Monday, January 21, 2013

A CNQ Party and a Double Dose of Ray Robertson

Today is Blue Monday, allegedly the most depressing day of the year. It's cold out. It's snowing. The sun will go down earlier than usual and it will probably get colder and snowier. Blue indeed.

Despite all that, we here at Biblioasis HQ have happy news of upcoming events to warm your cockles and put a spring in your step (but be sure to watch out for ice!) on this January afternoon.

First off, this month we will host the launch of Canadian Notes & Queries issue 86, the library issue. Doing it Quietly: Windsor in the Stacks, will feature a panel on the state of libraries locally. Moderated by critic Brian Busby, the panel will feature Brian Owens, Chief Archivist from the University of Windsor's Leddy Library, Chris Woodrow, Acting CEO and Director of Strategic Planning from the Windsor Public Library, and Jennifer Franklin-McInnis, Deputy Chief Librarian and Manager of Branches from the Essex County Public Libraries (our apologies for any confusion, as our original posters list the Essex County Libraries representative incorrectly). Join us January 29th at 7pm at the Biblioasis bookshop (1520 Wyandotte St. E., Windsor, ON) for this sure-to-be fascinating discussion and launch party for CNQ.


February kicks off Ray Robertson's tenure as the 2013 University of Windsor Department of English writer-in-residence. Ray will be in town for the beginning of February providing creative writing consults to students and the broader community, as well as holding two events, both focusing on recent releases from Biblioasis.

The first celebrates the U.S. and paperback release of his most recent novel, David. On February 5th, at 7pm join us at the Biblioasis shop for an evening with Ray Robertson, featuring readings from David. Born a slave in 1847, but raised as a free man by the Reverend William King, David has rebelled against his emancipator and his predestined future in the church. He's taken up residence in the nearby town of Chatham, made a living robbing graves, and now presides-in the company of a German ex-prostitute named Loretta-over an illegal after-hours tavern. These days that final, violent confrontation with Reverend King seems like a lifetime ago. The residents of Chatham know David as a God-cursing, liquor-slinging, money-having man-about-town, famously educated and fabulously eccentric. And he seems to be more-or-less happy O that is, until the death of Reverend King brings his past crashing down upon him. Inspired by the Elgin Settlement, which by 1852 housed 75 free black families and was studied by Lincoln and Harriet Beecher Stowe, David is a fiery look at one man's quest for knowledge and forgiveness, and a moving portrait of life after the Underground Railroad. 

This event is also sponsored by the UWindsor English Department and the Northstar Cultural Community Centre.


Finally, if that isn't enough excitement to get you through the cold winter months, Ray has another event, this time taking place at the University of Windsor in Vanier Hall's Katzman Lounge, surrounding his collection of essays Why Not? Fifteen Reasons to Live (also a Biblioasis book!) Presented by the University of Windsor's Departments of English, Psychology and Philosophy, Why Live? Depression, Writing, and Finding Reasons to Live takes place February 12th at 2pm and features discussions on the big questions in life with Ray, Dr. Jeffrey Noonan (head of the Department of Philosophy), Dr. Annette Dufresne (Clinical Supervisor, Psychological Services & Research Centre), and Jennie Boyd (Manager, City Centre Health Care). 



For more information on any of these events, feel free to give us a shout at 519-968-2206 or email info@biblioasis.com.  For Why Live? contact the University of Windsor English Department at 519-253-3000 ext. 2288 or email englishmail@uwindsor.ca.

 

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