Monniblog

Knitter’s Festivus (Belated Wrap-up)

monnibo — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:24:49 +0000

Back in December we had our annual Knitter’s Holiday Swap. This is the third year our local knit group (via Ravelry) has celebrated the holidays with handknits.

Louise (aka ladybugaloo) spoiled me rotten! She knit me the Broadstreet Mittens out of Malabrigo and gave me a package full of goodies including a gingerbread man soap, a button that says “chinchillin’” and has a picture of a chinchilla, sticker that says “knitters have balls” now adorning my laptop, lipbalm from Rocky Mountain Soap Company, and a polka dot project bag.

I spoiled Jesse (aka canadiantreefrog) and because I kept unravelling and reknitting the fingerless mitts, I was knitting at the dinner table before we swapped presents. However, I got them done and Jesse seemed to like—as did her birdie Ivan. I also made her chandalier earrings with Swarovski crystals.

Kiss of the Fur Queen by Tomson Highway (book review)

monnibo — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:42:39 +0000

I read Kiss of the Fur Queen by Tomson Highway last semester for an English course focusing on First Nations fiction. I also wrote my term paper for the course on the novel, exploring how redemptive arts expression can be for emotional trauma. Unfortunately, I am finding it difficult to write a review for the blog having studied it so closely for class, my term paper, and the final exam.

The official blurb from the publisher focuses more on the mysticism of the story and Cree culture. But I found the story to be enjoyable, linear, and compelling. Both brothers were compassionate, intriguing, and unique. The story is loosely based on Tomson Highway’s own experiences in residential school with his brother, Rene Highway.

Born into a magical Cree world in snowy northern Manitoba, Champion and Ooneemeetoo Okimasis are all too soon torn from their family and thrust into the hostile world of a Catholic residential school. Their language is forbidden, their names are changed to Jeremiah and Gabriel, and both boys are abused by priests.

As young men, estranged from their own people and alienated from the culture imposed upon them, the Okimasis brothers fight to survive. Wherever they go, the Fur Queen–a wily, shape-shifting trickster–watches over them with a protective eye. For Jeremiah and Gabriel are destined to be artists. Through music and dance they soar.

From the publisher, Random House of Canada

The prose is quiet and beautiful, the story is emotional and powerful. But as a very literal person, I had trouble following the Cree cosmology. We did discuss some of it in class—particularly the Trickster—which I found very interesting and helpful in understanding the backstory. However, some readers may find this a difficult thing to get past, trying to explain the “why” in the interactions with the Fur Queen or Maggie Sees.

As Jeremiah and Gabriel grow up, the narrative careens … between moments of magic and myth (surrounding the trickster figure) and moments of hard-to-bear realism (rooted in racism, first in the residential school system and after they travel south). Some of the elements will be familiar to readers of native fiction (the tension between tradition and assimilation, the tragic cycle of abuse and alcoholism, misunderstandings between generations and between city- and reserve-dwellers). Secrets are at the heart of many stories.

[From the book review at Buried In Print]

Tomson Highway is one of the first Aboriginal playwrights to gain prominence in the Canadian theatre community. Highway is now a well-known Cree author and Kiss of the Fur Queen was his first novel.

Nominee for the Canadian Booksellers Association Libris Award 1998
Nominee for the Chapters/Books in Canada First Novel Award 1998
Review in Quill & Quire
Review by The Canadian Book Review blog

Twelve months till the world ends: Hello 2012

monnibo — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 23:10:37 +0000

Farewell 2011. 2010 was a difficult year, and 2011 resulted in a lot of changes. However, when I think back to the changes in my life this past year, I’m overwhelmed by all the incredible people in my life. A mixture of new friends, old friends and family, and returning friends makes me feel truly blessed with the relationships in my life.

So, whether I’ve known you six months or 11 years, or somewhere in between…. whether I know you only online, mostly via Facebook, or in real life…. whether we talk often, occasionally, or rarely…. thank you for being my friend.

Now, let’s make these next 12 months count until the end of the world!

The Sky’s Dark Labyrinth by Stuart Clark (book review)

monnibo — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 23:33:51 +0000

This is the first book of fiction by Stuart Clark, a well-known UK astrology journalist and astophysicist professor. The Sky’s Dark Labyrinth is the first of a trilogy of novels inspired by the history of trying to understand the Universe.

Called The Copernicum Trilogy, the first book (The Sky’s Dark Labyrinth) portrays the struggles of Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, and Galileo Galilei. The second (The Sensorium of God) focuses on the story of Isaac Newton and his contemporaries such as Edmond Halley, and the third (The Day Without Yesterday) addresses Albert Einstein, Edwin Hubble, and George Lemaitre.

At the dawn of the seventeenth century everyone believed that the sun revolved around the earth. Yet some men knew that the heavens did not move as they should, a heresy punishable by being burned alive. As Europe convulsed in conflict between Catholic and Protestant, these men prepared to die for that truth.

German Lutheran Johannes Kepler is convinced that he has been given a vision by God when he becomes the first man to distill into mathematical laws how stars and planets move through the heavens. Galileo Galilei, an Italian Catholic, will try to claim Kepler’s success for his own Church, but he finds himself enmeshed in a web of intrigue originating from within the Vatican itself. Both men struggle with themselves, with the evidence and with the forces of reaction changed not simply themselves but our world. They become trapped by human ignorance and irrational terror to the peril of their lives and those of their families in one of the darkest, yet also one of the most enlightening, periods of European history.

From the UK publisher, Polygon, an imprint of Birlinn & from Stuart Clark’s website

Despite the scientific and mathematical subject matter, the novel has accessibility and doesn’t get too technical regarding the scientific observations during that age. Unlike other historical periods, there are journals and accounts of what Kepler and Galileo observed and studied, which I think makes the story all the more interesting. Instead of relying on letters and court rumours like many of the fictional Tudor-era novels, many 16th century scientists published their thoughts and conjectures regarding the Universe.

I really enjoyed how religion, astrology and alchemy all influenced their scientific beliefs. It was interesting to see how far we’ve come in these studies and how it is still difficult for Man to explain the Universe. In their time, Galileo and his contemporaries were believed to be heretics, but they were not athiests or trying to overturn religion; they were seeking to explain God’s Universe in mathematical terms. In fact, the title of the book comes from Galileo trying to explain that to understand the universe without the language of mathematics is impossible, and to try will have you “wander[ing] about lost in the dark labyrinth of the sky.”

The story is told as a non-linear narrative, jumping months and sometimes years, from Kepler to Galileo. Some of the anecdotes and ‘trivia’ that Clark chose to include—while interesting as historical background—isn’t necessary to the narrative. Also, for the first half of the book we stay completely with Kepler, so it is a bit jarring (but refreshing) when we jump to Galileo. It took me nearly a month to read because I was reading other books (for university) and sometimes I found the narrative a bit dry.

Also, I have to admit that sometimes I really wanted to slap Kepler. As a man, I’m sure he was brilliant and you can tell through the narrative that he is misunderstood. But the chapters written from his point of view make me loathe him as a character—mostly his entitled attitude. I don’t know if he was that whiny, or if that’s just scientific/historic interpretation of his tone. Although I have to give him credit for sticking up for his beliefs, observations, and mathematical findings. Not only does he maintain his religious beliefs, but he also publicly goes against the popular notions of how the Universe operated.

Stuart Clark writes articles and news for New Scientist, The Times [London], BBC Focus and BBC Sky at Night and is a former editor of Astronomy Now magazine. Until 2001, Clark was the Director of Public Astronomy Education at the University of Hertfordshire and is still a visiting Fellow. In 2001, He decided to increase his part-time writing to a full-time occupation. Having crossed from mainstream science into science journalism, Clark now spends his working life translating astronomy, space research and physics into comprehensible language for the general public. He has written more than a dozen books, documentary scripts for television and DVD, radio scripts, podcasts and lectures extensively. [Adapted from Clarke's website bio]

Full disclosure: I was approached by publicist Ruth Seeley on behalf of the author and publisher and was generously provided with a review copy of The Sky’s Dark Labyrinth by Stuart Clark.

Still Looking for the Perfect Gift?

monnibo — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 00:16:33 +0000

Give a book! If you need some great (newish, Canadian) recommendations, check out the Advent Book Blog.

The Advent Book Blog is now in its third year and this is my second year participating (if I recall correctly). This year I’ve recommended The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay, but there are now hundreds of titles and authors recommended by readers with a Digital Handsell. Go check it out and read / share / buy an awesome book!

I had the opportunity to meet Ami McKay at a recent reading called Incite: An Exploration of Books and Ideas, organized by the Vancouver International Writers Festival and the Vancouver Public Library. The event was fantastic (as always) and Ami was super sweet. I had an ARC of The Virgin Cure which she signed and she even knew who I was from Twitter! How awesome is that?

Incite (November 9): Hal Wake fields questions for Ami McKay and Frances Greenslade

Kynship by Daniel Heath Justice (book review)

monnibo — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:37:53 +0000

Kynship is the first book in The Way of Thorn and Thunder series by Daniel Heath Justice, published by Kegedonce Press, an Aboriginal owned and operated publisher.

The Everland has been home of the forest-dwelling Kyn and the other Eld-Folk since time immemorial, a deep green world of ancient mystery and sacred shadow. The wyr-powers of the Kyn and their kith have preserved this lush region from the ravenous greed of Humanity for over a thousand years, since the catastrophic Melding that merged their world with the mortal world of Men.

But the wyr powers are now under siege, for the assimilationist Kyn Shields seek to purge their people of the wyr, seeing only savagery in its mysteries and in its guardians, the Wielders. As the power of the Shields grows—and as the hungry eyes of Men turn once more to the Everland and its rich bounty—the leaders of the seven nations of the Folk gather together to seek a way of surviving the growing storm.

Born into a town dominated by the Shield creeds, Tarsa, a headstrong Kyn warrior, awakens to the long-suppressed wyr-ways after an act of courage goes horribly awry. Exiled from Red Cedar Town, and struggling to understand her new calling as a Wielder, Tarsa is swept into a dangerous world of political and spiritual struggle, where the old wyr-ways clash with the fragmenting intrigues of the “civilized” Shields and their allies.

As the Everland is torn apart by treachery and the ever-encroaching threat of Humanity, the Redthorn Wielder and her companions fight both flesh and spirit to heal their wounded world. Never since the Melding have the Folk faced such danger. Will their roots hold fast, or will they be lost upon the storm?

From Daniel Heath Justice’s website

First off, I appreciate the message and the discussion behind Kynship. Daniel Heath Justice is a Cherokee author and wrote Kynship as a loose allegory for the Trail of Tears, the expulsion of Native American people from the southeastern USA in the 1800s. Also, using native tradition of subverting gender and the belief in a third gender, Justice makes an interesting statement about what is considered “normal” for the Everland Folk compared to Men. We also discussed the binary of “savage” versus “civilized” society.

However, I have to be honest, if I didn’t have to read it for class, I probably wouldn’t have picked it up, much less finished it. As a designer, I had aesthetic issues with it from a publishing standpoint. The typeface is serif but a little too fancy, the leading is too small, and there are next to no margins (whitespace) around the text area—which all detracts from the ease of reading.

But as for the content, I just found the story long-winded, directionless, and (most of all) there was too much telling instead of showing. I read that Justice wrote it as a single story but it was split into three volumes for easier consumption. Unfortunately I don’t think they reworked the telling of the story to reflect this setup because Kynship ends with no real conclusion and with the main character (Tarsa) recently departed on a quest. In my opinion, it would be more useful for them to end just as Tarsa is about to leave, thus creating a more compelling cliffhanger between installments in the series.

Overall, I can appreciate the intent of Kynship, but it was not overly exciting for me. The issues that Daniel Heath Justice raises are excellent for discussion, but it just wasn’t compelling from a reader standpoint. There were some interesting characters developed and I would be curious to hear more about Quill and Tobi, but wasn’t particularly fussed about anyone else.

The Next Sure Thing by Richard Wagamese (book review)

monnibo — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 06:11:37 +0000

I got this book through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program. It is from Orca Books, a local BC publisher with a lot of unique lines of books. A couple years ago I read First Time by Meg Tilly which was from the Orca Soundings imprint. The Next Sure Thing is part of the Rapid Reads. Rapid Reads are short novels and non-fiction books designed for reluctant or low-literacy adult readers.

Cree Thunderboy has a knack for picking winners. But can he pick the next sure thing?

Cree Thunderboy wants nothing less than to be the next great blues man. But, playing to tiny audiences in shabby rooms like Shelly’s Crab Shack, his career is stalled. Then at the race track he meets Win Hardy, a seemingly charming rogue who spots Cree’s knack for picking winning horses. He offers to record his first CD and send him on tour, as long as Cree can keep coming up with the hot tips at the track.

Things are looking good for Cree until he discovers Win’s connections to the mob and his violent response to anything that doesn’t go his way. And when things inevitably go bad, Cree discovers that in life and in gambling there is never really the next sure thing.

From the publisher, Orca Books

Richard Wagamese is an Ojibway author and well-known storyteller, which shows in The Next Sure Thing. The story is fast paced, well-written and engaging. You’ve got the appropriate amount of foreshadow, plot twists, and a strong narrator. It certainly meets the Rapid Reads objective of being accessible both on a literary level and a narrative level.

I would definitely recommend this for reluctant readers and due to the age of Cree, it would even be a suitable book for teens. However, if you’re looking for something that reflects Richard Wagamese’s skills as a writer, you may be better off selecting something else from his wide repertoire.

Finished novel on October 23, 2011

NewsWatch Canada: Top Under-Reported Stories of 2011

monnibo — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 06:04:47 +0000

I know the blog has been nearly deathly quiet this month, but I have a good reason: university. I’ve been reading a lot and studying and keeping up with papers, presentations, and various deadlines. Part of life as a Communications Major is studying the mass media and examining media and our media systems critically.

NewsWatch background information:

“Newswatch Canada began as Project Censored Canada (PCC) in 1993 as a collaborative project of the School of Communication at SFU, the University of Windsor and the Canadian Association of Journalists. It was renamed NewsWatch Canada in 1998.”

One of the upper-level Communications courses is NewsWatch Canada: a semester of independent research on the diversity and thoroughness of news coverage nationally and globally for students interested in media-monitoring studies. They take a different theme for each year—such as representations of gender in the news, global warming, provincial elections, etc.—and this year was the top under-reported stories by traditional media sources.

Why this is important:

To quickly summarize, in the past 30 years, the mass media has slowly been consolidating to the point where (in America) 6 companies own 90% of the media.

This means that those six companies decide what stories get told, what angle they tell, and what doesn’t get reported on. There used to be strict ownership restrictions (I’m speaking from a North American perspective) where the owners of certain media secrots could not go into other sectors. The restrictions decreased and dropped away with the rise of the neoliberalist perspective of that free media (free as in liberated, not cost-free) would increase competition and therefore the diversity of offerings. In fact, it did the opposite of this.

The open structure led to a monopoly and concentration of ownership. The convergence of media is visible for example in Disney — they have television stations, films, books, toys, etc. For example, in Canada, Bell owns CTV and all their subchannels such as CTV2, Comedy Network, The Sports Network, The Discovery Channel, and E!; Bell Mobility for mobile, wireless, and internet; CHUM Limited including CHUM Radio, MuchMusic, MTV, MTV2, A Channel, Bravo!, Space; and national paper The Globe and Mail. [It's hard to keep track, so: Source]

If you’re interested in learning more, here is the Wikipedia article for Concentration of Media Ownership, or there is a neat infographic by FrugalDad (mostly US data).

NewsWatch Canada’s 2011 Report:

The team of Communications students were looking at missing stories or under-reported news in mainstream media from September 2010 to August 2011. They compared major news reports and independent news sources and compiled a list of 100+ stories. The list was submitted to Communications professors at SFU who identified 25 that held a significant level of importance to Canadian citizens both nationally and internationally. The students thoroughly researched these stories and arranged the list according to importance.

The presentation of their research was today at SFU and they went over the top 10 stories, their significance, and the alternative news source that covered the story. In many cases, several non-mainstream news sources covered the stories, such as Canadian Dimension, This Magazine, The Tyee.com, The New Internationalist, and Briar Patch.

To see the full report of their research visit the NewsWatch site. The group has also been getting some news coverage locally: check out this article in The Georgia Straight.

Autumn Whiskers

monnibo — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 01:12:01 +0000

It is officially autumn. The clocks have gone back, the leaves are changing colours, and the days are getting colder. It always makes me want to curl up at home with a book and a warm cup of tea. But instead I’m trekking to school daily. “Up the hill” or “on the mountain” to SFU Burnaby.

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin (book review)

monnibo — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 01:38:04 +0000

And so A Song of Ice and Fire series continues with the third installment, A Storm of Swords. I finished this book in late August / early September and—without going bit by bit through the novel—let’s just say I enjoyed it. It was a strong book and, page count alone, it is about 200 pages longer than A Clash of Kings.

Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as violently as ever, as alliances are made and broken.

Joffrey, of House Lannister, sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the land of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival and Uncle, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, the victim of the jealous sorceress who holds him in her evil thrall. But young Robb, of House Stark, still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Robb plots against his despised Lannister enemies, even as they hold his sister Sansa hostage at King’s Landing, the seat of the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world. . . .

But as opposing forces maneuver for the final titanic showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost line of civilization. In their vanguard is a horde of mythical Others–a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords. . .

From the publisher, Bantam, a division of Random House of Canada

In short, here are some of my thoughts — SPOILER ALERT!

It was interesting to pick up the book shortly before the end of A Clash of Kings, allowing us to see more of the battle in the Seven Kingdoms. Like the previous titles—A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings—A Storm of Swords follows threads from multiple characters, simply by titling the chapters after each narrator. While this was jarring at first (in A Game of Thrones), George R.R. Martin juggles the characters, chapters, and timeline incredibly well. I actually have grown to love it and often get excited—or saddened—when a particular character’s chapter begins or ends.

I liked spending more time Beyond The Wall, specifically with Jon. I think that the ancient magic awoken in the Wilds is going to come crashing to the forefront quite soon. The Seven Kingdoms have been so embroiled in their ultimately petty war of succession that it would be apt for magic from Beyond the Wall to depreciate that battle. I also love how Jon really came into his own as a man and although his appointment to Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch was predictable, it was good to see.

I was totally shocked when they killed off Robb and Lady Stark. I even flipped ahead thinking they were pulling another switch like with Bran and Rickon. While I’m not particularly saddened about Catelyn Stark, I did really like Robb as a character. It was really interesting in the previous books to see him grow into a man after the murder of his father, Eddard Stark.

I am curious about Arya and Sansa. I would have thought that Martin would have killed Sansa off already, but I guess as long as Cersei lives, Sansa will too. I am so excited that Arya is going to Braavos and can’t wait to see what happens down that line.

Jaime’s storyline with Brienne of Tarth was very interesting. It cast Jaime in such a different light and I think it really affected his character’s ego—taking him down a peg or two as well as being able to see the world from a different point of view, rather than from a privileged position as a Lannister and the Queen’s brother.

END SPOILERS

Most fantasy works have an element of allegory to our world, but I think that Martin’s true gift is the level of humanity he instills in the books, despite the cynicism and death. Although it seems like the “bad” characters are consistently winning, they aren’t truly bad—such as we see with Jaime—and the “good” guys always seem to have hope.