Mitchell Toews's Blog, page 4
December 12, 2023
Author Gregg Norman
Lake Dauphin is part of a unique prairie watershed. It is the wind-worked home to pickerel and pike surrounded by wetlands and peaty sedge meadows. The lake represents a mature ecology bounded by strong parkland features and clearly influenced by the seemingly unending prairie to the south and west. The northern-influenced climate and relatively sparse human population present a persona still wild in its soulful inner self but outwardly, a place of calm and quiet strength.
This account of place could just as easily describe one of the region’s residents: five-book author Gregg Norman. I’ve had the good fortune to stumble onto Gregg’s writing and just as enjoyably, his cordial, affable, and knowledgeable personality. After a few years of comments and emails, reading each others’ work and becoming online friends it’s time to write a proper review.
Drawing from two of Gregg’s novels—A Gift of Scars and Bingo at the Legion—here’s a summary that offers an overview of author Norman’s overall skills and attributes as a writer, as well as commentary on these two excellent reads.
In Gregg Norman’s books, we find a stabilizing foundation beneath the storytelling. Part of his underlying prose meter is to allow readers to view life and its intricacies, complexity, and sudden reversals almost exclusively through the experiences of the characters. As a result, fiction readers looking for an escape from their own day-to-day entanglements will find in these books a place where transportation into a virtual world is pleasingly easy and without the slippery footing so common in current literary fiction. Norman’s gripping realism feels exacting and personal even if it is drawn from places and characters that could be right next door. The scenes arrive, ruddy-cheeked and vital, from any one of a number of common memories and experiences that the author provides. Common only in their familiarity; uncommon in their singular personality and well-delivered descriptions. Norman steeps his stories in slowly revealed character studies, influenced as they should be, as they must be, by landscapes and neighbourhoods and relationships that this strong, characterful author knows well. Knows in his bones and his scars and his mature sensibility. He communicates fluidly, with the firm hand and big heart we desire from a storyteller.
Even treacherous ground like a failed high school romance renewed does not succumb to treacle or overwrought plotting and stilted dialogue. Instead, the relationship is renewed with subtle vibrancy, coming off the page and drawing us in with the feelings and emotions we know to be true to the situation. Norman has that deep well to draw from:
“The supreme question about a work of art is out of how deep a life does it spring. Paintings of Moreau are paintings of ideas. The deepest poetry of Shelley, the words of Hamlet bring our mind into contact with the eternal wisdom; Plato’s world of ideas. All the rest is the speculation of schoolboys for schoolboys.” —James Joyce, Ulysses
Norman adheres to this Joycean ethic without seeming as though he is trying to. His books about average, flawed people are indeed, “paintings of ideas;” word paintings, cut carefully with dialogue, imagery, word craft and the caring of a fully-invested artist.
Sometimes the characters may at first appear bleak or we find they are placed on stoney emotional ground. But unfailingly, they evolve at a pace well controlled—never contrived. Feelings furrow the ground, turning aside our first inclinations towards the character and revealing the core individual Norman has created. By allowing the characters to emerge more fully, the reader is brought along without effort or disbelief.
Families behave like families do: there is a hint of dysfunction and imperfection, even if the core is based on love and respect. Friendships have rough spots. Cars don’t always start when you need them to. If there was a rocket ship or a superhero or a cataclysmic event in a Norman book, it would sputter or flutter or remind you of butter—this author is simply not tempted by overkill and literary hyperbole. Rather than depend on mighty but unlikely events or personalities, Norman’s stories move along in less imposing circumstances and arrive where they should, after a satisfying and trying struggle. The author leaves the reader—and often the main character—worse for wear, but better for the experience.
People fall in love. They become ill. Some recover and others die. Dreams die too, though somehow we know that among those dreams, even those belonging to characters we first believed to be weak or ignoble, might be given a second chance.
A Gift of Scars: Gritty, untarnished realism with the deftly applied fictional touch of an observant and world-wise writer. At times darkly shaded, in the end, Scars leaves us with the feeling that perseverance, emotional honesty and the ability to keep striving despite our despair will serve us well.
In Bingo at the Legion, we think we have happened upon a quotidian gathering of “ordinary folks.” While this is not untrue, the underpinning fact is that there are no ordinary lives and that life is both fickle and generous. We know from watching Brenna, Grady, and Jasper that past missteps can be retaken and it is within our scope to alter what fate has given us no matter how unlikely it seems.
The lessons available through these enjoyable contes de vie are provided with a delicate touch—no authorial overburden. The characters become known to us and real in our minds. When we reach the tightly written conclusions, we may be surprised but never shocked or taken outside of the story. The characters reveal what we have been skillfully led to see in them.
The perfect Christmastime getaway? Travel to Lake Dauphin and back via Bingo at the Legion, Oz Destiny, Not My Dog, A Gift of Scars, and Lovely Way to Burn. https://greggnormanauthor.com/books/
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December 6, 2023
Poetry to be Stickered
they are the grit in my mennonite eye
says the young mother
with the hundred
year sigh
the bitter green melon at the tom boy store
the one that is rotten to its pale green core
you are the bread that would not rise
lonely and sad
under cotton dry skies
he is the hand with the frail wrinkled skin
the piano teacher
softly
let us begin
they are the fist clenched in loud might
tell me then girlie
what wars did you fight
he is the kind of girl we all knew
a skirmish solo
on a pew
made for two
die owlah grips my arm with a clasp o so firm
until seven or eight
the extent of my term
so pitter
and patter
and round we all go
fox and geese in the binary snow
time will come for us all
surprisingly fast
and the first ones now
shall later be
last
November 30, 2023
Characters: What It’s All About
IMAGE: Jackson Pollock at the MoMA, by joansorolla Creative Commons site
“I respond to character-driven material, regardless of its origin. I fall in love with the characters and generally respond to stories featuring ordinary people who succeed in overcoming extraordinary challenges.” —Producer Gale Anne Hurd
If I had a mantra while writing Pinching Zwieback, it could have been this.
During the Morden library reading on November 28, an astute reader commented that in a normal short story, the reader can be frustrated because the story ends so soon, unlike a novel where characters receive more development. By using recurrent characters and a narrative arc that goes from beginning to end, much as a novel does, the readers get to know the main characters in PZ quite well.
These observations are true for readers and I can comment that it’s true for the author too! I learned a lot about these characters from the structure of the storytelling and by “letting them tell the story” as they developed personality and definition during the writing of the book.
My expert editors, including Matt Joudrey, Alana Brooker, Nina McIntyre, and Priyanka Ketkar did a lot to bring these distinct characters out and let them fulfil their roles as individuals in the larger story told by the collection as a whole.
This aspect of writing Pinching Zwieback was one of the most enjoyable—and cathartic—for me as I did an emotional freefall and let my imagination go, using the characters as the vehicle to rewrite life events from my past and explore alternate outcomes.
I didn’t always use the outcomes I imagined, but just the act of creating them allowed me to think more freely about my own history without being bound by what “really” happened. My job as a storyteller benefitted from this exercise, particularly with the help of my expert team of editors.
In addition, I tried to let the characters come alive and to have them think and sound in the genuine way I imagined they would.
“[…] I like the rawness of the pure untarnished colloquial voice in the reading. Having something to say is essential to me. That is to say, I’m not impressed with a great volume of rarely used words thrown together to impress the reader with the vast knowledge of the writer on command of English, tricks of writing, ancient history, or the places they’ve travelled.”—An excerpt from an interview by writer, editor, publisher Judith Lawrence in, “Six Questions For…”
November 27, 2023
November 17, 2023
Somebody PINCH Me!
“Mitchell smiled with his bruised mouth,” to paraphrase Mr. Steinbeck.
November 16, 2023
50% BOOK SALE: Act Fast! Nov 16-19
Wow! My publisher must have sniffed one VOC too many. For a short while, Pinching Zwieback and, in fact, all At Bay Press titles are up for grabs at HALF PRICE. For American readers (with their powerful US Greenbacks) it’s almost like I’m PAYING YOU to buy my book! That negative income proposition is not the way I was led to believe it worked via my extensive research of Snoopy cartoons. (Ending in a whole Romeo-Juliet thing with me and Peppermint Patty. . .)
No matter. To buy my collection of short stories hit this SALE LINK. USE CODE: BIG50
Here’s a Pinching Zwieback-specific mnemonic device to help you remember the BIG50 sale code. It’s 50% off, which allows you to buy a case of this stuff, which is the brand consumed by characters like Big Johnny Fear (Fehr) and Dick Loewen. Hart Zehen, of course, was a Carling Black Label guy. “Like a Mennonite ‘Dubliners’ set in the Canadian West, Pinching Zwieback follows the lives of recurrent characters on a rumble strip road filled with pick-up trucks, strong women with sad eyes, and those who were once ‘the quiet in the land.'”—Nope, no one ever said this or wrote this blurb. To see some actual opinions, hit this LINK! https://mitchellaneous.com/2023/10/11/early-praise-for-pinching-zwieback-2/
Miss the sale? Have no fear there are many places to grab a copy: December 3 at the Park Theatre in Winnipeg at the Fireside Book Market https://www.instagram.com/p/CzMQfn_gWL4/ or online from numerous vendor sites including McNally Robinson Booksellers (online or in person in Wpg or Saskatoon) or at one of the many book launch events at which I’ll be reading, signing, and selling. (Pus other Christmasy bookish opportunities coming up!)
Follow my Facebook page for a list of upcoming events or contact me to BOOK me. Here’s the current schedule, with dates in Abbotsford, Winnipeg, Lac du Bonnet, and several in Steinbach already in the rear-view:
Nov 18 The Public Brewhouse, Steinbach 7 P.M. with MC award-winning author Andrew Unger |Nov 21 Altona Library 7 P.M. | Nov 22 Pinawa Library 7 P.M. | Nov 23 Winkler Library 7 P.M. | Nov 28 Morden Library 7 P.M. | Fireside Book Market Dec 3 Park Theatre, Winnipeg 10 A.M.-6 P.M. | The Listening Room Dec 13 Open Mic, Lac du Bonnet | PLUS events in Kenora, Brandon, Lac du Bonnet, TBA
If you don’t find Pinching Zwieback at your local bookshop or library, request it and/or shoot us a note and we’ll make it easy for them to get a copy or, as Snoopy would have me believe, fifty-five.
October 24, 2023
Fast Links: Pinching Zwieback by Manitoba Author Mitchell Toews
THIS PAGE HAS BEEN CONSOLIDATED HERE: https://mitchellaneous.com/2023/09/30/pinching-zwieback-book-author-publication-event-details/
October 24, 2023: The official launch day for Pinching Zwieback, Mitchell Toews debut collection of short stories from At Bay Press. Release Date is November 7, 2023. Mitchell and wife Janice live on Jessica Lake, in the boreal forest on Treaty 1 & 3 territory, the home of the Métis Nation.
Events: https://mitchellaneous.com/2023/10/20/pinching-zwieback-events/
Where to Purchase: “Pinching Zwieback” ISBN 9781998779055 by Mitchell Toews (At Bay Press, Wpg) may be purchased at:
From At Bay Press: “Individual orders are placed through our website by adding books to your cart and then checking out with our secure online payment. Orders may also be placed over the phone by calling 204-489-6658 and payment will be taken over the phone. You may send an email with any questions or concerns to atbaypress@gmail.com.”
McNally Robinson Booksellers all locations.
The gift shops at both Mennonite Heritage Village (Steinbach) and Mennonite Heritage Museum (Abbotsford).
CommonWord Bookstore and Resource Centre in Winnipeg, MB
Manitoba Made Events & Shop in Lac du Bonnet, MB
Shop in person: Canadian Bookstore Map or visit the At Bay Press website SHOP LOCAL page to find the Independent book store near you.
Virtually all ONLINE book sources WORLDWIDE including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Thriftbooks, etc.
Libraries and booksellers in Canada and the U.S. may purchase books from At Bay Press’s distribution partners:
Canada: http://www.litdistco.ca/
U.S.: https://www.casemateipm.com/9781998779055/pinching-zwieback/
Aus/NZ: https://peribo.com.au/
Other countries: Please see https://atbaypress.com/ordering or contact Matt Joudrey atbaypress@gmail.com
Requesting “Pinching Zwieback” by Mitchell Toews (At Bay Press, Wpg, 2023) at your favourite bookstore or library is also a simple way to get a copy!
Be sure to look out for author and publisher events and check with Mitch or Matt on how to receive signed copies or for information concerning special situations like review or interview requests.
“Imbued with the turbulence of an ancestral river, the joy of a toboggan careening down an icy run, and the despair of dreams broken on a distant hockey rink, Mitchell Toews’ stories ask universal questions, about belonging, conforming and dissenting, all the while rooted in the snowdrifts and sun-drenched fields of a small prairie town. The answers emerge hot from the oven, fragrant like the zwieback buns of the title: we find ourselves in our family, and memories, and forgiveness, as familiar and soothing as the worn leather of a much-loved baseball glove.”—Zilla Jones, Journey Prize winner and finalist for the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award
Having an Awesome Writing Day. Full Stop.
Image: Pulp Literature Newsletter Oct 24
October 24, 2023: The official launch day for Pinching Zwieback, my debut collection of short stories from At Bay Press.
Events: https://mitchellaneous.com/2023/10/20/pinching-zwieback-events/
Where to Purchase: “Pinching Zwieback” ISBN 9781998779055 by Mitchell Toews (At Bay Press, Wpg) may be purchased at:
From At Bay Press: “Individual orders are placed through our website by adding books to your cart and then checking out with our secure online payment. Orders may also be placed over the phone by calling 204-489-6658 and payment will be taken over the phone. You may send an email with any questions or concerns to atbaypress@gmail.com.”
McNally Robinson Booksellers (Pre-order available) all locations.
The gift shops at both Mennonite Heritage Village (Steinbach) and Mennonite Heritage Museum (Abbotsford).
CommonWord Bookstore and Resource Centre in Winnipeg, MB
Manitoba Made Events & Shop in Lac du Bonnet, MB
Shop in person: Canadian Bookstore Map
Virtually all ONLINE book sources WORLDWIDE including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Thriftbooks, etc.
Libraries and booksellers in Canada and the U.S. may purchase books from At Bay Press’s distribution partners:
Canada: http://www.litdistco.ca/
U.S.: https://www.casemateipm.com/9781998779055/pinching-zwieback/
Aus/NZ: https://peribo.com.au/
Other countries: Please see https://atbaypress.com/ordering or contact Matt Joudrey
Be sure to look out for author and publisher events and check with Mitch or Matt on how to receive signed copies or for information concerning special situations. Requesting “Pinching Zwieback” by Mitchell Toews (At Bay Press, Wpg) at your fav bookstore or at your library will also get you a copy and if not—please let us know and we’ll help out.
October 20, 2023
Pinching Zwieback Events
Book launches, book chats, readings, panel discussions, and writing sessions coming up as Mitchell Toews’ debut collection of short stories is mixed, proofed, punched, cut, pinched, and baked.
Action shot pinched from The Steinbach TribunePinching Zwieback: Made-up Stories from the Darp (Updates and schedule changes provided asap)
Nov 2 Mennonite Heritage Museum, Abbotsford “Books and Borscht” meal at noon, book chat at 1 P.M.
Nov 8 McNally Robinson Booksellers Grant Park, Winnipeg Mitch is joining Ariel Gordon (co-author, with Brenda Schmidt) of “Siteseeing,” a book of poetry. The evening will be hosted by Sue Sorensen (another At Bay Press author) and Sue will read for Brenda who cannot be in attendance this evening. 7 P.M.
Nov 9 Arts Centre, Lac du Bonnet with Ariel Gordon (“Siteseeing”), Mitch and At Bay Press publisher, Matt Joudrey. Local musicians will complement the readings: singer-songwriters Bernadette Carlson, Lefty Auger (Daryl Reimer), and Paul McIntosh. 7 P.M.
Nov 15 Mennonite Heritage Village, Local Authors Night in Steinbach with Host Nita Wiebe, and Elma Koop, Mary Lou Driedger, Noreen Janzen, and Mitch. 7 P.M.
Nov 18 The Public Brewhouse, Steinbach with EmCee Andrew Unger and co-hosts Dave Driedger and John “Hans” Neufeld for beer (nor tasty non-alcoholoic alternatives) and book chat. 7 P.M. (Arrive early—limited seating.)
Nov 21 Public Library, Altona 7 P.M. Book launch.
Nov 22 Public Library, Pinawa 7 P.M. Book launch.
Nov 23 Public Library, Winkler 7 P.M. Book launch.
Nov 28 Public Library, Morden 7 P.M. Book launch.
Dec 3 Fireside Book Market, Park Theatre, Winnipeg with authors and publishers from four local presses for a fall fest of book sales, signings, and lots of book chatter. 10 A.M.—6 P.M.
Dates TBA in the Public Libraries in Kenora (2023) and Lac du Bonnet (Spring 2024)
https://atbaypress.com/books/detail/pinching-zwieback
On child birthdays we toss the kids in the air, make wishes and offer a “pinch to grow an inch.” Pinching Zwieback is a gathering of pinches as a young man, dough in the hands of powerful albeit diminished women that rises in the oven of cultural expectation to a better understanding of his place in the world beyond the kitchen of his creation… Life is reaching for the light, which never falters even as the human characters flicker and fade.—Poet Laureate, feminist, and author Linda Rogers Van Krugel
~ ~ ~
Mitch Toews speaks from the margins of small-town society, claiming a space for the underdog and the undervalued. His characters must go through all manner of tests and challenges, but in the end–love wins. —Ralph Friesen, author of Between Earth & Sky: Steinbach’s First 50 Years and Dad, God, and Me.
~ ~ ~
Mitchell Toews’ stories range from Tom Sawyer-like tales of boyhood squabbles to the heartbreak of family dysfunction to the cruelty of small-town hypocrisy. Hilarious and tragic in turn, Toews explores facets of Mennonite life that other Mennonite writers have not touched.—Armin Wiebe, author of The Salvation of Yasch Siemens and Grandmother and many more.
October 11, 2023
Would You Read?
Menno Porn? “Uhhh… what is that (?) and no thanks.”
Historical Mennonite Fiction? “Yes, I love those. They represent the combined zenith of art and social discourse. I love immersing myself in a lush imaginary world with numerous distinct characters… and six generations, two wars, eight church splinterings…and a book that WestJet charges extra to bring on board. I love them but I need a bigger purse. I love them, but…”
Okay. So, something with some angst? Something with some joy? A little grit? (A LOT of grit?) Something true to the heart, but with a roaming nature and an observational stance? Short stories perhaps? Episodes with an eclectic recurrent cast of recognizable (but fictional) characters wound around a common core—barbed wire both rusted and new, braided with ribbons of a brighter hue? A book where “love wins” but the issue is often in doubt? A not-so-quiet telling of the quiet in the land, by one who is part-outsider while ineffably an insider’s insider? “Hmmm. Possibly. Does it happen to have a Plautdietsch glossary guaranteed to start arguments at the Tim Hortons and Adult Sunday School?”
[image error]“Pinching Zwieback: Made-up Stories from the Darp” is now available to order.
Mitchell Toews’ debut collection of short stories from At Bay Press (Wpg) is in stock and ready for orders from booksellers, libraries, and individuals. (Reviewers: please inquire.) It will be carried by McNally Robinson Booksellers, Manitoba Made (Lac du Bonnet), the gift shop/book shops in the Mennonite Museums in Steinbach & Abbotsford, and (hopefully) many other bookstores. All the usual online sources will carry PZ. Ask for a copy at your favourite bookshop or library!
Where to buy—a GROWING LIST: At Bay Press (Wpg), the gift shop/book shops in the Mennonite Museums in Abbotsford, BC & Steinbach, MB, the University of Victoria Bookstore, McNally Robinson Booksellers (Canada wide), Manitoba Made (Lac du Bonnet, MB), CommonWords, (Wpg,) and many other bookstores to follow. All the usual ONLINE sources will carry PZ including Amazon, Amazon.ca, Indigo-Chapters, Google Books, Barnes & Noble, Thrift Books, Booktopia, Tertulia, WHSmith, Magers and Quinn Booksellers, Wook, Mighty Ape, Peribo, Foyles, Angus & Robertson, Bol.com, Bertrand, 49th Kids, Books-a-Million, Okian (Japan), and more.
From 1874 Russia to 21st century Manitoba and British Columbia, Mitchell Toews’ linked stories present us with a boisterous and poignant family saga unlike any other in Mennonite literature.—Armin Wiebe, author of The Salvation of Yasch Siemens and Grandmother, Laughing. http://www.arminwiebe.ca/ (More: https://mitchellaneous.com/2023/10/11/early-praise-for-pinching-zwieback-2/)
Look for the in-depth review by renowned Canadian poet, author, and raconteur, Linda Rogers van Krugel of Victoria, coming soon with more reviews to follow from other literary sources in the US and Canada.
Of note: October 2023, Mitchell Toews’ new story “Saskatchewan” was Shortlisted for the inaugural Nona Macdonald Heaslip $15,000 “Best Canadian Short Story” Competition and Award in memory of Morley Callaghan from Exile Quarterly/Exile Editions.
Contacts, ordering:
At Bay Press
Matt Joudrey
319 Queenston St.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
R3N 0W9
atbaypress@gmail.com
204-489-6658
Cdn distributor for At Bay Press, LitDistCo: http://www.litdistco.ca/
USA distributor, Casemate: https://www.casemateipm.com/9781998779055/pinching-zwieback/
Schedule of Events: Mennonite Heritage Museum, Abbotsford Nov 2, McNally Robinson Booksellers, Grant Park, Wpg Nov 8, Lac du Bonnet Nov 9, Mennonite Heritage Village, Steinbach Nov 15, The Public Brewhouse & Gallery with emcee Andrew Unger, Steinbach Nov 18. Pinawa Library, Pinawa, MB, Nov 2023 (TBA), Lac du Bonnet Regional Library, LdB, MB Spring 2024 (TBA). Mitch (“Has books, will travel”) is available for book readings and events and is particularly interested in discussions on “writing your culture.”
“I come to writing fiction from the storyteller’s places: the campfire, the backseat on a long drive, the bar stool.” —MJT
