Thursday, February 19/09 6-9pm $30 Aqua Books
The Landscapes in Your Voice
The Riffing Off Purdy Workshop
Prairie Fire Writer-in-Residence Katherine Bitney and award-winning writer Armin Wiebe
A writers workshop in which Armin Wiebe and Katherine Bitney will conduct a dialogue on voice and landscape and lead participants through a series of “riffing exercises” designed to stimulate exploration of individual writing voices. Bring a notebook and a pen and a willingness to surrender to your imagination.
Register in person at 274 Garry Street, or call 943-7555, or email ariel@aquabooks.ca
No one paid much attention to Armin Wiebe's writing until he stumbled into the voice of Yasch Siemens, a voice he has riffed off in numerous ways in his Gutenthal novels and a forthcoming stage play. In less obvious ways, his award-winning novel Tatsea (Turnstone Press, 2003) carries his obsession with voices into new territory.
Katherine Bitney is the author of three critically acclaimed books of poetry: While You Were Out (Turnstone Press, 1981), Heart and Stone (Turnstone Press, 1989) and Singing Bone (The Muses Company, 1997), and is currently working on a fourth collection of poems. With Andris Taskans, she co-edited A/Cross Sections (MWG, 2007). She has worked as an editor, mentor, and creative writing instructor, as well as arts juror and creative director for literary events for over 30 years in Manitoba.