Literature Out Loud
Hannah Stephenson
The 21st annual Vancouver International Writers and Readers Festival truly outdid itself this year in terms of featured authors (over 100, hailing from all over the world), events (69 in total), and attendance (a record-smashing 14,300 visitors). From October 21st to the 26th, I giddily traipsed around Granville Island, fervently clasping books that had been read aloud by their authors and were now freshly-signed. The following four events were my favourites, and will hopefully entice you to attend next year’s Festival!
Event 20: Comings and Goings (Wednesday, October 22nd, 8 PM)
Anne Giardini (author, journalist, and moderator for this event) opened by wondering whether the idea of “moving around is quintessentially Canadian.” Led by Giardini’s clever questions, the four featured authors explored topics of dislocation, regionalism, immigration, and identity.
Before the panel discussion, each author read from his or her most current work, starting with Rawi Hage. Hage’s reading of the critically-acclaimed Cockroach was gravelly and intense. Nam Le read from the wonderfully titled “Love and Honour and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice” from his short fiction collection The Boat. The story centres on a character named Nam Le who is getting his MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop (and is hilariously coached to write a story about his Vietnamese heritage since “ethnic literature is hot”), though Le was quick to explain that this character was not him (to smatterings of laughter). Before jokingly questioning whether Newfoundland (her home) was considered another country, Donna Morrisey read from What They Wanted in a lilting, passionate voice. Gillian Slovo closed with a spell-binding scene from Black Orchids.
The discussion that followed the readings was enlightening, and Giardini’s questions hovered around the links between biography, research, historical fact, and the creative process. Le explained, “As a writer, I reserve the right to write about anything I want...We attribute authority based on biography, and there is a relationship between experience and writing, but it is complex.” Hage bristled when asked where he felt at home (he was born in Beirut but immigrated to Canada over 15 years ago), commenting, “We give so much importance to matching literature to the real. The act of creation is also important.” Perhaps the most helpful explanation came from Slovo, who clarified, “The writing I do is all the bits of myself. We are complex, and writing can explore this.”
Event 25: The Outsiders (Thursday, October 23rd, 10 AM)
As I walked into Performance Works, eager to hear Mariko Tamaki and Shane Koyczan, I noticed that the audience was overflowing with high school students. I groaned inwardly (and maybe a little outwardly), worried that the readings might be somewhat toned down for the audience. Thankfully, I was wrong.
Moderator Nancy Lee introduced the authors to the fidgety audience. Tamaki began with a fabulous piece consisting of her Facebook newsfeed updates for the last six months (“Mariko is cake,” “Mariko is short-shorts...NOT,” “Mariko is happy as a sunbeam”), and read selections from her graphic novel Skim and from an upcoming collection of stories based on sleepovers she attended as a teenager. Koyczan won the crowd over immediately with a haiku: “I am Shane Koyczan./I like women and free food./ Running makes me sad.” After, he read from Stickboy (his novel-in-verse), and performed a couple of poems that were blissfully uncensored (equal parts expletive and tenderness).
Following the readings, the authors returned to the theme of the event and discussed whether they still felt like outsiders. Tamaki discussed how feeling like an outsider has impacted her writing: “I started writing in high school, and it was an outlet to me since I didn’t play sports. Being unique is about being alone, somewhat.” Koyczan recounted that he was badly bullied and then became a bully (see Stickboy for more on this), and when he moved to Penticton in Grade 12, he was placed into a drama class. “I was no longer that big, scary guy,” he shared, “but became that big, funny guy who acted in school plays.”
At the end of the event, Tamaki expressed her wish to tell her high school self, “You don’t have to Romeo and Juliet everything. Live your life with a less tragic end in mind.” The authors had clearly gained some fans at this event, for the audience cheered Koyczan on to perform one last poem (about Degrassi, no less!), and they rushed toward the authors’ table the second the event ended.
Event 33: Gazebo (Thursday, October 23rd, 8 PM)
Having been to the Billeh Nickerson-hosted Thursday night event last year, I now knew what to expect: irreverence, humour, and dynamic performances. Oh yeah, and go-go dancers. This year I was happy to see that the dancers were co-ed; one woman and two men shook it like the proverbial Polaroid picture (to the delight and discomfort of the audience).
Nickerson was as charming and witty as ever, introducing authors with embarrassing stories of bad behaviour and leading the audience in a rousing game of “Tops and Bottoms.” The eight authors were enormously talented and read stories and poems that widely ranged in subject (from X-Men to ski pants to a murdered teenage girl). Many of the authors paid homage to the irreverence of the evening by reading provocative pieces. Andrew Hood and Teresa McWhirter read from gritty stories about awkward relationships based on sex. Sean Horlor, a former go-go dancer at the Festival, read not-so-serious poems about clothing (“Like penguins, gloves mate for life,” one read). Jeannette Lynes shared poems about Dusty Springfield (including the engaging “A Brief History of Mascara”).
The standouts of the evening were Craig Boyko and Jordan Scott. Boyko’s quiet confidence garnered an appreciative silence while he read from “The Mean.” Scott absolutely dazzled the crowd (I actually heard someone beside me say, “WOW” after one of his poems) with his poetics of stuttering. He did indeed stutter while reading his poems from Blert, but that only added to the richness and freshness of his sound-play. Memorable lines included the lush, tongue-twisting “croon turbulence and whisper,” and “tongue uppercut palette pop rocks.”
At the end of the evening, Nickerson revealed that this would be the last time he would host the Thursday night event. To whoever takes Nickerson’s position next year: you have big shoes to fill (and you know what they say about big shoes...).
Event 58: The Poetry Bash (Saturday, October 25th, 8 PM)
This was easily my favourite event this year. The Poetry Bash boasted eight disturbingly talented writers, including such celebrated poets as Sharon Olds, Molly Peacock, and George McWhirter. Genni Gunn moderated this event, which lasted almost three hours.
The poets were outstanding. Kevin Connolly was self-deprecating and full of nervous energy. In one of the Festival’s funniest moments, he read the words “a sneeze,” and right then, an audience member sneezed loudly. Without missing a beat, he said, “Thank you.”
I particularly enjoyed his poem, “Plenty,” in which he stated, “Even lightning can be beautiful in a scary kind of way.” Molly Peacock earned hearty applause and laughter after reading a funny (?!) poem apologizing to her mother’s dead body for burying her in clip-on earrings. Jordan Scott again astonished the crowd, and George McWhirter (Vancouver’s Poet Laureate) charmed the audience with love songs and his poem, “The Origins of Asthma.”
The Poetry Bash ended with a spectacular reading from Sharon Olds. In “Self Portrait from the Rear,” Olds ponders, “Even the word ‘saddlebags’ has a smooth, calfskin feel.” I was most impressed with her humbleness while reading, and the comments she offered on the process of editing her poems. “It’s so helpful to read these in front of each other,” she said, and then exclaimed, “I just realized that this poem needs a bit less self-pity.”
The readings of these poets, and of all the authors featured at this year’s Festival have enriched my understanding of and appreciation for their works. When literature is read out loud, it reminds us that writing is not only art to be enjoyed silently—it is communication.
For more information and photos, you can visit the official website at www.writersfest.bc.ca.
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