A “fad,” an “idle threat,” a “great way to overcome writers block” and “a trial by deadline.”

I have to go ahead and recommend the 3-day novel writing contest
(September 2 - 4) to anyone that wants to get it together to produce a book-length manuscript. The idea is that you and hundreds of other writers hide away for Labour Day weekend and produce a literary gem. The winner receives a publishing contract and the runner up, $500.

One year, many moons ago, I signed up to become a shut-in for a long weekend and managed to squeeze out over a hundred pages for submission. Mind you, it was over one hundred very bad pages, but a book nonetheless, and the makings of my first novel.

The website suggests: … Take three deep breaths. Guzzle coffee, black or with sugar. Don’t punish yourself. Do that on Tuesday. Get back to work. Take phone off hook. Pull drapes. If you feel lonely an outcast you are. That manuscript is now your only friend, the only one who cares. Finish it. Let it have a life, even if you don’t. Bravo.

This year the registrations a bit pricey at $50.00, but they do offer group rates if you manage to bring in some fellow writers to enjoy the reclusive revelry. Besides, theres no glaring need to pay the fee to write the novel- you can always forgo the competition completely, simply participate without registration and challenge yourself to complete the literary task at hand.

Here’s an empowering and/or disheartening piece of news: U.S.A. school kids have donated more to Hurricane Katrina relief than most big corporations, raising money through lemonade stands, car washes (let’s hope those were nice, “family-oriented” car washes with no 12 year-olds in string bikinis) and of course, the irrepressible bake sale. To quote Democracy Now “school children gave more to the Katrina relief efforts than companies such as AT&T, Verizon, GE and Coca-Cola.”

Forbes appears to be in quite a spot of trouble after a controversial article from Michael Noer about the apparently dim prospect of marrying “career” women. The article, originally posted August 22 but subsequently taken down and reposted with a counterpoint,, contained some choice tidbits seemingly designed to raise the ire of working women everywhere:

While everyone knows that marriage can be stressful, recent studies have found professional women are more likely to get divorced, more likely to cheat, less likely to have children, and, if they do have kids, they are more likely to be unhappy about it. A recent study in Social Forces, a research journal, found that women—even those with a “feminist” outlook—are happier when their husband is the primary breadwinner.

“Those with a ‘feminist’ outlook” shot back in droves. Boing Boing archived parts of the article after Forbes took it down. The blog Pandagon saved the accompanying sidebar that still has not resurfaced on the website. Another blog, Feministe, fired off a point-by-point riposte. Jennifer Saylor took the simpler route of merely changing all the gender pronouns to create Don’t Marry Career Men. And Salon managed to elicit responses from the likes of Gloria Steinem and Travelocity CEO Michelle Peluso. Ah, but Jack Shafer at Slate would like to remind you that the article isn’t all that offensive, chastising women ready to “break their nails pounding out angry e-mails to me” while at the same time debunking some of Noer’s points. Maybe if he dropped the attitude his point would come across clearer.

This isn’t the first time one of Noer’s articles has come under fire. (While other bloggers have noted that “The Economics of Prostitution” was taken down along with “Don’t Marry Career Women,” it appears to be back on the Forbes site.)

Has anybody seen World Trade Center, the new movie directed by Oliver Stone about the last two people to be rescued from the debris of the World Trade Towers after September 11?

I haven’t seen the film, but today I uncovered a shocking (shocking!) piece of information about the real people the movie is based on. The two last people to be rescued were police officers Will Jimeno and John McLoughlin, and one of the people who helped rescue them was ex-Marine Jason Thomas. Here is a picture of the actor who plays Jason Thomas, from Wikipedia:

Here is a picture of Jason Thomas from USA Today:

In case the pictures don’t spell out why I’m enraged, William Mapother is white! Jason Thomas is black! Rage! Rage!

I found this info courtesy of the blog Rachel’s Tavern, and who very eloquently notes that the reason why this particular cross-racial casting is inappropriate is because there are so few postive images of black men in mainstream media. While American movie directors have no problem casting black/latino actors in roles of “bad guys” (see the movie Thirteen for proof of this), when they have the opportunity to show a black man doing something amazing and inarticulably valuable for the U.S.A. on a terrible day, they cast a white man.

You can read Jason Thomas bio on Wikipedia here. The movie production company notes that it made a “mistake” in casting a white actor to portray Thomas, but that it was too late to change the actors by the time they realised their mistake.

Fury! Fury!

Im now thoroughly convinced that the fall is the season for book geeks like me. My calendar is already packed with literary goings on in Toronto, and across the nation. Add to that the countless books due for a fall launch by feisty female writers, and the bitterness associated with the ominous end of the summer is sweetened just enough.

The obvious book geek pinnacle pick is The Word On The Street Book and Magazine Fair. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the last Sunday in September (this year its the 24th), the fair sets up in various locales in Vancouver, Calgary, Kitchener, Toronto and Halifax. Its completely free and boasts more than 500 attractions including exhibits by local and national publishers, booksellers, and writers’ associations, giving readers and writers a chance to mingle all day long with publications and authors.

In praising the fall, we cannot forget the International Readings at Harbourfront Centre. For a mere eight dollars you can spend the evening with some of the best international writers in one of Torontos best reading venues. The big draw for me in the upcoming calendar is the readings celebration of indie bookstore darling Book Citys 30th anniversary, where theyve managed to secure Monica Ali, author of Brick Lane, and named one of the twenty best young British novelists by Granta Magazine. On Wednesday, October 7th at 7:30, shell be there along with my great Canadian writer pal Michael Redhill, and others.

And just when you thought things in the fall couldnt get any better, there are the books themselves. As for new launches, the first installment of Emily Pohl-Wearys much anticipated Natalie Fuentes Mystery Series, Strange Times at Western High (Annick Press,) is finally out this September. The latest issue of Shameless profiles the countless literary adventures of this indie scene superhero, and I find myself constantly perusing her online blog to catch up on all her countless great goings-on.

Im also entirely excited to see that Zoe Whittalls got a book of poetry on the close horizon. Her second collection, The Emily Valentine Poems, will be out any day now with newbie-innovative-indie Montreal press Snare Books. Given Whittalls prolific literary commitment to the queer girl voice, the crushing of fat-phobia, and the exquisite construction of, well, every line she writes, this little book of poems promises to be nothing but perfect. Once I get my hands on a copy Ill give it a thorough review.

With a roster like this, its doubtful Ill be lamenting the change in seasons one bit.

A lot of great things get posted on our comments pages, so I hope everyone follows the links to read the comments. (For example, Lauren Baratz-Logsted of This is Chick Lit fame herself posted in response to my blog about her new book. Heavens to Betsy! We’re famous!) Adele posted a particularly spectacular link in response to Allison’s post about the International Aids Conference.

It’s an ad Gwyneth Patrol did for an AIDS campaign. Advance warning: it may inspire a choking fit. Or projectile vomit. Please go look at this horrifying schlock.

Thanks Adele!

I just watched the end of the AIDS 2006 opening ceremonies on TV. A lot of optimistic noises, but I have a couple things to point out.

AIDS activism in Toronto (and elsewhere) started in the queer community. I know that there is continuity in terms of people - some of the activists who fought the epidemic then are still involved. But there is almost no mention of that history at the big events and in the major media. These people pioneered outreach and prevention. And I’m not just looking for lip service to the queer community - there is a lesson to be learned. AIDS is all about marginalized groups, and what happens when a health issues meets homophobia, racism, sexism, etc.

There was also a weird section of Melinda Gates’ speech where she implied that a sex worker is less valuable than a “faithful mother of four.” I think it was a case of unfortunate phrasing, because in the rest of her address she said the opposite, but I worry that people will pick up on the message they have been conditioned to hear - that sex workers don’t matter.

A lot the conference is restricted to delegates, but check out this page for events at the Global Village, which is open to the public.

Has anybody read This Is Not Chick Lit, a new anthology of writing that is supposed to be literary as opposed to commercial?

I was just reading an interesting interview on Alternet with Elizabeth Merritt, the anthology’s editor. Merritt argues that there is a need to defend and spotlight what she calls serious fiction by women, because the influx of Chick Lit, all started by Bridget Jones’ Diary, has taken away from serious writing by women. She states that these days, the only books written by women that are given spotlight and table space (that is, space on the big tables at the front of book stores like Chapters and Indigo) are the ones with purses and shoes on their covers.

But a scandal is raging now: chick lit writers have put together their own anthology called (can you guess?) This is Chick Lit, edited by Lauren Baratz-Logsted. These writers say they are hurt and angered by “serious women writers’” dismissal of their work as fluff. They ask - what’s so wrong with escapist fiction, especially in these hard times? And they contend (to be honest, I find this a leetle hard to believe) that chick lit does deal with pressing issues that women face, like class issues, racism and homophobia. Read contributor Rachel Pine’s thoughts on Elizabeth Merritt here.

Here’s a question for society at large though: why is it that there’s only space for one type of women writers on those sacred tables? Why is it that an increase in book sales for one group of women writers means a decrease in sales for another group of women writers? You never see Dan Brown and Jonathan Safran Foer cat fighting on the internet. I REJECT the answer that its because women naturally just love back-biting each other.

I think that it’s because while the book selling world is happy to make space for both Dan and Jonathan, they’re only willing to squeeze in one kind of lady. (And why is that? Is it because our culture is STILL inherently sexist? Aha! See! Feminism is still relevant!) It’s not surprising that publishing prefers to make room for the women who write about trying to balance bake sales with corporate ladder climbing, rather than the women who want to write deconstructions of class and gender issues.

Does anybody else here feel like women are totally set up to cat fight each other for the table scraps? Damn that patriarchy.

If you’re just joining the conversation, Anna blogged about the “sensitive male chauvinist” and Nicole responded that Bob Dylan’s been called out for his hostility to women in his music. That made me think of this great piece called “Where the Girls Aren’t” by Jessica Hopper. It was written a few years ago, and it immediately sparked a pretty intense debate among my friends, who were hardcore indie rockers at that point.

Music like punk and emo (and its cousin, indie rock) is assumed to be pro-gender-equality, just because a)in some ways it started out that way b)the whole sub-culture is kinda counter-cultural, with the do-it-yourself, and rejection of cookie cutter pop. BUT, Jessica Hopper argues that this rep is actually totally false and that emo in particular is extremely male-dominated, and lyrically very misogynist.

Seriously read this article! It was one of the first things in a long chain of events that slowly turned me off boy-rock (and other things. like, you know, patriarchy). Anybody wanna buy my Get Up Kids box set?

PS If you had trouble before 4 p.m. EST on 10 August following that link to the full article, try it again now.