Books - tessaperkins.ca

Scott Feschuk wonders, where are all the flying cars?

Feschuk’s book, The Future and Why We Should Avoid It, is a comical take on what’s in store for us.

By: Tessa Perkins

First published in The Peak.

I dare you to read The Future and Why We Should Avoid It in public. If you do, prepare to stifle spontaneous giggles, smirks, and bursts of laughter as you try not to draw attention to yourself. Covering topics such as technology, health, leisure, travel, politics, aging, and death, Feschuk has compiled his thoughts into a witty analysis of what is to come based on the current innovations in these fields. He wonders why, when he was promised jetpacks and flying cars as a boy, we instead have things like the Roomba and Wi-Fi enabled fridges.

The new era of Shopping for Votes

Susan Delacourt explains how politicians choose us and we choose them.

By: Tessa Perkins

First published in The Peak.

Are you a Tim Hortons voter or a Starbucks voter? Are you a Dougie, or a Jane, or a Zoe? Whether you have the answer or not, the nation’s major political parties are hard at work trying to place you into one of their micro-targeted categories of the voting market. Susan Delacourt is a senior political writer at the Toronto Star, and in Shopping for Votes she outlines the way marketing and consumerism has pervaded Canada’s political landscape.

Interview with authors Daniela Elza and Shelly Hrdlitschka

These accomplished SFU alumni talk about their career paths and influences.

By: Tessa Perkins

First published in The Peak May 2009.

Daniela Elza is both a poet and a PhD student at SFU who studies the Philosophy of Education. Shelley Hrdlitschka is a young-adult novelist who completed her teaching certificate at SFUs Professional Development Program. Both were cohorts in B.C. Book and Magazine Weeks Main Street Literary Tour on April 23. This tour highlighted some of Vancouvers most prominent artists and allowed participants to explore the city's unique literary culture. I had the chance to speak with them about their university studies and writing.

Rafe Mair - What the Bleep is Going on Here?

By: Tessa Perkins

First published in The Peak June 2008.

Rafe Mair has been described as an environmental crusader who thrives on controversy, but he is also by trade a lawyer, politician, radio personality, and journalist. Mair, who is now 75 and living in Lions Bay, was an avid fisherman in his day, which fostered his passion for saving B.C.s rivers and the fish that call them home. As a city council member in Kamloops, Mair had his first taste of politics that grew into a desire to be part of the provincial government and replace the NDP. Once he became disillusioned with politics, an offer to host a daily talk show on CKNW radio came out of the blue; Rafe decided to take that opportunity.

Hacksaw Literary 'zine emerges at SFU

By: Tessa Perkins

First published in The Peak September 2008.

A new literary arts zine headed by SFU student editors, Hacksaw, has emerged to crudely break things apart so the architect can put the pieces together as something new and wonderful. At least that explains the magazines title and its messy cut-and-paste, DIY look. A look at the back cover will inform you that Hacksaw was indeed printed and assembled by hand. This first issue is said to blend contemporary youth cultures with civilizations long past while both creating and deconstructing our world through arts and the written word. The zine features experimental and innovative prose, poetry, and art all in one unique, eye-catching package.

Once is a purely enjoyable read

By: Tessa Perkins

First published in The Peak November 2008.

Simply put, this collection of short stories is pure pleasure. The characters and their situations are so real that by the end of each story youll feel like you know everything about their life. Rebecca Rosenblum has managed to capture the essence of everyday life through the lens of various unique and well-defined characters. From the girl who can barely understand English working in a Vietnamese restaurant to the boy who lives in a burnt-out shack, these lives resonate off the page with stunning authenticity. All the relationships portrayed in these 16 stories are confusing, heart-wrenching, or tragic, and all of them cause the reader to empathize greatly with the protagonist.