April 30, 2008

National Magazine Awards

"Eating Dirt," last year's non-fiction piece about treeplanting, has been nominated for a National Mag Award. Also nominated from the pages of the Vancouver Review are Terry Glavin and Mark Mushet. Way to go VR!

April 29, 2008

Bathroom books

I stumbled upon a NYT recommendation for a tome that seems destined for the toilet cistern lid. I'm quite chuffed with my own small but potent water-closet library, particularly with the most recent addition sent to me yesterday by Ma G, Do You Remember?: The Book That Takes You Back. I fear Ma G may feel slighted by the stowage of her recent gift in the bog, so allow me to share with you the esteemed titles with which it shares shelf space:

The B.C. Guide to Buying Rural and Recreational Property, John Ince.

Dessous: Lingerie as a Dangerous Weapon, Gilles Neret.

Every Person on the Planet: An Only Somewhat Anxiety-Filled Tale for the Holidays, Bruce Eric Kaplan.

The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint Exupery.

The Curious Sofa: A Pornographic Work, Ogdred Weary (AKA Edward Gorey).

Pushcart's Complete Rotten Reviews & Rejections, Eds. Bill Henderson and Andre Bernard.

canada gees mate for life, bill bissett.

Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Lynne Truss.

Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, T.S. Eliot.

Doggerel: Great Poets on Remarkable Dogs, Martha Paulos.

And, in my own personal opinion, the piece de resistance of the collection, a very lucky find in a Kamloops remainder bin:

Clean and Decent: The Fascinating History of the Bathroom and The Water-Closet by Lawrence Wright.

I'm still on the hunt for a copy of Fuck, Yes!: A Guide to the Happy Acceptance of Everything by the Reverend Dr. Wing Fu Fing. A bit long for a bathroom book, it's true. You risk losing dinner guests between dinner and dessert. Not to mention the dreaded pink buttock ring. But I'm willing to suffer for a worthy edition.


April 2, 2008

What not to do when you've submitted your manuscript to an overworked editor at an understaffed publishing house

Materialize.

(Via Maud.)