ArticlesPaula E. Kirman
Paula E. Kirman is a writer, editor, photographer, and filmmaker. She lives in Edmonton where she edits community publications and is a singer/songwriter. She is also a community organizer and has been known to drink too much coffee. Her website is wordspicturesmusic.com.
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Non-FictionCollection connects labour issues, unions with environmental justice
A “just transition” refers to moving away from a dependency on fossil fuels toward forms of energy with lower carbon footprints, while still ensuring that people’s livelihoods do not suffer in the process. The second part of that equation is not always addressed, and the book Unjust Transition: The Future for Fossil Fuel Workers argues that solidarity between unions and community movements is required for the transition to be truly just. -
FeaturesConservation and wildlife focus of book that blends biography, history, calls to action
Lorne Scott is an environmentalist, naturalist, farmer, and former member of the Legislative Assembly and minister of Environment and Resource Management in Saskatchewan – a province with almost no environmental regulations, some of the highest carbon dioxide and methane emissions per capita, and less than 15 per cent of its grasslands remaining. -
Kevin Nikkel shares his excitement for independent filmmaking in ode to artist-run centre
The Winnipeg Film Group is a diverse group of filmmakers producing experimental and often groundbreaking work. Establishing Shots: An Oral History of the Winnipeg Film Group is a collection of interviews providing an intricate exploration of the Winnipeg Film Group’s almost 50-year history as an artist-run centre, as well as its ongoing impact in Canada and beyond. -
FeaturesArchival deep dive into Ukrainian family history considers settler narrative
A picture says a thousand words, but for Myrna Kostash, a photograph led to an entire memoir exploring mysteries about her family’s history. Ghosts in a Photograph: A Chronicle delves into the lives of the Edmonton-based writer’s grandparents. All of them moved from Galicia (present-day western Ukraine) to Alberta at the turn of the 20th century. Also included are the, often elusive, stories of a few assorted relatives left behind. -
Non-FictionPosthumous collection of writing, interviews an indictment of prison system
Rik McWhinney’s over 34 years of incarceration in Canada’s federal penitentiary system – 16 of which were in solitary confinement – began in the 1970s. During the early years of his imprisonment, he was frequently subjected to segregation and medical torture. Eventually, McWhinney turned to writing, and his poetry, essays, grievance forms, and letters both documented and worked to combat the conditions of his confinement. -
Non-FictionArchaeologist’s memoir, spawned by love of a park, includes history of vanished settlement
Shari Peyerl received her first archaeological permit at the age of 50, and set out on an adventure to uncover secrets behind a vanished settlement in Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park. She writes about these discoveries in her archaeologist’s memoir, Alberta’s Cornerstone: Archaeological Adventures in Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park. -
FictionFresh, original approach key to tackling terrorist stereotypes, political topics in novel
Jameela Green’s big wish in life is to see her memoir on the bestseller list of the New York Times. However, it didn’t seem to be happening. When Jameela seeks spiritual guidance at her local mosque, the new imam (and recent immigrant) Ibrahim Sultan is disturbed by how shallow Jameela appears, and will assist her on one condition: Jameela must perform a good deed. -
Non-FictionCritical look at medicare reflects 100-year-old and contemporary Canadian conversations
Medicare, the publicly funded social program for which Canada is arguably best known, is entering its second half-century, and its cracks are showing. Medicare works differently in the country’s diverse communities, with social inequities and inadequacies becoming clear, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. -
Non-FictionEssay collection explores food as metaphor for concerns both intimate and broad
Beyond the Food Court: An Anthology of Literary Cuisines is a collection of creative non-fiction essays from 14 writers from various places throughout the world who now call Canada home. In these essays, they explore their experiences of food and words. -
Online ExclusivesRead Alberta website hopes to serve as hub for province’s book community
The launch of Read Alberta is a reason for Alberta’s book community to celebrate. Not only does the website feature Alberta books, but it is also a hub to connect the Alberta book community as a whole: readers, authors, publishers, booksellers, libraries, events, and festivals.
