Experientially Speaking Sage Hill Alumni Newsletter (Vol. 8, October/November 2004)

Announcements

Sage Hill Writing Experience presents Two COOL Readings (by two exceptional poets!) in Lumsden, Saskatchewan.

On Friday, Nov. 19th at 7:30 p.m. Gerry Shikatani will read at the Letterbox Gallery, 220 James Street in Lumsden, SK, and on Wednesday, Nov. 24th at 7:30 p.m. Louise Bernice Halfe will read at St. Michaels‟ Retreat in Lumsden. Both readings are FREE, there will be refreshments, and everyone is welcome.

Stay tuned to Sage Hill‟s website (www.sagehillwriting.ca) where we will be posting George Elliot Clarke‟s Keynote Lecture, titled Hearing Anne Szumigalski, presented this past July at the Summer Experience. George Elliot Clarke also presented the Caroline Heath Lecture at the Saskatchewan Writers Guild‟s recent AGM and conference.

 In our continuing attempts to keep the Alumni pages of the Sage Hill website as comprehensive, up to date, and accurate as possible, we invite you to browse the site and to PLEASE LET US KNOW if your name and information (i.e., the year and program you attended) are in need of revision or if they are missing altogether. Also, if you have a website to which you would like us to post a link, please notify us of that as well. Sage Hill's web address is www.sagehillwriting.ca and, of course, our email address is [email protected]

Publications, Awards, Etc. [abbreviations: YA (Young Adult); PW (Poetry Workshop); PC (Poetry Colloquium); FPC (Fall Poetry Colloquium); FW (Fiction Workshop); FC (Fiction Colloquium); NC (Novel Colloquium); PL (Playwriting); Intro (Intro); NF (Creative Non-fiction)] note: only most recent program attended is indicated.

—Again, we are delighted to brag about the many successes of former Sage Hill Experients: Congratulations to all!—

Bonnie Dunlop (FW ‟98) is a finalist in both the Fiction and First Book (The Brenda Macdonald Riches Award) categories of this year‟s Saskatchewan Book Awards for her short fiction collection The Beauty Box (Thistledown).

Dolores Ewen (Intro ‟02) wrote us the following in the summer: “Out here in Lloydminster I'm the chair of the culture sector of the Alberta Senior Summer Mini Games, July 22-23. I'm putting up a show of writing, arts, and crafts entries from Zone 7. The writing is already judged. We had humor, short story, and non-fiction. I forwent the poetry section for fear of having to diplomatically deal with sentimental doggerel. I used a member of our local paper and a teacher to read the entries. What I wouldn't have given to have had the use of some of you. On July 20 the arts and crafts show goes up. The next day it is judged. I keep thinking I should have had my head examined before agreeing to accept this job. But I've learned a lot . . .”

Marthe Gold‟s (PL ‟02) play Marsh Light will be produced at the Tilden Arts Studio Theatre in Barnstable, Massachusetts and at the Shaughnessy Theatre in Hyannis, MA in November 2004. Marthe worked on this play at Sage Hill with Floyd Favel Starr.

Catherine Greenwood (FPC ‟99) published her first book this fall, a poetry collection titled The Pearl King and Other Poems (Brick Books).

Trevor Herriot’s (NF „98) Jacob’s Wound (McClelland & Stewart) is a finalist in the Regina Book Award and Nonfiction categories of the Saskatchewan Book Awards.

Wilma Kenny (NF‟03) sent us the following update: “I made part of a „long short story,‟ „Monkey‟s Story,‟ into a one-act play. We produced it at a one-act festival here in Kingston, it won, & in October we'll be representing Domino Theatre in the Eastern Ontario Drama Festival's one-act competition.”

Holly Luhning‟s (PW ‟00) poetry collection, Sway (Thistledown), is a finalist for First Book (The Brenda Macdonald Riches Award) in the Saskatchewan Book Awards.

Susan McMaster (FPC ‟03) has recently published Until the Light Bends, #9 in Black Moss Press‟ Palm Poets Series. Susan writes us that this collection was worked on in the 2003 Fall Poetry Colloquium with Fred Wah and Hilary Clark. She has also recently released/published a CD with Pendas Productions in London, Ontario. The CD features poems from her book, performed by her and her musical group Geode Music & Poetry.

Marie Mendenhall (PL ‟02) ) wrote us the following: “. . . my short story titled „Hinterland‟ will be published in Transition this fall (2004), along with three art/illustrative photos. Transition is edited by Byrna Barclay. This will be my first published short story—knock on wood!—but hopefully more will follow.”

Helen Mourre‟s (FW ‟96 and former President of Sage Hill Board) What’s Come Over Her (Thistledown) is a finalist for Fiction in the Saskatchewan Book Awards.

Karen Press (PW ‟00) has recently published her second poetry collection, Spine, with Gaspereau Press.

J. Jill Robinson (FC „93) is the 2004-2005 Writer-in-Residence at the Saskatoon Public Library.

Mansel Robinson (PL „95) was on the English language Drama jury for this year‟s Governor General‟s Literary Awards.

Brenda Schmidt (PC ‟03) has been awarded The Canadian Authors Association Prize for Poetry for her poem published in The Harpweaver (Vol. 11, 2003). Her winning poem is from her second poetry collection, More than Three Feet of Ice, forthcoming in spring 2005 with Thistledown; More than Three Feet of Ice recently received an Honorable Mention in the John V. Hicks poetry manuscript competition.

Joan Skogan (‟93 FW) recently published Mary of : The Virgin Mary in Canadian Culture, Spirituality, History, and Geography (The Banff Centre Press).

Leona Theis (NC ‟03 and current Sage Hill Board Member) was a finalist in The Malahat Review's 2004 novella competition.

Other News

In September and October Al Pope (NC ‟02) toured several Western cities, reading from his new novel, Bad Latitudes (Turnstone 2004); Al‟s stops included , Regina, Calgary, Vancouver, and Yellowknife.

Three Sage Hill Alumni are featured in the anthology Breathing Fire 2: Canada’s New Poets, published by Nightwood Editions and edited by Lorna Crozier and Patrick Lane (both former Sage Hill faculty). Former Sage Hillers included are Sheri Benning (Intro ‟97), Alayna Munce (Intro ‟97), and Alison Pick (FPC ‟00).

Milieu Press in Vancouver has just launched its Portfolio Anthology, which features selections from twenty-one works-in-progress by emerging to established writers of poetry, non-fiction, and lyric prose. “Portfolio Milieu represents the most thoughtful, innovative and current writing from women writers across the country” [blurb at Sumach Press who distribute the book]. Among the writers featured in the anthology are Sage Hill Alumni Oana Avasilichioaei (PW ‟03), Susan Andrews Grace (FPC ‟95), Jennifer Still (FPC ‟01), Onjana Yawnghwe (PW ‟02), and former Sage Hill faculty member Marilyn Dumont. [see website listing for milieu‟s web address]

JackPine Press has recently published, and has forthcoming, chapbooks by several writers with Sage Hill ties. This past summer JackPine launched Seeds, a poetry chapbook by Erin Bidlake (PC ‟01), and Contemplation & Resistance: A Conversation by Tim Lilburn (faculty) and Jan Zwicky. This December, JackPine will launch the poetry chapbooks Tower Road by Barbara Klar (FPC ‟96) and Five Ways to Lose Your Way by Don McKay (faculty) with Art and Design by Dorothy Field (PW ‟02). [see website listing for JackPine‟s web address]

The Writer’s Guild has recently named their Emerging Writers’ Mentor Program in honour of the late Sheldon Oberman. Sheldon Oberman, who was a founding MWG member, attended Sage Hill‟s 1991 Fiction Colloquium.

Faculty News

Robert Calder, former member of Sage Hill‟s Board of Directors, has two books that are finalists in a total of three categories of the Saskatchewan Book Awards. A Richer Dust (Penguin Group) is a finalist for Book of the Year and Nonfiction, while Beware the British Serpent (McGill-Queen‟s University Press) is a finalist for Scholarly Writing.

David Carpenter‟s novella The Ketzer (Hagios Press) is a finalist for the Saskatoon Book Award, a category of the Saskatchewan Book Awards.

Gerald Hill is a finalist in the poetry category of The Saskatchewan Book Awards for his collection Getting to Know You (Spotted Cow Press).

Beth Goobie‟s Young Adult book, Flux (Orca Books), is a finalist for Children‟s Literature in the Saskatchewan Book Awards.

Judith Krause was chosen by US poet Mark Strand to be one of eight Associate Artists for the March 2004 interdisciplinary arts residency program at the Atlantic Center of the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

Huge CONGRATULATIONS to on recently being awarded the Order of Canada. Robert Kroetsch has also just published a new poetry collection, The Snowbird Poems (University of Alberta Press).

Shelley Leehdahl‟s short story collection Orchestra of the Lost Steps (Thistledown) is a finalist in four categories of this year‟s Saskatchewan Book Awards: Book of the Year, Fiction, Saskatoon Book Award, and Award for Publishing.

Annabel Lyon‟s “The Goldberg Metronome,” from her collection of novellas The Best Thing for You (M & S), will be broadcast on CBC Radio‟s Between the Covers from November 1-8. Annabel will also judge the Dramatic Monologue entries in the 17th Annual Short Grain writing contest. [see the Grain web address, under website listings, where you can go to for contest info]

Arthur Slade (YA ‟01 and faculty) is also a finalist in the Saskatchewan Book Awards; Ghost Hotel (Coteau Books) is short-listed for Children‟s Literature.

Steven Ross Smith, Sage Hill‟s too often unsung Executive Director, has a new poetry collection, Fluttertongue Book 3: Disarray, forthcoming in spring 2005 with Turnstone Press. In May 2004, Steven was a presenter at the 5th International Meeting of Poets at the University of Coimbra in Portugal.

Alumni & Related Websites

Linda Aksomitis („96 YA): http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/aksoml/ Brenda Baker („93 FW): www.brendabaker.com Michael Bryson („00 FC) edits the on-line journal The Danforth Review: www.danforthreview.com Jannie Edwards („97 PC): www.artsci.gmcc.ab.ca./people/edwardsj/ New Susan Andrews Grace (FPC ‟95) is both a poet and visual artist; you can check out samples of her work in both disciplines at her website: www.susanandrewsgrace.com Shelley Leedahl (Faculty): www.members.shaw.ca/shelleyannleedahl/index.html Change of address Brenda Schmidt (‟03 FPC) has a new address for her website: http://schevv.sasktelwebsite.net/birdart.htm Arthur Slade (Faculty and „01YA): www.arthurslade.com Kathy Stinson (‟93 FW): www.kathystinson.com Contemporary Verse 2: www.contemporaryverse2.ca Grain Magazine: www.grainmagazine.ca New JackPine Press‟ website is finally up and running: www.jackpinepress.com milieu press, a new women‟s press: www.milieupress.net Prairie Fire: www.prairiefire.mb.ca

Donors

Grow Sage —New Donors— Oana Avasilichioeai, Carolyn Bennett, Cam Bower, Wendy Brandts, Robert Calder, Miji Campbell, Phil Campagna, Joan Crate, Heather Crichlow, Jo Bannatyne Cugnet, Reene Granlin, Jerry Hamm, Jan Horner, Walfried Jansen, Donna Kane, Lynn Kavanagh, Mary Love, Anna-Marie MacKenzie, Jean McKay, Susan McMaster, Isa Milman, Erin Mouré, Greg Nelson, K. Gordon Neufeld, Wynne Nicholson, Paula Jane Remlinger, Bren Simmers, Joan Skogan, Steven Ross Smith, Adam Sol, , Les Wall, Betsy Warland, & anonymous donors.

—Recent Donors— Martha Attema, Shelley Banks, Kimmy Beach, Claudia Bickel, Colin Boyd & Bernice Friesen, Nola Buhr, Sandra Campbell, David Carpenter, Hilary Clark, Sally Crooks, Teresa Davidson, Christine Erwin, Ron Evans, Dolores Ewen, Dorothy Field, Linda Frank, Gabriella Goliger, Brecken Hancock, Maureen Scott Harris, Betty Jane Hegerat, Doris Hillis, Jacqueline Honnet, Bruce Hunter, Maureen Hynes, A. N. Kamal, Myrna Kostash, Katherine Lawrence, Sylvia Legris, Alison Lohans, Rod Macpherson, Don McKay & Jan Zwicky, June Mitchell, Helen Mourre, Lorri Neilsen, Amy Nelson-Mile, Michael & Helen Newmann, Cynthia D. Peterson, Ruth Roach Pierson, Al Pope, Betty Ramshaw, Nancy Richler, Carol Rose, Diane Salmon, David Sealy, Arthur Slade, Julie Vandervoort, Joan Wier, Claire Wilkshire, Onjana Yawnghwe, Joseph Zeman, & anonymous donors.

Scholarship and Operations Donors —New Donors— Hilary Clark, George Elliot Clarke, Barbara Klar, Janice Lore, Susan McMaster, Anne Sorbie, & anonymous donors.

—Recent Donors— Shelley Banks, Nola Buhr, Lucia Cino, Dolores Ewen, Dorothy Field, Marthe Gold, Brecken Hancock, Betty Jane Hegerat, Katherine Lawrence, Rod Macpherson, Wenda McArthur, Andrea Mozarowski, Allison Muri, Amy Nelson-Mile, Al Pope, Dennis Porsnuk, Betty Ramshaw, H. & J. Storey, Geoffrey Ursell & Barbara Sapergia, Julie Vandervoort, Onjana Yawnghwe, & anonymous donors.