Aimee Wall’s Debut
This interview first appeared in an episode of Portal Magazine’s Portfolio series on YouTube, and has been edited for written format. * * * I found myself on Giller Prize-nominated author Aimee Wall’s website after my professor said I needed more biographical details for my book review on Wall’s book We, Jane. My eyes landed on … Continued
Susan Juby’s New Book
VIU Creating Writing and Journalism professor Susan Juby said her new book, Mindful of Murder, is a “murder mystery, but it’s a funny one.” The novel, released March 8, is Juby’s twelfth and her “first real big” mystery. She has written mysteries for a Young Adult audience, but this is her first entry with an … Continued
Review: The Visitor
VIU’s Theatre department put on a fantastically creepy adaptation of Friedrich Durrenmatt’s The Visit from March 2–5—and they may have outdone themselves this time. Adapted and written by professor Leon Potter and retitled The Visitor, the university’s theatre students tackled the age-old question of “how far would you go for money?” The play centres around … Continued
Death on the Nile Review
*Spoilers for the 1937 novel and 2022 movie.* I’m usually calm at movie theatres. But during Death on the Nile (2022), I lost it—and not in a good way. Death on the Nile (1937) is my favourite Agatha Christie mystery. I’ve read it three times, presented on it in class, and watched all screen adaptations. … Continued
Joe Enns
The balancing point of what you want to do and what you need to do to sustain yourself can seem like a near-invisible wire. When I talked to Creative Writing and Journalism (CREW) student Joe Enns, it struck me that he seemed to have cracked the code to living as close to a balanced life … Continued
Global Storytelling
The latest entry in the Arts and Humanities Colloquium Series took place on Friday, February 11. Creative Writing and Journalism professors Craig Taylor and Dr. Sonnet L’Abbé presented on “Listening to The World / Storying A Place” in Malaspina Theatre. It was the second of three events in VIU’s Spring 2022 Colloquium Series, and took … Continued
The Role of the Preserved Poem
Acclaimed poet A.F. Moritz is the 2021–2022 Ralph Gustafson Distinguished Poet at VIU. Moritz has written over 20 books of poetry, most recently As Far As You Know (2020). He has won many awards including the Griffin Poetry Prize and the Guggenheim Fellowship, and was nominated three times for the Governor General’s Award. He is … Continued
Urban Issues Film Festival
The Urban Issues Film Festival is coming back this Friday to VIU for the first time since 2019 as part of Global Citizens Week. “It’s great to be back,” Don Alexander, retired Geography professor and co-founder of the film festival, said. “We’ve been missing the festival.” Alexander said the event is “very student-driven.” The Master … Continued
Connecting with the Local Art Scene
In a world of two-day Amazon shipping, it’s easy to become disconnected from one’s own community. There’s a growing emphasis on supporting local businesses, and an achievable first step could be to take time to discover and support local artists. However, it can be a struggle to determine how to connect or reconnect with Vancouver … Continued
Figuratively Speaking
The View Gallery has a new exhibition with a special message. Now through February 12, Figuratively Speaking: A Journey Through Movement is open to the public on the Vancouver Island University campus. The collection is the final project for Visual Arts student Pam Vickars’ curatorial course. Although it ended in December, she chose to have … Continued
2021 in (Book) Review
I read 45 books (and five plays) in 2021. I’ve always been a big reader, but last year was the first time I set out to make a comprehensive list of all the books I read. I was surprised by how many I got through! I read across a variety of genres last year, stepping … Continued
Redesigning the Rhythm of VIU’s Music Department
On the night of December 1, 2021, eight students stood onstage in Malaspina Theatre before a backdrop of blue, purple, and pink lights. The Jazz Choir performed songs ranging from an angelically sung solo rendition of “Autumn in New York,” to an upbeat group performance of “I Got Rhythm.” It was the second night of … Continued
Carey Newman’s Hearts and Hands Pin
VIU students may have noticed orange heart-shaped pins for sale in the campus bookstore. Picking one up, they may also notice that the fifteen-dollar sale supports the Orange Shirt Society. What they may not know is the poignant story behind these hearts-and-hands pins by Kwagiulth and Coast Salish artist, and University of Victoria professor, Carey … Continued
Why I (Sometimes) Read Romance Novels
Romance isn’t my genre of choice, yet romance novels have been cropping up on my “recent reads” lists a lot more often lately. I usually read mysteries, and most of my personal collection is made up of stories about supposedly haunted sites in Canada. Once in a while, however, I enter the public library’s romance … Continued