The marvelous cast of the Arts Club production of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" - photo courtesy of Arts Club

I first became interested in spelling bees after my 2nd cousin Tracey won the inaugural Canspell regional spelling bee in the Vancouver region.  At the young age of 14, she then went off to the Scripps National Bee in Washington DC, and the Canspell National in Ottawa where she placed in the top 5.  I diligently followed the emails that her mother sent the family. Next I watched the movie Akeelah and the Bee, about a young child becoming involved in a spelling Bee, and being trained by Laurence Fishburne's character of Dr. Larabee.  Richard Gere also starred in the movie Bee Season.

Asians are talented in sketch comedy too!

Be a Friend of VACT

Wed Apr 21, 03:15 PM by editor

For those who have enjoyed our shows and want to support us financially – we are recognizing our fans with special benefits.  Depending on your friendship level, you will receive premium reserved seating upgrades, recognition in the programs, opening night tickets and invitations to cast parties, signed productions posters and special concierge ticketing services & privileges.  Our way of saying thank you to you.

For more details, click here.

It was great to attend the 2010 BC Book Prizes. Very happy to see my friends Fred Wah and Larissa Lai nominated for Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize - Fred won! and Charles Demers was nominated for Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize.

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas and Masako Fukawa & Stanley Fukawa, and Dal Ric...hards nominated for Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award. Great to make new friends with many of the authors such as Ian Weir, Lori Culbert, Ehor Boyanowsky.  

Ian Weir, author of Daniel O'Thunder - nominated for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, chats with Charles Demers nominated for non-fiction.

And always great to spend some time with Shelagh Rogers!

WORLD PREMIERE of Ali & Ali
Created and performed by Camyar Chai, Guillermo Verdecchia and Marcus Youssef
Co-starring Laara Sadiq and Raugi Yu
Directed by Guillermo Verdecchia

at the Cultch’s Historic Theatre
Apr 14–24
Tickets for Cultch Performances available at 604-251-1363 or https://tickets.thecultch.com/

at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts’ Studio Theatre
April 28 - May 1
Tickets for Shadbolt performances at 604-205-3000 or boxoffice@burnaby.ca

It was fun to host the 2010 BC Book Awards Soiree on Wednesday night.  It is indeed one of my favorite events because I get to meet new writers, greet writer friends, buy some new books, pick up some great silent auction prizes... and the organizers are always so friendly!

Todd Wong hosts the 2010 BC Book Prize Soiree, making announcements with Selina Rajani, vice-president of the West Coast Book Prize Society - photo Nagai/Wong

This time as host, it was much busier.  Before going over the evening's script, the first thing I had to do was find my girlfriend Deb, to borrow her credit card to pay for the parking downstairs.  At past events you could always put money into the meters for 2 hours, and not worry.  But with extended meters until 10pm on busy Robson St. I don't take chances anymore.

Event producer Fernanda Vivieros had the updated scripts ready, and I acquainted myself with the room and who was there.  A good cross-section of BC's literary community of authors, publishers and organizers.  I said hello to publisher Scott McIntyre, organizer Linda Johnston, greeted author Larissa Lai who we featured at the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dinner this year, and waved to David Chariandy - author of Soucouyant (2008 nominee).

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, nominated for his Haida-Manga book "Red" wears an Asian-inspired jacket with frog buttons, while I wear a dragon themed waist-coat and Ancient Hunting Fraser tartan kilt. - photo Wong

Some of the 2010 BC Book Prize nominees stand at the front as we give a toast to them - photo Nagai/Wong

Todd Wong and Rolf Maurer toast to Stan Persky - photo Nagai/Wong

The best literary moment of the evening was Rolf Maurer's speech about Stan Persky.  He recounted the importance of Stan to our BC Literary community.  The jury stated that:

"We have chosen Stan Persky as the recipient of the 2010 Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence because of the intellectual and moral integrity he brings to his work as a writer who engages with some of the most difficult questions facing society, and because of the great contributions he has made to the literary canon of Canada and British Columbia.

His numerous books and his trial-blazing efforts in creating literary journals and a forum for public engagement - not least New Star Books and the Georgia Straight - have helped develop British Columbia's literary community into what it is today.

Stan's bravery as a philosopher, a polemicist and a story-teller, leap from the pages of his twenty books.  Stan Persky is our Socrates."

And indeed Persky has touched my life - first as my instructors for Political Science and Philosophy at Capilano College (now Capilano University) in the 1980's.  Stan became the original editor of The Solidarity Times, during the Operation Solidarity movement protesting the Socred government's restraint program. It was natural since Persky had written the book "Son of Socred" about Premier Bill Bennett.  During 2007, I found myself at the forefront of the historic Vancouver library strike when I organized a writer's series, inviting Vancouver writers to speak to the striking library workers. Stan came and stated he came to speak at the library because his "books are locked up and unavailable to the public."

Ricepaper managing editor Patricia Lim, Todd Wong, author Charles Demers - nominated for Vancouver Special (an essay collection about Vancouver's neighborhoods which features 2 paragraphs about Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner and Todd Wong) - photo Wong

And books!  I always walk away with new books in my hands.  This year I purchased Charles Demers' Vancouver Special, Spirit of the Nikkei Fleet: BC's Japanese Canadian Fishermen by Masako Fukawa with Stanley Fukawa, and Red by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas.  And Larissa Lai also signed my copies of her nominated poetry collection Automaton Biographies.

Here are the details:

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

The Listel Hotel
Impressionist Gallery Room
1300 Robson Street
Vancouver, BC

Todd Wong and Terry Glavin, recipient of the 2009 Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence at the 2009 BC Book Prizes Gala

Shelagh Rogers hosted a "Purdy's Party" at Historic Joy Kogawa House last year, with Jean Baird, George Bowering, John Asfour (inaugural Kogawa House writer-in-residence) and George Stanley. The event was part of BC Book Week - photo Todd Wong

ABOUT TODD WONG:

Todd Wong at Scottish Parliament display of "This is Who We Are: Scots in Canada" - a picture of Todd in kilt and Chinese Lion Head was featured in the display for his work in Canada promoting the poetry of Robert Burns in Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner events. photo Onya Attridge.

Why do we sing Auld Lang Syne at New Year's Eve?

Todd Wong be heard today on CBC Radion One 690 AM - ON THE COAST. 3-6pm

They asked me about the origins of singing "Auld Lang Syne" - the Robert Burns lyrics connection and the proper way of holding hands while singing. Of course I threw in similarities between Scottish Hogmannay and Chinese New Year - such as making lots of noise and paying off your debts.

Singing the song on Hogmanay or New Year's Eve very quickly became a Scots custom that soon spread to other parts of the British Isles. As Scots (and other Britons) emigrated around the world, they took the song with them.

Canadian band leader Guy Lombardo is often credited with popularising the use of the song at New Year’s celebrations in America, through his annual broadcasts on radio and television, beginning in 1929. The song became his trademark. In addition to his live broadcasts, Lombardo recorded the song more than once. His first recording was in 1939. A later recording on September 29, 1947 was issued as a single by Decca Records as catalog #24260

• in 1993, when I first wore a kilt for the SFU, Robbie Burns Day celebrations
• in 1998, with a small private dinner for 16 people in a living room
• how it has grown into an annual Robbie Burns Chinese New Year dinner serving 550 people
• and spun off a CBC TV performance special
• The SFU Gung Haggis Fat Choy Festival, by SFU Recreation department.
  

Event 3. Standing up for Community with Shirley Chan, Hayne Wai and Larry Wong, Sun June 21, 3pm Carnegie 3rd floor (see below and http://www.heartofthecityfestival.com/news/eastside-stories/

Shirley, Hayne and Larry are contributors to the book EATING STORIES: A Chinese Canadian and Aboriginal Potluck

All three helped to fight against the freeway proposal that would have knocked a swath through Chinatown in the 1960's.

Shirley and her mother helped lead the protests against freeway development in Vancouver Chintown in the 1960's, and were the topic of the documentary film Mary Lee Chan takes on City Hall. Mother Tongue | chinese community

http://www.mothertongue.ca/community.php?id=1093574665

MONTREAL POET WRAPS UP RESIDENCY THIS WEEKEND

Historic Joy Kogawa House celebrates success of its first writer-in-residence

On April 20, inaugural Kogawa House writer-in-residence John Afour welcomed Shelagh Rogers, Jean Baird, George Bowering and George Stanley to Kogawa House for a joint Purdy Party with three BC Book Prize Poetry nominees Daphne Marlatt, George Stanly and Nilofar Shidmehr - photo Todd Wong

Kogawa House writer-in-residence John Asfour leaves a trail of inspiration behind as he packs his bags to return to Montreal on Sunday, May 31.

Final reading with Gary Geddes and Ann Eriksson on Saturday, May 30th.

Asfour has also welcomed visits from writing classes and he has coached numerous individual writers. Following an evening class at the house, SFU Writers’ Studio lyric poetry instructor Rachel Rose wrote: “John has been so generous with his time, meeting many students for individual consults.” Another writer said: “I had a very good, productive meeting with John and learned more in meeting with him than I had learned in a whole year studying creative writing at university. He taught me how to edit.”

Asfour’s frequent writing consultations did not keep him completing a book of poems entitled Blindfold, which is partly autobiographical—born in Lebanon, Asfour was blinded at age 13 during the Civil War in 1958. His poems explore feelings of loss and displacement and suggest that the disabled often feel like foreigners in their own land, hampered by prejudice (sometimes well-meaning), communications barriers and the sense of “limited personality” that characterizes the immigrant experience.

John Asfour was featured at the Vancouver Public Library on May 19th with Neworld Theatre's Marcus Youssef and Adrienne Wong read his poems in English - photo Todd Wong

While in Vancouver Asfour also presented poetry readings to a variety of audiences, including the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Christianne’s Lyceum of Art and Literature, the BC Muslim School and in collaboration with Neworld Theatre at the Vancouver Public Library. On Thursday, 58 students from Killarney Secondary School will practice their creative writing while scattered over the lawns, patio, and deck at Kogawa house.

Asfour is the author of four books of poetry in English and two in Arabic. He translated the poetry of Muhammad al-Maghut into English under the title Joy Is Not My Profession (Véhicule Press), and he selected, edited and introduced the landmark anthology When the Words Burn: An Anthology of Modern Arabic Poetry, 1945–1987 (Cormorant Books).

Further information can be found on the website of the Historic Joy Kogawa House Society at www.kogawahouse.com or by calling (604) 263-6586.

ends/more

Contacts:

Kogawa House Society: Ann-Marie Metten (604) 263-6586

Notes to Editors:

1. Information on Historic Joy Kogawa House

Historic Joy Kogawa House is the former home of the Canadian author Joy Kogawa (born 1935). It stands as a cultural and historical reminder of the expropriation of property that all Canadians of Japanese descent experienced after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Between 2003 and 2006, a grassroots committee fund raised in a well-publicized national campaign, and with the help of The Land Conservancy of BC, a non-profit land trust, managed to purchase the house in 2006.

Together with Joy Kogawa, the various groups decided that the wisest and best use of the property would be to establish it as a place where writers could live and work. Following the models of the writer-in-residence programs in place at the Berton House Writers’ Retreat in Dawson City , Yukon , and Roderick Haig-Brown House in Campbell River , BC , the Historic Joy Kogawa House writer-in-residence program brings well-regarded professional writers in touch with a local community of writers, readers, editors, and librarians. While in residence, the writer works to enrich the literary community around him or her and to foster an appreciation for Canadian writing through programs that involve students, other writers and members of the general public.

Beginning in March 2009, as a partner with TLC, the Historic Joy Kogawa Society will begin hosting writers to live and work in the house on a paid basis. Funding is provided through the Michael Audain Foundation for the Arts, the BC Arts Council, the Canada Council and through donations from the general public.