Crossings: a return Dec 1, 2010

Thank you so much to everyone who came out to the event I organized last night at the Vancouver Public Library, Crossings: a return.

I’m extremely grateful to the readers Julie Okot Bitek, Annabel Lyon, Claudia Casper, Renee Rodin, Lori Weidenhammer for their support and enthusiasm in this ongoing adventure of ours, their contributions were so thoughtful, considered, and engaging, alongside beautifully delivered readings from the novel and one of Betty’s plays

We were honoured to have Betty Lambert’s family at the event and a special thank you to Betty’s daughter Ruth-Ann Lambert and Betty’s sister Dorothy who (impromptu) shared such moving stories about Betty.

When I conceived of this event I could never have imagined what took place.  I continue to be struck by how the dynamic of multiple writers engaging, considering and reading from the same book affords us a rich and fruitful engagement with the text. Last night’s event was about the reading of literature, it sprung from the absent minded grab of a book on the Reference shelf on the first floor of VPL, back whenever it was (likely recorded on this blog) and to have my enthusiasm for the book translate into what took place and was shared last night was so uplifting and I am v grateful to everyone who came out to the event.

Crossings is an astonishing novel, I hope readers discover it or rediscover it and I hope it’s returned to print shortly whether digital or paper.