art

A Two Launch Evening

Celebrating the arrival of a new book is always a happy affair. When you are working on a book inside a publishing house you spend a great deal of time crafting the message, getting the look right and preparing the book for the market. For a publisher, or anyone working on that book, the book already has a rich life by the time we hold it in our hands.

Last night we celebrated Art and Politics: the History of the National Arts Centre by Sarah Jennings. This book is vitally important because we have a very short history memory in Canada. The NAC celebrates it’s 40th year this Tuesday, June 2nd. Much of that early history would have been lost except for Sarah’s diligence in recording , taping and talking to the founders.  Art and Politics came to life last night when many of the key supporters, the people that Sarah wrote about, came to celebrate. The very people that have devoted their lives to keeping the performing arts alive in Canada.

 

 

 

 

A truly distinguished gathering. However the impact on everyone associated with the book was best exemplified by Gillian Watts from Word Watch who prepared the index for the book who said it was thrilling to watch the index come alive.

We also celebrated Trails and Tribulations: Confessions of a Wilderness Pathfinder by Hap Wilson. Hap is a legendary guide in Temagami who now works out of Lake Rosseau. This was a different audience to the Art and Politics launch but similar in their passion and commitment to what they believe in.  This launch was held at MEC where we were all surrounded by the trappings of Hap’s profession. Hap told us of the joys and troubles of guiding and what he as learned over the years. The book and the event included his art work and those of  his partner Ingrid who also illustrated the book. From fighting off moose, handling crazy paddlers and dealing with GPS reliant customers Hap has done it all.

© 2009 Defining Canada.