Saturday, 12 January 2013

Interviews available with Deborah Coyne about her e-book memoir

"Unscripted"  - Candid ebook by federal Liberal Leadership candidate Deborah Coyne
 

For Immediate Release
January 12, 2013

Toronto -- In her memoir released today, Liberal Party of Canada leadership candidate Deborah Coyne says the ability of Canadians to work together as a nation is seriously frayed.  She urges Canadians to get off sidelines of national politics and fully embrace what we can do with our ideas, talents, and drive.
Unscripted: A Life Devoted to Building a Better Canada weaves Coyne's life-long dedication to seeking bold directions for Canada with her personal path, including her 15-year relationship with the late former Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau.
"As my relationship with Pierre developed through 1986, we began spending more time together, mainly weekends at the chalet when the boys were with Margaret in Ottawa. He made it clear from the beginning that the boys were his first priority and that remarriage was out of the question, although he also said that he regretted he wasn’t 20 years younger because there might have been a different outcome. Ever the rational man, he was more realistic than I was about our age difference."
Coyne takes her readers on a thoughtful journey through her life, and her personal role in some of the landmarks of Canadian political history, including the fights against the Meech Lake and Charlottetown constitutional accords.
"Like many Canadians, I have lost confidence in the fundamentals of our democratic system, along with the idea of an honest and efficient federal government. I’m frustrated with endless reports of wasted money and ineffective programs. I resent years of federal leaders creating short-term opportunities for consumption instead of long-term opportunities for education and employment, leaving us spectacularly unprepared for an age of restraint and environmental devastation. Sadly, especially for many young people, it’s much easier to give up on national politics altogether and settle for mediocrity and low expectations."
Frankly outlining how her life experience has led to her seeking the Liberal leadership,  Coyne calls for voters to "get back in the game” with her call for "One Canada For All Canadians", saying it's important not to leave the future of Canada only to political actors in Ottawa.  She argues that we urgently need coherent national leadership that governs for the long-term, not just the next election.
"We all need to come together, forum by forum, riding by riding, to fight for nothing less than the soul of our nation. That’s why I’ve always thought that our leaders need to be poets, not merely pollsters. To inspire people to give as much of themselves as they ask of their governments. "
Unscripted: A Life Devoted to Building a Better Canada can be downloaded at Kindle and Kobo bookstores for $2.99, and is available by donation at www.deborahcoyne.ca/donate.

Media Contact:
Stephen Weir
Stephen Weir and Associates
416-489-5868 celll 416 801-3101

Saturday, 29 December 2012

2013 Literary Prize Season Begins on January 9 in Toronto

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Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction
2013 Shortlist Announcement In Toronto


  Wednesday, January 9th         10:00 a.m. sharp!

KING EDWARD HOTEL
Consort Bar, Main Floor, 37 King St. East, Toronto

The 2013 Literary Prize Season in Canada begins when The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction (CTP) presented by RBC Wealth Management announces its Shortlist for 2013 on January 9th.  This prestigious book award recognizes excellence in Canadian non-fiction writing and emphasizes the development of the careers of the authors it celebrates. Now in its 12th year, the CTP has been instrumental in fostering the growth of non-fiction in Canada.

Who will be there:   
Host: Noreen Taylor, Founder and Chair, The Charles Taylor Prize Foundation
2013 Jurors: Suzanne Boyce, Richard Gwyn, and Joseph Kertes
Vijay Parmar, Vice President, RBC Wealth Management
Dr. David Staines, Prize Trustee
Canadian publishers & book editors available for comment

What's happening:              
Announcing the authors and titles that have been shortlisted for the 12th awarding of The Charles Taylor Prize -- Canada's most prestigious non-fiction award.

Where:           
King Edward Hotel, Consort Bar, Main Floor, 37 King St. East, Toronto
(Parking: East of King Edward Hotel on Leader Lane)

Why attend?
Be the first to know which books have been selected for this important Shortlist. The $25,000 Prize is awarded annually to the author whose book best demonstrates a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style and a subtlety of thought and perception. An award of $2,000 is provided for each finalist with promotional support for each shortlisted title.

The winner of the 2013 Prize will be announced on Monday, March 4th.

This year, 129 submissions competed for the Charles Taylor Prize's Longlist. Fifteen titles were announced in December.  To review the 2013-longlisted authors and their books visit: thecharlestaylorprize.ca

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Media are requested to confirm their attendance with Stephen Weir & Associates:

Stephen Weir:    416-489-5868    cell: 416-801-3101   stephen@stephenweir.com
Linda Crane:       905-257-6033    cell: 416-727-0112   cranepr@cogeco.ca



Tuesday, 18 December 2012

How Could I Leave Stumping For Weapons of Mass Destruction?

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LUNCH AT THE PILOT: 
SO'S WHO WAS THAT GUY?

So's there I was. Having a liquid lunch today at the Pilot Tavern in downtown Toronto with a curator from the McMichael Gallery.  He went to Windsor U with my wife and I. Fine Arts.  He had the choice of sculpting me (that's how I paid my way through second year - 1970) or a live pigeon. He picked the bird. Wise choice - although I have outlived the squab.
Anyways. While we were talking I watched as a man my age came into the Yorkville bar and rolled up the indoor/outdoor rug (with the Pilot logo) took it to his white van and then came back with a clean one. Looked very familiar. Bigger. Grayer. Older than the old old days.
He worked at Litton Canada - the cruise missile factory - till he was laid off 20 years ago. He knew me by name. But, mostly because of Caribana. 
I couldn't remember his name. Round face, beard with a moustache.  Married a woman from Litton. Her name is something like Zowie. Or close to that.  She hasn't worked for 2 years. Trouble with her hands. They are trying to get her on disability.
Think the guy worked in maintenance.  Never found out - he couldn't talk long. He was double parked out front on Cumberland Street. Cars were honking.
Didn't have the guts to tell him I couldn't remember his name. He was out of touch. Didn't know about Chuck. Didn't know about Karen F. Or any of the other co-workers who have died to soon.  He just wanted to find out how it had come to be that I walked away from promoting the business of building weapons to becoming the spokesman for Caribana. He and his wife watched  for me every summer on CP-24.
So who was it?  Or does it matter? 
Told him about how three friends from the "old days" still have lunch every three months at a pizza bar in Mississauga near the QEW. Don't think he is going to join us. He isn't allowed to drive west of Islington Avenue - he just works the bars downtown and now and then talks to strange men like me.

2013 Book Prize Season Begins January 9th in Toronto at the King Eddie!


 
S A V E   T H E    D A T E!

Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction
2013 Shortlist Announcement

  Wednesday, January 9th      10:00 a.m. sharp!

King Edward Hotel
Consort Bar, Main Floor, 37 King St. East, Toronto

The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction (CTP) presented by RBC Wealth Management will be announcing its Shortlist for 2013 on January 9th.  This prestigious book award recognizes excellence in Canadian non-fiction writing and emphasizes the development of the careers of the authors it celebrates. Now in its 12th awarding, the CTP has been instrumental in fostering the growth of non-fiction in Canada. Mark your planners/auto-reminders, and RSVP now.

Readers of StephenWeir.com are welcome to attend. RSVP required!

Who will be there:           
Host: Noreen Taylor, Founder and Chair, the Charles Taylor Prize Foundation
2013 Jurors:  Susanne Boyce, Richard Gwyn, Joseph Kertes
Other spokespersons: Vijay Parmar, Vice President, RBC Wealth Management, Dr. David Staines, Prize Trustee, Canadian publishers & book editors

What's happening:                        
Announcing the authors and titles that have been shortlisted for the 12th awarding of The Charles Taylor Prize -- Canada's most prestigious non-fiction award.

Where:           
The King Edward Hotel, Consort Bar, Main Floor, 37 King St. East, Toronto

Why attend?           
Be the first to know which books have been selected for this important Shortlist. The $25,000 Prize is awarded annually to the author whose book best combines a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style and a subtlety of thought and perception. An honorarium of $2,000 is given to each finalist with promotional support for each shortlisted title.

129 submissions competed for this year's CTP Longlist. Fifteen titles were announced in December.  To review the 2013 longlist visit: www.thecharlestaylorprize.ca

Note: The winner of the 2013 prize will be announced on Monday, March 4th. 

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Media are requested to confirm their attendance with Stephen Weir & Associates:

Stephen Weir:                  416-489-5868                    cell: 416-801-3101   stephen@stephenweir.com
Linda Crane:                       905-257-6033    cell: 416-727-0112   cranepr@cogeco.ca

Tuesday, 4 December 2012

The Charles Taylor Prize Announces Longlist - just in time for Christmas shopping!

Sixteen Canadian Authors Who Have Written Fifteen Non-Fiction Books
Are Named to the 2013 Taylor Prize Longlist
Noreen Taylor, founder of The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction, is pleased to announce that for the second year in a row, gift buyers have a shopping list of books to buy for Christmas, and a window on the titles still in the running to be shortlisted by prize jurors Susanne Boyce, TV broadcast chief, Richard Gwyn, award-winning author and political columnist, and Joseph Kertes, educator and award-winning author. 
Mrs. Taylor commented, “Last year the prize announced its first ever longlist and found that sharing the jury’s selections to be so valuable to authors and publishers, that we have decided to do it again. Announcing the longlist at the height of the Christmas shopping season will help discriminating book buyers find the right gift for any number of people on their list. There’s nothing like a great read over the Christmas break."
The jury has selected their fifteen-book longlist from 129 titles written by Canadians, published between October 22, 2011 and October 21, 2012, and submitted to The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction by 43 publishers from across North America.
The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation are pleased to announce the 2013 Taylor Prize longlist:
1.            The Pursuit of Perfection: A Life of Celia Franca by Carol Bishop-Gwyn (Toronto), published by Cormorant Books
2.            Warlords: Borden, Mackenzie King, and Canada’s World Wars by Tim Cook  (Ottawa), published by Allen Lane
3.            Walls: Travels Along the Barricades by Marcello Di Cintio (Calgary), published by Goose Lane Editions
4.            Journey with No Maps: A Life of P.K. Page by Sandra Djwa (Vancouver), published by McGill-Queen’s University Press
5.            Solar Dance: Genius, Forgery, and the Crisis of Truth in the Modern Age by Modris Eksteins (Toronto), published by Alfred A. Knopf Canada
6.            A Season in Hell: My 130 Days in the Sahara With Al Qaeda by Robert Fowler (Ottawa), published by HarperCollins Publishers
7.            Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else by Chrystia Freeland (New York City), published by Doubleday Canada
8.            March Forth: The Inspiring True Story of a Canadian Soldier’s Journey of Love,  Hope and Survival by Trevor and Debbie Greene (Nanaimo), published by HarperCollins Publishers
9.            Leonardo and The Last Supper by Ross King (Oxford), published by Bond Street Books
10.            Working the Dead Beat: 50 Lives That Changed Canada by Sandra Martin (Toronto), published by House of Anansi Press
11.            Sword of the Spirit, Shield of Faith: Religion in American War and Diplomacy by Andrew Preston (Cambridge), published by Alfred A. Knopf Canada
12.            What We Talk About When We Talk About War by Noah Richler (Toronto), published by Goose Lane Editions
13.            Chronic Condition: Why Canada’s Health-Care System Needs to be Dragged Into the 21st Century by Jeffrey Simpson (Ottawa), published by Allen Lane
14.            Epistolophilia: Writing the Life of Ona Å imaithe by Julija Å ukys (Montreal), published by University of Nebraska Press
15.            The Universe Within: From Quantum to Cosmos by Neil Turok (Waterloo), published by House of Anansi Press
About The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction
The Charles Taylor Prize commemorates Charles Taylor’s pursuit of excellence in the field of literary non-fiction. The prize will be awarded to the author whose book best combines a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style, and a subtlety of thought and perception. The prize consists of $25,000 for the winner and $2,000 for each of the remaining finalists, as well as promotional support to help all of the nominated books to stand out in the media, bookstores, and libraries. The authors whose books go on to be shortlisted for the 2013 prize will be brought to Toronto for publicity opportunities and the awards ceremony.
The shortlist will be revealed at a press conference on Wednesday, January 9th and the winner will be named at a gala luncheon and awards ceremony at the King Edward hotel in downtown Toronto on Monday, March 4, 2013.
Established in 1998, The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction is Canada's most prestigious award for literary non-fiction. The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation are Michael Bradley (Toronto), Judith Mappin (Montreal), David Staines (Ottawa), and Noreen Taylor (Toronto).
The Charles Taylor Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of its partners. The presenting sponsor of The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction is RBC Wealth Management; its Major Sponsor is Metropia; its exclusive newspaper sponsor is The Globe and Mail; its media sponsors are CBC Books; Canada Newswire (CNW) Group; The Huffington Post Canada, Maclean’s magazine, and Quill & Quire magazine; its in-kind sponsors are Authors at Harbourfront Centre, Ben McNally Books, Event Source, Indigo Books and Music, The King Edward hotel, and Kobo Inc.
For more information please visit: www.thecharlestaylorprize.ca and follow us at www.twitter.com/taylorprize
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Media contact: Stephen Weir & Associates
Stephen Weir: Direct: 416.489.5868 | Cell: 416-801-3101 | stephen@stephenweir.com
Linda Crane: Direct: 905-257-6033 | Cell: 416-727-0112 | cranepr@cogeco.ca
To download high resolution images of the jury, visit:
To download high resolution images of the longlist books, visit:

Sunday, 2 December 2012

PR pointers - Sex doesn't always sell

 On Flickr, people vote with their eyes.  God. Shipwrecks or a Bikini Queen. The eyes have it, and, numbers don't lie!


Pop Quiz - How Well Do You Know People's Tastes?

I have stitched three pictures from my flickr account into one low rez image at the top of this blog post.
In the upper most box is a picture I took underwater in Florida - Christ in the Abyss. It is a picture of a famous statue that is underwater in a Florida Keys party. Bottom left is photographer Dave Tollington's picture of the Titanic Museum in the Smokey Mountains.  Bottom right is my photograph of  SERENA DI MILLO.  I took the picture seconds after she won the 2011 Miss Chin Bikini International Contest here in Toronto at the annual CHIN Picnic.

Which picture do you think has received the most hits???

Drum Roll.

Answer: Never underestimate the drawing power of the Titanic! Close to 3,000 people have looked at that picture. 500 more hits than Christ in the Abyss and 2,500 more hits than Serena!

Thursday, 29 November 2012

Postive PR for dearily departed Master Painters

 Euro Interest In Group of Seven Spur Canadians To Leave Love Letters To Famed Dead Artists In Kleinburg Cemetery

Lawren and Bess Harris headstone. Flowers and note from a fan!
From a Huffington Post Blog by Stephen Weir:
 http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/stephen-weir/group-of-seven-graveyard_b_2208610.html

There are signs that the Group of Seven is finally hip with the Canadian people, even those who don't go to art galleries.
I was out at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection with a video crew last week. The McMichael has a hot show called Painting In Canada: Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven. It is a show that blew off the doors at galleries in the UK and Europe over the past year. It has the best Group paintings from private collectors, the National Gallery in Ottawa, the Art Gallery of Ontario and the McMichael. This is the final (and only Canadian) stop for the touring show.
The show is experiencing record attendance in the public gallery located in Kleinburg, Ontario  - even though many of the paintings have hung in the log cabin gallery for decades.  The art-gallery-going public is rediscovering what has been in front of them all the time.  It took a London, England art gallery, the Dulwich,  and its curator Ian Desjardin, to bring the Group and Tom Thomson across the pond for an almost year-long tour.  This blockbuster exhibition has managed to rekindle interest in early 20th century Canadian landscape paintings.
At the end of last week's gallery taping I took the TV crew to see the Group of Seven cemetery. It is a quiet thoughtful park that is not often seen by visitors even though you have to drive past it to get into the gallery's parking lot. But, now with visitors wanting to see everything Group related, people are taking the time to stroll out onto the wooded grounds and see the graves. Some have attempted to interact with the dead.
We got there and I found that someone had taken the time to write fan letters to the long dead artists and placed them in front of their rough-rock headstones (the stones were cut from the Canadian Shield when the Trans Canada highway was being blasted through Northern Ontario). Bouquets of wild flowers and even a small stuffed bear pin have been left as well.
Frederick Varley's gravestone.
 The graveyard, by government statute,  is only for the artists who were in the Group of Seven, their wives and for gallery founders Robert and Signe McMichael. Tom Thomson is not there; his death predated the formation of the Group (he died in 1917 and is twice buried elsewhere).
In all there were 10 members of the Group of Seven. All but one of the artists were married. Lawren Harris was married twice. Of the ten artists who were members of the Group of Seven, six – Arthur Lismer http://www.stephenweir.com/gallery1/index.php/lismer-note-and-flowers, Frederick Varley http://www.stephenweir.com/gallery1/index.php/fred-varley-and-letter-798534596, Lawren Harris http://www.stephenweir.com/gallery1/index.php/IMG_0157, Frank Johnston, A.J. Casson and A.Y. Jackson – are buried in a small cemetery on the McMichael grounds, along with  Robert and Signe. Esther Lismer, Florence Johnston and Margaret Casson are buried there with their husbands. Harris is buried with his second wife Bess. Jackson never married and Varley's wife is buried elsewhere. I only attended two of the funerals (I am not that old!).
In fact I have been at the McMike on a part-time basis, on and off for the past 15-years.  I have spent hours over the years sitting in the cemetery - best place for cell phone reception.  I have never seen flowers, badges or letters left at the grave sites before. I was really curious, but no I didn't open the envelopes.  I do know that so far the artists have not responded to their first mail call since their burials back in the 20th century.

More information:  Last month my associate, art videographer George Socka interviewed Dulwich curator, Ian Desjardin and asked him why the Group of Seven has suddenly been embraced by art lovers in England, Europe and yes back here in Canada. This video, unique to Huffington Post is at:http://youtu.be/F-uCu98wOik
McMaster University professor James King just released a long overdue biography about Group of Seven artist Lawren Harris.  Socka has also filed a YouTube video story about James King lecturing about Lawren Harris and Tom Thomson. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqExkWGzfBI&feature=relmfu
Inward Journey: The Life of Lawren Harris is available at bookstores and on line at: http://www.amazon.ca/Inward-Journey-Life-Lawren-Harris/dp/177102206X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354119155&sr=1-1
Letter in front of Arthur Lismer's grave
Flowers, a child's bear pin and letter