2010 Reader`s Guide

TORONTO
READING
one
BOOK
KEEP
Join the library’s city-wide
book club and read More
by Austin Clarke.
FESTIVAL 2010
April 1-30
keeptorontoreading.ca
Program and
One Book Reader’s Guide
presented by
Toronto
Public
L i b r a ry
A CELEBRATION OF ALL THE BOOKS WE LOVE keeptorontoreading.ca
Welcome to keep toronto Reading 2010
Welcome from the Mayor
Welcome to the fifth
fantastic year of the
Library’s Keep Toronto
Reading. Since this
wonderful festival
began, I have been
wowed by our city’s
passion for books in all
their forms, and how
Torontonians have
come together to read,
discuss and celebrate
books and literary
culture in our city. I
know that passion will
Welcome from the City Librarian & the Board Chair
continue this year, as
the Library invites us all
to share the books we
love.
the role of fathers
in our families; and
contemporary race
relations.
I particularly look
forward to sharing
this year’s One Book,
Austin Clarke’s More.
This celebrated and
compelling novel –
winner of the 2009
Toronto Book Award
– strikes me as the
perfect community
read. It’s filled with the
sights and sounds of
the city. And it offers
so much to discuss
and debate – the new
immigrant experience;
the portrayal of black
Canadians in the media;
Please join me in
participating in this
year’s Keep Toronto
Reading, and in our One
Book initiative. Help
me celebrate our rich
literary culture and the
communities that make
our city great.
Toronto Public Library
thanks all of our 2010
Keep Toronto Reading
sponsors and partners.
Mayor David Miller
Media Sponsors:
in this wonderful novel,
and we hope you’ll join
the discussion, either at
one of our many One
Book events, through
your own book club or
online.
Every day, in every
neighbourhood in the
city, Toronto Public
Library offers free access
to books and culture
– whether you borrow
books, music or video
from your local branch,
or visit us online.
Once a year, though, we
host a special festival –
Keep Toronto Reading
– where we invite you
to join us in celebrating
the books you love. This
April, come out and
meet an author, listen
to poetry, find out why
vampire fiction is so
popular, enjoy some
food and wine, or join in
a book exchange. And
bring the kids to meet
TVO’s Gisèle, or take
part in some hands-on
activities provided by
Toronto’s top museums.
And of course we invite
you to get on the same
page with your fellow
Torontonians by reading
our One Book, More, by
Austin Clarke. There is
so much to talk about
Come to the library
this April, and share
the books you love as
we celebrate our fifth
year of Keep Toronto
Reading.
Jane Pyper,
City Librarian
Matthew Church,
Library Board Chair
Program Partners:
spacing
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KEEP
TORONTO
This April at the
Library is all
about sharing the
books you love.
READING
FESTIVAL 2010
Join us for a month-long
celebration of the joy of
reading with free special
events all over town.
Share the Books You Love
99 journals
around the city.
If you find one,
pick it up, write
about a book
you love, and
pass it on!
Bring a book you love to our book
exchange at the Appel Salon,
have a drink and get ready to swap
reads!
Alexander McCall Smith
Catherine Gildiner
Guy Gavriel Kay
Jack Whyte
Margaret Wente
Michael Crummey and more.
April 1-30
We’re scattering
Ian McEwan
Pick up a recommended
reading bookmark at your
local branch. Write a short review
of a book you love on the back and
tuck it into a book you return.
Celebrate the Books
Kids Love
• TVO’s Gisèle is bringing her Book
Club to a branch near you.
• Toronto’s top museums bring
books to life with crafts, games
and activities at library branches
around the city.
• Plus puppet shows, storytelling
and more.
Share the Love Online
Visit us online for event listings,
contests, recommended readings,
videos, interactive fun, and more.
Make a one-minute video
review about a book you love.
Post it on YouTube and tag it with
Keep Toronto Reading.
one
KEEP TORONTO READING 2010
BOOK
Meet the Writers You Love
Join our city-wide book club
this April and read Austin
Clarke’s More.
Celebrate More
• Join our One Book launch with
dramatic readings, an interview
with Austin Clarke and…More.
• Head to The Real Jerk restaurant
for a delicious More menu
• Hear a panel discussion on the
book’s themes of parenthood,
abandonment and the
immigrant experience in More
• Attend More book talks with
critic Donna Bailey Nurse
• Win dinner with Austin Clarke
for your book club
• At keeptorontoreading.ca,
watch videos of famous authors,
celebrities, and everyday
Torontonians talking about the
books they love, and then create
your own.
• At keeptorontoreading.ca/
onebook, read a virtual exerpt
of Austin Clarke’s More, listen to
a dramatic reading of the book,
or explore an interactive map of
Toronto as seen by More’s Idora
Morrison.
• Follow us on Twitter or Facebook
for updates.
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From book swaps to readings, cooking demos to crafts, we’ve got
something for everyone with more than 80 events around the city.
free special events, all over town
Graphically Speaking:
Jeffrey Brown’s
Undeleted Scenes
One of this decade’s most
celebrated cartoonists
launches his newest work.
Monday, April 26, 6:30 pm
North York Central Library
Food We Love
The eh List Author Series
Meet the Canadian writers
everyone’s reading, including
Michael Crummey, Linden
MacIntyre and Jack Whyte.
Eight locations across the city.
An evening with Food Network host and
chef Anna Olson.
Thursday, April 8, 6:30 pm, York Woods
Share the Books You Love
Book Exchange: Bring
a book you love and
prepare to swap it with a
local celebrity. Moderated
by Misha Glouberman of
Trampoline Hall. Cash bar
opens at 6 pm.
Thursday, April 8, 7 pm
Toronto Reference Library
6
Win dinner with
Austin Clarke for
your book club!
Enter at any branch.
7
Adult and Youth Programs
Tuesday, April 6
More Food night at The Real Jerk
One Book Kickoff
Celebrate More with Austin Clarke at
The Real Jerk Caribbean Restaurant.
Join a cooking demonstration!
Find out where to shop and what
to buy for a great Caribbean home
cookup.
Music, dramatic readings by Trey
Anthony, onstage interview with
Austin Clarke.
7 pm, Toronto Reference Library,
Appel Salon
The eh List: Catherine Gildiner
Reading from the latest Installment
of her memoir, After the Falls.
7 pm, Taylor Memorial
Let’s Talk Food
Local food columnist and chef Eric
Vellend shares his favourite foods,
recipes and local restaurants.
7 pm, Davenport
Wednesday, April 7
The eh List: Margaret Wente
Globe and Mail columnist Margaret
Wente reads from You Can’t Say that
in Canada!
12:30 pm, Toronto Reference Library,
Atrium
6 pm, The Real Jerk, 709 Queen St.
East (at Broadview) 416-463-6055
Poems We Love (and know not why)
Toronto’s Poet Laureate, Dionne
Brand, hosts a panel of poets
including Lynn Crosbie, Paul
Vermeersch and Glen Downie as they
reveal the inner workings of the
poems they love.
7 pm, Toronto Reference Library
Atrium
150th Anniversary of the Rubaiyat of
Omar Khayyam
Actor David Calderisi recites the
celebrated poem translated by
Edward Fitzgerald.
7 pm, Beaches
Food We Love
An evening with Food Network host
and chef Anna Olson.
6:30 pm, York Woods
Friday, April 9
One Book Talk
Join writer and critic Donna Bailey
Nurse for a discussion of More and
Austin Clarke’s body of work.
2 pm, Malvern
Thursday, April 8
Meet Poet Desi Di Nardo
Di Nardo will read from her latest
book of poetry, The Plural of Some
Things.
2 pm, North York Central Library
BSR: Bring, Share, Read for Teens
Bring your favourite book, graphic
book, comic, magazine or newspaper
article and create a collage of the
materials to share with others.
Prizes!
4 pm, Gerrard/Ashdale
Share the Books You Love – Book
Exchange
Bring a book you love and prepare
to swap it with local celebs including
Damian Abraham. Moderated by
Misha Glouberman (Trampoline Hall)
7 pm. Cash bar opens at 6, Toronto
Reference Library, Appel Salon
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Are you on Facebook? Share the books you love by updating your status with a
review of the book you’re reading, or an all-time fave. Then link to our website.
Update often and spread the word! torontopubliclibrary.ca/facebook
Saturday, April 10
Tea & Books for Everyone
Borrow staff’s all-time favourite
books, make a bookmark, and enjoy
refreshments.
Tuesday, April 13
The eh List: Jack Whyte
Reading from Order in Chaos, the
final instalment in his immensely
popular “Templar Trilogy.”
7 pm, North York Central Library
Good Reads Book Club
Rita Cox, internationally renowned
storyteller, reads from More by
Austin Clarke and participates in a
discussion of the novel.
7 pm, Mt. Pleasant
One Book Talk
Join writer and critic Donna Bailey
Nurse for a discussion of More and
Austin Clarke’s body of work.
7 pm, Bloor/Gladstone
Meet Jill Edmondson
Local author Jill Edmondson reads
from her newly published mystery,
Blood and Groom.
7 pm, Jones
Meet Pat Capponi
Author of the mystery Last Stop
Sunnyside. Refreshments will be
served. Limit of 40 people.
7 pm, Port Union
11 am, Agincourt
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We’re scattering 99 journals around the city - one for every Toronto Public
Library branch. If you find a journal, write about a book you love, and pass it
on! We’ll collect the results and publish them in an online booklist.
Wednesday, April 14
Thursday, April 15
Performance Poetry
Sunday, April 18
Take a Tasty Tour of China!
The eh List: John Bemrose
Ian McEwan
Renowned traveller and cookbook
author Naomi Duguid takes you on a
culinary tour of China.
Reading from The Last Woman,
which deals with wounds and losses,
both human and environmental.
Featuring Spoken Word Artist
Michelle Muir. An evening for adults
and teens.
2 pm, Guildwood
2 pm, Richview
Meet Maureen Jennings
The eh List: Jack Whyte
Meet Sharon Doyle Driedger
Reading from Order in Chaos, the
final instalment in his immensely
popular “Templar Trilogy.”
Local author Driedger reads from An
Irish Heart.
Popular mystery writer visits the
branch.
Join writer and critic Donna Bailey
Nurse for a discussion of More and
Austin Clarke’s body of work.
7 pm, Don Mills
Monday, April 19
2 pm, Elmbrook Park
(Not so Nice) Italian Girls
We Love Mysteries
Reading with Your Children
Toronto women poets reveal their
not so nice sides. With Desi Di Nardo,
Giovanna Patriarca and Giovanna
Riccio.
Vicki Delany discusses her latest
mystery, Winter of Secrets. Followed
by a tour of the Arthur Conan Doyle
Collection.
7 pm, Spadina Road
7 pm, Toronto Reference Library,
Beeton Auditorium
Join Ruowen Wang, a ChineseCanadian children’s author, for an
informative session on how to turn a
child into a lifelong reader. Program
in English & Mandarin.
6:30 pm, Agincourt
Books, Food & Wine
Chef Lucy Waverman and Wine Doctor
Edward Finstein guide you through
three delicious tastings. Limited tickets
are $35, on sale March 8. To order:
torontopubliclibrary.ca/appelsalon.
Presented with The Cookbook Store
(cook-book.com) and Authentic Wine
and Spirits Merchants (awsm.ca).
6:00 pm, Toronto Reference Library,
Appel Salon
2 pm, Toronto Reference Library,
Appel Salon
7 pm, Long Branch
7 pm, S. Walter Stewart
One Book Talk
6:30 pm, Humberwood
On stage with Ian Brown. Part of
the Globe and Mail Open House
Festival. Tickets required (www.
randomhouse.ca/openhouse).
The eh List: Guy Gavriel Kay
Friday, April 16
Meet Martha Baillie
Reading from Under Heaven, at this
title’s world-wide launch.
Meet the author of The Incident
Report, set in a fictitious library near
you.
7 pm, Toronto Reference Library,
Atrium
2 pm, Eatonville
More: A Taste of the Caribbean
Friday Nights with Diaspora
Dialogues
Experience the savoury tastes of the
Caribbean as made by Claire Bisram,
along with a discussion of Austin
Clarke’s More. Refreshments served –
bring your own fire extinguisher!
7 pm, Brookbanks
Readings by Edeet Ravel, Glenn Sumi,
Julia Zarankin, Kerri Sakamoto, Yiwei
Hu and Yvette Nolan. Special short
performances by Martha Baillie, Fides
Krucker, Nik Beeson and Waawaate
Fobister.
Tuesday, April 20
Zorgamazoo: Rhyme & Rhyme
Local author Robert Paul Weston
discusses the fulfillment and
frustration of being a poet.
1:30 pm, Palmerston
Poetry Reading
Allan Rose, Toronto poet and
teacher, reads selections from
The Greatest Canadian Love
Poem and Other Treasures
of the Heart.
2 pm Jane/Sheppard
7 pm, Palmerston
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Book Swap: If you love a book, set it free…bring a book
you love April 8th, at 7 pm to the Toronto Reference Library,
Appel Salon, and get ready to swap with fellow book lovers!
Poetry Out Loud!
Poetry lovers of all ages are invited
to participate. Pick a poem you can
read in five minutes or less!
6:30 pm, Beaches
The eh List: Michael Crummey
Reading from his new book, Galore,
a multi-generational family saga.
7 pm, Barbara Frum
The eh List: Margaret Wente
Globe and Mail columnist Margaret
Wente reads from You Can’t Say That
in Canada!
7 pm, Runnymede
Hard Surface: In Search of the
Canadian Road
Peter Unwin, popular Canadian
history writer and author of In
Search of the Canadian Road,
provides a reading, with musical
accompaniment.
7 pm, High Park
Meet Cathy Buchanan
Buchanan presents an illustrated talk
about the story behind her novel,
The Day the Falls Stood Still.
7 pm, Beaches
The eh List: Michael Crummey
Monday, April 26
Featuring author/chef Judy Lynn
Fleming.
Graphically Speaking 2010: Jeffrey
Brown’s Undeleted Scenes
6:30 pm, York Woods
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival
(torontocomics.com) presents Jeffrey
One Book: Where are the Men?
Brown, one of the most celebrated
autobiographical cartoonists of the
Panel discussion on black families,
past decade. He returns to Toronto to
youth and gangs, featuring Dalton
Higgins (More than a Haircut); Audette launch his newest work, Undeleted
Scenes.
Shephard (United Mothers Against
Violence Everywhere) and Pastor
6:30 pm, North York Central Library,
Orim Meikle (Toronto Argos Stop the
Auditorium
Violence Foundation). Moderator:
Norman Otis Richmond.
Tuesday, April 27
7 pm, Maria Shchuka
Thursday, April 22
Tea & Books
Wednesday, April 21
Changing to a Raw Food Lifestyle
Award-winning Toronto author
Elizabeth J. Duncan reads from The
Cold Light of Mourning.
Books We Love with Dave Bidini
Local author and musician Dave
Bidini shares the books he loves and
why he loves them.
7 pm, Bloor/Gladstone
Meet Sandra Sabatini
Meet the author of Dante’s War.
2 pm, Deer Park
One Book Talk
Join writer and critic Donna Bailey
Nurse for a discussion of More and
Austin Clarke’s body of work.
Reading from his new book, Galore,
a multi-generational family saga.
2 pm, Alderwood
12:30 pm, Toronto Reference Library,
Atrium
Earth Day Book Exchange
Celebrate Earth Day with a book swap.
The author of The Outlander talks
about books she loves.
7 pm, North York Central Library
The eh List: Linden MacIntyre
2 pm, Beaches
7 pm, Morningside
Meet Cordelia Strube
MacIntyre reads from his prescient
Giller prize-winning novel, The
Bishop’s Man.
Tea and Murder
Friday, April 23
With special guest author Maureen
Jennings.
Friday Nights with Diaspora
Dialogues
Local author Strube introduces and
reads from her new coming-of-age
novel, Lemon.
7 pm, North York Central
Library
Books We Love with Gil Adamson
2 pm, Wychwood
Spoken Word Poetry for Teens
Join Matthew Jones for a two-hour
performance and workshop.
6 pm, Agincourt
7 pm, Beaches
Musical performance by Brenda
MacIntyre. Excerpted play reading
of Spin Alley by Donna-Michelle St.
Bernard. Readings by Jaspreet Singh
and Monica Rosas. Spoken word by
Heather Hermant.
7 pm, Palmerston
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On Twitter? Tweet about a book you’re reading
or an all-time fave. Add the hash tag #ktr2010.
Tweet often and spread the word!
KTR for Kids
Wednesday, April 28
Thursday, April 29
Saturday, April 3
The eh List: José Latour
We Love Vampires
Graphically Speaking for Kids
Latour reads from Crime of Fashion,
a tale of heart-stopping action,
deceit, and desperation.
Fantasy writers Tanya Huff (Vicky
Nelson, Investigator vampire series) and
Robert Knowlton, world authority on
dark fantasy, sink their teeth into this
genre’s enduring popularity. Followed
by a tour of the Merril Collection
of Science Fiction, Speculation and
Fantasy.
Comic book creators Brian Evinou
and Julie Faulkner teach kids 12 and
under to create their own comic
strip. Space is limited; register at 416395-5630. Presented with Toronto
Comic Arts Festival (torontocomics.
com).
12:30 pm, Northern District
Short Story Contest Gala
Meet the winners of the Toronto Star
short story contest.
MAP – Museum of Inuit Art: Inuit
Fun
Hear Inuit stories, see Inuit art, play
Inuit games and decorate your own
ajagak. For kids ages 5-10 and their
caregivers. Call 416-395-5630 to
register.
7 pm, Lillian H. Smith
2 to 3:30 pm, North York Central
Library, Room 1
Friday, April 30
Wednesday, April 7
2 pm, North York Central Library
An Evening with Alexander McCall
Smith
Media and Graphic Techniques in
Children’s Books
MAP – Casa Loma: Knights in Armour
6:30 pm, Danforth/Coxwell
Part of the Globe and Mail Open
House Festival. Tickets required
(www.randomhouse.ca/openhouse).
Learn about the process of making
illustrated books with internationally
known illustrator Dusan Petricic.
Hear a story about knights, then
get a hands-on lesson in medieval
armour and weaponry. For kids ages
5-10 and their caregivers.
7 pm, Toronto Reference Library,
Appel Salon
1:30 pm, North York Central Library
2 pm, Maria A. Shchuka
Local Book Launch
Thursday, April 8
Tuesday, April 13
Meet Laurel Dee Gugler
Meet Shane Peacock
Meet author and illustrator Shane
Peacock, author of the Boy Sherlock
Holmes series.
7 pm, Toronto Reference Library,
Appel Salon
Meet Maureen Jennings
On writing historical mysteries in
Toronto and how her books were
turned into a successful TV series.
Local author Lorraine Williams
launches Memories of the Beach:
Reflections on a Toronto Childhood.
Friday Nights with Diaspora
Dialogues
7 pm, Beaches
Fiction readings by Drew Hayden
Taylor, Ibi Kaslik and Deepa
Shankaran. Poetry readings by Kaie
Kellough and Rachel Zolf. Excerpted
play reading of A Song for Tomorrow
by Christina Wong.
Kids’ writer (A Piece of Forever) and
storyteller.
7 pm, Palmerston
Gisèle’s Reading Adventure
Meet Merle Nudelman
Nudelman’s first book, Borrowed
Light, won the Canadian Jewish
Book Award for Poetry. The book
follows the lives of her parents,
who were Holocaust survivors, and
their profoundly transformative
experiences.
7 pm, Don Mills
2 pm, Lillian H. Smith
Saturday, April 10
Come join Gisèle and her Big
Backyard friends as they sing,
dance and read. And help her find
Bookmark, Sir Readsalot’s trusty
horse.
1:30 pm, Highland Creek
Saturday, April 17
Stagehand Puppets
Stagehand Puppets present
The Three Little Pigs.
11 am, Leaside
10:30 am and 1:30 pm, York Woods
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Gisèle’s Reading Adventure
Meet Joanne Schwartz
Come join Gisèle and her Big
Backyard friends as they sing,
dance and read. And help her find
Bookmark, Sir Readsalot’s trusty
horse.
Local Davenport author talks about
her latest children’s book Our Corner
Grocery Store, which is based on a
real grocery store in the area.
10:30 am and 1:30 pm, Parkdale
MAP – Bata Shoe Museum: All About
Shoes
Hear a story about shoes, then take
a look at shoes from around the
world. For kids ages 5-10 and their
caregivers.
11 am to 12 pm, Malvern
MAP – Gardiner Museum: Clay
Animals
Hear a story about animals, then
make one out of clay. For kids ages
5-10 and their caregivers.
2 pm, Davenport
one
KEEP TORONTO READING 2010
BOOK
Toronto museums bring the books kids love
to life with crafts, activities and more.
Reader’s Guide
Everybody’s reading one book this April, and it’s Austin
Clarke’s More. Join us for author events, book discussions and
other programs that will bring this exceptional book to life.
Saturday, April 24
Chantal’s Storytime
Use this guide to enhance your
enjoyment of More. Here’s
what you’ll find inside:
This bilingual interactive theatre
performance promotes the love of
reading. In English & French.
11 am, Dufferin/St. Clair
• An introduction to More by
Austin Clarke
MAP – Black Creek Pioneer Village:
From Sheep to Shawl
• About the author
Hear a story about shearing sheep
and spinning wool in pioneer days.
Spin your own yarn. For kids ages
5-10 and their caregivers.
• An exerpt from More
• Questions for discussion
2:30 to 3:30 pm, York Woods
• An historical essay about the
Caribbean peoples in Toronto
Wednesday, April 21
Monday, April 26
We Love Detectives
• Related recommended
readings
Meet Andrew Larson – And Learn
About Writing
2 pm, St. James Town
Shane Peacock (The Boy Sherlock
Holmes series) shares his research
methods from tight-rope walking
to trapeze flying. Followed
by a tour of the Osborne
Collection of Early
Children’s Books.
10 am, Lillian H. Smith
Meet the author of Bella and the
Bunny and The Imaginary Garden.
For children ages 7 to 9.
9:30 am, Forest Hill
Kickoff Event
Celebrate More with dramatic readings by Trey Anthony, an
interview with Austin Clarke and…More.
Tuesday, April 6, 6 pm - cash bar reception; 7 pm - onstage event,
Toronto Reference Library, Appel Salon, 2nd floor.
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About Austin Clarke
Although she has been in Toronto for 30 years, former Barbadian Idora
Morrison is in crisis, in a dream-like state for four days in her basement
apartment. Abandoned by “that man” Bertram, her former husband; sick
with worry over her missing teenage son, BJ; but supported (if conflicted)
by her two churches, the West Indian community and her white friend,
Josephine, Idora struggles. Clarke’s capable and evocative writing draws one
easily into Idora’s world, a world of complicated race relations, contradictory
emotions and mixed messages.
❝
I am decidedly excited by this
honour: that More has been chosen
as the Toronto Public Library’s
One Book. It is an obvious stamp
of acknowledgement of my work,
writing novels about Toronto, a city
I have been living in for more than
fifty years. Those of you who live
here know the beauty and the sweet
diversity of Toronto. And of the
Public Library!
Praise for More
❝
Clarke’s shift in focus to the complexity
of race and poverty in present-day
Canada makes More a perfect follow-up
to The Polished Hoe’s poetic historicism....
By choosing to write Idora’s story as
Toronto’s story, at the height of his
literary power, Clarke boldly challenges,
and transforms, Canadian sense and
sensibility.
❝
❝
Prolific Canadian novelist Clarke finally
found fame with his 2002 novel, The
Polished Hoe. In this follow-up, Clarke
stays true to his politically charged style,
reporting various manifestations of
racism through the life of a Caribbean
immigrant living in Canada… An
introspective examination of cultural
racism and the life of minorities, this
detailed (though loaded) narrative
should strike a chord with Clarke’s
audience.
– The Globe and Mail
❝
(More) tackles the shame, anger and
❝
– Canadian Periodicals, Sept. 2009 frustrations of black immigrants dealing
with prejudices prevalent not only in
(Clarke has painted) a vivid and powerful their new country, but also within their
own communities.... Clarke is able to
portrait of a black woman’s four-day
use Idora’s story to give his personal
journey as she relives her life in Canada
State of the Union on race, poverty and
as an immigrant from the West Indies.
immigration in Canada.”
Her enduring sorrow balanced by hard
– Montreal Gazette
work and short bouts of gaiety
and joy ensure her presence as
a memorable and powerful
figure in Canadian literature.
❝
❝
❝
– 2009 Toronto Book
Award Jury
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❝
Introducing More by Austin Clarke
– Austin Clarke
Austin Clarke is the author of ten novels and six short story collections.
His novel, The Polished Hoe, won the Giller Prize in 2002, as well as the
Commonwealth Writer’s and Trillium Prizes. More won the Toronto Book
Award in 2009. Clarke was born in Barbados and lives in Toronto.
An Interview with the Author
1.What inspired you to write More?
The inspiration came from the
newspaper articles about violence in
the black community, the street on
which I live, where I see the homeless
and other poor immigrants, and the
population of the park across the
street from which I live. The idea of
multiculturalism is portrayed and
paraded all around me.
2.The original title of this novel was
“Where are the men?” Why did
you change it?
I thought that implicit in the title
“Where are the men?” was a
mistaken idea of the solution to
cut down on, and erase, “black-onblack” violence. That to use that
catchphrase, the title of a Star article
and the point made to the Mayor
by the black American expert who
visited Toronto a few years ago,
as an adviser, would have been to
add to the misconception regarding
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shot of you reading our One Book selection – to our group on the photosharing website: flickr.com/groups/keeptorontoreading
the cause of this violence. More
important than this, I thought I
would have given, by implication,
the wrong image.
3.Could this novel have been set
anywhere but Toronto? How is
Toronto intrinsic to the storyline?
It could not have...As I said earlier, I
am privileged to have lived so close
to the sufferers of the immigrant
trauma that More discusses; seeing
men and women, and their children
every day, passing my house to go
farther east to their homes. And
especially in the mornings, in winter,
I see the expression of anxiety, the
image of unemployment, and still
the dignity of the black immigrant,
as they all carve out the most
honourable kind of life in a society
which they feel is aggressively
geared towards their discomfiture.
I got the impression that they not
all, as a racial group, have the
confidence in “multiculturalism” that
Toronto believes is the case.
4.Music is an ongoing theme
throughout the book – how does
music influence your writing and
what were you intending with
your particular choices (Coltrane’s
“A Love Supreme” comes to mind
first)?
Music is the background, and the
environment, the taste and the
smell of the literary cave in which
I live, when I am writing. The kind of
music changes to suit my mood, and
the mood of the novel I am writing.
Beethoven in the morning, the Violin
Concerto; jazz in the afternoon, and
very late at night, listening to Miles,
Coltrane, Aretha Franklin, Barry White,
Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan; and
calypso late at night, when I am in the
development of West Indian characters,
especially when they use their own
“nation language.” Mainly to catch the
mood and the rhythm and the spirit of
their speech.
5.You’ve certainly written lots of both,
but which do you prefer to write –
fiction or non-fiction?
I prefer fiction. It allows me more
space, energy, invention; and I can
hide my feelings in the liberty of
fiction.
“So this is the Kensington Market!” Josephine said. “The former
Jewish Market? How come I go to classes less than three blocks
from here and I never knew this place existed?... And so many visible
minorities, and –”
“Don’t say that! Don’t call them visible minorities. Don’t call us visible
minorities. I am not any damn minority. Visible or invisible!”
“People of all colours, then. Various colours. And cultures. Do you
shop here every day? The same as I would go to the supermarket?”
“Special occasions,” Idora said. “But when I show you where I shop,
you’ll understand.”
“My God!... as you always say!” Josephine said. “My God! This is a
different world!”
“Isn’t it, eh!”
The shop had a display of plantains in baskets at the front, on the
sidewalk. Some were ripe to a colour of yellow; others were speckled
yellow and black, and were softer; and Idora fried these in oil, and
floured them in white flour and in cornmeal. And green bananas, for
boiling: and for giving men stamina, so Idora told Josephine.
“Truly?”
“Trust me, girl! Or ask any of these Jamaican men in this store!”
“My God!”
Scotch Bonnet peppers, in colours of yellow and green and red, were
displayed in large paper bags; and there were sweet golden apples from
Barbados, and fresh ginger, and pieces of sugar cane, one or two feet
long, bottles of hot sauce, from Barbados and Jamaica, and looking like
bottles of cosmetics from fairy-tale islands in the Pacific Ocean; and
when she placed her hand on Josephine’s waist, to usher her into the
shop itself, the smells of this food struck them in the face, and the level
of conversation, and the sounds of voices, each person talking at the same
time, and giving advice to the owner of the store, and getting back advice,
“Not tummuch water, now, when you boiling the breadfruits, sister! Not
too much!”; and Josephine got into the mood, and was touching women
as she moved past them, asking them pardon, and saying, “Oh! Sorry!”
And one woman, thin and beautiful and with a fierce face, if you watched
her eyes too long, said, “What you sorry for, girl!”
– excerpt from More by Austin Clarke (Thomas Allen Publishers, 2008)
reprinted with permission of the author and Thomas Allen Publishers.
20
More questions for discussion
1) In an interview with CBC News
Austin Clarke stated: “I’d always
felt that the writers who went
before me, had neglected the
character of Toronto in their
books and felt that it was more in
literary style to describe Paris or
London.…I could not understand
the neglect of the city.” Do you
agree that Toronto has been
neglected by other authors? Why
do you think Clarke feels this way?
2) How does the Toronto depicted in
More compare with the view you
have of the city? Did the novel
change the way you look at your
own community – its past, present
and future?
3) Why is Idora so affected by
the assassination of Mr. Albert
Johnson?
4) What does the sermon at the
Apostolical Holiness Church
represent for Idora? What role
does her sermon play in the book?
5) Discuss the role of family in More.
On page 163, Idora asks, “Where
are the blasted men to protect us:
mother and child? Where any o’
those men is?” Do you think
Idora blames Bertram for BJ’s
retreat into gangs and his
eventual disappearance?
6) The author makes
numerous references to
22
Idora wanting “more”. On page 77,
she refers to not being aware of
gifts from the Lord – and she wants
more. On page 161, she laments
the portrayal of black men in the
media – why aren’t young black
men shown achieving ‘more’? Why
do you think this book is entitled
More? What was the author trying
to accomplish? What is the “more”
that Idora is seeking?
7) Why is Idora reluctant to report her
son’s disappearance to the police?
Why does she feel so differently
about police “at home” and police
in Toronto?
8) Music figures prominently
throughout the book – from
frequent references to the Buffalo
radio station WBLK, to John
Coltrane’s piece “A Love Supreme”.
Why does the author use music and
what role does it play in Idora’s
world? In the culture at large?
9) Why do you think Clarke chose to
write the character of BJ as an “offstage” presence?
10) How successful is the author
at writing from a woman’s
perspective?
11) Idora (along with many others
in the black community) is highly
critical of media reports related to
blacks. Has the way that the media
depicts young black men changed
in recent years?
Caribbean Peoples in Toronto
The Caribbean region is
multicultural, a mixture of European,
Asian and Middle Eastern origins,
combined with a long African
legacy. Many Caribbean people are
black, Toronto’s third largest ‘visible
minority’ group in 2006 (behind
South Asians and Chinese). (One
half of Torontonians belong to a
‘visible minority’, but only blacks are
categorized by skin colour rather
than geographic origins.)
The Caribbean Experience in Canada
A Statistics Canada study found that
Canadians of Caribbean origin are
more likely to have a community
college diploma and somewhat
more likely to be employed than
their counterparts in the rest of the
population. They are also younger
and their children are more likely
Immigration to Canada
During the first period of Caribbean
immigration to Canada, 1900 to
1960, Canada accepted about
21,500 people, only one-third
of whom were black. The West
Indian Domestic Scheme (1955-60)
allowed 100 black women a year to
immigrate as domestics, like Clarke’s
Idora. This pattern of women coming
alone was typical of early Caribbean
immigration to Canada.
Canada’s new Immigration Act (1962)
eliminated discrimination based on
race, religion and national origin,
and in 1967 established a points
system to determine eligibility. Under
the Family Reunification policy, many
who immigrated after 1970 were
family of the women who had come
earlier. The mid-1970s saw a general
decline in Caribbean immigration to
Canada, but it was still significant.
Caribana, 2009. Courtesy Clive Sewell.
23
Austin’s on Book Buzz: Visit http://bookbuzz.torontopubliclibrary.ca,
to chat online with Austin about More.
April 22, 7 to 8 pm
than other Canadians to be living
in lone-parent families and in
low-income households. The large
majority belongs to a Christian
religious group (41% mainstream
Protestant, 29% Catholic and 9%
another Christian group) and local
religious organizations have played a
key role in welcoming new arrivals.
A 2002 survey showed that the
majority (82%) of Canadians of
Caribbean origin has a strong sense
of belonging to Canada, and many
are involved in Canadian society,
through voting and community
organizations. Despite this, many
also have experienced discrimination,
based on race or skin colour.
Torontonians of Caribbean heritage
continue to fight political battles to
counter racism and prejudice in areas
including employment, education,
accommodation and policing.
Fruit stand in Kensington Market.
24
Caribbean Contributions to Toronto
Although Caribbean culture is not
homogeneous, with class, race and
regional differences, Caribbean
people have a strong and dynamic
presence in Toronto. They have
established social organizations and
services, opened businesses, and
inaugurated cultural events. The
annual Caribana Festival, started
in 1967, displays Caribbean culture
in costume, dance and music (steel
bands, calypso and reggae).
Further Reading
Other Books by Austin
Clarke
A Passage Back Home: A
Personal Reminiscence of
Samuel Selvon, 1997
Choosing His Coffin: The
Best Stories of Austin
Clarke, 2003
In This City, 2008
Pigtails ‘n Breadfruit; The
Rituals of Slave Food, A
Barbadian Memoir, 1999
In literature, Toronto’s most
prominent authors of Caribbean
origin are Austin Clarke, Dionne
Brand and Afua Cooper, with many
emerging writers gaining attention
of late. Toronto Public Library’s Black
and Caribbean Heritage Collection,
now in four branches, was started
in the early 1970s, and was named
for Rita Cox, a long-time librarian
originally from Trinidad.
Proud Empires, 1986
Caribbean food, a spicy, colourful
mix of many culinary traditions, is
wildly popular in Toronto. In the
early days, standard ingredients
such as Scotch bonnet peppers, okra
and plantain were sold mostly at
Kensington Market but are now
available at stores and dozens of
restaurants across the region.
There Are No Elders,
1993
Prepared by Barbara Myrvold, with
input from Vivienne James and Joan
McCatty.
Storm of Fortune, 1998
The Austin Clarke
Reader, 1996
The Bigger Light, 1999
The Origin of Waves,
1997
The Polished Hoe, 2003
The Question, 1999
Buccaneers of the
Caribbean: How Piracy
Forged an Empire, 16071697
Jon Latimer, 2009
An account of maritime
warfare in the Caribbean
during the 17th century.
Lime Tree Can’t Bear
Orange: A Novel
Amanda Smyth, 2009
Set in Trinidad-Tobago,
a mixed-race girl flees
abuse and learns about
life and love.
Shifting Homelands and
Travelling Identities:
Writers of the Caribbean
Diaspora
Jasbir Jain and Supriya
Agarwal (eds.), 2009
Twenty essays about race,
post-colonial futures
and the rich Caribbean
culture.
I Come Through: Stories
Lorna Goodison, 2009
Books on the Caribbean
This Jamaican poet
and Canadian resident
offers stories set in her
homeland.
The Spice Necklace: A
Food-Lover’s Caribbean
Adventure
Ann Vanderhoof, 2010
From Harvey River: a
Memoir of my Mother
and her People
Lorna Goodison, 2007
Following An
Embarrassment of
Mangoes, Vanderhoof
eats around the
Caribbean.
A loving portrait of four
generations of a family
echoing the history of
Jamaica.
Stories from Blue
Latitudes: Caribbean
Women Writers at Home
and Abroad
Elizabeth Nunez and
Jennifer Sparrow (eds.)
2006
An anthology of 26
stories by Caribbean
women writers.
The Dew Breaker
Edwidge Danticat, 2004
Linked stories of the
Haitian Diaspora, during
Duvalier’s regime.
Drumblair: Memories of
a Jamaican Childhood
Rachel Manley, 1996
The daughter of the
former President of
Jamaica tells her story.
Wide Sargasso Sea
Jean Rhys, 1966, 2001
Rhys, a prominent West
Indian writer, wrote this
book as a prequel to
Jane Eyre.
The New Immigrant
Experience
Amazing Absorbing Boy
Rabindranath Maharaj,
2010
Samuel, a Trinidadian
teen, is sent to live with
his indifferent father in
Toronto.
25
Find out what book lovers in your neighbourhood are reading! Pick up a bookmark at
your local branch. Write a short review of a book you love on the back, tuck it into a
book you return, and we’ll create displays of your recommended reads.
Rifke: An Improbable Life
Rosalie Wise Sharp, 2007
From Ozarow to North
Toronto, Sharp recounts
growing up in two worlds.
What We All Long For
Dionne Brand, 2005
Interlocking lives of
second-generation
twenty-somethings living
in urban Toronto.
Under the Ribs of Death
John Marlyn, 2010
Set before the
Depression, young Sander
struggles to become a
“real Canadian.”
Soucouyant
David Chariandy, 2007
A son recalls his mother’s
Trinidadian childhood
when she develops
dementia.
The Innocence of Age
Neil Bissoondath, 1992
Old-fashioned standards
clash with ambition and
power affecting father
and son.
Blacks, the Media and
Popular Culture
It’s Bigger than Hip Hop:
The Rise of the Post-HipHop Generation
Molefi K. Asante, 2008
Can this generation still
challenge mainstream
cultural ideology?
Hung: A Meditation on
the Measure of Black
Men in America
Scott Poulson-Bryant,
2005
An interesting
examination of
the mythologies
surrounding black male
sexuality.
Black like Who?:
Writing Black Canada
Rinaldo Walcott, 2003
This incisive title gives
the dirt on black
culture and literature in
Canada.
Rude: Contemporary
Black Canadian Cultural
Criticism
Rinaldo Walcott, 2000
An anthology of
critical writing on Black
Canadian culture and
racial identity.
Black Berry, Sweet Juice
Lawrence Hill, 2001
What is black and what
is white? What of the
biracial experience?
Food, Music and Arts
Delicious Jamaica!:
Vegetarian Cuisine
Yvonne McCalla
Sobers,1996
Out of a melting pot of
influences comes an array
of healthy, tasty dishes.
Black Literature
Criticism: Classic and
Emerging Black Writers
Since 1950
Jelena Krstovic, 2008
eBook
An essential survey of
the field covering more
than 80 North American
writers.
Encyclopedia of Latin
American & Caribbean
Art
Jane Turner, 2000
Examines the major
artistic developments
from the colonial period
to the present.
Caribbean: Classic &
New Caribbean flavours
2008. [sound recording]
A representative mix of
tunes, from the warmth
of the Caribbean.
The Book of Salsa: A
Chronicle of Urban
Music from the
Caribbean to New York
City
César Miguel Rondón,
2008
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All events noon to 6 p.m.
Presented with Friends of Toronto
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Commission. Thanks to Random
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for donating new books.
A pan-Caribbean history
of this addictive music.
The Real Jerk: New
Caribbean Cuisine
Lily Pottinger, 2002
From the creators of
the More menu and
Toronto’s favourite roti
restaurant.
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Donate to Toronto Public Library Foundation today.
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