CrWCast

Vice President of Projects Shelby Marler sits down with one of Sighting Stories’ contributing authors Kai Jun Ma, author of flash fiction piece “The Last Pilgrimage.” Together, they talk about sci-fi/fantasy writing, techniques/strategies in genre fiction and the power of the subtle and the concise.

CrW President Bree sits down with Claire Kelly, poet and Marketing & Production Coordinator at NeWest Press in Edmonton. Join us as they talk about small press publishing, the Canadian Literary scene, and navigating being both a writer and publisher. Want to learn more about The CrW? Check out our website: www.thecrw.club Claire's website: https://www.clairekellywriter.com/

CW: mentions of suicide and gore. Happy Halloween! In honour of the season, Jake and Taylor spend this episode comparing installments of infamous horror franchise “The Grudge”. From the original Japanese film, “Ju-On” in 2002, to the 2004 American version, and the most recent 2020 remake, the pair review and comment on what they enjoyed (and what they really didn’t) about these films.

For our first guest speaking event of 2021, our VP External Bree interviewed Dr. Greg Bechtel about speculative fiction. Dr. Bechtel is an Assistant Lecturer at the University of Alberta. His first story collection, Boundary Problems, won the Alberta Book of the Year Award for trade fiction, and was a finalist for the William L. Crawford Fantasy Award, the ReLit Award, and the City of Edmonton Robert Kroetsch Book Prize. Listen in on their conversation about contemporary spec-fic, the nature of the community it creates, and it’s place in the literary world. This interview was followed by an audience question period. If you want to know more about our guest or any of the works/media discussed in this episode, we’ve linked them below. Dr. Bechtel’s website: http://gregbechtel.ca/ Greg Bechtel’s Boundary Problems: https://www.audreys.ca/?searchtype=keyword&qs=Greg+Bechtel&qs_file=&q=h.tviewer&using_sb=status&qsb=keyword Greg Bechtel’s Our Villains, Ourselves: On SF, Villainy, and … Margaret Atwood?: https://ojs.lib.uwo.ca/index.php/wordhoard/article/view/7195/5893 C.J. Lavigne’s In Veritas: https://www.glassbookshop.com/?searchtype=keyword&qs=In+Veritas&qs_file=&q=h.tviewer&using_sb=status&qsb=keyword Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone’s This is How You Lose the Time War: https://www.glassbookshop.com/?searchtype=keyword&qs=This+is+How+You+Lose+the+Time+War&qs_file=&q=h.tviewer&using_sb=status&qsb=keyword Premee Mohamed’s Beneath the Rising: https://www.audreys.ca/?searchtype=keyword&qs=Beneath+the+Rising&qs_file=&q=h.tviewer&using_sb=status&qsb=keyword R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy War: https://www.audreys.ca/?searchtype=keyword&qs=The+Poppy+War&qs_file=&q=h.tviewer&using_sb=status&qsb=keyword Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth: https://publishing.tor.com/gideontheninth-tamsynmuir/9781250313195/ Charlie Jane Anders’ Never Say You Can’t Survive: How To Get Through Hard Times by Making Up Stories: https://www.tor.com/2020/05/12/never-say-you-cant-survive-how-to-get-through-hard-times-by-making-up-stories/ N. K. Jemisin’s The Broken Earth Trilogy: https://www.audreys.ca/?searchtype=keyword&qs=The+Broken+Earth+Trilogy&qs_file=&q=h.tviewer&using_sb=status&qsb=keyword N. K. Jemisin’s 2018 Hugo Award Acceptance Speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lFybhRxoVM Lindsay Ellis’ Dear Stephenie Meyer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O06tMbIKh0 Saleema Nawaz’s Songs for the End of the World: https://www.audreys.ca/?searchtype=keyword&qs=Songs+for+the+end+of+the+world&qs_file=&q=h.tviewer&using_sb=status&qsb=keyword Candas Jane Dorsey’s Black Wine: https://www.audreys.ca/?searchtype=keyword&qs=Candas+Jane+Dorsey&qs_file=&q=h.tviewer&using_sb=status&qsb=keyword Overly Sarcastic Productions’ Miscellaneous Myths: Momotaro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXs3g2AcUc4 Rachel Swirsky’s If You Were a Dinosaur, My Love: https://apex-magazine.com/if-you-were-a-dinosaur-my-love/

TW: This episode contains mentions of suicide and suicidal ideation, and discussions of depression and anxiety. Join Bree, Roy, and Jake as they share their experiences writing with depression and anxiety, discuss the nature of the tortured artist stereotype and the portrayal of depression and anxiety in fiction, and why they continue to write. Hello Future Me’s "The Complex Problems with Mental Illness in Fiction": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c8o68ghGBM&bpctr=1611791815 Please note that Bree, Roy, and Jake are not doctors or mental health professionals. Nothing they say in this podcast can or should be taken for actual medical or professional advice. If you or someone you know would like to seek out professional help, we’ve provided some resources below: Canada Suicide Prevention: 833-456-4566 AHS Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642 211 Edmonton: call 211 or https://edmonton.cmha.ca/programs-services/211-alberta-edmonton-and-area/ First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line: 1-855-242-3310 University of Alberta’s First Peoples’ House: https://www.ualberta.ca/current-students/first-peoples-house/index.html University of Alberta Counselling and Clinical Services: https://www.ualberta.ca/current-students/counselling/index.html University of Alberta Peer Support Centre: 780-492-4357 The Landing Society for Gender and Sexual Diversity: https://su.ualberta.ca/services/thelanding/ Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services (iSMSS): https://www.ualberta.ca/ismss/index.html Pride Centre of Edmonton: https://pridecentreofedmonton.ca/ University of Alberta Sexual Assault Centre: 780-492-9771 Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton: https://www.sace.ca/ YWCA: 780-970-6501 or email counselling@ywcaedm.org Momentum Counselling: https://www.momentumcounselling.org/ Community Counselling Centre: https://www.communitycounsellingcentre.ca/ Red Tree Psychology: http://www.redtreepsychology.com/ Insight Psychological Services: https://www.insightpsychological.ca/ The Family Centre: https://www.familycentre.org/ Catholic Social Services Edmonton: https://www.cssalberta.ca/Our-Services/Mercy-Counselling Jewish Family Services Edmonton: https://www.jfse.org/ Cornerstone Counselling Centre: https://cornerstonecounselling.com/ Want to know more about The CrW? Check out our website here: https://www.thecrw.club/

In this very special episode of CrWCast, our VP External Bree hosts the virtual launch party for our debut anthology, Liminal Space. Tune in for an interview with the club’s President, learn how The CrW went from a handful of students interested in writing to publishing our very first anthology, readings from a few of our wonderful authors, and to celebrate over a year’s worth of hard work from over 40 University of Alberta students. Neha Vashist is a third-year Psychology student at the University of Alberta. Her poetry has been featured in anthologies for the National Poetry Institute of Canada, Polar Express Publishing, and the City of Edmonton Poetry Moves on Transit. In 2017, she wrote and directed a One-Act play called It Takes a Woman, advocating for gender equality and expressing the trauma acid attack survivors endure. In her free time, you can find her watching movies with family, curling up with a good book and cup of chai, or dancing in the kitchen. Erica Kohler graduated in the Spring of 2020 with a major in Psychology and a minor in English. Poetry has been an emotional outlet for her over the years, especially during difficult personal events.  Braden Randall is a first-year after degree student in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta, having completed his English degree there in 2018. His interest in writing started in high school, writing short spy thrillers and song lyrics. In 2017, he travelled to the International University of Ireland Maynooth to study creative writing. His literary influences include Neil Peart, Leonard Cohen, Bret Easton Ellis, James Joyce, and David Foster Wallace. When he’s not writing, he enjoys music, skiing, kite surfing, motocross, and yelling at the referees at Oilers games. Megan Kostrosky is starting her fourth year of study at the University of Alberta. She is planning to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Creative Writing. Megan attended Lecky School of Dancing in Edmonton for fifteen years, and the story Death of a Star was inspired by her desire to capture the moment when a dancer’s career comes to an end. Aurora Frewin is a Bachelor of Arts student in her third year at the University of Alberta, studying English and Creative Writing. She is twenty-one years old, loves to learn, and is pursuing a career in writing. Aurora writes and reads in her free time, and enjoys playing board games and RPG’s such as Dungeons and Dragons. Hannah Brown is a BSc General student in her final year, majoring in Mathematics and minoring in Biology. In her attempt to bridge the gap between many worlds, including art and science, she likes to write about science, math, memories, healing, social justice, cultural narratives, trauma, mental illness, and a sequence of poems curated for display in bathrooms. According to some, her entire personality is an interesting fact. Nour Ezzeddine is a writer and student at the University of Alberta. Currently, in her second year of studies, Nour is working towards an undergraduate Arts degree and hoping to transfer into the Education program to Major in Social Studies. The child of Lebanese immigrants, her work focuses around the trials of a first-generation Canadian and confronts themes of identity and social issues. Get an Ebook version of Liminal Space: https://www.thecrw.club/anthology Glass Bookshop: https://www.glassbookshop.com/?searchtype=keyword&qs=Liminal+Space&qs_file=&q=h.tviewer&using_sb=status&qsb=keyword Audrey’s Books: https://www.audreys.ca/?searchtype=keyword&qs=Liminal+Space&qs_file=&q=h.tviewer&using_sb=status&qsb=keyword University of Alberta Bookstore: https://bookstore.ualberta.ca/p-45963-liminal-space.aspx Want to know more about The CrW? Check out our website: https://www.thecrw.club/

Jake interviews Erica Kohler, one of the Liminal Space authors, about her poem, the psychology of memory, vibing with imaginary friends, and how childhood wildness changes. Erica Kohler graduated from the University of Alberta in the Spring of 2020 with a major in Psychology and a minor in English. Poetry has been an emotional outlet for her over the years, especially during difficult personal events. Follow Erica on Twitter: https://twitter.com/signssirens Or on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericaakohler/ If you want to read all of Erica’s poem, be sure to pick up a copy of The CrW’s debut anthology available on our website: https://www.thecrw.club/anthology Want to know about The CrW? Check out our website: https://www.thecrw.club/

Our VP Projects, Shelby, virtually interviewed Nisha Patel, Edmonton’s current Poet Laureate, the 2019 Canadian Slam Champion, and Executive Director of the Edmonton Poetry Festival. Tune in for their conversation about how Nisha became poet, how she’s reached her state of accomplishment as we know it today, art under capitalism, and equity seeking through art. The interview was followed by a question period. Nisha’s website: https://www.nishapatel.ca/ Pre-order Coconut: https://www.glassbookshop.com/?searchtype=keyword&qs=Coconut+Nisha+Patel&qs_file=&q=h.tviewer&using_sb=status&qsb=keyword limited success: https://bookmanager.com/8101124/?searchtype=keyword&qs=limited+success&qs_file=&q=h.tviewer&using_sb=status&qsb=keyword Moon Jelly House: https://www.moonjellyhouse.ca/ Want to know more about The CrW? Check out our website: https://www.thecrw.club/

Our VP External, Bree, virtually interviewed Jason Purcell, author of A Place More Hospitable and co-owner of Glass Bookshop. Over the course of the meeting, the two of them discussed poetry, publishing, the creative process, as well as balancing writing and life, the paradox of accessibility, and grad school blues. The interview was followed by a question period.Jason’s website: https://www.jasonpurcell.ca/ A Place More Hospitable: http://www.anstrutherpress.com/new-products/a-place-more-hospitable-by-jason-purcell Support Glass Bookshop: https://bookmanager.com/8101124/ Want to know more about The CrW? Check out our website here: https://www.thecrw.club/