We are thrilled to be hosting Elise and Zoe as they launch their newest works of art. The event takes place on Saturday, November 28 at 7 pm at the store, 116 Third Ave.
Elise is a dear friend of the store, and an inspiration to those who know her. We are excited about her book, and tickled pink to be able to introduce you to her. Elise Moser is the current president of the Quebec Writers' Federation. Her short stories have been published and broadcast in Canada, the U.S. and across the Commonwealth. Her stories "Malke's Baby" and "Advanced Pilates Tickle Trunk" have won the CBC/QWF Short Story Competition in 2004 and 2006 respectively. After many years working as a buyer at Paragraphe Bookstore in Montreal, Elise is now familiar to many stores across the country as a sales rep with Lexa Publishers' Representatives. She is also the Literary Editor of The Rover, an electronic independent review of arts and culture. Elise lives in Montreal.
Zoe Whittall is a newer friend who knocked our socks off when she was here in 2007 reading with Stacey May Fowles. She is the author of two novels - Holding Still For As Long As Possible, and Bottle Rocket Hearts, named one of top 100 books of 2007 in the Globe and Mail and top 15 books in Quill & Quire magazine. She won emerging author of the year in Now Magazine, and the Dayne Ogilvie Award for Best Emerging Gay Writer in Canada. Her poetry books include The Best Ten Minutes of Your Life (McG, 01) and The Emily Valentine Poems (Snare, 06) and Precordial Thump (Exile, 08).
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Monday will be big...
For weeks, the same nightmare theme has been returning once a week. The launch of What Is Stephen Harper Reading? by Yann Martel is about to start, and suddenly
* we realize that we've been promoting the wrong night, and no one comes to the event.
* the venue is so full of people that we can't fit everyone in.
Both options have had several endings, but the absolute favorite is the one with the happy ending: Patrick Gordon Framing is fully packed and there's a long lineup outside. We are trying to find a solution how to fit everyone in. We're thinking thinking thinking but nothing helps. Until we suddenly realize that there is a huge building with a giant auditorium next to PGF (building actually landed from the outer space - remember that this is a dream); in a trice the whole crowd is smoothly relocated and the event can start.
Luckily there's not much time for nightmares anymore, since the real thing is on Monday, hurray!
The art exhibition by 29 local artist, Back Burner, was opened already today, and it's definitely worth of visiting, and visiting with time. 29 different and differently thought-provoking pieces of art reflecting the importance of art. Tonight at the exhibition opening PGF was buzzing with people, and we hope it to be so on Monday night again. Come early, at 6.30pm when the doors are opened, so you will have time to see how local artists got inspired by Yann Martel. .
See you there!
* we realize that we've been promoting the wrong night, and no one comes to the event.
* the venue is so full of people that we can't fit everyone in.
Both options have had several endings, but the absolute favorite is the one with the happy ending: Patrick Gordon Framing is fully packed and there's a long lineup outside. We are trying to find a solution how to fit everyone in. We're thinking thinking thinking but nothing helps. Until we suddenly realize that there is a huge building with a giant auditorium next to PGF (building actually landed from the outer space - remember that this is a dream); in a trice the whole crowd is smoothly relocated and the event can start.
Luckily there's not much time for nightmares anymore, since the real thing is on Monday, hurray!
The art exhibition by 29 local artist, Back Burner, was opened already today, and it's definitely worth of visiting, and visiting with time. 29 different and differently thought-provoking pieces of art reflecting the importance of art. Tonight at the exhibition opening PGF was buzzing with people, and we hope it to be so on Monday night again. Come early, at 6.30pm when the doors are opened, so you will have time to see how local artists got inspired by Yann Martel. .
See you there!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
What Is Stephen Harper Reading? asks Yann Martel
We are thrilled to co-host an interartistic evening with Patrick Gordon Framing on November 16: the launch of What Is Stephen Harper Reading? by Yann Martel is accompanied with Back Burner, an art exhibition by 29 local artists inspired by Yann Martel.
Martel’s new book is a collection of letters, and over fifty recommendations of great books, which he has mailed to the Prime Minister Stephen Harper since March 2007. Martel’s admiration for and strong belief in the power of arts in one hand, and his frustration with art funding cuts on the other hand inspired 29 artists to create an exhibition Back Burner with a common theme “message to the government”.
It will be an evening of great discussion on literature, visual arts and importance of Canadian art. The MC of the evening is Peter Honeywell, the Executive Director of the Council for the Arts in Ottawa.
The event takes place on Monday, November 16 at Patrick Gordon Framing, 160 Elm Street. (http://patrickgordonframing.ca/)
Doors open at 6.30, speakers at 7 pm.
No admission fee, no advance tickets, better to come early!
Back Burner artists: Adrian Gollner, Andrea Sutton, Beth Levin, Bill McCann, Christopher Griffin, Christos Pantieras, Daniel Marchand, Daniel Sharp, Danny Hussey, Dave Cooper, David Barbour, John Barkley, John Moffat, Justin Wonnacott, Maggie Knaus, Marjory Loveys, Mary Spicer, Michele Provost, Mike Ross, Mirana Zuger, Pat Durr, Patrick Cocklin, Patti Normand, Pedro Isztin, Peter Shemlzer, Petra Halkes, Reid McLachlan, Remi Theriault, Wojciech Jakobiec.
Martel’s new book is a collection of letters, and over fifty recommendations of great books, which he has mailed to the Prime Minister Stephen Harper since March 2007. Martel’s admiration for and strong belief in the power of arts in one hand, and his frustration with art funding cuts on the other hand inspired 29 artists to create an exhibition Back Burner with a common theme “message to the government”.
It will be an evening of great discussion on literature, visual arts and importance of Canadian art. The MC of the evening is Peter Honeywell, the Executive Director of the Council for the Arts in Ottawa.
The event takes place on Monday, November 16 at Patrick Gordon Framing, 160 Elm Street. (http://patrickgordonframing.ca/)
Doors open at 6.30, speakers at 7 pm.
No admission fee, no advance tickets, better to come early!
Back Burner artists: Adrian Gollner, Andrea Sutton, Beth Levin, Bill McCann, Christopher Griffin, Christos Pantieras, Daniel Marchand, Daniel Sharp, Danny Hussey, Dave Cooper, David Barbour, John Barkley, John Moffat, Justin Wonnacott, Maggie Knaus, Marjory Loveys, Mary Spicer, Michele Provost, Mike Ross, Mirana Zuger, Pat Durr, Patrick Cocklin, Patti Normand, Pedro Isztin, Peter Shemlzer, Petra Halkes, Reid McLachlan, Remi Theriault, Wojciech Jakobiec.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Adria Vasil helps you to make your home greener
"We spend so much time at home—why not make it a sustainable haven instead of a polluting, off-gassing cesspool?”
Yeah, why not? Come and learn from Adria Vasil how you can make your home greener. Her new book, Ecoholic Home: The Greenest, Cleanest and Most Energy-Efficient Information Under One Roof, has just been released, and Octopus Books is excited to co-host the launch with Arbour Environmental Shoppe.
The launch will take place at the Arbour Environmental Shoppe (800 Bank St) on Monday November 9 at 7:00 pm. Free Admission.
Ecoholic Home offers reminders and tips on how to keep your castle (however humble or small) clean, energy-efficient and healthy. The book addresses the green side of the economic crisis, and includes a resource guide for finding designers and contractors, and for renovating and shopping green.
Ecoholic Home is the highly anticipated follow-up to the massively successful and bestselling Ecoholic.
Yeah, why not? Come and learn from Adria Vasil how you can make your home greener. Her new book, Ecoholic Home: The Greenest, Cleanest and Most Energy-Efficient Information Under One Roof, has just been released, and Octopus Books is excited to co-host the launch with Arbour Environmental Shoppe.
The launch will take place at the Arbour Environmental Shoppe (800 Bank St) on Monday November 9 at 7:00 pm. Free Admission.
Ecoholic Home offers reminders and tips on how to keep your castle (however humble or small) clean, energy-efficient and healthy. The book addresses the green side of the economic crisis, and includes a resource guide for finding designers and contractors, and for renovating and shopping green.
Ecoholic Home is the highly anticipated follow-up to the massively successful and bestselling Ecoholic.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sunny Saturday at the Main Farmers' Market
What a relief it was to wake up for a sunny morning on October 17 --- the outdoor event with Thomas Pawlick wouldn't be blown away by an autumn storm!
Indeed quite the opposite, for at 11 am when Pawlick started to talk about his newest book "The War In The Country", the Main Farmers' Market was autumnal warm and sunny, and buzzing with people. In his speech Pawlick emphasized the importance of locally produced products in order to keep our food nutritious and safe. He encouraged the audience to support local farmers and congratulated the market and its vendors for good work: "The goal is to have as many farmers' markets as there are supermarkets!"
Market Manager Greer introducing Thomas Pawlick.
Crowd listened carefully what Pawlick had to say about decreasing levels of nutrients in our food, factory farms and government politics towards small scale farmers.
The winner of the lunch with the author was a two-week-old baby! She and Thomas enjoyed the delicious food of the Green Door Restaurant and saw eye to eye on things.
Buy a book! Participate the free raffle! Come to our next event!
Indeed quite the opposite, for at 11 am when Pawlick started to talk about his newest book "The War In The Country", the Main Farmers' Market was autumnal warm and sunny, and buzzing with people. In his speech Pawlick emphasized the importance of locally produced products in order to keep our food nutritious and safe. He encouraged the audience to support local farmers and congratulated the market and its vendors for good work: "The goal is to have as many farmers' markets as there are supermarkets!"
Market Manager Greer introducing Thomas Pawlick.
Crowd listened carefully what Pawlick had to say about decreasing levels of nutrients in our food, factory farms and government politics towards small scale farmers.
The winner of the lunch with the author was a two-week-old baby! She and Thomas enjoyed the delicious food of the Green Door Restaurant and saw eye to eye on things.
Buy a book! Participate the free raffle! Come to our next event!Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Only three days more...
... to the amazing 40th birthday party!
Excitement is building up as the details are being finalized.
Invitations have been sent to left and left... Posters have been (and are still being) spread all over the city… Delicious snacks have been ordered… Cake, the beautiful Octopus cake, has been ordered… Decorations for Friday evening are being prepared… Final to-do-lists are being made and lost and re-made… “Whatelsewhatelsewhatelse, have we forgotten something” is being thought. And re-thought. And re-thought.
Yes, we might have forgotten something that we don’t even know about yet. But after all, all that matters are people. YOU. That you will come to the party, enjoy your time there, share your story, share your experiences in and memories of the store with us and with the many other Octopus-friends. With your help, the store has been kept alive for forty years and we wish to thank you and celebrate with you on Friday
See you soon!
Excitement is building up as the details are being finalized.
Invitations have been sent to left and left... Posters have been (and are still being) spread all over the city… Delicious snacks have been ordered… Cake, the beautiful Octopus cake, has been ordered… Decorations for Friday evening are being prepared… Final to-do-lists are being made and lost and re-made… “Whatelsewhatelsewhatelse, have we forgotten something” is being thought. And re-thought. And re-thought.
Yes, we might have forgotten something that we don’t even know about yet. But after all, all that matters are people. YOU. That you will come to the party, enjoy your time there, share your story, share your experiences in and memories of the store with us and with the many other Octopus-friends. With your help, the store has been kept alive for forty years and we wish to thank you and celebrate with you on Friday
See you soon!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
BDAY PARTEEE!
It's hard to figure out how to mark the 40th birthday of a bookstore that has seen hundreds of people behind the scenes, keeping it alive and thousands of customers who have stuck with us through it all. BUT! We think we have done it - a little something for everyone who has helped make it what it was, what it is and what it will be.
If you have ever volunteered, worked, shopped or visited the store please join us for a great celebration of all that is good in the world!
(www.pinkcakebox.com)
Friday October 30, 2009
The Carleton Tavern 223 Armstrong Avenue (at Parkdale and Armstrong)
Doors open at 6:30
7:00 Jean-Claude Parrot (of CUPW fame) - his theme "the past 40 years - where have we been,where are we going?"
8:00 Jennifer Whiteford (local author and one time Octopus staff member ) will read some of her newest work
9:00 Archival Footage - a fabulous local band will kick off the musical portion of the evening (p.s. three former Octopus staff members in this band!)
10:00 The Brothers Creeggan
11:00 The Bidiniband
It promises to be a night of fun, friends and fabulous entertainment.. Please join us for all or some of it!
www.davebidini.ca
www.brotherscreeggan.com
www.myspace.com/archivalfootage
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Claude_Parrot
If you have ever volunteered, worked, shopped or visited the store please join us for a great celebration of all that is good in the world!
(www.pinkcakebox.com)Friday October 30, 2009
The Carleton Tavern 223 Armstrong Avenue (at Parkdale and Armstrong)
Doors open at 6:30
7:00 Jean-Claude Parrot (of CUPW fame) - his theme "the past 40 years - where have we been,where are we going?"
8:00 Jennifer Whiteford (local author and one time Octopus staff member ) will read some of her newest work
9:00 Archival Footage - a fabulous local band will kick off the musical portion of the evening (p.s. three former Octopus staff members in this band!)
10:00 The Brothers Creeggan
11:00 The Bidiniband
It promises to be a night of fun, friends and fabulous entertainment.. Please join us for all or some of it!
www.davebidini.ca
www.brotherscreeggan.com
www.myspace.com/archivalfootage
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Claude_Parrot
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
