Inside the World of Publishing-University of Regina Press

The University of Regina Press (URP) is not afraid to do things differently. From producing music videos, to inspiring a skateboarding company, as well as developing a new line of books to help revitalize Indigenous languages, URP has been pushing ahead in new and exciting ways. Now, URP continues to engage audiences in both entertainment and education with their new podcast `How Books Happen`. Hosted by Press Director Bruce Walsh, the podcast will offer listeners an inside perspective on the joys and challenges of publishing books, featuring interviews from authors, readers and publishers from across the globe. `How Books Happen`is available now on Soundcloud, iTunes, Google Play, Tune In, Pocket Casts, and Stitcher. Find it here. 

The Future of Publishing

On the DK UK website there is a beautiful video entitled: The Future of Publishing. Just make sure you watch it until the end!

The Dude sings. . .

One of the best things about being in the book business is discovering everyone's hidden creative talents. When I worked in a bookstore, my colleagues played in bands, wrote poetry, were amazing quilters etc. Let's face it - readers are simply fascinating people with lots more interests and hobbies than non-readers.
For those of you living in and around the Toronto area - mark December 6th on your calender. Our Dewey Dude - David Macmillan - belongs to the Tallis Choir, a chamber ensemble specializing in the music of the Renaissance. Here he is all dolled up, fourth man from the left in the back row.


They will be recreating a Baroque vespers to the music of Handel, December 6th at St. Patrick's Church, 141 McCaul St. Ticket information located here. Deweys will try to behave themselves as they lead the cheering squad.

Food for fun: Snack on this. . .

We all love clever children's books that appeal equally to adults, and now here's a wonderful kids CD that I'm absolutely crazy about. Snack Time by Canada's The Barenaked Ladies has just been released and I can't think of a better band to write kids' songs. I've been giggling through this charming collection which tackles subjects ranging from popcorn to loons to ninjas to allergies. The lyrics are as quirky, clever and unusual as their adult albums, and the music is incredibly catchy. My favourite song is probably "789" (sung as seven ate nine). Here's a sampling of a few lines:

"123 and 4 more makes 7
And 6 is afraid of 7. . .
Cause 7 ate 9"

"Once upon a time in our solar system
We couldn't make do without 9
But Pluto's not a planet now,
so 8'll do fine."

And there's an enormously fun and very sophisticated alphabet song called "Crazy ABCs" where all the words phonetically sound as if they start with different letters than in their written form, for example: "M is for Mnemonic" or "P is for Pneumonia, Pterodactyl, and Psychosis". Crazy indeed, but I love it. They should think about turning this song into a picture book.

I sense a sing-along coming on a future Dewey Diva road trip. Definately recommended if you want to find your inner child or just want to have an excuse to do silly dances around your hotel room.

If a picture's worth a thousand words, then here's 70,000 of them...

Excuse me for my absence - life is hectic...

Owing to my love, no lust, of jazz, when I get to experience something about "America's Classical Music" between book covers I reach a state of nirvana.

Recently Toronto artist/painter/printmaker Stefan Berg's wordless novel, Let That Bad Air Out: Buddy Bolden's Last Parade was released from Porcupine's Quill Books. It's a stunning depiction of what Berg imagines Buddy Bolden's last performance was like. Berg created a narrative through 70 individual images.

A little context: Buddy Bolden is a mythical figure in the history of jazz who is considered to be the first great jazz cornet soloist. There are no recordings of him, though some claim there was an Edison cylinder made of Bolden and his band but it has never been found. From the late 1890's to 1907 Buddy Bolden was the most prominent cornet player in New Orleans but began to slowly go insane due to alcohol and mental problems. The parade Stefan Berg has recreated in his book is said to be the last time Bolden ever brought a cornet to his lips. He spent the last 24 years of his life in an insane asylum. But the stories of his life have survived him and maintained his place in the history of jazz.

I interviewed Stefan Berg by email to find out what drew him to this iconic story and he told me that: "Michael Ondaatje's novel, Coming Through Slaughter stimulated my interest in the legend of Buddy Bolden. I wanted to create a silent novel about a particular sound and express the energy of a New Orleans parade through still images."

Here are a few images from the book:


This is a stunning visual experience that transcends the graphic novel genre.

I'd suggest you listen to some early Bunk Johnson or Freddie Keppard while experiencing this book to get a feel for the sounds of New Orleans in the French Quarter in the early 1900's.

Two Canuck Views of America's Classical Music

From time to time my various lives converge/collide with satisfying results. I LOVE books and I LOVE improvised music/jazz. When I get the opportunity to combine these two passions at the same time the potential for a nirvana-like state is extremely likely.

Here are two examples of books written by Canadians, published this year that fall into this category. One is fiction. One is non-fiction. Both books are from small Canadian presses and deserve to be read by many people, well, many people who enjoy jazz. Sure, if you’re a “jazz geek” (as my friends and I proudly refer to ourselves) you’ll likely find these works of more interest, but if you’re a reader who likes a fine character-driven novel or an in-depth investigation of one seemingly inconsequential historical event these two books may just fit the bill.

Let’s begin with the novel. I have to state at the outset that I am a good friend of the author. His name is Jim Reil. He’s been writing from 5:30 to 6:30 am every day for over 20 years! He’s done this while helping to raise three children and working as a vice president of an advertising firm in Ottawa. Frankly, I don’t know how he does it. He studied creative writing at the University of Victoria under Jack Hodgins in a class of 13 students. Jim told me that Mr. Hodgins came into class the first day, walked up to the front of the class and began something like this: “Look around you. There are thirteen of you – thirteen people who want to be published writers. I’m here to tell you that, in five years, only half of you will still be writing. In ten years only three of you will still be writing. In fifteen years only one of you will still be writing. To give yourself the best chance to be that one lone writer two decades from now you must write every day. EVERY DAY.” Jim took Jack’s advice.
Jim’s novel (his third) is called Now’s The Time. It centers around an Ottawa-born jazz saxophone player named Red Sanders who goes to New York City in the 1950’s to “make it” in the world of jazz and a scholar/professor from Victoria named David Grant who is researching the life of Sanders for a book he intends to write. The story plays out as Grant begins to uncover Sanders’ life. Along the way we meet a cavalcade of colourful characters as Red encounters them during his personal journey. There is the enigmatic orchestra leader Billy Williams (who is a composite of Sun Ra and Miles Davis) who preaches a militant form of Black Pride yet hires the red-headed “white” kid from Canada to fill his 1st tenor sax chair. There’s Neil Hefti, an actual historical figure, who first recognizes Red’s talent but is afraid to let the kid loose in the Big Apple. The reader learns a bit of social history, jazz history and, most importantly, a lot about what makes jazz so unique in the world of music. I feel fortunate that I got the opportunity to read this wonderful book and am looking forward to reading Jim’s next novel, which has absolutely nothing to do about jazz.
My second recommendation is The Battle of the Five Spot: Ornette Coleman and the New York Jazz Field by Hamilton writer/musician David Lee.
I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to interview David on stage at the Ottawa launch for his book. It was all I could do to keep from gushing about the book. It’s a slim volume (only 99 pages, not including the index and pages of bibliography) but it puts forth such a fresh interpretation on a two week gig that the Ornette Coleman Quartet began on November 17, 1959. Lee discusses how this single event, despite much opposition from many quarters, changed the path of jazz for ever. The Five Spot was one of the preeminent jazz clubs in NYC for most of the twentieth century. Many classic live recordings have been made there. It was a prime spot for jazz musicians to showcase their talents and make a name for themselves. It’s where the musicians came to lounge.
Lee incorporates the philosophy of Pierre Bourdieu and his “Concept of Field” ideas. As a “jazz geek” I always knew that Ornette Coleman held an important place in the history of jazz and I sort of know why. But I never knew how he had accomplished this until I read this book. So often we get the impression that many historical figures make marks on history unintentionally or unknowingly but that is often not the case. Coleman knew exactly what he was doing and understood how revolutionary his music was to the establishment but he didn’t back down. He was vilified at the time by most (but not all – and, in the end, that’s crucial) but he did not let that stop him. Like the fictional character Billy Williams (from Now's The Time) who cast an unfathomable spell over his band members, Coleman convinced his band members with such conviction that he (and they, by association) were on the verge of changing musical history forever and, damned if he wasn’t right.
For me this is a wise book reminiscent of Ted Gioia’s The Imperfect Art (which is, alas, only available as a print on demand title) – a slim volume that draws in all areas of the arts to situate “jazz” within a larger context and give it resonance within the world of culture in general.

May I suggest that you listen to some “Stan Getz Complete Roost Recordings with Jimmy Raney” while reading Now’s The Time and Ornette Coleman’s Atlantic recordings collected on the “Beauty is a Rare Thing” box set while you’re reading The Battle of the Five Spot: Ornette Coleman and the New York Jazz Field.