Because she is apparently too modest to post about it herself, thought I should let you all know that Shameless blogger and publisher Stacey May Fowles has had her novel Be Good longlisted for a ReLit independent press literary award!

Way to go, Stacey May! You can’t see it, but I’m doing the Arsenio Hall arm-thing right now and going WHOO WHOO WHOO!

“All these gung-ho third-wave feminists gladden the heart of an old second-waver like moi. That’s because, rather than run from the f-word while benefiting from the hard-won battles for equal rights, these women embrace it.”

-Antonia Zerbisias on Jessica Valenti, The Miss G Project for Equity in Education, Shameless magazine, and, well, you, in today’s Toronto Star.

Don’t forget to check out Jessica Valenti and the rest of the F-word panel tonight at Camera Gallery at 7:00!

The Scream Literary Festival is coming up again, and there are a few events that we at Shameless are particularly excited about.

First of all, Julie Wilson, who runs the delightful Seen Reading blog is going to be running a writing workshop for teens called Seen Writing. The workshop, which is free, will be followed by readings by young poets Rupi Natt and Aaryn Zhou. Check out the event on Saturday, July 5th at 4:30 at the Tinto Cafe, 89 Roncesvalles Ave.

On July 11, the Toronto Women’s Bookstore is going to be hosting poets Camille Martin, Harmony Rice and Monica Rosas.

Camille Martin, a poet and collage artist, works with both found and original materials; Harmony Rice is a reporter for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, publisher of SPIRIT Magazine and a burlesque dancer; Monica Rosas is an educator/agitator/artist whose work aims to challenge and provoke discussion on gender, the environment and the visible minority experience. Readings will touch on issues of language, authorship and power, space and place, land and its ownership, the body, and belonging.

And last but not least, on July 14, the Scream in High Park mainstage event has a terrific lineup this year including Dani Couture, rap-storytelling-poet Motion and Skim author Mariko Tamaki. Sigh.

Find out more about the Scream Literary Festival on the website.

Hat tip to Quill & Quire for this one.

According to Glenn Beck, time travel, Nazis, and spies are everything a boy is supposed to like:

Glenn Beck, a conservative political commentator who appears regularly on CNN Headline News, recently welcomed U.S. children’s book author Ted Bell to his show, in order to sing the praises of Bell’s new adventure title, Nick of Time. However, it seems clear from the lack of interest Beck shows in Bell that the whole point of the interview is simply to expound on the need for more manly books for boys. (emphasis mine)

I was annoyed with this interview within the first thirty seconds. It’s really just a thinly veiled diatribe on how he believes books for boys are too femininized now, and that he’s sick of seeing the girls save the day. I spat up my drink when Glenn Beck said this:

When was the last time the heroine did not save the brother, but the brother stood up and saved the girl? It doesn’t happen anymore.

The whole thing reeks of a need to return to outdated stereotypes simply because of Beck’s discomfort with progressive values. He calls for a return to a time where “the boy is the boy.” Gag.

I’ve been remiss in not posting this sooner, but tomorrow night is the relaunch of Piece of my Heart: A Lesbian of Colour Anthology. Thanks to contributor Dianah Smith for the heads up on this great event!

This is an official Pride Toronto event.

Matters of the Heart: A celebration and relaunch of Piece of My Heart - A Lesbian of Colour Anthology

Thursday, 19 June 2008 (7 p.m.)
The Revival Bar
783 College Street West
Toronto ON

Piece of My Heart was edited by Makeda Silvera and published by Sister Vision Press in 1991. It was the first North American anthology of literature by lesbians of colour and was a finalist for the the American Library Association, Gay and Lesbian Book Award.(more inside…)

Shameless Magazine would like to congratulate contributor and awesome author Zoe Whittall on not only being longlisted for the ReLit award this week, but also being announced as the recipient of the second annual Dayne Ogilvie Grant! (The grant is given annually to an emerging gay writer from Canada.)

Whittall’s first novel, Bottle Rocket Hearts, was published to rave reviews. It was chosen as a Globe and Mail Notable Book of 2007 and Whittall was named NOW Magazine’s Emerging Author of 2007. In commenting on the book, one of the jurors stated, “Whittall’s writing is smart, edgy, and clear-eyed. She paints a scene beautifully, slows it down to its essence, and yet keeps the novel’s momentum moving forward. Definitely a writer to watch!”

You can catch Whittall at this year’s Proud Voices Reading Series on June 28.

Congratulations Zoe!

I’ve long been a big fan of the Little Sister’s Bookstore in Vancouver. It’s actually where my love of Feminist literature continued and my love of Queer literature really developed, where I discovered great writers like Anna Camilleri and Ivan E. Coyote, and where most of my (few) dollars were spent when I was broke and fresh out of university.

The Globe and Mail has posted an interview with Jim Deva, who opened the store with his partner, Bruce Smyth in 1983. The two have been involved in a 22-year court battle over “the importation of books that customs officials deemed offensive.” As a result, the pair have become heroes of the gay rights and anti-censorship movements.

Deva has some interesting things to say about starting the business:

I was raised on a farm in rural Alberta. My father was very, very right wing. I told him I wanted to open a bookstore. I didn’t give any more specifics. He gave me a small amount of money, which I paid back. But he had no idea that he was financing the first gay bookstore in Western Canada. About three years later, he came to town and he had a conniption. I got disinherited, couldn’t go back to my family. But my father eventually died, and now I do go home and it’s very nice.

Deva and Smyth are selling the business for personal reasons. The Globe and Mail adds: “…the store is now for sale, to the right buyer—someone who will continue the war and keep key staff.”

Via Quill Blog.

“Little Sister’s is a legend in its own time. What fight, what soul, what courage and principled defiance in the face of individual and state thuggery. They stood up for the civil rights of all Canadians—including those who would never have dreamed of crossing their threshold.”
—Ann-Marie MacDonald, author

Shameless Magazine is proud to be a part of the launch for Branding Miss G__: Third Wave Feminists & The Media by Michelle Miller

Thursday, June 5, 2008 - 6:30pm
Branding Miss G__: Third Wave Feminists & The Media by Michelle Miller
Free Times Cafe
320 College Street
Toronto, ON

The launch will feature musical guests, a panel discussion with representatives from Shameless Magazine & refreshments.

Michelle Miller earned her Master of Education from the University of Western Ontario and is currently a graduate student at the University of British Columbia where she is working on a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. She has been a member of the Miss G__ project since 2004.

More about this fantastic book after the jump.
(more inside…)

First Person Queer, edited by Richard Labonte and Lawrence Schimel (and yes, the shameless part, featuring an essay by me) won a prestigious Lambda Literary Award for best LGBT anthology last night at the 20th annual awards in West Hollywood.

I wanted to take a moment to congratulate and thank all of the truly amazing contributors to the anthology, and of course Richard and Lawrence for all their amazing work and dedication. Also, many congrats to the fantastic (Canadian!) press Arsenal Pulp that put out this book, and for continuing to support queer and independent culture through publishing.

More about the (award-winning!) book after the jump.
(more inside…)