Type of Proposal
Performance (Music, Dance, Dramatic Art, etc.)
Faculty
Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Proposal
I propose to read a selection of work from And Still We Laugh, a novel-in-short-stories told by Darryll 'Squito Bob, a halfbreed Nłeʔkepmx boy from a re-imagined small town in British Columbia's Fraser Canyon. The stories take place in the late-60s–early-70s, a tumultuous time in Canadian history. They draw from my experience as a mixed-blood Nłeʔkepmx, and member of the Lytton First Nation, as well as my experiences as a child and youth worker and foster parent, crisis line volunteer, and general observer of my world. Six of these stories have won or been shortlisted for prizes: "One Day at Recess," "Doug Bromley Must Die," "How Mosquito Got His Name," "T.H.E. King," "Salmon Song," and "Mavis Brown," which was also nominated for the Journey Prize and a Western Magazine Award. Six additional stories and a novella will round out the collection. Most of the stories in this project look at moments in other people's lives from 'Squito's perspective, exploring love, sex, child abuse, racism, rape and murder in a small, largely Nłeʔkepmx town. 'Squito has a unique view of his world, and his character shines through as he tells these stories. One of his strengths is his ability to make readers feel (somewhat) at ease, regardless of a scene's horror.
Start Date
31-3-2017 9:00 AM
End Date
31-3-2017 10:20 AM
And Still We Laugh
I propose to read a selection of work from And Still We Laugh, a novel-in-short-stories told by Darryll 'Squito Bob, a halfbreed Nłeʔkepmx boy from a re-imagined small town in British Columbia's Fraser Canyon. The stories take place in the late-60s–early-70s, a tumultuous time in Canadian history. They draw from my experience as a mixed-blood Nłeʔkepmx, and member of the Lytton First Nation, as well as my experiences as a child and youth worker and foster parent, crisis line volunteer, and general observer of my world. Six of these stories have won or been shortlisted for prizes: "One Day at Recess," "Doug Bromley Must Die," "How Mosquito Got His Name," "T.H.E. King," "Salmon Song," and "Mavis Brown," which was also nominated for the Journey Prize and a Western Magazine Award. Six additional stories and a novella will round out the collection. Most of the stories in this project look at moments in other people's lives from 'Squito's perspective, exploring love, sex, child abuse, racism, rape and murder in a small, largely Nłeʔkepmx town. 'Squito has a unique view of his world, and his character shines through as he tells these stories. One of his strengths is his ability to make readers feel (somewhat) at ease, regardless of a scene's horror.