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Just contributed an article to the Canadian Social Democracy Study

2/6/2014

In July 2013, Dr. David McGrane, a political science professor at the University of Saskatchewan, launched the Canadian Social Democracy Study, which will produce a book on the recent history of the NDP. He has also created a website meant as a resource and as a place for intellectual exchange.

Dr. McGrane asked me to contribute an article to the website, which you can read here. It’s an examination of image politics, and how, used effectively, it can elevate discourse and produce
results.

A little over a decade ago, Dr. McGrane and I worked together as tour guides on Parliament Hill. I have bumped into him only a few times since then, but I remember a Francophile from Saskatchewan who was a big hit with our female French-Canadian colleagues. I’m very pleased to have contributed to his website, and I look forward to the publication of his book.

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Thanks, everyone!

12/11/2013

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I knew, of course, that book launches weren’t what I’d seen in the movies. There weren’t really fancy trays of hors d’oeuvres, and authors didn’t really wear berets and ascots. In real life, book launches took place in dingy basements with orange drink served in paper cups.

I’m joking. I’ve been to book launches, and they were lovely, although no one wore berets. I knew
the launch events for Svend Robinson: A Life in Politics would be incredibly special.

But they weren’t just special; they were overwhelming.

In Vancouver, where I was born, a lifetime’s worth of family and friends turned up at the Bill Reid Gallery downtown. There was so much happiness in the room. I got to meet Stephen Lewis, who was in town for the BC NDP Convention. We shook hands, and I thanked him for his advance review of the book. His first words to me boomed out: “Well, it was a bloody good book!” When Lewis took to the podium to speak, he repeated his praise. I’m not sure I can describe how honoured I was; suffice to say, I can never write another book now, because I can’t imagine how to follow up such an endorsement! Rolf Maurer of New Star Books spoke next, and he, too, was incredibly complimentary. When it was my turn to speak, I felt that what I’d planned to say, though heartfelt, was suddenly insufficient following such tributes. As I stepped on stage, I felt like everyone was with me a little in that feeling. But I enjoyed being up there. I genuinely meant all the thanks I had to give, and enjoyed giving them to people. I loved seeing my parents’ faces. I hope they felt that this achievement was theirs, too, because it is. When I thanked my wife, she flashed the ASL sign for “I love you.” Even in that crowd of people, it felt like a private moment between the two of us. Svend spoke next, and he was, as always, charming, funny and rousing. And then, the book-signing marathon began. It was fun sitting beside Svend. I felt like we were teammates in each other’s journeys; he, for cooperating so fully with the book, and I, for tracing his story and sharing it with others. Once and a while, as the line of people waiting to have their books signed continued, we looked at each other and just seemed to wordlessly say, “Wow – look how well this is going!”

And then David Suzuki got to the front of the line and handed me a book to sign. What could I possibly say to an icon I’d admired since I was in elementary school? Truly, one of the strangest things that will ever happen to me, I’m sure. The moment is now a blur. I think I called him David.

I don’t know when I’ll see so many loved ones in the same place again. I’ll treasure the memory
forever.

In Ottawa, we filled D’Arcy McGee’s, the legendary bar a block from Parliament Hill. Again, I was incredibly touched to see so many friends and family there. Michelle Douglas, the lesbian soldier who challenged the ban on gays and lesbians serving in the Canadian military, was also on hand to say a few words. We had a good crowd of MPs, too. When I was a political science
student, I used to go to D’Arcy’s hoping to chat with MPs. I was usually ignored. This time, a few MPs asked to have their pictures taken with me – an unfamiliar response in a very familiar setting. We sold out of books. It was crammed. It was loud. It was a great party.

I didn’t know what to expect in Toronto. I haven't lived there and neither has Svend, and at one point I wasn’t sure we should do a launch in a city in which we weren’t as certain of our market. But I'm glad we did! We had an overflow crowd at the Frontier College headquarters, full of friends and family, and we sold out of books again. I was honoured that Stephen Lewis spoke again. I was happy to renew my connection to Frontier College, the respected literacy institution that also counts Svend as a former employee. The current staff and volunteers not only allowed us to use their beautiful head office, but they went above and beyond to help, spreading the word to their former staff (I got to meet a fellow alumnus who’d been a labourer-teacher in 1953), and provided fair-trade coffee and homemade snacks. I felt so proud of my association with the College, but was also humbled by the ongoing commitment so many former colleagues continue to demonstrate as volunteers.

What was most gratifying was that I truly got the sense that this book mattered, that it was really worth writing. In my remarks in Toronto, I opened up a little more about Svend than I did in Vancouver and Ottawa, and told him how proud I was to consider him a friend. And, while he’d said before how touched he was that I wrote a book about him, I think it really hit me for the first time just how much he appreciated it. I’m glad. He deserves it.

I hope to write another book someday. Whatever I end up writing about, I hope it’s something that matters, too.

There are so many people to thank. Many of their names are in the back of the book, but there are others who, since publication, have worked so hard to make these launches a success. I
am grateful to Stephen Lewis for his support, and I’ll never forget his kind words. I would also like to thank the Bill Reid Gallery, D’Arcy McGee’s, Phil Fernandez and Casey Sabawi of Frontier College for the incredible work they did to prepare and promote the Toronto launch, as well as Vanessa Wong, Mary Choy and all the other Frontier College volunteers and staff, my old friend Pamela King for MCing in Vancouver, my ever-talented sister Dana Truelove for MCing in Ottawa, Books on Beechwood, Glad Day Bookshop and John Taylor from the People’s Bookstore Co-op for selling books, Michelle Douglas for her kind words, Mike and Meagan Hatch for the
promotion tips and for helping to spread the word, Brett and Maria Kenworthy for putting Janine and I up in Ottawa, and their wonderful family for all the support, David Suzuki, Audrey McLaughlin and Libby Davies for reading advance copies of the book, Intuition Photography for the amazing photos, Peter O’Neil, Lynda Philippsen, Judy Rebick, Outlook TV and all the other media who
provided such great coverage, and of course, all the friends and family who came and who helped spread the word to everyone they knew.

And, of course, thank you to Svend Robinson for inspiring this book, and now, for his friendship, Rolf Maurer for making it all come together, and most of all, to Mom, Dad, Dana and Janine. Without them, none of this would have happened. Most of us stand on the shoulders of giants when we do good things. They are my giants.

Shots of all three launches can be downloaded for free here, courtesy of Intuition Photography.

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New event - book signing at Strawberry Hill Chapters - Nov 16

11/9/2013

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I've been invited to do a book-signing at the Chapters Strawberry Hill location in Surrey next Saturday, November 16 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

I grew up a short walk away in North Delta, so this is going to be a lot of fun. If you're in the Surrey/Delta area, drop by!

And, don't forget about the launches in Vancouver, Ottawa and Toronto:

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

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

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

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Citizen Jane

10/30/2013

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Citizen Jane is a short film being made in Vancouver about the discrimination LGBT soldiers faced for over 25 years in the Canadian Forces.

In order to finish their film, producers are looking for support. To learn more or make a donation, here is their website.

Equality did not come easily, and this is a story worth telling.

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Robinson biography released!

10/19/2013

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The book is finally out.

Here is a partial list of stores that are carrying it. If you don't see your favourite bookstore on the list, don't worry - more are ordering it. You can also always drop in and ask them to order it, or order it yourself online through New Star Books, Chapters or Amazon. Some Chapters locations will also be carrying it.

BC: Bolen Books, Mosaic Books, Black Bond Books, 32 Books, Munro's Books, Albany Books, UBC Bookstore, Talewind Books, Laughing Oyster
AB: University of Calgary Bookstore
MB: McNally Robinson Booksellers
ON: Perfect Books, Octopus Books, Another Story, Glad Day Bookshop, Words Worth Books, Ben McNally Books, York University Bookstore, Books on Beechwood
QC: Archambault
PEI: The Bookmark
NWT: Yellowknife Book Cellar

And, don't forget about the launch dates:

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

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

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

Everyone welcome - see you there!

I would also like to share a word about October 17, the day the book was released. October 17 is the UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. I admit that part of me feels strange about launching a product on a day in which we are meant to reflect on the least fortunate among us. On the other hand, Robinson worked hard fighting this injustice throughout his career. The book tells these stories, and I hope it will help spawn some discussion among readers about ways we can all fight poverty.

Awareness is important. The concept of "awareness" of poverty would be laughable in much of the world. It's right there. But there are parts of Canada where it's easy to forget, where you can even pretend it doesn't exist.

According to UNICEF, 13% of Canadian children live in poverty. (That's worse than the average across the 34 other richest countries in the world, by the way).

And Canadians are lucky. Worldwide, the UN estimates that 1.2 billion people live not just in poverty, but what they call "extreme poverty." And while those numbers are going down, that's because of improvements in India and China. Take them out of the equation, and there has been no change. The poor in the rest of the world are as poorly off as they were before I was born.

The statistic that I find the most painful is that 19 000 children under the age of five die due to preventable causes every day. That's 13 a minute. I first heard a version of that statistic when I was in grade 10. The number has gone down since then, fortunately. I still can't fathom it.

We could debate what the solutions are. I hope we do. But the first step is agreeing that this is a problem that needs our immediate and most serious attention.

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Launch dates confirmed

9/25/2013

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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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Just contributed an article to the Canadian Social Democracy Study

Thanks, everyone!

New event - book signing at Strawberry Hill Chapters - Nov 16

Citizen Jane

Robinson biography released!

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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