I will be doing a presentation on memoir and dementia at the Centre on Aging at the University of Victoria, 2:00 to 3:30 PM, Room C130 in the David Strong Building. Details on the UVic calendar.
News
Interview with Shelagh Rogers on The Next Chapter, CBC Radio
My interview with Shelagh Rogers was a wonderful experience and I finally remembered to post it here. How does she do it? She makes you feel like you are alone with her in a cozy kitchen with a warm cup of tea… Love her. You can listen to the interview here: http://www.cbc.ca/thenextchapter/2010/10/sarah-leavitt.html
Reading and signing at Cadboro Bay Books, Victoria, Jan 12, 2011
I will be reading from Tangles and signing books at Cadboro Bay Books in Victoria, BC on January 12, 2011 at 7 PM. Call 250-477-1421 to reserve a seat.
I will also be presenting earlier in the day at The Centre on Aging at UVic. Details coming.
Tangles on Maisonneuve magazine’s top ten list
Sarah Leavitt’s Tangles: A Story About Alzheimer’s, My Mother and Me just about broke my heart. Leavitt is straightforward about the sad, sordid and, yes, sometimes silly moments that bubble up when taking care of a loved one who is slowly losing parts of herself. Read the full article on the Maisonneuve website.
Tangles recommended for holiday gifts
The Advent Book Blog and The Fabler recommend Tangles for holiday giving. What a great idea! Buy Tangles for your friends and family! If you’re in Vancouver, pick up a copy at Pulp Fiction or Little Sister’s. And if you want them signed just send me an email and we’ll work it out. I actually have kind of a system worked out with Pulp Fiction, since they’re in my neighbourhood. Speaking of which, they’ve sold almost 50 copies of Tangles at their store! I also heart Shelf Life Books in Calgary and Westminster Books in Fredericton. Support your independent bookstores; if they don’t have Tangles, ask them to order it.
Thanks to everyone for all your support. On November 29, Tangles was #8 in sales of Canadian- created comics (damn that Scott Pilgrim!). Thanks to Sequential for compiling this list!
Tangles in the National Post
The National Post reprinted Ian McGillis’s lovely review from the Montreal Gazette.
Tangles in North Shore News
Tangles has been named one of “ten tomes worthy of your consideration” by the North Shore News. I love that word, “tome.”
Sarah Leavitt and Lynda Barry: animated!
My friend Terra Poirier took these photos at the Vancouver International Writers Festival in October, and Donimo added effects and animation. She says it proves that cartoonists are weird. I think I agree. That was such a fun day! At some point I might stop talking about it, but don’t hold your breath.
My comics workshop for youth at Youthwrites
It was so great to be asked by the Vancouver International Writers Festival to lead their Youthwrites workshop this year. Each year, the VIWF runs a contest for all high school students in the Lower Mainland and then holds a workshop for the winners. These are the rules I made up for this year:
Submit a short story about a) a piece of clothing that was very important to you when you were a little kid, b) an unusual pet that belonged to you or someone you knew, or c) an important lesson you learned outside of school. The winners will transform their written pieces into one-page comics in a three-hour workshop with Sarah Leavitt, author and illustrator of Tangles: A Story About Alzheimer’s, My Mother and Me.
I had a great time with the winners. We talked about what comics are and how they work, and then they just got right into working on their stories — they got into that space where they’re writing and drawing with such concentration that it’s dead quiet and you can feel the energy coming off the pens and pencils. They all finished their stories in only four hours. Wow. I’m kind of jealous.
Download the PDF of the booklet the youth made, Hamsters in Bathrooms
Sarah interviewed on Book Madam
Check out my chat with Julie Wilson of Book Madam. In their words: “Book Madam & Associates is a collective of publishing and media professionals who love bright ideas and have been known to have a few of their own. Our goal is simple: to point to smart, savvy projects and people. Also expect inspiration, critiques, news items and the odd kitten video.” They also say they’re “The Cool Hunters of Publishing.” I’m a big fan of Book Madam and I’m thrilled that they looked me up. I love the chat format for an interview too!
Live-to-Chat: Sarah Leavitt, author/illustrator of Tangles
Lynda Barry is smitten with Sarah Leavitt. So too shall you be after reading this incroyable chat with the author/illustrator of the graphic memoir Tangles: A Story about Alzheimer’s, My Mother and Me… More
