book reviews & author interviews

As a book columnist and freelancer, I've had the good fortune to enjoy many conversations, in person and in pages, with a wide range of Canadian writers and thinkers, from the well-known to the up-and-coming, the literary to the academic.

Below is a selection from my 106 (so far) book reviews & author interviews over the last 18 years.

You can view my full book review list here.

Literary Review of Canada

As a regular contributor, my reviews bring attention to non-fiction works exploring social issues like Canada's prison system, homelessness, surveillance, and our relationship to natural resources.

“Sentenced at Birth: On forced mother-child separation.” Review of Prison Born: Incarceration and Motherhood in the Colonial Shadow by Robin F. Hansen, November 2024.
“Private Eyes: Who is watching the watchmen?” Review of Changing of the Guards: Private Influences, Privatization, and Criminal Justice in Canada edited by Alex Luscombe, Kevin Walby, and Derek Silva, June 2023.
“Crisis Mismanagement: Homelessness in our largest city.” Review of Displacement City: Fighting for Health and Homes in a Pandemic edited by Greg Cook and Cathy Crowe, April 2023.
“Sentence Structure: Views from the inside.” Review of The Life Sentences of Rik McWhinney by Rik McWhinney, edited by Jason Demers, October 2022.
"With the Grain: Dead trees outlast the lives of men.” Review of The Longbow, the Schooner, and the Violin: Wood and Human Achievement by Marq de Villiers, July/August 2022.

Focus & Focus on Victoria

From 2010-2018, I wrote the monthly "Coastlines" column for Victoria's Focus magazine, then continued as an occasional contributor to the online Focus on Victoria. These reviews and interviews centre mostly on Victoria, BC, and Gulf-Islands writers, covering fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.

Some examples:

“Robert Bringhurst's The Ridge helps us submerge ourselves in what the forest knows.” Review and interview on The Ridge by Robert Bringhurst. Focus on Victoria, August 25, 2023.
“In Search of Poetry, History, and Home.” Review and interview on Afterlight: In Search of Poetry, History, and Home by Isa Milman. Focus on Victoria, February 11, 2022.
“Following the Good River: The Life and Times of Wa'xaid, by Briony Penn with Cecil Paul.” Review and interview on Following the Good River: The Life and Times of Wa'xaid by Briony Penn. Focus on Victoria (online), July 6, 2021.
"Recently nominated for the Governor General’s Literary Award, Darrel McLeod’s memoir will break hearts in the best possible way.” Review and interview on Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age by Darrel McLeod. Focus, November/December 2018.
“Windows into the weird and wonderful.” Review and interview on Quarrels by Eve Joseph. Focus, July/August 2018.
“Whale in the Door: Author Pauline Le Bel’s personal journey of losses, learning, and hope for Howe Sound.” Review and interview on Whale in the Door: A Community Unites to Protect BC's Howe Sound by Pauline Le Bel. Focus, January/February 2018.
“In his new book, award-winning writer Tim Lilburn begins the process of ‘personal decolonization’.” Review and interview on The Larger Conversation: Contemplation and Place by Tim Lilburn. Focus, November/December 2017.
“Navigating belonging.” Review and interview on The Heaviness of Things That Float by Jennifer Manuel. Focus, November/December 2016.
“Water, trust and truth.” Review and interview on Slick Water: Fracking and One Insider's Stand Against the World's Most Powerful Industry by Andrew Nikiforuk. Focus, May/June 2016.
“On origins and endings.” Review and interview on He Leaves His Face in the Funeral Car by Arleen Paré. Focus, November 2015.
“Knitting stories: In her most recent book, Sylvia Olsen tells stories of knitting relationships as well as wool.” Review and interview on Knitting Stories by Sylvia Olsen. Focus, February 2015.
“Ancient pathways, ancestral knowledge: Nancy Turner's monumental new work explores humanity's multi-faceted relationship to plants.” Review and interview on Ancient Pathways, Ancestral Knowledge: Ethnobotany and Ecological Wisdom of Indigenous Peoples of Northwestern North America by Nancy Turner. Focus, June 2014.
“Reflections on the inside.” Review of A Crowbar in the Buddhist Garden by Stephen Reid. Focus, December 2013.
“Our nation's collective memory.” Review and interview on Ted Grant: Sixty Years of Legendary Photojournalism by Thelma Fayle. Focus, November 2013.
“An Indigenous approach to global crisis.” Review and interview on Tsawalk: An Indigenous Approach to Global Crisis by Umeek/E. Richard Atleo. Focus, October 2012.
“Worlds beautiful and dangerous.” Review and interview on Floating Like the Dead by Yasuko Thanh. Focus, April 2012.
“Strong words: First Nations writer Janet Rogers doesn't mean to be confrontational—just honest.” Review and interview on Unearthed by Janet Marie Rogers. Focus, November 2011.
“Travelling with a purpose.” Review and interview on Drink the Bitter Root: A Writer's Search for Justice and Redemption in Africa by Gary Geddes. Focus, September 2011.
“No endings at all.” Review and interview on The Master of Happy Endings by Jack Hodgins. Focus, June 2011.
“Brian Brett’s poetic, non-romanticized view of nature and farm life.” Review and interview on Trauma Farm by Brian Brett. Focus, January 2010.

The British Columbia Review, The Malahat Review, & others

As a freelancer, I've contributed book reviews to a variety of Canadian publications across the country.

“Much grows in shadow.” Review of This Unlikely Soil by Andrea Routley. The British Columbia Review (online), March 11, 2023.
Review of You Are Not Needed Now by Annette Lapointe. The Malahat Review, Summer 2018.
Review of The Measure of Paris by Stephen Scobie. The Malahat Review, April 2011.
Review of Duet for Wings and Earth by Barbara Colebrook Peace. The Malahat Review, June 2009.
Review of The Sweet Fuels by Erin Knight. The Malahat Review, June 2008.
Review of Yellowknife by Steve Zipp. The Danforth Review (online) February 2008.
Review of We Are Not in Pakistan by Shauna Singh Baldwin. Quill & Quire, October 2007.