what i’m reading: the nickel boys by colson whitehead
By now wmtc readers, at least those who read my “what i’m reading” posts, know that Colson Whitehead is one of my favourite authors. I was so happy that he…
what i’m reading
toni morrison, rest in power
I was so shocked and saddened to learn of Toni Morrison’s death. I’ve been reading her work since a university creative writing teacher recommended The Bluest Eye in 1979. I’ve…
wallander, roddy doyle, one of us is lying: what i’m reading between massive biographies
These biographies are taking me a very long time to read. The list of books I want to read continues to grow, as always, and it feels wrong to use…
what i’m reading: frederick douglass, prophet of freedom
My biography reading continues: I finally finished Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by the historian and Douglass scholar David Blight. It is a monumental work, not an easy read, but…
july 1: canada day and beyond
Happy Canada Day from the traditional and unceded territory of the Kwakiutl people, whose historical ties to this land date back from time immemorial and continue to this day. Many…
five things you probably don’t know about frederick douglass (and u.s. history)
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom, David W. Blight’s monumental biography of that greatest of Americans, is a long, challenging, and utterly fascinating read. After waiting for months to borrow it…
what i’m reading: jackie robinson: a biography
I finished reading this fine biography a while ago, but I’ve been having trouble writing about it. It was very good. If some parts were a bit too detailed for…
what i’m reading: solitary raven: the essential writings of bill reid
I’m supposed to be writing about the Jackie Robinson biography, which I finished weeks ago, but so far I haven’t been motivated to do so. I finished another Wallander mystery…
a reading plan for 2019: the year of the biography?
A new biography of Frederick Douglass has gotten glowing reviews, and as Douglass is one of my great heroes — one of the greatest Americans — I definitely want to…
what i’m reading: occupy nation by todd gitlin
Occupy Nation: The Roots, the Spirit, and the Promise of Occupy Wall Street is a history and ethnography of Occupy Wall Street, and the Occupy movement. Author, sociologist, and longtime…
what i’m reading: hunger by roxane gay
During the Ontario provincial election, after a hack from the Toronto Sun drew attention to an unpopular view that I had expressed some years earlier, I was the object of…
first nations public library week
Yesterday was Orange Shirt Day. October 1 through 7 is First Nations Public Library Week in Canada. I’ll write more about this soon. For now, a book review from a…
what i’m reading: collected (and amazing) nonfiction by saul bellow
When the author Saul Bellow died in 2005 at the age of 90, I was saddened and disappointed by the scant attention paid to his passing. Bellow was one of…
what i’m re-reading: the ax by donald westlake and other literary thrillers
I’ve just re-read* one of my all-time favourites: The Ax by Donald Westlake. I’m agog with how much I love this book. But first, the requisite blather. * * *…
what i’m reading: running the books: the adventures of an accidental prison librarian
I read this book many months ago. I’m still catching up from my involuntary blogging hiatus. Last year I read and wrote about The Maximum Security Book Club: Reading Literature…
rip philip roth
I was literally reading this article in The New York Times about Philip Roth when I heard he had died. It’s a wonderful story: an 85-year-old celebrated author who has…
on poppies, veterans, trolls, and doxing
First of all, I do not apologize. I have nothing to apologize for. No one should apologize for having an unpopular opinion, or an opinion that the majority finds offensive.…
reading can make you a better person. here’s evidence.
Celebrate #EmpathyDay with a good book. Last year, a prosecutor in the US state of Virginia asked a judge to hand down an unusual sentence. Five teens had defaced a…
what i’m reading: brendan’s way by matthew bin
Brendan’s Way by Matthew Bin is a genre-blending journey story combining adventure, mystery, and conspiracy in a futuristic setting. It’s technically science fiction, as it takes place in the future…
what i’m reading: short reviews of fiction by margaret atwood, madeleine thien, frances itani, elizabeth kostova
I’ve gathered some thoughts about several novels I read but neglected to write about. I enjoyed them all to varying degrees; all are worth reading if you enjoy the type.…