“I think ‘quirky’ is a term that’s used to dismiss work, in particular by women, that’s challenging or hard to categorize" - Anna Leventhal, Montreal Gazette In an interview with the Montreal Gazette, Anna Leventhal discusses her short story collection Sweet Affliction, and why she definitively does not want to be called quirky: "Quirky’ makes your … Continue reading Anna Leventhal: Don’t Call Her ‘Quirky’
Bydlowska on The Next Chapter: Escaping Herself
In a recent interview with The Next Chapter on CBC Radio One, Jowita Bydlowska discusses the inspiration for her first novel, Guy: escaping herself. She started writing the novel during the editing stage of Drunk Mom, and found the idea of spending time in the mind of a misogynistic womanizer liberating after spending so much time writing … Continue reading Bydlowska on The Next Chapter: Escaping Herself
Chloe Caldwell on Shame
"When men create characters based on themselves, they are innovative; when women do it, they’re shaming their families." - Chloe Caldwell, Catapult Read Chloe Caldwell's piece here. In a recent article for Catapult's online magazine, Chloe Caldwell voices her frustration about the inequality of assumed shame for writers, especially when their stories and characters … Continue reading Chloe Caldwell on Shame
Jowita Bydlowska’s GUY
"It was both fascinating and disturbing to read Jowita Bydlowska’s debut novel, Guy, during the same week news broke of Donald Trump’s 2005 comments describing how he likes to treat (or rather, sexually assault) women. As the recorded revelation sparked a widespread discussion about what men really say about women behind closed doors, and while … Continue reading Jowita Bydlowska’s GUY
ZOE WHITTALL’S THE BEST KIND OF PEOPLE
Those who attended March 2016's Off the Page panel "A Queer is a Queer is a Queer" were lucky enough to witness a dynamic discussion between some of the most interesting voices in literature today, among them former Concordia student Zoe Whittall, a novelist and poet now based in Toronto. Her reading from her first book, Bottle … Continue reading ZOE WHITTALL’S THE BEST KIND OF PEOPLE
Writers Read: Concordia university's reading Series 