Stuart Ross's Blog, page 26
December 8, 2010
I made Huffington Post!
I probably spend more time reading Huffington Post than I spend writing. I am hooked. So imagine my thrill when this morning I found out that my second book trailer had made it onto HuffPo's best/worst book trailer-poll.
I went from about 230 hits to about 3,000 overnight. This might increase my book sales by one or maybe even two!
Here it is.
Over and out.
I went from about 230 hits to about 3,000 overnight. This might increase my book sales by one or maybe even two!
Here it is.
Over and out.
November 27, 2010
I'm reading on Monday in Kingston — plus Ben Walker, Anne McLean and John Lavery!
One of the greatest pleasures of my residency at Queen's this fall has been organizing a series I've called The Real Resident Reading Series. These readings, without exception, have been dream readings for me. Last Sunday, I also put together a stand-alone event featuring six Mansfield Press poets I've worked with: about 50 people showed up on a Sunday late-afternoon and most stayed to the not-so-bitter end: it was a long night, because several of the writers got stuck in a traffic jam on the 401, just a few kilometres outside of town. In the end, all was well.
This Monday, I'm reading in my own series, even though that's bad form! I'll be joined by musician Ben Walker, translator Anne McLean and novelist John Lavery. It's going to be a great evening.
Over and out.
This Monday, I'm reading in my own series, even though that's bad form! I'll be joined by musician Ben Walker, translator Anne McLean and novelist John Lavery. It's going to be a great evening.
Over and out.
November 21, 2010
Today, Mansfield Press invades Kingston. Plus: Fuck Facebook
Today! 5:15! Ben's Pub! Kingston! The Mansfield Press Kingston Poetry Invasion featuring readings by the serene Jason Heroux, the surprising Leigh Nash, the mysterious Lillian Necakov, the wily Peter Norman, the optimistic Natasha Nuhanovic, the turbulent Jim Smith. All for free! And hosted by the neurotic Stuart Ross. See you there!
I really do have to make this blog part of my (professional) life again.
Fuck Facebook. I'm not leaving quite yet, but still, fuck it.
Over and out.
I really do have to make this blog part of my (professional) life again.
Fuck Facebook. I'm not leaving quite yet, but still, fuck it.
Over and out.
November 17, 2010
Kingston Poetry Invasion this Sunday!
OK, I'm straying off Queen's campus this Sunday to present six poets I've worked with through Mansfield Press. Here's the info. Please send all your Kingston friends to it. And tell them to bring all their friends and their colleagues and their hostages.
I mean, holy cow, this is one heck of a fine array of broad-ranging poets!
Over and out.
I mean, holy cow, this is one heck of a fine array of broad-ranging poets!
Over and out.
November 9, 2010
Stuart Ross's New Book Trailer
I'm a freakin' self-promotion machine!
Over and out.
Over and out.
November 7, 2010
Real Resident 4!
Oh, man, I'm buried in stuff.
But last week's Slow Reading / Quick Writing workshop was so successful. What a great group of people. And last weekend's Writers' Boot Camp in Windsor was a lot of fun too. Big group - 21 people. But we wrote a lot.
And here's this, for tomorrow. Very, very excited about this reading, the fourth in my Real Resident Reading Series. Please tell all your Kingston friends!
Over and out.
But last week's Slow Reading / Quick Writing workshop was so successful. What a great group of people. And last weekend's Writers' Boot Camp in Windsor was a lot of fun too. Big group - 21 people. But we wrote a lot.
And here's this, for tomorrow. Very, very excited about this reading, the fourth in my Real Resident Reading Series. Please tell all your Kingston friends!
Over and out.
November 3, 2010
Slow Reading / Quick Writing
Oh, many, what am I getting myself into?
slow
reading /
quick
writing
Join Queen's University writer-in-residence
stuart ross for workshops in slow reading
and quick writing throughout November!
4th-floor lounge, Watson Hall
Thursdays, 5:30–7 pm
November 4, 11, 18, 25 (come to 1 session or all 4!)
Each week, we'll read a single page by 5 writers.
Real relaxed-like. We'll talk about words, about
sentences, about paragraphs. Then we'll write like fiends.
Drop by 529 Watson each week to pick up the readings.
More info? Write Stuart at hunkamooga@sympatico.ca
a workshop for writers
Over and out.
slow
reading /
quick
writing
Join Queen's University writer-in-residence
stuart ross for workshops in slow reading
and quick writing throughout November!
4th-floor lounge, Watson Hall
Thursdays, 5:30–7 pm
November 4, 11, 18, 25 (come to 1 session or all 4!)
Each week, we'll read a single page by 5 writers.
Real relaxed-like. We'll talk about words, about
sentences, about paragraphs. Then we'll write like fiends.
Drop by 529 Watson each week to pick up the readings.
More info? Write Stuart at hunkamooga@sympatico.ca
a workshop for writers
Over and out.
October 29, 2010
BookFest Windsor and Real Residential 3!
Making my way to Toronto now, and then Windsor tomorrow morning. In Windsor, I'm doing a pre–BookFest Windsor event — a three-hour Writers' Boot Camp at the Art Gallery of Windsor. Admission is a measly five bucks, and there may still be openings available. If anyone's interested, they can visit BookFest Windsor's website and see the details. The festival starts in earnest next week, and the lineup is great. Wish I was gonna be there for the major hubbub. I've really enjoyed my visits to the festival in years past. Great group of people and a great venue.
On Monday, I'm hosting the third instalment of the Real Residential Reading Series in Kingston, where I'm Writer-in-Residence this fall and having an amazing time. Again, meeting some fantastic people, reading some incredible stuff, and getting a bunch of my own writing done.
Monday's reading features novelist Martha Baillie, coming in from Toronto; Natalee Caple, who's a fiction writer and poet, but mostly a poet on Monday, visiting from Peterborough; and local light Trevor Strong, a member of the Arrogant Worms, as well as his Kingston group Trevor Strong and his Line of Credit, and the author of some very demented little stories.
The first two readings in the series attracted standing-room-only crowds. I'm expecting the same on Monday. Here's the poster:
Over and out.
On Monday, I'm hosting the third instalment of the Real Residential Reading Series in Kingston, where I'm Writer-in-Residence this fall and having an amazing time. Again, meeting some fantastic people, reading some incredible stuff, and getting a bunch of my own writing done.
Monday's reading features novelist Martha Baillie, coming in from Toronto; Natalee Caple, who's a fiction writer and poet, but mostly a poet on Monday, visiting from Peterborough; and local light Trevor Strong, a member of the Arrogant Worms, as well as his Kingston group Trevor Strong and his Line of Credit, and the author of some very demented little stories.
The first two readings in the series attracted standing-room-only crowds. I'm expecting the same on Monday. Here's the poster:
Over and out.
October 22, 2010
ReLit!
Went to Ottawa on Wednesday for the 10th annual ReLit shindig. After three consecutive years of being shortlisted for the award, this year I won, for short fiction. Yay for Buying Cigarettes for the Dog! Michael Kenyon won in the novel category for The Beautiful Children and Gillian Jerome in poetry for Red Nest.
The celebration took place at a small pub called the Barley Mow. I got my decoder ring. And, best of everything, John Lavery played six of his original songs, including one called "Quickeye," which he dedicated to me; this version had a couple of Claude François references!
It's been a busy week! On Monday, I brought Paul Dutton, Jason Camlot and Lily Hoang to my Real Resident Reading Series in Kingston, and the room was packed and the readings were stellar. The next night I was in Toronto for Mansfield Press's 10th-anniversary launch party. Considering how much stuff was going on in Toronto that night, it was amazing how busy the room was. Denis De Klerck, Mansfield's publisher, said it was the biggest Mansfield event ever. Again, great readings and lots of book sales.
Over and out.
The celebration took place at a small pub called the Barley Mow. I got my decoder ring. And, best of everything, John Lavery played six of his original songs, including one called "Quickeye," which he dedicated to me; this version had a couple of Claude François references!
It's been a busy week! On Monday, I brought Paul Dutton, Jason Camlot and Lily Hoang to my Real Resident Reading Series in Kingston, and the room was packed and the readings were stellar. The next night I was in Toronto for Mansfield Press's 10th-anniversary launch party. Considering how much stuff was going on in Toronto that night, it was amazing how busy the room was. Denis De Klerck, Mansfield's publisher, said it was the biggest Mansfield event ever. Again, great readings and lots of book sales.
Over and out.
October 17, 2010
Celebrating McFadden, Real Resident Reading, Mansfield Launch Party ... and more!
So much has been happening. A week ago last Thursday, David McFadden was surprised in the Mansfield Press office by a 70th-birthday party and the presentation of a festschrift with contributors from across the country.
Dave was lured to his celebratory fate with the promise of a lecture on Chile by Jim Smith. But when he opened the door, his eyes immediately fell on his 96-year-old dad sitting there. And then a big cake that read, "Dave — You're 70! Be calm, honey!"
In a highly secret operation, Jim Smith and I began planning both the festschrift and the party about six months ago. It was pretty tricky getting the various names and addresses and figuring out who was important in Dave's life. I'm sure we missed a lot of people. But we did our best.
The party was a blast. Dave's father (Bill) was there, and Dave's brother (Jack), and Dave's daughter (Jenny) and granddaughter (Chloe). Four generations of McFaddens, and every one of them a wonderful person! Lots of writer friends, and others close to Dave. Stan Bevington, Merlin Homer, John Boyle, Leslie McAllister, Paul Vermeersch, Victor Coleman, Richard Huttel, Margaret Hollingsworth, Paul Dutton…
Denis De Klerck, the publisher of Mansfield Press, was generous enough to offer his beautiful office for the occasion, and to provide some great wine. Stan Bevington and the crew at the Coach House press did a beautiful job on the book, and were also very generous in their billing on this non-commercial venture.
It was a really excellent party. It was a thrill, too, to be able to honour a great writer like Dave, someone who has been a great influence, and a great friend.
Here's the book, A Trip Around McFadden. Contributions from many of the above, plus Diana Hartog, bill bissett, George Bowering, Michael Dennis, and so many more…
Meanwhile, over here in Kingston, where I'm spending the fall as writer-in-residence, October 4 kick-off of the Real Resident Reading Series was a standing-room-only success, with fine readings by Elyse Friedman, Jeff Latosik and Jennifer Londry.
The second instalment of the Real Resident Reading Series takes place tomorrow night (October 18) at 7:30 pm at the Grad Club on Queen's Campus:
And finally, for now, looking forward to this Tuesday night in Toronto, when Mansfield Press celebrates its 10th anniversary with the launch of five new books and guest readings by the poets Denis De Klerck published in his inaugural year. This will also be the launch of my imprint, "a stuart ross book." There's a lot going on in Toronto this Tuesday night, but this'll be a wonderful party. Here are the details:
Over and out.
Dave was lured to his celebratory fate with the promise of a lecture on Chile by Jim Smith. But when he opened the door, his eyes immediately fell on his 96-year-old dad sitting there. And then a big cake that read, "Dave — You're 70! Be calm, honey!"
In a highly secret operation, Jim Smith and I began planning both the festschrift and the party about six months ago. It was pretty tricky getting the various names and addresses and figuring out who was important in Dave's life. I'm sure we missed a lot of people. But we did our best.
The party was a blast. Dave's father (Bill) was there, and Dave's brother (Jack), and Dave's daughter (Jenny) and granddaughter (Chloe). Four generations of McFaddens, and every one of them a wonderful person! Lots of writer friends, and others close to Dave. Stan Bevington, Merlin Homer, John Boyle, Leslie McAllister, Paul Vermeersch, Victor Coleman, Richard Huttel, Margaret Hollingsworth, Paul Dutton…
Denis De Klerck, the publisher of Mansfield Press, was generous enough to offer his beautiful office for the occasion, and to provide some great wine. Stan Bevington and the crew at the Coach House press did a beautiful job on the book, and were also very generous in their billing on this non-commercial venture.
It was a really excellent party. It was a thrill, too, to be able to honour a great writer like Dave, someone who has been a great influence, and a great friend.
Here's the book, A Trip Around McFadden. Contributions from many of the above, plus Diana Hartog, bill bissett, George Bowering, Michael Dennis, and so many more…
Meanwhile, over here in Kingston, where I'm spending the fall as writer-in-residence, October 4 kick-off of the Real Resident Reading Series was a standing-room-only success, with fine readings by Elyse Friedman, Jeff Latosik and Jennifer Londry.
The second instalment of the Real Resident Reading Series takes place tomorrow night (October 18) at 7:30 pm at the Grad Club on Queen's Campus:
And finally, for now, looking forward to this Tuesday night in Toronto, when Mansfield Press celebrates its 10th anniversary with the launch of five new books and guest readings by the poets Denis De Klerck published in his inaugural year. This will also be the launch of my imprint, "a stuart ross book." There's a lot going on in Toronto this Tuesday night, but this'll be a wonderful party. Here are the details:
Over and out.
