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Launch dates confirmed

9/25/2013

I'm excited to announce the following launch events for Svend Robinson: A Life in Politics:

Vancouver:
November 15 at 7:00 PM at the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art (639 Hornby Street)

Ottawa:
November 19 at 5:30 PM at D'Arcy McGee's (44 Sparks Street)

Toronto:
November 30 at 2:00 PM at Frontier College national headquarters (35 Jackes Avenue)

These should be great events; I'm really looking forward to seeing you all there.

On a personal note, it's truly a privilege to be holding events in these spots. I have a personal connection to each of them. I have been a lifelong fan of Northwest Coast art, Bill Reid in particular, and this outstanding gallery was where my wife and I had our second date. D'Arcy McGee's is a legendary bar among Parliament Hill types. It's just a block away from the Hill itself, and pints there during my university years were an integral part of my political education. Finally, Frontier College will always have a special place in my heart. I consider the work I did for them in 2008 and 2009 as a literacy teacher to be probably the most useful thing I've ever done. They are a great organization that really makes a difference. Fittingly, Robinson is a former employee, too.

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My analysis of the follow-up piece done by the Vancouver Sun reporter who interviewed me

9/17/2013

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Here is an interesting follow-up from Peter O'Neil, the Vancouver Sun reporter who interviewed me for last weekend's paper. In it, he shares two interesting stories about Robinson that don't appear in the book.

Over the course of my research, I did indeed uncover these stories, but I couldn't find the right place to fit them in. Many times, I wished I could expand to a second volume. There certainly was enough material.

In any case, although I couldn't find the right spot in the narrative to include these stories myself, I'm glad Mr. O'Neil was able to share them, and provide you with his analysis of their impact.

I'd add this to his analysis: not only did Ringma's comments provoke a re-evaluation of the Reform Party's relationship with the homosexual community, as Preston Manning himself noted, but it impacted the Liberals, too. When I interviewed Liberal MP Hedy Fry for the biography, she recounted the battle in the Liberal caucus between those who supported including sexual orientation in the Human Rights Act, and those who opposed it. She cited the Ringma affair as one factor that tipped the balance.

"They were so appalled by that that they realized then that this was not simply a same-sex issue, but a human rights issue. And it turned a lot of them, who thought ‘Oh God, there's no damn way we’re standing up to vote with these bigots,” Fry told me.

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Major Articles in the Vancouver Sun and Ottawa Citizen

9/15/2013

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The Vancouver Sun and Ottawa Citizen both ran a series of exclusive excerpts from the book yesterday. Check it out, along with video interviews with me and Mr. Robinson, here.

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Vancouver Sun and Ottawa Citizen - this Saturday

9/13/2013

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Apparently, a shorter version of what will run in this Saturday's Vancouver Sun will also run in the Ottawa Citizen on the same day, so if you're in Ottawa, check it out!

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Interviewed by the Vancouver Sun

9/10/2013

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Yesterday, I was interviewed by the Vancouver Sun’s Peter O’Neil for a piece he’s doing on the Robinson biography. It should appear this Saturday, so keep your eyes open for it.

We met for sushi and a brief chat before heading over to the Postmedia headquarters on O’Connor. It’s an intimidating environment (giant TV screens showing multiple channels, busy people everywhere, and I kept expecting to see Jeff Daniels from The Newsroom burst in and start yelling at everyone), but Mr. O’Neil was a very nice guy who did what he could to put me at ease.

Taking part in an interview from the other end of the microphone has given me a whole new respect for the politicians, spokespeople and others who do this on a daily basis. It’s tough. You have to strike a balance between offering articulate, concise, but memorable soundbites and fully answering their questions, and at the same time ensuring that you get your own message across, too. And you only have a few seconds in which to craft these answers.

You need to trust that the reporter isn’t out to get you, or else you can’t focus on anything but playing defence. Hopefully, in conducting interviews myself, I earned that trust. During the interviews for the Robinson biography, I was more nervous than the interviewees were. Although I asked some pretty tough questions, that slight nervousness probably forced me to adopt a gentler tone. Maybe next time I won’t be as gentle, but if that’s the case, I hope I remember this experience and the trust that needs to exist between an interviewer and interviewee.

So, how did it go? I’m not totally sure. It’s all a bit of a blur. I think it went well. I’ll find out on Saturday!

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Launch dates confirmed

My analysis of the follow-up piece done by the Vancouver Sun reporter who interviewed me

Major Articles in the Vancouver Sun and Ottawa Citizen

Vancouver Sun and Ottawa Citizen - this Saturday

Interviewed by the Vancouver Sun

Graeme TRUELOVE

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