It’s been a while in the making, but here finally is a brief video introduction to Sketches of Saskatoon.
Please share the link with those who might be interested. Many thanks, Patricia
It’s been a while in the making, but here finally is a brief video introduction to Sketches of Saskatoon.
Please share the link with those who might be interested. Many thanks, Patricia
Parkland Regional Library just ordered a bundle of Sketches of Saskatoon.
They’re placing one copy in each of the 54 libraries in their region.
A big thanks and shout-out to Patti in Acquisitions and Cataloguing at PRL for the support and interest.
Maybe SOS will inspire a few Parkland artists to capture their part of the world in art and text.
What a treat it was to spend a couple of hours with Ned Powers chatting about my latest publication, Sketches of Saskatoon. Our conversation took us on a winding journey through many experiences from my varied career to date.
Ned is a Saskatoon journalistic icon – and a real fine fellow – who has spent much of his professional life shining the spotlight on the comings, goings, and doings of so many who live in and travel through our community.
I’m always amazed to see how an interview that covers so much territory comes together so well.
Not only did Ned put together a great article, he even went above and beyond to kindly deliver a handful of copies of the edition in which it was featured to my doorstop.
Thanks, also, to Cam Hutchinson at the Express for connecting me with Ned for the interview, and for including images from the book in the article. I must say, it was quite a surprise to find my smiling face on the front page!
If you’d like to read the complete article this link will take you to the Saskatoon Express edition (Vol 11, Issue 9, Week of March 10, 2014) in which it appears.
You’ll find the story on pages one and four.
What a wonderful surprise to receive a letter in the mail from Jackie W. in British Columbia. She was thrilled to receive a copy of Sketches of Saskatoon as a gift from her daughter.
It’s so rewarding to hear how much this collection of sketches means to people both near and far. Here are a few excerpts from her letter:
Your heartfelt tribute to this charming city is so appreciated. Your sketches are very well done and beautifully presented with your personal comments. Thank you for conceiving such a wonderful idea.
I also consider Saskatoon to be my hometown. Ever since I was a little girl (and I am now in my eighties) Saskatoon has remained a focal part of my life. I lived there for many years and now visit on occasion.
Along with my father, a WWI veteran, I remember attending memorial services at the cenotaph when it long ago graced the center of 21st Street. I have listened to concerts at the Vimy Memorial band shell, and more recently I have walked the Meewasin Trail. I also had a memorable experience on the Prairie Lily Riverboat on the South Saskatchewan River, where the Bess is a focal point of interest.
I have lived here in BC for more than twenty years. Yet my heart belongs to Saskatoon. I am so grateful for your insight in producing this treasure. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I’d love to hear what Sketches of Saskatoon has meant to you. Drop me a line with your comments any time.
It took Sketches of Saskatoon only six weeks in circulation to claim a spot on McNally Robinson Bookseller’s 2013 Top Ten Non Fiction Best Seller List for Saskatoon – not just for the week of release or for the month of December (which it did), but for the entire year! How’s that for the ‘Little Book That Could’?
Here are a few of the comments I’m receiving from fans describing their reactions to SOS:
Thanks to all of you who have made this success possible, by buying and sharing your copies of this little gem. I’m delighted in your interest, and grateful for your support!
And, if you haven’t picked up your copies yet, what are you waiting for. This link will take you to the SOS website where you will find online order info and a list of shops that will be more than happy to get them into your hands.
Thanks to Jenn Sharp, Associate Editor for the Star Phoenix Bridges insert, for arranging for journalist Angelina Irinici to interview me about the new Sketches of Saskatoon book. The feature was presented in the December 18/13 edition as part of the My Favorite Place column.
Angelina and photographer, Michelle Berg, arrived for the interview on one of our very cold wintry days. They were great sports as I took them trudging through the snow to one of my favorite spots in Saskatoon – ‘my’ rock along the South Saskatchewan River just off the Meewasin Valley Trail.
Michelle took the photos in pretty short order, and then we retreated indoors for our conversation.
The MVA trail is one of the featured images in the book, and of course most of the sights and scenes in SOS are situated within a block or two of the river.
Here’s the full feature. If you have any trouble reading the format posted below, this link will take you to a full pdf version of the article.
Every night at McNally Robinson Booksellers is a good night. This one was doubly good for me, as I launched Sketches of Saskatoon with a Reading and Signing event on December 2nd.
About 30 fine folks turned out for the celebration. They were very excited to see the book for themselves; and many of them took away multiple copies as gifts for friends and family.
I had a great time filling people in on the inspiration for the book, sharing how the images were created, describing what it took to put the pages together, and much much more.
The fine folks over at Grower Direct Florists (Kim, Quinn and the team) sent along a surprise bouquet of flowers to brighten up the night.
And, Marcy, the Special Events coordinator at McNally did her usual excellent job of set up and hosting.
Here are a few more pics from the evening for you to enjoy.
Thanks so much to Jay Allen, Program Director at CFCR FM Radio for lining up an interview on their community news program, The Buzz. It was fun chatting with Aaron on the afternoon of December 12th.
Aaron noted you would expect to see The Bess and the bridges featured in the book, and so they are. And, he expressed surprise to find a number of ‘off the beaten path’ images and locations. Has favorite? Winston’s Pub.
Thanks, also to Vanese at Saskatoon Media Group, for today’s interview which will air on Tuesday’s lunch hour feature program at CJWW (either December 17th or 24th).
Although Vanese says she’s not a huge art aficionado, she loves the color in Sketches of Saskatoon and it made her happy just flipping through the pages of the book. That’s exactly the reaction I hope for. It made me happy creating these images; I hope it makes you happy looking at them and sharing them with others.
What fun it was to talk about Sketches of Saskatoon with Jessica Kent on today’s Global TV Morning Show.
Jessica hails from Edmonton, but she’s learned to appreciate the charms of Saskatoon. She pointed out the painting of the Meewasin Skating Rink and shared that had been the site of her first assignment on her arrival as a reporter here in Saskatoon. It’s fun seeing what memories are evoked for people by the images in the book.
Thanks to producer, Melody Flahr, for setting up the interview. She and the crew at Global were having a challenging morning technology wise, but never lost their cool. Pros in action!
It’s been great fun for me to hear the original uses people are finding for their copies of Sketches of Saskatoon.
One creative Grandmom is gifting her grandson with a copy of SOS and turning it into a Scavenger Hunt challenge. Her plan is that over the next year the two of them will go on a series of adventures to visit all of the places in the book. What fun! I can hear the Saturday morning conversation right now: “Heh, Gran, let’s find page 23 today!”
Another individual took SOS to a dinner party as a hostess gift – in lieu of the more traditional bottle of wine. She reports the hosts were thrilled, and that the gift prompted quite a bit of conversation throughout the evening.
Of course there are many other uses as well. Think about a few of these:
If you have a novel use for Sketches of Saskatoon, let me know so I can add to the list of suggestions and share your inspiration with others.