Encore

A very fine interview with Montreal poet Asa Boxer appears on Encore, a brand new literary website run by Michael Carbert.

Best Canadian Essays

When Alex Boyd invited me to edit The Best Canadian Essays 2009 with him I thought: no sweat. After all, I knew a thing or two about Canadian magazine writing from working at Maisonneuve for the last seven years.

Boy, was I wrong. The year-long task of sifting out the "best" left me with a greater appreciation for the range of excellent long-form pieces out there, both from writers new to me and from sources I had previously dismissed. The result is being launched in Toronto on November 26 at 7pm at Revival, 783 College Street. More info here.

I sorely wish I could be there (I'll be fighting for my life a few provinces away). If you can, drop by. The event features readings by contributors Nathan Whitlock, Alison Lee, and Kamal Al-Solaylee. But whatever you do, please buy a copy and reward Tightrope's willingness to take on the considerable financial risk of such a project.

What do Auster, Roth and Singh have in common?

The 2010 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award longlist has been announced. We're tickled pink that Jaspreet Singh's novel, Chef, has made the list, nominated by Calgary Public Library. Chef is published in Véhicule's Esplanade Books fiction series edited by Andrew Steinmetz.