Nov. 29
as always in the back room of The Ironworks Pub.
10th Anniversary Party to follow.

Culled from years of conversations with the famous, the powerful and the influential, Rockburn: The CPAC Interviews features a wide range of intriguing and fascinating people - from Sandra Oh, Matthew Good, Rick Mercer and Ian Tyson to Lewis Lapham, Hans Blix, Jane Jacobs and Tom Hayden.

This book gives you Maher Arar's first-hand account of his torture at the hands of his Syrian captors; shows you what urban visionary Jane Jacobs has in common with artist, political activist and former rock star Mendelson Joe; lets you read about cartoonist Terry Mosher's fight against the drug abuse that almost finished his career; and offers up the candid words of beloved Canadian broadcaster Peter Gzowski in one of his last interviews.

Rockburn: The CPAC Interviews is an entertaining smorgasbord of thoughts and opinions from some of the most recognizable people in the worlds of politics, culture and entertainment today.

Posted by Chris at 9:28 AM | Permalink

Appearing tonight (Nov. 22) is Dane Lanken in support of his book Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Songs and Stories/33 Songs and possibly appearing in support of Dane is Anna. penny rose, who was the producer of the CD and book Songs of Wade Hemsworth will be in attendance. And of course, no night is a success without bagpipes, so Hugh Macpherson will appear in support of his book A Piper's American Odyssey.

November 22 - 7:30 pm
as always, back room of The Ironworks Pub

and go to Penumbra's web site for more info on individual books.
http://www.penumbrapress.ca/new.php

Posted by Chris at 9:09 AM | Permalink

Music!

Yes come hear Bob talk and sing on his two books On Performing and On Songwriting.
This will be a treat.
November 15 - 7:30 pm
as always, back room of The IronworksPub

From acclaimed musician Bob Snider comes this two-part look inside songwriting. With the same casual precision that sets his songs apart, Snider gives us a glimpse of the songwriter's inner workings - creative process, techniques and some of the hiding places of good ideas.

In a loosely organized, highly engaging style, Snider shimmies through matters of song structure, rhyme, diction, revision, repetition, audience response, titles and more. Taking readers from the first germination of an idea, through to test-driving a song on stage or sidewalk, he provides valuable tips for writing words to be sung. Combining his favourite tricks of the trade, nods to influential songwriters, and joking around common pitfalls in rhyme and rhythm, Snider shows how intuitive and how challenging songwriting can be. Along the way, readers get a glimpse of the life and work of one of Canada's folk music legends.

This essay was originally written as a lecture to be delivered to an English class at Acadia University in Wolfville, in conjunction with the Deep Roots Folk Festival, says Snider. I had lots of time, over two months, to work on it, and the luxury of being able to think about it most of the time. By day I was working in my four-acre field all summer, allowing me to make notes as I thought of things, even take writing breaks as desired, and generally let my mind wander around the subject, as it was prone to do. I didn't notice until after I'd written it that the field metaphor turns up at the beginning of the lecture.

The second half of the book provides the lyrics for, and the stories behind, ten songs, including audience favourites like Tonight, Darn Folksinger and Sittin' in the Kitchen. The beginnings come in the form of witticisms, unlikely pairings, propositions and slow ruminations. Some of these songs take their cue from overheard conversations, others from chance encounters and wrong numbers. Snider recounts verses that seemed to write themselves, others that were honed over weeks and months, and one he remembers having to coax out a syllable at a time.

Delighting in his own foibles and the odd streak of luck, Snider reveals the draft stages of some of his finest lyrics, and the patience and trickery involved in teasing memorable songs out of those first couple of chords. With each song we are introduced to the friends and strangers who have sparked his creativity, and a personal philosophy built on a love of entertaining and an avid pursuit of happy accidents.

This book is a smyth-sewn paperback bound in card stock with a letterpress-printed jacket. The text was typeset by Andrew Steeves in Eric Gill's Joanna and Gill types, and printed offset on laid paper.

Author Bio

Bob Snider is one of Canada's most celebrated musicians. Born and raised in Toronto, he spent several years as a resident of Nova Scotia before returning to his hometown as a busker in 1986. To date he has released seven albums, most recently A Maze in Greys (2007) and Stealin' Home (2002). Snider tours widely and has appeared at shows and festivals across North America. His first book, On Songwriting, was published by Gaspereau Press in 2005.

Posted by Chris at 1:34 PM | Permalink

Doug Hunter is part of our Doug & Doug Evening.
join both Dougs for Books n Beer #7
November 8 - 7:30 pm
as lawyas, in the back room of the Ironworks Pub

God's Mercies: Rivalry, Betrayal, and the Dream of Discovery

From acclaimed author Douglas Hunter, a searing historical work about death, deceit and dishonour, and the rivalry between Samuel de Champlain and Henry Hudson-two of the greatest explorers of the seventeenth century.

Samuel de Champlain of France and Englishman Henry Hudson were rival explorers in a race to describe and exploit the northern half of North America and, not least, to find a profitable passage to the Orient. The English had been trying to find a way through the Arctic since the 1570s. For Hudson, the dream of discovery proved fatal. A mutiny in the summer of 1611 saw Hudson, his teenage son John, and seven other crew members cast adrift in James Bay in an open boat. They were never heard from again.

In May 1613, Samuel de Champlain left the site of present-day Montreal on a journey up the Ottawa River into uncharted territory. Champlain had undertaken the expedition because of extraordinary testimony from a young informant, Nicolas de Vignau, who had spent 1611-12 with the Algonquin and returned to France with an incredible story: He had visited the Northern Sea. What's more, he had seen an English youth, the sole survivor of a shipwreck, held captive by the Nebicerini people as a gift for Champlain. To rescue both the English youth and his own career, Champlain set out to collect him.

God's Mercies has all the elements of a great adventure mystery: a mutiny, a massacre, a murder trial, signed confessions, and intrigue at the highest levels of state. Truths would be revealed as lies, and lies would turn out to be half-truths.

Author Bio
Douglas Hunter has written widely on business, history, and sport. His previous books include War Games, Molson: The Birth of a Business Empire and The Bubble and the Bear: How Nortel Burst the Canadian Dream, which won the National Business Book Award.

Posted by Chris at 1:17 PM | Permalink

Doug Clark is part of our Doug & Doug Evening at Books n Beer!
Thursday, november 8th - 7:30 pm
as always, at The Ironworks Pub

In The Roaring Game: A Sweeping Saga of Curling, bestselling journalist and amateur curler Doug Clark takes the reader on a fascinating behind-the-scenes journey all the way from the sports humble beginnings in sixteenth-century Scotland, to the first international bonspiel played in Buffalo, New York, in 1865 (a match between Canadian won), to where the sport is today. It is estimated there are more than 1.2 million curlers worldwide. While as many as 90 per cent are registered in Canada with its 1,100 clubs, the United States boasts as many as 13,000 curlers in 135 clubs-including a club in sun-drenched Arizona! Hurry! Hard! is even shouted in Cameroon. The fact is, anyone with a pulse can curl. From age nine to ninety, male or female, tall or short, players of all races and abilities enjoy the infections camaraderie of the sport. But its not all about the socializing. Curling is a complex and maddeningly difficult game to perfect, and the competition can be ruthless. Its not surprising that competitive curling attracts larger and larger crowds every year. Curling became a full-medal Olympic sport in the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan, where the Canadian mens team won silver and the womens team took home gold. Curling has officially entered the realm of elite sport, making heroes of its stars, like Mike Harris, Sandra Schmirler, George Karrys, Colleen Jones, Brad Gushue, and Glenn Howard. Curling has come a long way. Just ask Clarence Shorty Jenkins, a.k.a. The King of Swing. It was his innovations that helped revolutionize the game. In his words, A curling rock is smarter than a human being.

Posted by Chris at 12:43 PM | Permalink

come here Ralph Mellanby talk on his life at HNiC in support of his book Walking with Legends: Real Stories of Hockey Night in Canada

Thrusday, November 1.
7:30 pm @ The Ironworks Pub

One of hockey's greatest and most well-connected television executives, Ralph Mellanby, recalls his relationship with some of the game's most influential individuals, from lawyers to coaches to managers, owners, and even those who ran the NHL. Mellanby left his mark on the game and writes about others who have also gained fame and fortune working in the game that they love. One of the most powerful men in television and a driving force behind Canada's most popular TV show, Hockey Night in Canada, Ralph Mellanby recalls his association with some of the most instrumental men in the hockey industry, as well as his involvement in some of hockey's greatest events ever.Mellanby takes readers behind the scenes to discover what made many of the game's greatest individuals tick and what they were like when the camera wasn't rolling. Walking with Legends includes five sections on 25 of hockey's biggest names and two of the greatest events in hockey history, the 1972 Summit Series and the 1980 Winter Olympics.From the decision makers (Clarence Campbell, Gary Bettman and John Zeigler) to the brass (Scotty Bowman, Glen Sather and Cliff Fletcher) to the ice men (Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull) and hundreds of others, Mellanby knows them all, has worked with them all, and recounts his experiences in his mind-blowing and entertaining memoir.

Posted by Chris at 12:28 PM | Permalink