A Review of Older Sister. Not Necessarily Related. A Memoir, by Jenny Heijun Wills (McClelland & Stewart, 2019)
This book hit me in the gut. Older Sister. Not Necessarily Related by Jenny Heijun Wills is a poetic, edgy, sad, and ultimately hopeful memoir about gender, ethnicity, and skin colour. Wills was adopted from Korea as a baby by white
A Review of Brown, by Kamal Al-Solaylee (HarperCollins, 2016)
The subtitle for Kamal Al-Solaylee's 2016 book is “What Being Brown in the World Means Today (to Everyone).” I picked it up because I couldn’t recall hearing much if anything about people with brown skin over the years. The book
Writing about Anger While Keeping the Story Uplifting & Real
Have you ever read a story or watched a movie only to be disappointed in the ending because the protagonist won too easily? Don't get me wrong: sometimes I enjoy a little cheese in my entertainment, especially at Christmastime, but
What Did Elisabeth Wear? Clothing in Semlac
Clothing in Semlac is perhaps the hardest detail to keep track of in Between Worlds. I have photos, but they don't match the exact years that Between Worlds takes place in. Fashion in between the wars did begin to modernize, but to what
What to Do at Home During Covid-19 Pandemic
I have to admit, everything shutting down because of the pandemic caused by Covid-19 has angered me. But I suppose that's a normal reaction when a lot of important and happy moments are being cancelled. If your family is like
Talking Arts: Kate Hilliard About Her New Piece, …this happened
Kate Hilliard is a Toronto-based artist and the Artistic Director of Granite Motion Gallery. What fascinates me about her work and …this happened, her new, contemporary piece at Compagnie + Citadel in Toronto, is how she combines different art forms: dance,
10 Facts About Shell Shock and World War I
“Shell shock” was the term used to describe initially inexplicable symptoms in soldiers in World War I. Although similar reactions to war have been recorded throughout history, World War I was the first industrialized war, i.e., instead of men carving
Book Launch in Waterloo! Between Worlds 5: Hide and Seek
I’m holding my first book launch in Waterloo! It’ll take place on Monday, November 25th, in Waterloo, for Between Worlds 5: Hide and Seek. Join me for a relaxing evening, including a tea and hot chocolate bar and yummy treats,
“Between Worlds,” a Book Series for Teens, Gets a New Look
Starting later this month, you'll see a new look to my book series for teens, Between Worlds. My graphics designer made some changes to her business, so it no longer made sense for the two of us to work together.
Kylie Thompson: When Collaboration Brings Opportunity
A good portion of my dance training involved dance exams. In the case of tap, I even had to memorize step definitions. “Tap: strike the floor with the ball of the foot, releasing it immediately.” Or, “Shuffle: a combination of