How Does A Single Blade of Grass Thank the Sun?

How Does A Single Blade of Grass Thank the Sun? PDF Author: Doretta Lau
Publisher: Harbour Publishing
ISBN: 0889712999
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 144

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Book Description
Building on the success of the Journey Prize-shortlisted title story, the stories of How Does a Single Blade of Grass Thank the Sun? present an updated and whimsical new take on what it means to be Canadian. Lau alludes to the personal and political histories of a number of young Asian Canadian characters to explain their unique perspectives of the world, artfully fusing pure delusion and abstract perception with heartbreaking reality. Correspondingly, the book’s title refers to an interview with Chinese basketball star Yao Ming, who when asked about the Shanghai Sharks, the team that shaped his formative sporting years, responded, “How does a single blade of grass thank the sun?” Lau’s stories feature the children and grandchildren of immigrants, transnational adoptees and multiracial adults who came of age in the 1990s—all struggling to find a place in the Western world and using the only language they know to express their hopes, fears and expectations.

How Does A Single Blade of Grass Thank the Sun?

How Does A Single Blade of Grass Thank the Sun? PDF Author: Doretta Lau
Publisher: Harbour Publishing
ISBN: 0889712999
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 144

Get Book Here

Book Description
Building on the success of the Journey Prize-shortlisted title story, the stories of How Does a Single Blade of Grass Thank the Sun? present an updated and whimsical new take on what it means to be Canadian. Lau alludes to the personal and political histories of a number of young Asian Canadian characters to explain their unique perspectives of the world, artfully fusing pure delusion and abstract perception with heartbreaking reality. Correspondingly, the book’s title refers to an interview with Chinese basketball star Yao Ming, who when asked about the Shanghai Sharks, the team that shaped his formative sporting years, responded, “How does a single blade of grass thank the sun?” Lau’s stories feature the children and grandchildren of immigrants, transnational adoptees and multiracial adults who came of age in the 1990s—all struggling to find a place in the Western world and using the only language they know to express their hopes, fears and expectations.

Listening to the Bees

Listening to the Bees PDF Author: Mark Winston
Publisher: Harbour Publishing
ISBN: 0889711313
Category : Literary Collections
Languages : en
Pages : 258

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Book Description
Listening to the Bees is a collaborative exploration by two writers to illuminate the most profound human questions: Who are we? Who do we want to be in the world? Through the distinct but complementary lenses of science and poetry, Mark Winston and Renée Saklikar reflect on the tension of being an individual living in a society, and about the devastation wrought by overly intensive management of agricultural and urban habitats. Listening to the Bees takes readers into the laboratory and out to the field, into the worlds of scientists and beekeepers, and to meetings where the research community intersects with government policy and business. The result is an insiders’ view of the way research is conducted—its brilliant potential and its flaws—along with the personal insights and remarkable personalities experienced over a forty-year career that parallels the rise of industrial agriculture.

Loop of Jade

Loop of Jade PDF Author: Sarah Howe
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1448190681
Category : Poetry
Languages : en
Pages : 71

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Book Description
*WINNER OF THE T. S. ELIOT PRIZE 2015* *WINNER OF THE SUNDAY TIMES / PETERS FRASER + DUNLOP YOUNG WRITER OF THE YEAR AWARD 2015* *SHORTLISTED FOR THE FORWARD PRIZE FOR BEST FIRST COLLECTION 2015* There is a Chinese proverb that says: ‘It is more profitable to raise geese than daughters.’ But geese, like daughters, know the obligation to return home. In her exquisite first collection, Sarah Howe explores a dual heritage, journeying back to Hong Kong in search of her roots. With extraordinary range and power, the poems build into a meditation on hybridity, intermarriage and love – what meaning we find in the world, in art, and in each other. Crossing the bounds of time, race and language, this is an enthralling exploration of self and place, of migration and inheritance, and introduces an unmistakable new voice in British poetry.

Queer Little Nightmares

Queer Little Nightmares PDF Author: David Ly
Publisher: arsenal pulp press
ISBN: 1551529025
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 188

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Book Description
The fiction and poetry of Queer Little Nightmares reimagines monsters old and new through a queer lens, subverting the horror gaze to celebrate ideas and identities canonically feared in monster lit. Throughout history, monsters have appeared in popular culture as stand-ins for the non-conforming, the marginalized of society. Pushed into the shadows as objects of fear, revulsion, and hostility, these characters have long conjured fascination and self-identification in the LGBTQ+ community, and over time, monsters have become queer icons. In Queer Little Nightmares, creatures of myth and folklore seek belonging and intimate connection, cryptids challenge their outcast status, and classic movie monsters explore the experience of coming into queerness. The characters in these stories and poems—the Minotaur camouflaged in a crowd of cosplayers, a pubescent werewolf, a Hindu revenant waiting to reunite with her lover, a tender-hearted kaiju, a lagoon creature aching for the swimmers above him, a ghost of Pride past—relish their new sparkle in the spotlight. Pushing against tropes that have historically been used to demonize, the queer creators of this collection instead ask: What does it mean to be (and to love) a monster? Contributors include Amber Dawn, David Demchuk, Hiromi Goto, jaye simpson, Eddy Boudel Tan, and Kai Cheng Thom. This publication meets the EPUB Accessibility requirements and it also meets the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG-AA). It is screen-reader friendly and is accessible to persons with disabilities. A Simple book with few images, which is defined with accessible structural markup. This book contains various accessibility features such as alternative text for images, table of contents, page-list, landmark, reading order and semantic structure.

The Journey Prize Stories 31

The Journey Prize Stories 31 PDF Author:
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
ISBN: 0771050828
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
For more than thirty years, this celebrated anthology has introduced readers to the next generation of great Canadian writers. With settings ranging from a Saskatchewan wheat field marked by crop circles to a dystopian metropolis where people are under constant surveillance, the twelve stories in this collection represent the year's best short fiction by some of our most exciting emerging voices. An aspiring artist looking for inspiration in the "aliveness of the desert" gets less--and more--than she bargained for when she signs up for a residency at a roadside motel. After years of toiling to pay off a debt that has devastated his family, a young Chinese fisherman makes a magical catch that will change the course of his life. As a populist candidate stands poised to triumph at a political convention, his campaign strategist and childhood best friend reflects on the dark legacy of their relationship. A brutal assault on a Toronto taxi driver leads his friend on a desperate search for answers. When troubling stories of women's encounters with aliens start to dominate the news cycle, a reporter reluctantly returns to her hometown to cover the phenomenon. A carpet collector reimagines his family's fractured history by weaving new tapestries to tell their stories. Unsure of whether his client is really dying, an end-of-life gift professional must assess the man's extravagant last wish. A Ktunaxa grandmother tells a parable of why you shouldn't speak to Kupi (owl) at night.

The Journey Prize Stories 32

The Journey Prize Stories 32 PDF Author:
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
ISBN: 0771046537
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 218

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Book Description
For more than three decades, The Journey Prize Stories has been Canada's most celebrated annual fiction anthology and a who's-who of up-and-coming writers. With settings ranging from a wildlife rescue centre to a Living Body exhibit, the thirteen stories in this collection represent the year's best short fiction by some of our most exciting emerging literary talents. On Sunday afternoons, a coven of teenagers gathers at The Lois Lanes bowling alley to discuss their shared obsession with the second hottest boy in school. A patient joins her therapist and her therapist's granddaughter for an unconventional session--a field trip to confront the reviled Feed Machine. Troubled by dreams and trailed by crows, a woman far from home struggles to confront an old guilt. As a half-remembered Beach Boys song plays in the background, a daughter recalls the man her father used to be through a tender inventory of their time together. In a community plagued by petrochemical-induced diseases and environmental ruin, a man spends his nights caring for his dying partner and his days navigating a dangerous workplace. An android watches her creators' relationship break down before her eyes. A gang of girls roams the streets of a ravaged city, hunting their would-be predators. In her journey to become a woman and a healer, a Cree girl enters the woods alone to learn the stories and medicines of plants, only to be transformed by an unexpected connection. The stories included in this volume are contenders for the $10,000 Writers' Trust McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize.

Journey: Celebrating the Journey Prize

Journey: Celebrating the Journey Prize PDF Author: Various
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 0771007434
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 369

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Book Description
A landmark special edition celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Journey Prize. Since its inception in 1989, the Journey Prize anthology has been widely celebrated for introducing readers to a who’s-who of up-and-coming Canadian literary voices, many of whom have gone on to become some of our most beloved writers. This special thirty-fifth-anniversary edition of Canada’s most prestigious annual fiction anthology gathers thirty-one timeless stories from throughout the prize’s history—some contemporary classics, some hidden gems—as chosen by two modern masters of the short story, Souvankham Thammavongsa and Alexander MacLeod, who are themselves previous Journey Prize contributors. After her Olympic ski-jumper husband lifts off but never comes down, a woman counters the world’s doubts with her own leap of faith. A daughter reflects on the simple ritual she shared with her father—and the moment when her unconditional love for him was called into question. An Indigenous Elder recounts an alternative creation story of Ah-damn and Evening to a trio of anthropologists. After months of trying to sell the worthless sports card collection his no-good father left behind, a boy is unprepared for a bizarre encounter with the “pile of human being” who wants to buy a card to complete his collection. A mother and child contend with the strange after-effects of an unusual multi-course meal. Infighting, blatant favouritism, and judging irregularities mar a living-room beauty pageant as four sisters vie for the title of Miss Canada. A carpet collector reimagines his family’s fractured history by weaving new tapestries to tell their stories. The last words of a fifty-year-old pet parakeet leads to the first in a series of unfortunate events. Marvellously eclectic, constantly surprising, and full of vibrant life, these glittering stories speak to the power of the short story and the extraordinary impact the Journey Prize continues to make on Canadian literature. Journey is a gift for readers and writers alike. Featuring an introduction by the editors, and stories by André Alexis, Michael Christie, Alicia Elliott, Jessica Grant, Kevin Hardcastle, Angélique Lalonde, Annabel Lyon, Thomas King, Téa Mutonji, Saleema Nawaz, Heather O'Neill, Eden Robinson, Naben Ruthnum, and Madeleine Thien, among others.

The Tao of Yao

The Tao of Yao PDF Author: Oliver Clyde Chin
Publisher: Frog Books
ISBN: 9781583940907
Category : Basketball players
Languages : en
Pages : 274

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Book Description
As a basketball player and international spokesman, Yao Ming has quickly become the eighth wonder of the sports world. Amazing fans, players, and experts with both his surprising performance and down-to-earth personality, Yao has proven to be a refreshing font of contemporary wisdom. But perhaps that is because that Yao's words and deeds are deeply rooted in the ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism.

The Routledge Introduction to the Canadian Short Story

The Routledge Introduction to the Canadian Short Story PDF Author: Maria Löschnigg
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000816419
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
This volume aims to introduce undergraduates, graduates, and general readers to the diversity and richness of Canadian short story writing and to the narrative potential of short fiction in general. Addressing a wide spectrum of forms and themes, the book will familiarise readers with the development and cultural significance of Canadian short fiction from the early 19th century to the present. A strong focus will be on the rich reservoir of short fiction produced in the past four decades and the way in which it has responded to the anxieties and crises of our time. Drawing on current critical debates, each chapter will highlight the interrelations between Canadian short fiction and historical and socio-cultural developments. Case studies will zoom in on specific thematic or aesthetic issues in an exemplary manner. The Routledge Introduction to the Canadian Short Story will provide an accessible and comprehensive overview ideal for students and general readers interested in the multifaceted and thriving medium of the short story in Canada.

The Journey Prize Stories 25

The Journey Prize Stories 25 PDF Author: Various
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
ISBN: 0771047371
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 207

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Book Description
“This year, eighty-one different stories battled for our affections, ranging in content from a post-apocalyptic suburb coping with rumours of cannibalism, to a movie theatre in Mauritius where dreams of a better future flicker onscreen, to a mattress store where a long-lasting friendship threatens to come undone. For each of us, it was a chance to partake in a process that now stretches back twenty-five years, a sneak peak at authors who – in the future – will likely become favourites.” --Miranda Hill, Mark Medley, and Russell Wangersky (from their Introduction) Among the stories this year: Brimming with restless energy, Doretta Lau’s “How Does a Single Blade of Grass Thank the Sun?” is a sometimes provocative portrait of adolescent angst and rebellion set among a gang of “dragoons” growing up in Vancouver. It vividly brings to life a twenty-first-century culture clash and illuminates the struggles, and alienation, of Chinese youth – whether from Hong Kong or the Mainland – now living in “Lotus Land.” Doretta Lau’s story positively hums, the language a well-shaken cocktail of influences ranging from hip-hop and Asian cinema to Chinese history and “the slang of the West.” As vibrant and colourful as graffiti. Well-timed and yet still carefully fractured enough to be jarring, Eliza Robertson’s “My Sister Sang” is a marvel of unexpected directions and sharp edges. A deftly-told story of two eavesdroppers, one a linguist, the other, professionally tuned to acoustics, who listen – over and over – to every scrap of a tragedy. Even with the distance and detachment of its characters from the centre of its disaster, there is no easy peace, no mere scientific examination of cause and effect: this is writing as carefully crafted and fine as pastry, with thin, perfect layers where every line serves to strengthen the rest. Naben Ruthnum’s “Cinema Rex” is as rich and visual as the films at its centre, which play on the new movie screen in one neighbourhood of Mauritius in the 1950s. The author beautifully draws the connections between the changing community, inundated by Hollywood and after-school English lessons, and a season of vital shifts for three friends transitioning out of boyhood. Full of heady sensory details, Ruthnum’s deft observations of family and class interactions create an entire world of established histories and hierarchies, even though the reader is only privy to a sliver of these stories.