2 BC BOOKWORLD SPRING 2011 Awards STANDING up for SCIENCE
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2 BC BOOKWORLD SPRING 2011 awards STANDING UP FOR SCIENCE eligion won’t save us. Or politics. R Or business. According to David Suzuki, the 74-year-old environmentalist who re- ceived the 18th annual George Wood- cock Lifetime Achievement Award in February, it all comes down to science. If politicians had listened to Suzuki and other scientific-minded futurists about thirty years ago, Kyoto Protocol standards would have been achievable. Now Suzuki still clings to a “very slen- der thread” of hope. The human race can still endure, IF we immediately en- act rational strategies. “Science is by far the most important factor for shaping our lives and society today… (but) decisions are made for po- litical expediency,” he says. “What’s hap- pening now is absolutely terrifying.” Suzuki recalled the advice of 300 cli- matologists who met in Toronto in the 1970s and identified global warming as the greatest threat to human survival, next to atomic bombs. “(But) the fossil fuel industry, the auto sector and neo- conservatives like the Koch brothers in Margaret Atwood New York began to invest tens of mil- presents this year’s George lions of dollars in a campaign of decep- Woodcock Award to tion,” Suzuki said. “You can find the best scientist and educator evidence of this in Jim Hoggan’s book, David Suzuki, at the Fairmont Climate Cover-Up, and in Nancy Hotel Vancouver. “We are Oreskes’ Merchants of Doubt.” going backwords,” he PHOTOGRAPHY D “Now we have public opinion on warned the audience. these issues driven by organizations like WENDY The Fraser Institute, the Heartland In- stitute, the Competitive Enterprise In- Campbell with a set of leather bound stitute. You just have to read The National Vaillant wins copies of all the award winners since Post and you’ll never have to change 2003. Campbell received a standing your mind on climate change. You’ll wholeheartedly ovation from nearly everyone present. know that it’s baloney... This year all four nominated titles for “I began my career in television be- OHN VAILLANT’S FIRST BOOK, THE the $40,000 prize were published by lieving that through education, through Golden Spruce, about a former log- Random House / Knopf of Toronto, in- writing books, through radio and televi- Jger named Grant Hadwin who cluding Stevie Cameron’s coura- sion programs, we would have a better- cut down K’iid K’iyaas, a “Golden” geous, 768-page On The Farm: Robert informed public. But, in fact, we are Sitka Spruce on Haida Gwaii, in 1997, William Pickton and the Tragic Story going backwards. received several major book awards and of Vancouver’s Missing Women. PHOTO “The level of trust in science, espe- was shortlisted for British Columbia’s Na- Tiger 978-0-30739-714-0; Farm 978-0-676-97584-0 cially in the United States, is dropping tional Award for Canadian Non-Fiction. TWIGG ✍ radically. And if we can’t trust in science, Five years later, at a lavish free lunch- Co-nominees for the BC’s National UBC PRESS’ TITLE CANADA, THE CONGO then who do we turn to? The Koran? The eon for invited guests, Vaillant received Award for Canadian Non-Fiction, Crisis, and UN Peacekeeping, 1960-64, Bible? Or all these right-wing pundits?” former Premier Gordan Camp- Stevie Cameron and John Vaillant by Kevin Spooner, has won this This year The Writers Trust of bell’s B.C. National Award for Cana- year’s CP Stacey Prize for the best book Canada co-sponsored the Woodcock dian Non-Fiction for his second book, nounced as the winner during the three- in Military History awarded by the Ca- Award, presented by Margaret Atwood. an investigation of events in Siberia re- hour ceremony. With sincere humility, nadian Historical Committee for the Mayor Gregor Robertson also par- garding a rare tiger that was killing peo- he told the audience he had decided in History of the Second World War and ticipated in the ceremony. ple in Russia’s Primorye Territory. advance: “I am going to feel whole- for Military History. 978-0-7748-1637-3 Since 1995, the Woodcock Lifetime Like Golden Spruce, Vaillant’s The hearted for whoever wins.” ✍ Achievement Award for an Oustanding Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and The event featured erudite and so- D&M’S POLAR IMPERATIVE: A HISTORY OF Literary Career in B.C. has been sup- Survival (Knopf $34.95) uses a news- phisticated dissertations on each of the Arctic Sovereignty in North America by ported by the City of Vancouver, Van- worthy story as the basis for an expan- four nominated titles, delivered by Shelagh D. Grant has been nomi- couver Public Library and B.C. sive look at conservation and ecology, Daphne Bramham, Douglas nated for the 2011 Lionel Gelber Prize, BookWorld. Another new co-sponsor, as revealing atavistic links between techno- Todd, Michael Levine and a literary award for the world’s best non- of 2010, is Yosef Wosk. logical man and the wilderness. Wade Davis. Publisher Scott fiction book in English that seeks to Born in Vancouver, David Suzuki has Vaillant’s face did not register pleas- McIntyre, as one of the administra- deepen public debate on significant glo- written more than 50 books. ure or surprise when his name was an- tive board members, presented Gordan bal issues. 978-1553654186 SPRING Publication Mail Agreement #40010086 Contributors: Hannah Main-van der Kamp, John Moore, Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: BC BookWorld, Joan Givner, Sage Birchwater, Grant Shilling, For this issue, we gratefully Mark Forsythe, Louise Donnelly, Sheila Munro, 2011 3516 W. 13th Ave., Vancouver, BC V6R 2S3 acknowledge the unobtrusive Cherie Thiessen, Shane McCune, Joseph Farris. assistance of Canada Council, a Produced with the sponsorship of Pacific BookWorld News Writing not otherwise credited is by staff. BC Issue, Web consultant: Sharon Jackson continuous partner since 1988. BOOKWORLD Society. Publications Mail Registration No. 7800. BC BookWorld ISSN: 1701-5405 Photographers: Barry Peterson, Laura Sawchuk. Vol. 25, No. 1 Proofreaders: Wendy Atkinson, Betty Twigg. In-Kind Supporters: Publisher/ Writer: Alan Twigg Advertising & editorial: BC BookWorld, 3516 W. 13th Ave., Design: Get-to-the-Point Graphics. Deliveries: Ken Reid Vancouver, B.C., V6R 2S3. Tel/Fax: 604-736-4011 All BC BookWorld reviews are posted online at Simon Fraser University Library; Editor/Production: David Lester Email: [email protected]. Annual subscription: $25 www.abcbookworld.com Vancouver Public Library. 3 BC BOOKWORLD SPRING 2011 letters chance to go and talk to him. I was over- Treasure hunt whelmed with shyness and so we never I AM EXTREMELY spoke. I’ve regretted that lost opportu- happy and hon- nity ever since. oured by your cov- Just days before the news of his death, erage in B.C. I happened upon an article about Eric BookWorld. My Nicol in The Essentials by Alan Twigg. husband and I are There, in print, was a sentence that impressed by the stabbed my heart. “Terribly shy, he Louise Jilek-Aall scope of this pub- avoided parties.” lication, but it is And to think I was only steps away. quite intimidating to see how many good Nancy Wise authors there are in B.C. What a treas- Sandhill Book Marketing, Kelowna ure you have given to the public to be able to find out about and discover all Nicol was hoaxer these people and their books. Louise Jilek-Aall extraordinare Tsawwassen SHY, WITTY AND VERY GENTLE, ERIC NICOL WAS one of the finest writers I ever en- Curtis catchy countered. Eric Nicol (centre) playing a reporter with actress Leslie Caron. Also see p. 17 He was a better writer than his shy- I’M A MEMBER OF THE ASSU FAMILY FROM ness allowed the world to see. Few of his Quadra Island, coming out with a book readers were aware of just how good he about the Kwakwaka’wakw and potlatch Dick & John was on the world stage. In his brief spell ban history, in 2011. I just want to say I Sexiconoclast as a radio scriptwriter in London, long really enjoyed that Autumn BCBW ar- THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED FOR THE THE GREAT HUMORIST ERIC NICOL WILL BE before he got a play on Broadway, he ticle on The Edward Curtis Project. I’ve piece comparing my book Edge of the missed. It was always a great pleasure for worked with the best in the business, the been chatting with Sound with Fishing with John. me to drive up to Eric’s house in Dunbar legendary Frank Muir and Dennis the author Marie I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s going to discuss his manuscript The Casanova Norden. Clements and the to be the only mention of my book, be- Sexicon while we were readying it for Our first book together was the city photographer cause I haven’t got a “name” or a degree, publication. What I most remember history, Vancouver, what you might call Rita Leistner I’m not a bright about those visits was the way in which an urbane urban history. Other titles in- about the correla- young thing, and Eric’s humour derived from his deft han- cluded the satire Canadide and the seri- tion between the I live on the West dling of language. I recall his eureka mo- ous Letters To My Son (Eric’s faithful Garry Thomas Morse Curtis subject Coast. What the ment in which he playfully defined readers were forewarned: “CAUTION. matter in our re- heck. “aural sex”—as the phenomenon that Contents May Prove Hazardous To Any spective books. I was pleased to read that I’ve never read occurs when the French word “oui” Preconceived Idea Of An Eric Nicol B.C.