The last time we talked to tonight’s guest, he was getting ready for an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the death of C.S. Lewis. John Franklin is the director of Imago (http://imago-arts.org/) which, since 1972 has actively promoted and advocated for the arts in Canada. One of the ways Imago has done this is through regular series of arts showcases, with a showcase slated for Wednesday, June 18.
Every year for the past 25 years or so, tonight’s guest has written a new song for the Christmas Eve service at Coquitlam, B.C.’s Blue Mountain Baptist Church. About a decade ago Carolyn Arends (http://carolynarends.com/) took to the recording studio to put songs to tape and produced her first, and, to date, her only Christmas CD called Christmas: An Irrational Season. With a few more songs in her repertoire, Carolyn after some urging from her fans that it was time to record another Christmas offering.
Tonight’s guest spent 16 years in Pakistan as a missionary, pastored a church in Toronto for nine years and, since 1991, has published nine books. Eric Wright’s (http://countrywindow.ca/) latest book, a novel titled Riptide, introduces us to Ashlyn Forsyth who, in the space of days, is abandoned by her husband, is kidnapped by the Russian Mafia and falls in love with a Georgia shrimp boat captain.
Once by Fire’s lead singer has been compared to Melissa Etheridge, Joan Osborne, Amanda Marshall and, in my opinion, the early vocal stylings of Wendy Kaiser from Rez Band. But Robin Kitchen says “I don’t often hear women with voices like mine, in the style I like. I think that makes us unique.” From her home in southwestern edge of Alberta Robin talks about Once by Fire and the band’s new CD Goodbye Scarlet.
The third annual Write Vancouver took place May 23 & 24 and gave West Coast writers a chance to learn more about their craft and the industry. One of the highlights was a Friday night literary soiree which will honour J. I. Packer, author of the classic apologetic Knowing God and “one of Canada’s living treasures.” We talk to author Bev Boissery (http://beverleyboissery.com/) who is also The Word Guild’s regional director and director of Write Vancouver.
