Duly Noted
Great Saskatchewan Joke Book a sweet escape
Saskatoon StarPhoenix Publishing date: Nov 27, 2020
Joel Jeffery knows Saskatchewan could use a laugh right now.
The Saskatoon-based standup comedian finished the Great Saskatchewan Joke Book about a month into the pandemic. He said writing it was a "sweet escape" for him, and he hopes it offers comic relief as this time of stress and uncertainty stretches on.
Jeffery has lived most of his life in Saskatoon, with exceptions of two years in B.C. and one year in Alberta. He took his comic talent and applied it to creating a volume full of humorous observations about his home province. Everything is fair game, from the conditions of our roads, to our wildlife to that most sacred of subjects: The Roughriders.
He knows people like to poke fun at our province. "I wanted to turn that on its head," he says. "I love this province and I think it gets undersold."
Thelma Pepper
Centenarian photographer celebrated for her images of Saskatchewan's elderly farm women. Article by Paul Gessell, Galleries West Magazine
Thelma Pepper, "Thankfulness," 1985 gelatin silver print, 15" x 15" (collection of the University of Saskatchewan)
By the time she was 14, Thelma Stevens was a pro in the darkroom, printing her father's photographs in Kingston, N.S. But it took another half century for the woman now known as Thelma Pepper to start working seriously on her own projects, often about elderly Saskatchewan farm women, and exhibiting them to acclaim in Canada and beyond.
Now, at age 100, this remarkable photographer is drawing renewed attention with both a hardcover book that was released this fall and an exhibition scheduled to open Feb. 13 at the Remai Modern in Saskatoon.
A visual history of Alberta's abandoned buildings
Joe Chowaniec, the photographer behind the book 'Abandoned Alberta', shares his journey to document the province's history through its many abandoned buildings.
Vernon Oickle's latest book delves into unique facts about Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia author Vernon Oickle has published his 32nd book, which is titled The Second Movement Nova Scotia Outstanding Outhouse Reader #2. Kaitlynn Nordal (kaitlynn.nordal@hotmail.com) The Chronicle Herald, Published: Nov. 3, 2020
Author Stephen King once said, "Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler's heart, kill your darlings." Nobody understands this better than Vernon Oickle.
Oickle started his career in 1980 working at the community newspaper. After graduating journalism school, he came back to his hometown of Liverpool.
"It's something I have always enjoyed doing," he said.
At the time the South Shore Breaker was launched, Oickle was making some life changes and, after some conversations back and forth, he became a columnist for the paper.
Click here to read the full article at The Chronicle Herald.ca
Wrap Party Ode to a famous sandwich
"a satisfying story, slathered in love, wrapped in nostalgia."
Amy Spurway of Literary Review of Canada reviews Book of Donair by Lindsay Wickstrom
First, a confession: I am a donair heretic here in Halifax. My fondest (albeit fuzziest) memories of this town's iconic meat 'n' pita mess-fest were actually made in Fredericton, circa 1995, and involved the highly dubious donair submarine sandwiches peddled by the equally dubious campus character known as Rog the Sub Guy. I also believe that lettuce absolutely does belong on donairs. And because I've been a vegetarian for over a decade now, properly spiced seitan passes for meat in my books. Finally, I confess that my eyes nearly got stuck in the back of my head from rolling so hard when the donair was declared the official food of Halifornia, in 2016. But maybe that is because I'm from Cape Breton, and our unofficial official food is the pizza burgers sold in gas stations (not that we make a scene by going around declaring it so).
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