Memoir allows readers a glimpse into the lives of others, the struggles they’ve gone through, the lessons they’ve learned, showing the width and breadth of the human experience. And with the added visual element, graphic memoir brings another dimension to the story and pulls the reader into the setting without the need for prose description, visually transporting readers to lands and perspectives different from their own. The prose lays out the storyline, and the illustration provides the details, allowing for a different kind of comprehension. Memoir feels especially suited to the graphic novel format. These are the stories of real people unfolding before your eyes. The visuals help with understanding differences, but they can also make similarities more striking too. Maybe you’ll learn something new; maybe you’ll find a bit of yourself in the story. Each reading experience is important and powerful. No matter your age or experience, graphic memoirs are accessible and valuable for all. Interested in trying graphic memoir? Showcasing a variety of different art styles, here are some more recent releases I recommend. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton Before there was Kate Beaton, New York Times bestselling cartoonist of Hark A Vagrant fame, there was Katie Beaton of the Cape Breton Beatons, specifically Mabou, a tight-knit seaside community where the lobster is as abundant as beaches, fiddles, and Gaelic folk songs. After university, Beaton heads out west to take advantage of Alberta’s oil rush, part of the long tradition of East Coasters who seek gainful…
Sunshine and warmer weather are here, and that means it’s the perfect time to head outside, kick back your feet, and read a good book. There are plenty of new releases in fiction to be excited about. Here are some of the new releases I am most eager to read this summer from some popular genres of fiction. Fantasy – Witch King by Martha Wells… [Read More]
How far should a daughter go to fix a fraught relationship with her mother? Rica Ramos-Keenum examines this question in her forthcoming memoir, Nobody’s Daughter: A Memoir of Healing the Mother Wound, which releases from She Writes Press on May 9. In her early forties and about to remarry, Rica Ramos realizes that starting over could mean leaving her mother behind. She longs to heal… [Read More]
Bett Dorion Fitzpatrick grew up in Newfoundland when there wasn’t a child alive who didn’t know the story about the tragic shipwrecks of the USS Truxton and USS Pollux. In this small mining town along Canada’s craggy shores, local villagers mounted a rescue operation and carried up the cliffs the 186 U.S. servicemen who survived the shipwrecks in the midst of a blizzard in February… [Read More]
There’s nothing quite like a writing workshop, conference, or retreat to get writing inspiration flowing and help overcome writer’s block. They provide a change of pace, a chance to relax and unwind, and space to focus on your craft. These events can also offer opportunities to connect with other writers and build community and a network of support. If you’re thinking about going to a… [Read More]
In the pre-dawn hours of February 18, 1942, three American warships zigzagged in convoy along the south coast of Newfoundland. Caught in a raging blizzard, the three ships ran aground on one of the most inhospitable stretches of coastline in the world—less than three miles apart, within eight minutes of each other. The Wilkes freed herself. The Truxton and Pollux could not. Fighting frigid temperatures, wild surf, and a heavy… [Read More]