Going undercover: The stories behind the stories
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Jacques Poitras will be discussing his new book Wednesday night at the Fredericton Public Library.
January 17, 2012 6:07 PM ADT
Tonight, instead of the old phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover,’ you can meet with two authors who will take you between the lines of their latest works.
The Fredericton Public Library and local publishing house, Goose Lane Editions, have teamed up for a trio of “Winter Tales” this January, where writers can share insider tips about their new books.
“It’s about the stories behind the stories,” said Goose Lane author and publicist, Corey Redekop.
Tonight’s discussion will open with a short presentation from featured writers Jacques Poitras and Lee Windsor, and then Redekop will ask a few questions himself before opening up the floor to the public.
“The interesting stories are always the ones that don’t make it in for legal or other reasons,” Redekop said about extra details in the research of both books. “I hope to have a very entertaining evening.”
Leslie Cockburn, young adult and adult services coordinator for the library, said she went to Goose Lane to propose working together for the “Winter Tales” series because so many of their authors have a lot to offer.
“We really thought we should do a series on New Brunswick authors because they’re world class,” Cockburn said. “When [Goose Lane] said yes, we were thrilled.”
The talks will be held in the popular river room of the public library, where Cockburn said even at night the huge windows covering one wall provide an amazing view of the river, where lights from the city dance over the dark water.
Jacques Poitras will be discussing his new non-fiction book, The Imaginary Line: Life on an Unfinished Border, which is an account of life along the N.B. - Maine border.
Poitras, provincial affairs reporter for CBC New Brunswick, hopes that students as well as anyone who has an interest in the topic would enjoy his book, because it’s not written in a heavy, academic style.
“I’m always thinking about keeping the story interesting, and keeping it on a human level,” Poitras said.
One aspect of Poitras’ discussion will likely be about the pros and cons of using a first-person narrative, which he did with Imaginary Line when he showed the reader what had happened to him when he visited certain parts of the border.
“You don’t really do that in daily news reporting, but you can do it in a book where the reader is already sort of trusting you in a way to be the guide to the story.”
To make a historical duo, Poitras will be joined by Lee Windsor, a history professor at UNB, who will be talking about his latest book Steel Cavalry: The 8th (New Brunswick) Hussars and the Italian Campaign.
Windsor’s book tells the story of how the first volunteer cavalry unit in Canada began in New Brunswick, and how over the years they developed into a motorcycle brigade before converting to tanks in WWII.
“I mainly want to talk to him about why he decided to do this part of history, and how he did his research,” Redekop said about his role as moderator tonight.
Tonight’s event at the Fredericton Public Library is free of charge, and begins at 7 p.m. Both featured books will be on hand to purchase thanks to Westminster Books, and the “Winter Tales” series ends on Jan. 25, with the theme of art and feminism.
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