Word Carving: The Craft of Literary Journalism - Softcover

Banff Centre.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1894773020 ISBN 13: 9781894773027

Publisher: Banff Centre Pr, 2003

Synopsis

Word Carving: The Craft of Literary Journalism collects the works of twelve writers, either up-and-coming or already at the top of their field. Each writes with passion, skill and storytelling expertise. Their words are shaped with all the care and artistry that artist Peter Schuyff summoned in carving the pencils that adorn the book cover. "For me, [Peter Schuyffs pencils] ... lead us to the unexpected and highly crafted forms the artist of the word and the artist of the wood may produce." -- Alberto Ruy-Snchez

About this title

From the Publisher

Is fiction sexier than non-fiction? In April 2003, the publishing industry trade paper Quill & Quire quoted literary agent Anne McDermid’s assertion that "There is no history [in Canada] of a way of looking at a non-fiction book that values the quality of the writing, that values narrative techniques." The article further reported that booksellers, the media, and festival directors evaluate literary non-fiction by subject matter, not artistry, creativity, and craft. Adding her voice to the article, agent Denise Bukowski suggests that "the media thinks fiction’s sexier," so the publicity that builds buzz about a title consistently overlooks non-fiction works. (see "The new fate of non-fiction: Is there a future for topical, issue-oriented publishing in Canada?" p. 4)

Reading this, a non-fiction publisher might be tempted to rethink its list. But what about the talented journalists and writers who are creating top-notch works of non-fiction? They are out there and eight of them visit The Banff Centre each summer as part of the Creative Non-Fiction and Cultural Journalism program. Word Carving: The Craft of Literary Journalism collects the works of twelve such writers, either up-and-coming or already at the top of their field. Each writes with passion, skill, and storytelling expertise. Their words are shaped with all the care and artistry that artist Peter Schuyff summoned in carving the pencils that adorn the book cover. As Mexican author Alberto Ruy-Sánchez sums up in his introduction: "For me, [Peter Schuyff’s pencils] ... lead us to the unexpected and highly crafted forms the artist of the word and the artist of the wood may produce."

About the Author

Katherine Ashenburg’s The Mourner’s Dance was a finalist for the Pearson Non-Fiction Prize and she’s the former arts editor of the Globe and Mail.

Douglas Bell’s first book, Run Over (based on the essay in this collection), was short listed for the 2002 City of Toronto Book Prize. Bell writes for and acts in the CBC television series The Newsroom.

Ted Bishop has been nominated twice for National Magazine awards for his pieces about motorcycling. He won second prize for travel literature in the 2003 CBC Literary Awards for a shortened version of the essay in this collection.

A-A Farman-Farmaian has written for publications such as Saturday Night and the National Post.

Alyse Frampton has been published widely in publications such as Saturday Night, Smithsonian, Equinox, and Reader's Digest.

Camilla Gibb is author of two novels that were both selected by the Globe and Mail as best books of the year (The Petty Details of So-and-So's Life and Mouthing the Words). She is also winner of the CBC Literary Award for short stories in 2001.

Matthew Hart has written for publications such as the Atlantic Monthly, Saturday Night, and Toronto magazine.

Johanna Keller is widely published as a poet and a music critic (and frequently appears in the New York Times). She has won the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award and the New York Newswomen’s Club Front Page Award.

Chris Koentges is an up-and-coming talent who writes a National Magazine Award–winning column for Outpost (a popular Canadian alternative travel magazine).

Anita Lahey writes award-winning poetry as well as articles for magazines like Canadian Geographic, Chatelaine, Equinox, and others. She recently workshopped her first play with the Great Canadian Theatre Company in Ottawa.

Philip Marchand has been a books columnist at the Toronto Star since 1989. A shorter version of the essay in this collection has been shortlisted for the 2003 National Magazine Awards in the Personal Journalism category.

Ellen Vanstone is an Elle Canada columnist. The essay in this collection won the 2002 gold medal for humour at the National Magazine Awards.

About this edition

• Publisher: Banff Centre Pr
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1894773020
• ISBN 13: 9781894773027
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 360
• Editor: Farr Moira, Pearson Ian