CBC Literary Prize winner Susan Cormier presents selections from her new book, with guest storytellers. Hailed as "gorgeously-written and surprising" and full of "humour and insight", Dead Bees Still Sting is a collection of stories about living in the urban wildland interface.
Food, beverages, and the book will be available for purchase. This is a free event.
The Pleasant, 2434 Main
readings start at 7:30
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ABOUT THE BOOK
In DEAD BEES STILL STING, Susan Cormier immerses readers in the beauty, humour, and hard truths of semi-agricultural life. Set on a small acreage teeming with wild and domestic animals, buzzing with a half-million honeybees, and dotted with fruit trees—one affectionately named Bill—the book follows the experiences of a beekeeper-poet across five seasons as she navigates life on the precarious edge of nature and human settlement. Her acreage is filled with an ever-changing cast of animals, from the hand-raised quail Birb, who likes to play peekaboo, to companionable cats and dogs, Frodo the rescued rabbit, deer, elusive mink, and owls. Circling the farm, an aggressive tangle of forest and blackberry vines thrives, even as the shadow of urban development looms ever closer.
In lyrical prose heralding a distinctive new voice in nature writing, Cormier sidesteps the sentimental romanticism of pastoral life, examines the thought-provoking and often heart-wrenching realities of animal existence in an agrarian landscape,
and unearths—at times literally— surprising revelations about the cycles of nature, and the nature of vulnerability, persistence, and survival.
WHAT REVIEWS ARE SAYING:
"Cormier somehow splits the veil that divides us from the rest of nature, giving readers respectful insights into the actions and lives of wildlife and opening up a world that is often hidden from city dwellers. Come for the bees, stay for these beautifully written observations."
-Booklist, STARRED review
"Fearless and often funny...leads us to astonishment and awe in the humble but liminal spaces where wild and tame meet at her homestead. I loved every gorgeously-written and surprising page."
-Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus
“A strikingly original meditation on the sweetness and pain of being alive. A masterclass on the art of the personal essay.”
—Candace Savage, author of A Geography of Blood
“Gentle meditations on what we nurture and care for, on what we bury and what we unearth, on the twisting flow of life and a human relationship with the most enigmatic of creatures. A braided love letter to a pastoral life of joy and heartbreak....A book that city dwellers would do well to read.”
-Marc Hamer, author of How to Catch a Mole
“Electric, alive, and tender, Cormier's world is one of deep entanglement and ethical implication. How do we live with the natural world in a time when the borders between domestication and wildness are blurred—and how do we grapple with its changes? This book, playful and direct at once, offers a path.”
-Jessica J. Lee, author of Dispersals and Two Trees Make a Forest
"There’s a new, bracing voice in the tired world of nature writing. Cormier is brave, smart, and doesn’t mess around—a savvy, business-like poet who cuts to the chase. She’s desperately needed."
-Charles Foster, author of Being a Beast
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan Cormier is a spoken word artist, event producer, beekeeper, and caretaker of assorted small critters. Her lyrical essay “Advice to a New Beekeeper” won the CBC Nonfiction Prize and her writing has appeared in numerous publications and anthologies. She has received recognition in multiple literary competitions and is known for her dynamic, engaging readings. Cormier produces Vancouver Story Slam, Canada's longest-running live indie storytelling competition. She lives in Langley.
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VENUE INFO
The Pleasant, 2434 Main Street at Broadway, Vancouver
Admission: FREE
Venue opens 3pm; readings start at 7:30pm.
Venue is on the #99 B-Line, #9 Broadway, and #3 Main bus routes
The venue sells food and beverages, and accepts cash, credit, and debit.
menu:
https://thepleasant.ca/
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Early arrival is recommended to ensure admittance and get the best seats. Due to fire safety regulations, if the venue reaches capacity no further audience members will be admitted for any reason.
This event takes place on the unceeded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, Sto:lo and Tseil Watooth Nations. This is a Queen of Crows production.
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