonder that wasn’t even guessed at, back when Captain Kirk
The new world of Arctica Magazine Read More »
The land has its own agenda. Plants find purchase in the disturbed earth and overcome humanity’s intrusions. We are a hiccup in the breath of
When Our Signs Come Down Read More »
Sometimes the muse doesn’t just find you; sometimes she follows you, haunts you, tracks your every move and invades your quiet moments, ticking away inside
There are strange things found on the Internet when you’re surfing just for fun. There’s misinformation galore and yet, there’s no way to get it
That Little Old Log Cabin on the Hill Read More »
Cam Fenson got his start early; I’ve been reading his fishing column since he was about 14 years old. This month, I interviewed Fenson, now
Never Too Young to Write Read More »
(June 1) Rumble of thunder in the sky Perhaps some rain will fall by and by Perhaps there will be lightning And that thought is
Klondike Korner: Poetry Corner Read More »
Anyone who’s sat in an outhouse in the Yukon, has frozen their backside reading the Outdoor Edge. It’s a quarterly magazine for hunters and anglers
Hunting for Suspense Read More »
The Yukon holds some unusual species of bugs and plants that remain from when glaciers retreated, leaving a land bridge across the Bering Sea. And
World of Words: Here, there be dragonflies Read More »
With “publication” of Marcelle Dubé’s novel, On Her Trail, by Carina Press, she became the first e-published author in the Yukon. On Her Trail combines
On Her Trail Breaks Trail Read More »
With the departure of What’s Up Yukon founding editor Darrell Hookey, last week (may he live out his retirement never again checking for typos), it
In praise of the community paper Read More »
There are many gravesites marked on the downhill side of Mary McLeod Road, but the only one with a beaten path to it belongs to
A Teller of Tall Tales Ended his Journey in Dawson City Read More »
Writing for the screen, and writing for children, share a common trait. They both depend on someone else’s creativity to convey ideas. That became apparent
Writing for Pictures Read More »
Chasing trends is a tricky game for writers, says Selina McLemore, editor of Grand Central Publishing’s Forever romance line. “Some can use trends to their
World of Words: “Bodice Rippers” Evolve to “Flak Jacket Rippers” Read More »
Justine Davidson has been the Whitehorse Star court reporter for three years. Recently I moderated her presentation at the Yukon Mystery Lounge. Below are highlights
World of Words: Crime writing in a small town Read More »
Imagine a new book mailed to every child, every month, until they are five years old. That’s what Dolly Parton did. Now imagine literacy in
Some offers a person simply can’t refuse. When the email inviting me to be part of the What’s Up Yukon team landed, the cadence of
Who could possibly say no? Read More »
Bug time: The sun is flirting with the edge of the mountain and the heat is leeching out of the day. Insects, paralyzed by the
Connections made at writer’s conferences can be career-changing, said Chris Vogler. The writer who worked on I am Legend, Hancock and 10,000 BC, told San
Writers, Go Outside Read More »
Have you ever had an American say to you, “Say, ‘eh’ for me”? They think it’s funny when we Canadians say, “eh”, and, being the
Hihowareyou? Iamfine Read More »
One alert touch of a singular energy tingles the collar of my boot as tough pad flat back feet startle my wakeful doze, golden fatigue
A Hare in the Mountains Read More »
How do I love thee, Of … There are so many ways … gee, let me count them I love thee about as deep and
Sometimes I wish I didn’t know how to read. No. That’s not true at all. I am endlessly grateful that I can read, and I
Take My Encyclopedia. Please! Read More »
Writing is a challenge. Raw, chaotic emotions demand to be shaped into a coherent story. It’s even more challenging when the writer has to overcome
World of Words: Ynklude writes books for all abilities Read More »
According to John Firth’s book One Mush, Jamaicans hate dogs. So what was Caribbean musher Newton Marshall doing on the Yukon Quest in 2009?
From Dryland to Northland: One Musher’s Tale Read More »
Yukon writers are prolific, offering a new book every month or so. From John Firth to Clea Roberts, a showcase of Yukon books from 2010.
Yukon Yearbook, Yukon Author showcase 2010 Read More »
Thirty-three years ago, Haines Junction English teacher Elayne Hurlburt and a friend started the St. Elias Echo. It’s still published today and Hurlburt is still
Writing from the Junction Read More »
If history starts as soon as the minute you’re in passes by, then anyone who writes or makes art can make a history piece, right?
Karen Keeley’s first book, TeLLing TaLes, is a collection of short stories that “are not solely Yukon, mystery, romance, coming of age, or any of
Tales from the heart Read More »
Rhea Tregebov has loved poetry from an early age. “It wasn’t until university that I realized what a central place it would take in my
Festival Poets Disembark Read More »
The common thread that links the stories and columns in What’s Up Yukon each week boils down to two words – creativity and commitment. From
Creativity and Commitment Read More »
Whatever happened to that English guy in Australia who sold his life on eBay? He moved to the Yukon and wrote a book about it.
World of Words: From Auction to Awesome Read More »
We all feel the cold, we all see the change in the seasons, and we all appreciate the vast Yukon landscape.” Darren, who writes in
Yukon Bloggers Unite! Read More »
Watching visitors to town wander about taking pictures of things that seem quite ordinary to those of us who live here is a reminder that
Early Adventures in Yukon Tourism Read More »
Writers lament, “Ohmigod, I’m 25 years old and I haven’t published a book yet!” Rubbish! says Antanas Sileika, artistic director of the Humber School for
The Myth of the Young Writer Read More »
Perfect hangover activity: deleting old emails from 2004 (gmail) or 2007 (when I first joined Facebook) or 2006 (start of my Yahoo account for Air
I Can See Slowly Now Read More »
As he wraps up teaching a kids’ drama class, the Family Literacy Centre’s Brendan Wiklund switches gears to talk about Tales to be Told, a
Temperature and light extremes are similar across circumpolar countries, but comparing the waterfronts of Whitehorse and Reykjavák might reveal interesting contrasts in what “North” means.
Writing Circumpolar Space Read More »
“That’s all for today Matthew,” Sal told him. “Do you still want two pounds of hard candy in separate bags?” he asked. “I almost forgot.
In 2008, artist Val Hodgson wanted to paint something familiar to her: women over 50 years of age, and the links that exist among Yukon
Writers, philosophers, activists for social justice, Germans – Whitehorse has plenty. So it was no surprise we filled the Old Fire Hall on May 10
The Reader Writer Reads Read More »
The publishing industry is in some kind of spring flurry. In February this year, Amazon announced that, for the first month ever, their eBook sales
World of Words: Home truths About eBooks Read More »
I haven’t seen a Yukon Quest or Arctic Ultra race start in seven years now because, along with my husband Mike, I’m usually deep in
World of Words: Concierge at a wilderness dog camp Read More »
My first job as a professional writer began in January of 2011 when I was appointed to a one-year term as the Yukon-based associate editor
The One-Space, Two-Space Shuffle Read More »
When Bob Hayes was in grade school, he was nearly accused of plagiarism for his story “The Flickering Flame.” The author Hayes emulated? Jack London.
Many Yukon book-lovers are familiar with Claire Eamer’s science series for children, Super Crocs and Monster Wings, Spike Scorpions and Walking Whales, and the latest
World of Words: Science Is the best story going Read More »
Tor Forsberg writes from Watson Lake. Her publishing credits include “Me Yukon”, which won the 2009 LUSH short story competition sponsored by subTerrain magazine, a
Writing from Watson Read More »
If you’ve flipped through a copy of Esquire Magazine in the past four years, there’s a 50 percent chance you’ve read a story by Whitehorse
World of Words: On assignment with Luke Dittrich Read More »
The Yukon is stunningly beautiful in all seasons. However, as winter sets in, some seek heat and sunshine. I happen to be one of those
Over 5,000 Miles for a Hot Cuppa Read More »
It’s a familiar story – a cliché, really. Come to Yukon for a holiday, get hooked on the place and decide to move here. That’s
A Skier’s Guide to the White Pass Read More »
Over a dozen Yukon authors published books this year, and from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 3, readers can meet seven of
Pre-Christmas Signing Read More »
It’s unusual for a writing conference to produce immediate results, but just one month after Northern Writes staged the Yukon Writer’s Conference, delegates were already
Exploring E-publishing Read More »
It was only logical for Debbie Peters to do what a Mom would do – pitch in and help. At the time, her sons Jesse
It was September 10, 2001. The British Airways agent at Vancouver Airport explained that the flight was overbooked, but if we could travel tomorrow, she
My Best Story Ever Read More »
I was not sad being in Bangkok knowing I was leaving, it was time for me to go. I was done with the travel. I
A Warm Green Glow and Welcoming Hugs Read More »
Earlier this spring, I was invited to the Robert Service School (RSS) to observe a unique exchange program between Grade 5 and 6 students in
Caribou and Cassava Read More »
There are many reasons for tourists to visit exotic locations and travel on insanely long flights to experience a new part of the world. Europe
The Fiction File: A Place for Everyone Read More »
“Today’s kids are so fragmented by media, sports, school and hobbies that history is a tough sell,” says Whitehorse author Keith Halliday. Halliday recently discussed
Hooking Kids on History Read More »
Old Crow poet and cartoonist Allan Benjamin caught himself when he said he carries a pen and paper in his pocket 24 hours a day.
Writing from Old Crow Read More »
In 1949, writer Joseph Campbell launched the idea of the monomyth, or Hero’s Journey, as the most appealing way to tell a story to mass
Promise and Journey Read More »
It’s been two years since the last Yukon Writers’ Conference, which launched several local authors. This Thanksgiving is another, thanks to Northern Writes, the partnership
Yukon Writers’ Conference: Encore! Read More »
My wariness of bats – I won’t say abject terror, that’s far too strong – dates back to the Eisenhower era. I can even trace
Going Slightly Batty Read More »
One thing his early journalism career taught author Lawrence Hill was to pursue the adventure of his stories. Alongside working on final drafts of his
Process of Imagination Read More »
On the advice of writing mentor John Reed (www.writerswelcome.com), the Year of the Dragon is the year I face the dragon and stop being afraid
Tuning in to Poetry Read More »
Much attention has been paid recently to the topic of Canadian content and national pride in literature. It seems we’re writing about everywhere except Canada.
In September of 2008, I was working construction in Edmonton when the bottom fell out of the economy. There were a few workers on my
Hate to say I told you so Read More »
Back in 1971, Canadian sportswriter nonpareil Jim Coleman published a book whose title alone deserves a place in history. He called it A Hoofprint on
As We Say in the Biz: That’s “30” from Here Read More »
Being in Dawson City for a residence at the Berton House is a dream come true for Winnipeg writer Joan Thomas. This is not the
The story of bones Read More »
When Yvonne Harris taught at Nunavut Arctic College, or Silattuqsarvik as it’s called in Pangnirtung, an elder guest lecturer told her students a remarkable story
A Tale of Grit & Determination Read More »
Ravens flying over my head is one of my favourite things. You can hear the swooping of the wings and feel the gust of air
That Wily Trickster Read More »
Along the Alaska Highway, lost in the clouds, is a quaint and quiet hamlet on the edge of the 21st century. It is the spitting
A Fiction File: Squatters Read More »
Enthusiasts of outdoor stories, adventure and romance will find all three at the preview of Roy Ness’s first novel, Rutting Season, at the Parking Lot
A debut Yukon novel Read More »
No matter how much rain we get, young readers can climb the Chilkoot Trail at Well-Read Books this summer. The free project, called “Reading over
A Mountain of Books Read More »
Tim Falconer began his residency at Pierre Berton House in Dawson City in March. But, if you were looking to find the writer during his
In Pursuit of Silver and Gold Read More »
If you enjoyed The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Gone by Michael Grant is the book for you. How would you survive without parents, older
The Fiction File: Gone: a Review Read More »
I remember the wall of smoke surrounding us. I struggled to inhale as the hot air filled my lungs. “Will it hurt us?” I asked.
The Fiction File: Red Tentacles Read More »
Dalton’s Gold Rush Trail is a story of journeys; the 10-year journey of Jack Dalton to blaze a trail to the Klondike gold fields, and
Journeys Then & Now Read More »
My first exposure to the Yukon came last December, when I arrived in Dawson City for a stint as writer-in-residence at Berton House. Like many
If you sat down to write the Great Canadian Novel, would it come out in a gush of first draft? Or are you one of
World of Words: Guerrilla editing: Get what you want Read More »
Ione Christensen, Yukon writer, mother, pioneer and politician, is writing an autobiography spanning three generations. The daughter of RCMP corporal G. I. Cameron and lay
A life on the edge Read More »
Ask David Thompson what he’s read, and you’ll get a varied list: George Orwell, J.D. Salinger and the adventures of Antarctic explorers. Doesn’t sound like
Sunshine sketches of a northern town Read More »
With the simple tools of a canopy, lectern and public announcement system, six authors have banded together to create a Friday night reading program where
World of Words: Readings in parking lot country Read More »
Brian Brett was 17 when the “click” happened. His life was in chaos at the time, especially in the classroom. During that period, he recalls,
Literature abounds with magic bookstores such as J.K. Rowling’s Obscurus Books where Hogwarts buy their texts, and Mr. Koreander’s shop where Michael Ende’s Bastian Bux
World of Words: Be enchanted at the Yukon’s magic bookstore Read More »
When graphic novelist and Grade 7 teacher Rebecca Hicks was in school, reading “comics” under the desk would have earned her a trip to the
World of Words: No longer restricted reading Read More »
Clea Roberts’ first collection of poetry, Here Is Where We Disembark, features every Yukoner she’s ever met. Roberts, a nature poet, shows us the nature
World of Words: Clea Roberts shows Yukoners the nature of ourselves Read More »
That’s right; the beginning (where else to start?). Let’s look at some creative, perhaps unconventional ways to begin sentences:
Begin, then begin again! Read More »
Our neighbourhood has speed bumps (and more than a few potholes) that make slow driving an easy choice. As annoying as they may be, at
Visitors to the Yukon are seeing and feeling the territory for themselves. I don’t need to describe the landscape or the friendly Northern-way because these
Artist’s Amusing Alliterations Read More »
If you were to write about the northern hairy-nosed wombat, each paragraph would reveal something new about it. A paragraph contains one facet of a
Knowing when to begin again Read More »
“You know, we still don’t have to do this,” says Marcelle Dubé just after the digital voice recorder had been switched on. Dubé is a
Quantity Can Lead to Quality Read More »
The heart continues to inspire us: it is the cornerstone of religious thought, the muse for artistic expression and the stuff—practical and otherwise—from which love stories are born.
It’s not just a part of it; it’s the heart of it Read More »
Budding writers are often advised to put their writing away in a drawer and leave it there for anything between three days and three years
This Publisher is Willing to Wait Read More »
BY KELLY BOWERS Seventeen-year old Blayne walked slowly up the trail. He scuffed the roots and sticks on the dirt trail as he walked and
The semicolon has three major functions: to link thematically related thoughts, to introduce conjunctions or transitional phrases and to avoid confusion in lists.
; (No, I’m not winking at you.) Read More »
Kelly Bowers recently shared her writing with the public for the first time. Bowers, 16, has always enjoyed writing as a hobby, but she is
Kelly Bowers Has Found the Words Read More »
If you like writing about science, whether science fiction or science fact, you might want to keep May 24 to 27 free. This is when
Science Writers Gather Under the Midnight Sun Read More »
BY SHAUNA LOEWEN I wrote my name on the wall yesterday. Gosh, I hope Mom’s not upset with me. I heard Daddy trying to convince
The First Time I Wrote on a Wall Read More »
A poem by Whitehorse resident Laurel Parry is to be aired on CBC Radio One during National Poetry Month. Parry is the winner of a
Father of Poet Sees Struggle Put to Words Read More »
Do you keep the poems and stories you write safely inside small yellow folders on your computer? Do you treat those folders like incubators, opening
Let Your Words Take Flight Read More »
Rising just above the horizon, the moon appears larger than it actually is, much larger than when it’s overhead. The colon is like that—abracadabra!—appearing in a way that has a sometimes-magical affect.
The colon: Abracadabra! Read More »
There is service at the battlefront, a Calling to be sure, though not for God and Glory, that old lie from days of yore. Those
The Best Remembrance Read More »