The Little Free Library that Could
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
BY DAN DAVIDSON Luminous ice-fogged sunshine haze sits upon the earth; mocks our avenues and days with signs of nature’s mirth. Sunshine should bring warmer
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
What I enjoy about Ivan Coyote’s stories is their unwrapped honesty. The book says these are fictional stories, but they seem so much like memoir
Coyote Teaches Us About Love in the Time of Collaring 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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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
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 »
Holey Old Moley, it seems like things ain’t rite in the Youcon skies. I first took note of it a few weeks back when I
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).
Just had another read of the touchin’ note you sent about my sister Wilma goin’ down to glory, and figgered I’d best set the record
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 »
Thanks kindly fer returnin’ the $2 I sent you. With the hard times on us, I’m grateful of the free inscripshun. Drew a small map
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 »
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
You recall how last week I was tellin’ you how I sowed up a mess of bootys fer the poor swans coolin’ there heals down
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 »
It was nice to see the Easter Rabbit treated the Anny Lake area so good last week. From the piles of little round malt balls
With any luck Old Man Winter has took his last gasp, and ain’t jest lurkin’ around the corner fixin’ to blow another cold one up
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 »
Will the mirackles never end? I finely got the electrick. Not that I need it so bad now, with the daylite gettin’ longer. The power
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 »
I was fixin’ to tell you last week more on the trip I and Wilferd took to Skaggway, but then Merna came by unexpeckted and
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 »
Spring is sprung the grass is brown, think I’ll hitch a ride to town. I been ponderin’ of late that I mite take up ritin’
My golly, its been a hecktick pace hereabouts of late. The chickin wire and posts I ordered finely came in. Of coarse with the frost
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
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 »
Dedicated to Catherine O’Donovan Sometimes I’m asked how I deal with writer’s block. Writer’s Block I hate writer’s block.Damn itDamn it to hell. Peter Jickling,
Hello DarknessMy 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. Cathedral by Clea Roberts
Bathing in the Poetry of the Forest Read More »
Whats that old line about a thing bein’ a riddle rapped in a mistry inside an enema? There was some such goin’ on out here
Well now, don’t I feel like six kinds of a fool? Turns out them space rocks I rote you about last week are somethin’ else
Theres some things its best a feller not look into too close. You mind how I told you I mite be part of pressident O’Bamma’s
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, a rarity for the captain of the Yukon Lou and the creator of the SourToe Cocktail.
The Sourdough Who Created the ‘SourToe’ Read More »
If things was bad before, its got even worst in the sleep deppartment this week. The birds is now chirpin’ and burpin’ near non-stop and
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 »
I’m a mite bit twisted from gettin’ up far too early to meet the call of nachur. I don’t mean the normal old-fellers call to
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 »
So where was I? Oh yes, I was tellin’ you about my and Wilferd’s exsellent advenchurs in Dawsin City. Like I said, soon as we
By jingo, my heads still swimmin’ from all I seen and done on my trip to Keeno with Wilferd and Danny last week end. Can’t
Well I got home from Dawsin to find a cupple of nice surprises. First was that Merna planted a bunch of flours around my house
First I gotta tell you a bit about my Unkle Walt. Well he ain’t reely my unkle. They say he’s my second cozzen once removed,
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 »
You ast why the feller I met on the Stewart and Cassyar calls that skirt of his a Futility kilt. Seems it goes back to
Next time I get a noshun to drive my own self from White Horse to Vicktoria, I want you to give my head a shake,
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 »
I done it, Darrol. I found Unkle Walt! Well, to tell it true, he found me. I was down to Genral Delivry, like I been
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 »