On the night table
Guy Gavriel Kay
Author, Written on the Dark
I often give shout outs to authors I've loved, not so much authors I've just read — but I've just read Karen Russell's new novel The Antidote, which is being talked up as a potential Pulitzer Prize winner. And I enjoyed that.
Ted Davis photo
Guy Gavriel Kay
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A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene.
I love Patrick Modiano, the French Nobel Prize Laureate; I think he's a sorcerer as a writer. I love Penelope Fitzgerald, the English writer — A.S. Byatt said she's the greatest English writer since the Second World War, which is pretty hyperbolic, but anybody who gets that said about them has something going for them.
I read primarily contemporary fiction, and re-read a lot. As I get older, every fourth or fifth book I read is going back to something I loved. It's nervous making, because you might go back to a book you loved when you were an undergrad or 30 years old, or 15 years old, and find that it's not so great. It's a relief, almost, to re-read something 30 or 40 years later and say, 'wow, this really is good' — you feel good about yourself.
The Antidote
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Winnipeg Free Press
5 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Musical ‘Hamilton' and historian Ron Chernow to receive Liberty Medal awards
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Broadway musical 'Hamilton' and the historian whose book inspired it will collect the National Constitution Center's Liberty Medal this fall, an award for efforts to spread liberty around the world. Ron Chernow and ' Hamilton ' will collect the medal and its $100,000 cash prize at an event in October on Philadelphia's Independence Mall. Award organizers credited the book and musical for having a 'singular impact' by bringing to life and spreading the story of the U.S. Constitution and Alexander Hamilton, a pivotal figure in drafting and promoting the governing document. He was also the first U.S. treasury secretary. 'Hamilton,' which debuted on Broadway a decade ago, has become a cultural touchstone, winning the Pulitzer Prize, a Grammy and 11 Tony awards. Lin-Manuel Miranda, who created the musical, called the award a deep honor. 'The Constitution is not just a historical artifact — it's a challenge. A call to participate. To speak up, to imagine better, and to work, every day, toward that more perfect union,' he said in a statement released before the formal announcement. Chernow's many books have included biographies of former presidents George Washington and Ulysses S. Grant and, more recently, of writer and humorist Mark Twain. 'In writing about Hamilton, Washington, and Grant, I've come to see that liberty is not a gift passed down through generations — it's a responsibility,' Chernow said in a statement. 'One that demands courage, compromise, and commitment. These men were imperfect, but they dared to envision something greater than themselves.' The Liberty Medal was established in 1988 to honor the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution's 1787 signing. Recent winners have included the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and PBS documentary filmmaker Ken Burns.
Japan Forward
2 days ago
- Japan Forward
A World of Generosity
このページを 日本語 で読む JAPAN Forward has launched "Ignite," a series to share the voices of students in Japan in English. How do they see the world, and what insights will they share with us? Individually and collectively, today's students will shape our global future. Let's listen. This second essay introduces another winning work of the Institute for International Business Communication (IIBC) high school student English essay contest. In the following essay, high school student Keinosuke Muto shares how living and making friends in a foreign country ignited his open-mindedness and cultural curiosity, and how that has affected his view and perspectives on the world. Second in the Series, 'Ignite' The scorching desert burned my skin, as my body screamed for water and food. Temptations crept into my brain, but I must close my eyes to punish myself for my daily sins rather than refresh my thirst. The word 'Ramadan' initially evoked an idea of strangeness and strictness when I first moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. All of these stereotypes were shattered when Mohammad, my best friend, invited me to Iftar, the grand dinner served after a day of fasting. We were about to eat dinner when Mohammed's mom suddenly asked us to hold a bag. Inside were a myriad of plates, each covered in aluminum foil, each holding in the warmth of homemade food. The mouthwatering smell of saffron rice and kebab rose from it. Mohammed's mother told us to get in the car. She held another bag, hers filled with bottled water. Genuinely confused, I asked Mohammed. "What are we doing?" "We're gonna go around and give food to people," he replied. Giving food to relatives and friends, I thought. Like Japan, in the New Year, where my aunt shares homemade mochi with my family… Mohammed's mom drove the car for a few minutes when we reached our first stop: a construction site. I was flabbergasted. Why are we stopping here? In front of a gray, half-built mansion, men in blue clothes gathered around a small table. Mohammed suddenly rolled down the window. "A-salaam Alaikum," he said merrily. Mohammed and his mother tenderly grabbed the food and water from the bags and handed it to the workers. "Thank you, thank you," they said. The next stop was a small security office. This time, my hands were moving, grabbing the wrapped food from my bag, and handing it to the officers. Broad smiles stretched across their faces. After we went around a few more stops, I asked Mohammed, "Why do you do this?" "Because it's Ramadan, the month of sharing." It was at this moment that my stereotypes about Ramadan were shattered. Ramadan wasn't just the action of fasting, it was a world of generosity and sharing with those in need. It was never a punishment, but understanding the poor and being benevolent. Keisuke Muto, a student at Makuhari Junior and Senior High School in Chiba Prefecture won the Excellence Award and America-Japan Society President's Award. He wrote about living overseas and the excitement of discovering other cultures. (©IIBC) A few weeks after Ramadan, I invited Mohammed to come to my house for a Takoyaki party. It was his first time seeing Takoyaki. He was filled with excitement as we poured the dough into the small holes. "What are we putting in the dough?" he questioned. "It's gonna be octopus," I replied. "What? No way, it's my first time!" He seemed bewildered but also exhilarated at the thought of trying something he'd never eaten before. I was glad that I conveyed to Mohammed my own culture. Fast forward 4 years, and I'm the leader of the Arabic Culture Club. We make videos about the Arab World, visit restaurants, mosques, and embassies to learn about Arabic culture. My Japanese friends ask me numerous times: "Why are you doing this?" I recall how my experiences with Mohammed shattered my biases. On that day, his actions taught me that behind a veneer of stereotypes, there's a world of fascination and beautiful culture. It was a glimpse of a world that drove me curious, one that I wanted to explore even after returning to Japan. Through my friendship with him, I learned the joy of learning and conveying cultures. Conversations at his dinner table taught me traditional Arabic foods that are rarely served in restaurants. Small talk in school immersed me in the wonders of the Arabic World. On the other hand, it was from the fun we had that Mohammed learned about Japanese culture. We had Takoyaki parties, ate at Ramen shops, and engaged in Anime talk. When conveying Japanese culture to him, I quickly learned how enjoyable conveying a culture is. I wouldn't be in the Arabic Culture Club if I were not friends with Mohammed. It was he who shaped my life. Thank you, Mohammed. Keinosuke Muto won the 2023 Excellence Award and the America-Japan Society President's Award for his English-language essay. At the time, he was a second-year high school student at Makuhari Junior and Senior High School in Chiba Prefecture. He explained his thoughts about the essay as follows: "I am very honored to receive the Excellence Award and the America-Japan Society President's Award, I wrote about my experience of iftar at my best friend's house when I was living in Dubai in the Middle East. [And] I tried hard to clearly express how I overcame the prejudices I had about Islam. Through this wonderful experience, I was able to gain a new perspective and felt the power to resolve prejudices and misunderstandings. I would like to continue to deepen my understanding of different cultures and beliefs and build rich human relationships. I would like to thank the teachers who supported me and the judges who selected me." Author: Keinosuke Muto, Student, Makuhari Junior and Senior High School, Chiba Prefecture このページを 日本語 で読む
Montreal Gazette
2 days ago
- Montreal Gazette
Freed: Here's to the beautiful chaos of Montreal summers
I was driving home two weeks ago, working my way though a bewildering maze of street festivals separating me from my home. St-Laurent Blvd. was closed for 11 days for a street fair from Sherbrooke St. to Mont-Royal Ave. Mont-Royal was closed for three kilometres for a summer-long street fest. Nearby, Rachel Ave. was mobbed by a big Portuguese festival where families danced, while munching on bifana sandwiches. Unsure how to get home, I consulted Google Maps, which replied: 'HA! HA! You've got to be kidding. No way you're getting there by car.' OK, I'm exaggerating, but it almost seems possible as our city explodes with summer festivals and closed streets, while a hundred traffic jams bloom. But I'm not complaining, just admiring the beautiful chaos that I love about this city every summer. What chaos? The meandering mobs: In Montreal, we shut down streets for summer as casually as other cities shut their street lights each morning. If you could watch from overhead, you'd see a vast citywide river of humanity streaming through never-ending street festivals. Everyone weaves in and out of each other's way on foot, bike, e-scooter e-bike, hoverboard, baby stroller and the occasional unicycle. All while skirting orange cones that have been there for so many years they have permanent resident status and may qualify for health coverage. It's utter anarchy, with no rules, yet it flows seamlessly: uncontrolled but controlled at the same time. It's Montreal! Free festivities: In festival season, our city becomes one vast, crowded living room and everyone's invited, from Grand Prix high rollers to the unhoused. There's no admission, whether it's the N.D.G. Porchfest, Monkland street fair or St-Laurent/Bernard/Duluth/Carifête/Circus street fests. In the last two weeks, I've seen free Spanish sidewalk troubadours, Portuguese castanet players and Caribbean trumpeters. And with the jazz fest starting, free-dom has only begun. Last Friday night I went to the Francos de Montréal festival to see a well-known 'rap slameur' from France named 'Grand Corps Malade.' More than 50,000 people from every corner of Earth were jammed into the Quartier des Spectacles, but it felt as warm and intimate as a small jazz club. The French performer revealed he had moved to Montreal last year, and the crowd cheered endlessly as he talked about his new love for snowblowers. He even sang a poetic love song to Montreal in French with lines like: 'Des grosses voitures qui klaxonnent … et l'influence Anglo-Saxonne.' (The big trucks that honk and the Anglo-Saxon influence.) He finished the song with this line: 'Et moi aussi je connais des mots: GO HABS GO!' (And I, too, know the words: GO HABS GO!) The immense crowd went wild, holding up tens of thousands of phone flashlights in a four-block homemade light show. It was an utterly beautiful Montreal moment that could happen almost nowhere else on the continent. Toronto can't shut down an array of major streets like us all summer. Premier Doug Ford is already busy trying to tear down three of Toronto's bike lanes to 'fight traffic congestion.' Meanwhile in the U.S., if our massive ethnically diverse audiences ever showed up at an event, they'd call in ICE to deport half the crowd. Controlled chaos: Our festival organizers move fences, barriers and massive crowds around like grandmasters moving chess pieces. They throw up giant screens in hours with better reception than my TV. They put up 5,000-person rain tents on Ste-Catherine St. faster than I could erect a two-man pup tent. Only theirs don't leak. After each show, small trucks tour the streets cleaning up beer stains before they dry and hauling away garbage in bags the size of duplexes. In fact, the festival zone's streets are cleaner during its massive festivals than they are the rest of the year. Maybe we should give our major festival organizers the keys to city hall, then let them run the rest of the city. Jazz fest for mayor! Peace, no police: Everything's made easier by mellow Montrealers, well-behaved crowds that never swing anything more dangerous than a hip. Decade after decade, we gather in vast multitudes at the jazz fest, Carifête, Osheaga, Grand Prix and other mega events, yet we've never had a bad incident. There are fewer disputes at our giant Montreal festivals than there are at bingo night in a Chicago seniors' home. Years ago, I brought a showbiz friend from L.A. to our jazz fest and she freaked out in the densely packed crowds, warning me how dangerous a mob can get when it panics. She knew: she'd been at the Rodney King riots. I told her this wasn't L.A., just routine Montreal festival foot traffic, but she wouldn't believe me and demanded we leave NOW! Then, amid the mob I spotted someone I knew and hauled my friend over to meet her. It was my mom, then in her late 80s, swinging her hips to the music. My L.A. friend's face instantly changed from a tense grimace to a big grin and we spent a long, lovely night there. So as summer gets into gear, be sure to drop in on the festivities. Don't forget to bring your mother.
