I Heart Edmonton

The River Valley? Fort Edmonton Park? The Transit? Where would you go if #yeg was overrun by zombies?! BY EMIL TIEDEMANN T HE probability of Edmonton being devoured by a zombie apocalypse is about equal to the likelihood of our humble hometown being entirely devoid of those pesky potholes. It just isn't going to happen! But, as morbid as it most likely will sound, it's kind of fun to think about, no?! The undead...or a GWAR concert, maybe?! I'm not talking about the potholes, of course, because that's just too far out there; nope, I mean the takeover of the insatiable living dead. What would we do? Who would survive and who would parish? Where would we go to escape from having our flesh eaten alive by reanimated corpses? I bet you haven't spent much time going over these questions in your head, have you?!  Well, that's okay, because I have, and I am more than happy to share my advice on how to survive just such a scenario. In fact, my buddy--let...

#yeg alumni Laurie MacFayden explores virtually all aspects of daily life in her sophomore anthology of poetry BY PAULA E. KIRMAN   K issing keeps us afloat  is the second collection of poetry from Edmonton writer Laurie MacFayden . With subtle shades of humour, vivid imagery, and often playful language, MacFayden explores themes of love, sexuality, growing up, broken hearts, and life in general. Many of the poems have a very personal feel to them, but are written with universal resonance.    Laurie MacFayden's 'kisses keep us afloat' MacFayden uses a variety of poetic forms. Rhyme, rhythms, line lengths, and stanza structures are interchanged between poems almost seamlessly. Divided into three sections (“tides,” “echoes,” and “graces”), I came away from  kissing keeps us afloat  believing I knew more about MacFayden as a writer and person – and more about myself, as I laughed along with playful descriptions of love, empa...

If Holden Caulfield was a 30-something Canuck in the 21st century, he may very well be the embodiment of newcomer Laurence Miall's Blind Spot debut BY EMIL TIEDEMANN L UKE has failed to make it as an actor in Vancouver. He's alienated his own family, and seems to be going through the motions of a relationship with his girlfriend. He's lost and only begins to examine just how lost he's become when his parents are suddenly killed in a car accident back home.  Laurence Miall's 'Blind Spot' When he returns to his hometown Edmonton, Luke sees his current state from a whole new perspective, almost like he's outside looking in, at just how distant he's become from the life he had left behind when he up and left for the west coast years ago. But this is his chance to start over, to reunite with a past life he'd all but abandoned.  Edmonton-born, Montreal-based Laurence Miall gets everything right with his premiere novel, Blind Spot , ...

Local talent brings to life the fascinating stories and experiences of Edmontonians in the First World War T O acknowledge the centenary of the First World War, baritone Clint Hagel, actor Faye Stollery, and pianist Emily Grieve will present ' Songs and Letters of WW1: 1914-2014 ,' a  recital of classical art-song, poetry, and prose from and about the war. The performance will take place Saturday, November 8 at 7:30PM in Muttart Hall at MacEwan University, Alberta College Campus (10050 MacDonald Drive). Tickets are available at Tix on the Square or by calling 780.420.1757 , as well as at the door.  Organizers of 'Songs and Letters of WW1' Works of art create a record of an individual's experiences, thoughts, and emotions. This concert will share the stories of people who witnessed WW1 first-hand. Alongside works by well-known artists, like Wilfred Owen and George Butterworth , materials from the City of Edmonton archives and the University of Alberta arc...

Pop-up market phenomenon Creative Edmonton focuses on locally-made goods and homemade brew for upcoming Brewfest BY EMIL TIEDEMANN S ince 2013 the people of Creative Edmonton have been proudly focusing on high quality, handmade products from local vendors, assembling dozens of #yeg entrepreneurs for pop-up markets around the city. Brewfest is Friday, October 10 This upcoming Friday is no exception to the rule, though you can expect a change in theme if you're accustomed to these quarterly events. Brewfest , which will take over the Edmonton Petroleum Club ( 11110-108 Street ) on October 10 (6:30PM-Midnight), will also share the spotlight with some of the breweries that call Edmonton home, including Big Rock and Steam Whistle.  But there are plenty of other things to see and do at Brewfest, including live music, silent auction, raffle, door prizes, photo booth, and an array of locally-made gift ideas from nearly 30 different Edmonton businesses. For a full list of t...

Edmonton writer Wendy McGrath invites us into the home of a struggling marriage, as seen through the eyes of their young daughter in her companion novels Wendy McGrath's 'Santa Rosa' S ANTA Rosa is an unremarkable neighbourhood in 1960s North Edmonton, home to young Christine, her baby sister, and her stalemate parents. Santa Rosa is the fly on the wall of this young working class family that seems to be on the brink of falling apart, as Christine's parents struggle to sustain household civility. Christine, despite her young age, is not oblivious to their subtle and scattered contempt, and it begins to affect her in ways she's still too young to understand or comprehend. Wendy McGrath , who is originally from Saskatchewan, has this poetic proficiency for illustrating the seemingly insignificant details of childhood, in the underwhelming idiosyncrasies of youth and how they fathom the world around them. Wendy McGrath's 'North East' Th...

Saskatoon-born author Alexis Kienlen shines a spotlight on local human rights activist Gurcharan Singh Bhatia BY PAULA E. KIRMAN G URCHARAN Singh Bhatia may not be a household name, but he is a known figure to many people in Edmonton's social justice community. Truth, Love, Non-Violence is the biography of this fascinating man, from his origins in India to his immigration to Canada and his involvement in working towards a society of equality and human rights for all.  Written in a conversational style, author Alexis Kienlen spent countless hours interviewing Bhatia, his family, and associates. While mostly a positive look at his life and accomplishments, Kienlen by no means comes across as a sycophant. In particular, she explores numerous failed business ventures as well as observations from those with whom he has worked on projects who, while obviously fond of him, offer some criticisms as to the way he becomes driven in his passions.  I should ...

The third annual Edmonton Comic & Entertainment Expo will take over the Edmonton Expo Centre later this month, and has invited many famous names to take part I HEART EDMONTON T HE 3-day Edmonton Comic & Entertainment Expo (a.k.a. the Edmonton Expo) is the City of Champion's greatest pop culture convention with a year two attendance of 25,000 people. Going into our year three show we'll be creating another out-of-this-world event with comic book artists, vendors, media guests, and of course, lots and lots of cosplay! The Expo, which will take place at the Edmonton Expo Centre ( 7515-118 Avenue ) from September 26 to 28 , will feature appearances by some of your favourite television and movie stars, including Alice Cooper , Dean Cain , Noah Wyle ( ER ), Mads Mikkelsen ( Hannibal ), Amy Acker ( Angel ), Rachel Skarsten ( The Vow ), Lawrence Gilliard, Jr. ( The Walking Dead ), and The Big Bang Theory 's Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar . For a full list of ...

Established local poet and writer Alice Major explores how we occupy our space and time on earth in her collection of poetry The Occupied World . BY PAULA E. KIRMAN The Occupied World S OME people have drinking buddies. I have writing buddies. We critique each other's work. Actually, I have drinking buddies also, but I digress. One of my writing buddies recently handed me a copy of Alice Major 's poetry collection The Occupied World .  Major is well known on Edmonton's poetry circuit. She was the city's first Poet Laureate and is a familiar face at the annual Edmonton Poetry Festival in April. Published in 2006, The Occupied World is a clear presentation of why Major is so well regarded. Her language and imagery is at once familiar and other worldly, juxtaposing the local and familiar with other times and places.  Through her words, Major begins with the theme of building a city, using the framework of rituals used in Roman times to sanctify ...