2010 Writers In Residence
The NOW HEAR THIS! S.W.A.T. program is thrilled this year to be back for a fourth year. This year we've placed 12 writers in 12 TCDSB schools all across Toronto! To learn more about the writers please read their profiles below, and of course check out our HEAR/HEAR Reading Series!
Devon Code Devon Code is from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. He studied at the University of King’s College in Halifax and at Concordia University in Montreal. His fiction has appeared in periodicals in Ireland, England and Canada. In a Mist, his debut collection of short fiction, was published by Invisible Publishing. He regularly contributes fiction reviews to Quill & Quire and teaches English at Seneca College. Devon Code is the writer in residence for Dante Alighieri. |
Elisabeth de Mariaffi Elisabeth de Mariaffi’s poetry and fiction appear regularly in Canadian magazines. Her chapbook, Letter on St. Valentine’s Day, was published in 2009 by The Emergency Response Unit; in 2007, she won the Lina Chartrand Award for Poetry from CV2. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph-Humber and she is one-half of the brand-spanking-new Toronto Poetry Vendors, a small press set to sell poetry broadsides from vending machines. Elisabeth is currently fine-tuning a poetry manuscript and working away at a book of short stories. This spring she is slated to produce a poem-film collaboration with the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT). Elisabeth de Mariaffi is the writer in residence for Madonna. |
Desi Di Nardo Desi Di Nardo is a poet and author in Toronto whose work has been published in numerous North American and international journals and anthologies including the Literary Review of Canada, Globe and Mail, Descant and Grain. Her poetry has been performed at the National Arts Centre, featured in Poetry on the Way on the Toronto Transit Commission, and displayed in the Official Residences of Canada. Desi's poems have been studied in schools across the country, translated into several languages, and printed on Starbucks cups. She has also worked as an English professor at George Brown College. Her new book of poetry, published by Guernica Editions, is titled The Plural of Some Things.
Desi Di Nardo is the writer in residence for St. Joseph's College. |
Colin Frizzell Colin Frizzell is the author of the Orca Soundings novel Chill (2006); and the Young Adult novel, Just J (2007). The Ontario Library Association named Just J as a Best Bet for 2007 and in the Canadian Children’s Book Centre highlighted it in their Best Books for Kids & Teens 2008 magazine. Chill is currently being taught at Father John Redmond Secondary School in Toronto. Colin Frizzell is the writer in residence for James Cardinal McGuigan. |
Larry Frolick Larry Frolick attended Victoria College, graduated in anthropology and law, and became a field journalist exploring globalization in the Middle East, Asia and Central America. He is the author of four books including Bastard Eden / Our Chernobyl (Portland, 2008), a collaboration with photographer Don Weber on post-atomic life in Ukraine. His long-form documentary essays include: “Last Days of Suburbia” (Walrus); “Police Work in an Ex-Police State” (The Believer); “Making Over Ms. Canada” (Chatelaine); and “Kebabistan” (Descant), on Day 1 of the Iraq War. His latest project is a social history of Modernism in Canada and its lost dream of self-transformation. His nonfiction work has won four National Magazine Awards including the Alexander Ross Award; and the Lange-Taylor Prize (USA) with D. Weber, the first Canadian winners. He lives on a peach farm with his family in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Larry Frolick is the writer in residence for St. Patrick. |
Adrienne Gruber Adrienne Gruber is a poet originally from Saskatoon. She publishes regularly in Canadian literary magazines and has been short-listed for ARC’s Poem of the Year contest, Descant’s Winston Collins Best Canadian Poem contest and the CBC Literary Awards. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from UBC and her first manuscript This Is The Nightmare was published with Thistledown Press in September 2008. Besides poetry, she has her love-on for scuba diving, belly dancing and the HBO show Six Feet Under, which she blogs about at adriennegruberilltakeyou.blogspot.com. She currently resides in Toronto. Adrienne Gruber is the writer in residence for Notre Dame. |
Nic Labriola Nic Labriola is a poet, actor, playwright and teacher. He holds a Hons B.A. in English from the University of Toronto, and a B. Ed from Trent University. His first collection of poetry, Naming the Mannequins was published in 2009 by Insomniac Press. He lives in Toronto. Nic Labriola is the writer in residence for Neil McNeil. |
Rebecca Rosenblum Rebecca Rosenblum’s short fiction has been short-listed for the Journey Prize, the National Magazine Award, and the Danuta Gleed Award. Her work has been seen in Exile Quarterly, Danforth Review, The New Quarterly, Journey Prize Stories 19, Maisonnueve, Coming Attractions, Rampike and Best Canadian Stories 08. Her first collection of stories, Once, won the Metcalf-Rooke Award and was one of Quill and Quire’s 15 Books That Mattered in 2008. The Maclean’s blog called Rebecca “Canlit Rookie of the Year” in 2008. Rebecca Rosenblum is the writer in residence for Jean Vanier. |
Angela Szczepaniak Angela Szczepaniak has been a student nearly forever; a condition that has most recently landed her neckdeep in a doctoral dissertation on innovative poetry, dysfunctional detective fiction, and comic books. She also writes fiction, poetry, cartoons, and critical essays, and works as a poetry editor for Redwood Coast Press (California). One of her early career highlights was participating in LOCCAL’s first hygiene themed poetry-art project—traces of her visual poetry may still be found on placards in some of the finest public restrooms in Seattle. Her first book is a novel-in-poems, called Unisex Love Poems (DC Books). Eventually forthcoming will be her typeface-cartoon extravaganza, The QWERTY Institute of Cosmetic Typographical Enhancement. Angela Szczepaniak is the writer in residence for Michael Power/ St. Joseph. |
Julia Tausch Julia Tausch is the author of the novel Another Book About Another Broken Heart (conundrum, 2003). She has had short pieces published in Hobart: Another Literary Journal, Matrix, The Cyclops Review and Career Suicide: Contemporary Literary Humour and has a story in the next issue of Hobart. Since completing her Master’s in Creative Writing at Concordia University in 2003, Julia has been working in the non-profit sector at several dance service organizations, as a community support worker with an individual with a disability, and as a coordinator for an arts education project with Theatre Direct Canada. She is currently wrangling with her second novel. Julia Tausch is the writer in residence for St. Basil the Great. |
Aaron Tucker Aaron Tucker’s most recent work has appeared in Descant, Rampike and The Windsor Review. He also publishes regular reviews for Broken Pencil, Matrix and The Danforth Review. in addition to running the poetry criticism site Agora. He is currently teaching at Ryerson University. Aaron Tucker is the writer in residence for Bishop Allen. |
Natalie Zina Walschots Natalie Zina Walschots' first book of poetry, Thumbscrews, was published by Snare Books in 2007. Her newest manuscript, Supervillains, is nearly complete. Her work has recently appeared in Rampike, A4, Open Letter, Misunderstandings Magazine, Last Supper, ditch and dANDelion. She has served as the Managing Editor of both filling Station and dANDelion magazines. She also co-curated the Flywheel reading series from 2005 to 2008. Natalie completed her MA in English/Creative Writing at the University of Calgary. She currently serves as a board member for Toronto's Draft reading series. She is also a part of the collective behind Small Print, a workshop and reading series for young writers. Her current base of operations is located in Toronto. She lives in a menagerie with several humans, three cats, and a dog. Natalie Zina Walschots is the writer in residence for St. Mary. |