Come participate in this series of writing workshops I’m running at the Parkdale Community Health Centre (1229 Queen Street West) in Toronto’s west-end on Tuesday evenings!

For more info or to register, visit the website, email info(a)parkdalewriters.ca, or call 416-537-2455, ext 349!

PARKDALE STREET WRITERS
(Coordinated by award-winning author Emily Pohl-Weary)
Attention bloggers, poetry scribblers, epic e-mailers, and daydreamers thinking about writing entire novels… The Parkdale Street Writers is for you! This series of free writing workshops for youth runs every Tuesday, from 4 to 6 pm, starting December 2, 2008. Learn about many different genres, including song lyrics and poetry, film scripts, short stories, interviews and reviews. Work directly with professional writers, comics creators, hip hop lyricists, novelists and illustrators to learn about the industry, get tips, and publish your work.

The PSW will also work directly with the:

PARKDALE BOOK ARTISTS
(Coordinated by graphic novelist and illustrator Willow Dawson)
Do you love doodling, painting, collaging, making comics and posters, or updating your Facebook page with your latest, most excellent sketches? The Parkdale Book Artists is a series of free book art and illustration workshops for youth at risk. The program runs every Thursday from 4 to 6 pm, starting November 27. We will work with local authors, illustrators and designers to create drawings, paintings, collages, graffiti, comics and other book/magazine-related artwork.
The program will culminate in a group gallery exhibition and publication showcasing our work.

Here’s the flyer for the Toronto Public Library’s Young Voices Writers Conference 2008. I’m running a workshop for youth on editing. It’s on Saturday, October 18.
Young Voices Writers Conference

Express yourself
• Work with professional writers on your creative writing endeavours
• Meet other youth who like to write
• Show your stuff at an open mic
• Help to create an instant anthology

Register early – space is limited.
Call 416-395-5784 or register online at ramp.torontopubliclibrary.ca

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This morning, Jesse sent me a link to this song’s video (click on the image to the right) because I’m writing about Brooklyn these days. The video was shot there. It was apparently used in a trailer for Pineapple Express, but it took over my head immediately and it’s also worth examining for the meaning behind her lyrics. (more…)

My friend Gina Kaufman, writer and co-host of the Walt Bodine Show on KCUR in Kansas City, recently recorded me reading a particularly angsty passage from my first novel, A Girl Like Sugar, for an event she organized.

Thought you might enjoy listening to it. To check it out, click here!

Who doesn’t love top 10 lists? I was asked to name my fave characters for a class. Here’s what I came up with, in no particular order:

1. Susan (i.e. Madonna) in Desperately Seeking Susan (F)
2. Dahlia Malloy (Minnie Driver) in The Riches (T)
3. Victor Vargas (Victor Rasuk) in Raising Victor Vargas (F)
4. Lizzie Bennet (Keira Knightley and Jennifer Ehle) in Pride and Prejudice (F, T)
5. Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (F, T)
6. Rayanne (A.J. Langer) in My So-Called Life (T)

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A few weeks ago, I was asked to say a few words at the Toronto launch for Mariko and Jillian Tamaki’s graphic novel Skim (published by Groundwood Books). Since the comic started its life as a 24-page Kiss Machine Presents mini-book, I was around for the story’s conception.

The book’s so wonderful I thought I’d post the speech I made here, on my blog…

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Amy Sherman-Palladino, the genius creator of the Gilmore Girls, one of my all-time fav shows (seriously, it’s up there with Buffy and Flight of the Conchords) has a new show. The Return of Jezebel James is a 1/2 hour comedy about a book editor named Sarah (played by Parker Posey) who coerces her sister into carrying her baby, because it’s the one thing Sarah can’t do for herself.

People who know me will understand how excited I was to hear that the main character is played by the fab Ms. Posey, star of Party Girl. Posey makes any movie she’s ever been in at the very least watchable, regardless of how bad everyone else is (case in point the horrendous Brosnan vehicle Laws of Attraction). I made Sugar Jones, the wannabe filmmaker protagonist of first my novel A Girl Like Sugar (which, incidentally, has been optioned by producer Kerry Young to turn into a feature film), semi-obsessed with her. (more…)

I’m coordinating this 10-week writing program for 16-24-year-olds at the Parkdale Library. Please pass on the word to any young people who might be interested… To participate, they don’t have to be great writers, they just need to have fun! –E

For immediate release:

Do you keep a blog? Constantly update your Facebook page? Love to read? Write super-long e-mails? Make up stories and poems in your head? Live in the west-end of Toronto? Why not join the Parkdale Street Writers!

Every Tuesday afternoon from 4:00 to 5:30 pm
Starts April 1st and ends June 3rd, 2008
Parkdale Library’s basement auditorium
(1303 Queen Street W, Toronto)

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Written by Emily Pohl-Weary
Illustrated by Willow Dawson

Continuing the story where issues #1, #2, and #3 left off, the final chapter of Violet’s saga is now available! Will she, Elsa Bonnet, Jack Rackham and the rest of the crew find the treasure of the Devil’s Throat?

Preview Issue #4
Check out the first four inside pages:

Order Violet Miranda #4

FREE SPEECH is back with another evening of stories and song in the intimate setting at Tinto on Roncesvalles Ave, in Toronto, where owners Ricardo Rozental and Elvia Saenz are trying to create an arts and activism based community hub, rooted in fair trade and sustainability. This installment of the reading series features Emily Pohl-Weary, White Noise Machine and Lisa McGlade. Songwriter of the month is Frank Patrick.

If you’ve been to FREE SPEECH before you know that the room usually fills up quickly so if you want a seat.

Tinto, 89 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto
Tuesday, November 27, 7pm
Pay what you will (more…)