By Katja De Bock* Photos Courtesy of Coni Martin   A young woman sits on a racetrack, holding a prosthetic leg in her hand. “This is my everyday leg,” she says, “The toe is split, so I can wear thongs.” Then she looks over to a metal leg adjusted to her left knee. It looks a bit like the “blade runner” tool that gave Oscar Pistorius his nickname, but it is prettier. “This is my running leg,” she explains, with my new, beautiful cover over it.” Using those legs is what made North Vancouver’s Andrea Holmes famous. She is an award-winning Paralympian. Holmes was born with a condition of her left foot called fibular hemimelia. Her parents made the difficult decision of amputating her foot, so she could have an active lifestyle while using a prosthetic leg. She represented Canada in Athletics from 2002 to 2007, winning a Bronze Medal in long jump at the Para-Pan American Games in 2007. She has also competed on the BC Para-Alpine ski team. Holmes is a four-time Canadian long jump champion, three-time 100m champion and a Canadian record holder in high jump. Five years after her retirement as a professional athlete, a Langara College graduate of the Documentary Film Production program made a film about her. Coni Martin’s fine short My Favourite Leg recently screened at the Vancouver International Women in Film Festival (#VIWIFF2015). It will also be shown as part of the Just Film Festival, an annual festival of short films made by students in the Langara College Documentary Film Program. That screening will take place Sunday March 22 at 12:15 PM, at Langara College, 100 West 49th Avenue. “It made me cry,” says Holmes about the film, hardly 15 seconds into our interview for Kerrisdale Playbook. “She so eloquently was...

  By Pia Massie  Movies tell stories in the most profound way possible.  The images flicker like a fire – throwing light on the human condition.  The sound and music surround us, enveloping us in feelings ranging from pleasure to terror, depending on the genre we are in the theatre to watch.  Every frame, every picture tells a story that we read and file according to our own experience, our own individual set of associations, questions and desires.   We live in a global community of storytellers; all trying to make sense out of the ongoing chaos of our daily lives. Movies since their earliest moments have provided us a roadmap, a template of how to be.  Or not to be.  Opening a window on another point of view, whether it is from across the tracks or on the other side of the globe, movies help us understand how to live. They help us make meaning.   People have learned how to love, how to forgive, how to steal the show or start a revolution – all from watching movies. As audiences have become more adept at understanding film language, stories have naturally become more complex – speeding up, breaking apart into fragments, reversing themselves, even playing backward.   In this vast ocean of moving images, documentary films have become ever more important, ever more resonant in this quest of making sense and meaning of our lives.  Our hunger for real life stories has increased in direct proportion to the declining sense of community that all our high tech cities with their sleepless, rushing populations have fallen prey to.   This hunger for truth and shared storytelling, have given rise to a frenzy of documentation. Does an accumulation of tiny proofs : I was...

By Taylor Lecky Photos: Noriko Nasu-Tidball Special Thanks to VISUAL SPACE (film location)  Kobayashi Issa once wrote, “there is no stranger under the cherry tree.” Before my interview with Linda I knew I appreciated the sentiment behind the saying but I didn’t fully understand it. In honesty, when I was first asked to write an article on the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, I had no idea what to expect. Apologetically, I stereotypically made an assumption that an individual of Japanese descent would walk in the Visual Space Dunbar gallery that rainy Vancouver Tuesday afternoon. However, I was extremely naive. Linda Poole, with all her golden haired glory, glided into the room as an elegant cherry blossom-like individual herself. Wearing a fuchsia pink skirt with matching leather shoes, a cherry blossom pendant and bracelet, you could not deny that she exuded passion for Vancouver’s sweetheart of tree’s.   “Is pink your favourite colour?” I asked while wearing my daily uniform of head-to-toe black. “No, I enjoy many colours. However, CBC did once interview me on T.V in which they started the session by filming these exact pink shoes. I don’t wear them much anymore,” Linda laughs. “But I do think pink looks good on everyone.” Linda’s demeanor is energetic and passionate while at the same time extremely calming.   Having lived abroad with the Canadian Foreign Service with her husband, a Canadian Ambassador, Linda says at the beginning she asked herself, ‘what does an ambassador really do? Let alone what does an ambassadors wife do?   “It was a fantastic experience and a privilege. I didn’t want to leave. Everyday I would see the Canadian flag flying above our official residence and I would just choke me up. You’re so far from home but your...

By Emily Cheung Photos: Noriko Nasu-Tidball Special Thanks to KIKORI (film location) When wood work artist Russ Gray moved to Vancouver with his wife 18 years ago, he developed a fondness for Vancouver’s unique climate, referring to the rain as “liquid sunshine.” It is this sanguine disposition which has been the vehicle behind his unconventional career path to date. Having grown up in Ontario, it was Russ’ high school art teacher who became the inspiration behind his passion for art. He was motivated by perspective drawing and the eclectic persona of his teacher. Meanwhile, his interest in Japanese culture stemmed from practicing martial arts, specifically Judo and Kendo, ever since he was a young boy. After high school, Russ spent some time in the military. He sang with the Canadian Armed forces as a lead singer. Russ recalls the days when he sang rock and swing, and often travelled across different countries including Germany, Israel, and bases across Canada. Afterwards, Russ travelled to Japan and it was there that he cultivated his skills in Japanese wood work. He began his training in Japan in the 1980s and deepened his woodworking expertise through experimentation and applying Japanese concepts into his own work. Russ adds, “Mistakes are part of the growing process.” Russ specializes in screens, lamps, paper shoji (paper sliding doors), panels, and other custom interior goods. Reflecting upon the paths he has taken in life, Russ muses, “Where you go determines where you will end up”. He believes that reinvention is achieved through circumstances. As for the origins of Kikori, a Japanese antiques and furnishings shop run by Russ, it started when his current business partner, Carol Yamamoto, came looking in his furniture workshop in Langley. The two later found out Carol’s husband, Robert...

  By Maya Reisz Photo Courtesy of Kitsilano Neighbourhood House     YEA? The Youth Evening of Arts was mini arts festival planned and presented by Westside Youth, ages 10-25, as part of the grand re-opening celebration for The Kitsilano Neighbourhood House. Over the course of 6 months, 52 youth were involved as committee members, performing artists and general volunteers, making it a unique for-youth-by-youth experience. At the event itself, 40 youth volunteered, 18 performed, 11 learned to speed paint and 8 participated in the live speed painting competition. 72 pieces of artwork were displayed in the youth designed gallery, not including the geometric art installation representing 150 individual pieces from Westside community members.                 Dear Reader,   I took a big chance last May. With no experience in program planning, I created the Youth Evening of Arts for Kitsilano Neighbourhood House. Why? In the aftermath, I can rationalize it as:   I was inspired by Kit’s houses’ history of community led programming. I wanted to do work that felt meaningful. I thought it would be fun to work with a bunch of young artists. Someone needed to do it. Why not?    Truly, at the time I accepted the offer, I just had a strong gut feeling, one that tickled my imagination and catalyzed my heartbeat. I felt the possibility and wanted to see it happen. Mary Bennet, the celebration planner, gave me complete creative control and a shoulder to lean on. So, I dedicated six months of my life to a possibility, witnessing frustrating moments in juxtaposition with creative successes and a host of tiny miracles. Now, I carry with me a sublime feeling of nurturing a notion I held on my own into a vibrant success shared by many....

By Lauren MacFarland Photos: Noriko Nasu-Tidball Special Thanks to Terry Sasaki Gallery (film location) Bursting with light and colour, Terry Sasaki’s gallery and clothing store are a unique blend of different cultures and versatile creativity, art of different mediums all telling the story of the man behind these beautiful works. For more than twenty years, Terry has been travelling the world, bringing his experiences to his work, and fusing the styles of East and West, the perfect mix for the Vancouver art scene, where so many different cultures collide. Relocating in the Lower Mainland presented new challenges and inspirations, allowing Terry to avail himself of new techniques and textures, always learning and evolving as an artist, constantly creating art that has inspired people the world over. Paintings are the main focus of Terry’s gallery in the Pan Pacific Hotel in Downtown Vancouver, his art instantly eye-catching and evoking his Japanese background, mixed with Western influence. “I get my energy from a lot of different places,” he explains, “and when my energy is good, then my art reflects that. If I ever feel tired of a painting, I move on, I try new things, because the most important thing about my art is that it reflects who I am and makes me happy.” In addition to his own pieces, the gallery also holds work from other local artists, as Terry recognizes the importance of giving back to the art community and giving other artists a chance to have their work seen. Interpersonal relationships hold a great amount of importance to him, and he counts friends from all over the world, including other many other diversely skilled artists. “When you take from different cultures, you have to give back to it as well,” he explains, and...

  Interviewed by Keiko Honda Lee Van Horn was born in November, 1939 into a large German and Irish Catholic community in Kansas City, MO. Because the US would soon be involved in WWII, and then men would be off to war, he and his mother moved into his grandparents home along with a variety of Aunt and cousins. It was a very safe and warm life for a young child. Lee continued to live in KC until he was 17 when he spent time in the US Army. Then it was off to University. Lee attended University at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. As he was always told by his father to “get an education,” he took this opportunity very seriously and got a triple major in literature, philosophy and social studies and a double minor in education and theology. He graduated cum laude. Lee the moved to Mpls, MN to teach in a local high school. Very early on he was selected to Chair the English department and to coach the tennis team. He also founded the second guidance and counseling center in the State of Minnesota. As a coach Lee’s team won two State tennis championships. This was also the beginning of a life long involvement in social issues. After all it was the 60’s. Lee became very interested in working with the youth of the city of Mpls and was eventually awarded the “Contact” award for outstanding work among the youth of the city. Lee was involved at the time in the anti-Vietnam war efforts counseling youth not to sign up for the war. He was not always successful in this effort and had a few students he taught in high school die int he war. Feeling a need for...

By Katherine Allen & Laura Kosciecha Photo Courtesy of Katherine Allen & Laura Kosciecha     Building Caring Communities (BCC) is an Asset Based Community Development initiative that strives to foster meaningful connections in community. We do this by discovering the gifts and interests of individuals or groups of people (associations). The role of the Community Connector is to remain curious all the while searching for welcoming people and places. By spending time in neighborhoods, we are able to build a map of the assets there – the gifts and interests of neighbors, local businesses, best cafes, friendly faces, and welcoming places. Community Connectors often meet people who are in search of something; whether it be a friend, a helping hand, a space, or a mentor. Our role is to help thread a web of connections in an already-abundant community. Much of what we seek is already there, but perhaps we just didn’t know it yet, or had to adjust our lens to see it. We do this because we believe the more connected a community, the more vibrant, safe, and welcoming it is – for all members of the community. Following are some stories that capture the essence of our work.   The Little Garden That Could   Goodlad community garden, one of the original Can You Dig It community gardens, is nestled behind a friendly residence in Burnaby and has12 garden plots, a greenhouse, compost piles, hazelnut trees, grapevines, and picnic tables. Over the years, despite much effort to engage neighbors and gardeners, the garden had yet to flourish, and the vision of a thriving community space had yet to be realized.   This past spring, BCC collaborated with Can You Dig It to make this original vision a reality. After many conversations...

By Haley Cameron Photo Courtesy of Pia Massie   Pia Massie was working on independent film No Words Will Ever Do in Geneva when she decided that Vancouver would be her next home. “I had moved almost every year for thirty years,” Massie says. For the fearless artist/activist, who calls herself a fish in need of water, Vancouver seemed an obvious choice. “I flew here for five days twenty-eight years ago and immediately knew I wanted to stay.”   Proximity to the Pacific wasn’t all that made Vancouver appealing. Massie wanted to live in an English-speaking city with a thriving film community. In the end it was the community as much as the ocean that solidified the deal. “It makes it easier to do your work as an artist knowing that there are others working on the same thing; there’s a place for dialogue about effort,” she shares. Thanks largely to a supportive local film industry, Massie was able to focus on the documentary stories she felt passionate about. Apart from a six year hiatus that took her back to her hometown of New York City, Massie’s love of the west coast has supplanted her nomadic ways, making Vancouver her true home.   Massie has always been one for recognizing great opportunities as they arise. Perhaps most notable in her captivating story are the two years she spent training under National Living Treasure calligrapher, Shiryu Morita. Massie was working at an art gallery in Kyoto, Japan when the honorable Sensei happened to see her work and requested to teach her. That she had no formal training in shodo, a form of Japanese calligraphy, and had no intention in seriously pursuing the art form, didn’t stop him. “My boss explained that to refuse Morita Sensei...

By Mormei Zanke Photo courtesy Kristi Douglas Whether you’re looking for a little community spirit, a place to make a new friend, or even some straight up R&R, look no further – the Kerrisdale Community Centre’s got your back!   The KCC offers more than 400 programs in one season and is always coming out with new fresh ideas to keep people involved. They offer youth, adult and senior programs ranging from anything to Ballroom Dancing to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.   Everything at the KCC runs so smoothly that it’s easy to forget who’s behind the organization that makes the facility function.     Kristi Douglas is the Centre Programmer at KCC and she as well as a dedicated staff team and the non-profit Board of Directors are the people responsible for making the magic happen at KCC.   “I grew up in Kerrisdale, came here as a child. I always had a great draw to the Community Centre, I would always do things here,” says Kristi.   Kristi even took a dance class at the centre when she was six. She continued to take classes in her childhood and even throughout university was the Kerrisdale Community Centre tennis instructor as well as a daycamp leader. Her involvement strings from a great passion for the community and a desire to give back.   “I have a deep passion, having come through these doors and taking these programs, I have an appreciation for the past and care for the participants and people that take the programs. I make sure we offer the best we can for them.”   Kristi didn’t always know her future lay in recreation. In fact, she had no clue that was even a possible career option.   “I thought maybe teaching,...

By Dave Wheaton Photos Noriko Nasu-Tidball Peter Lambert arrived at Keiko’s house dressed in his outdoor gear, sporting long blonde hair and big yellow backpack. After making introductions and settling into the living room Peter reached into his yellow backpack and pulled out a strange green vegetable, covered in dull spikes, looking like the kind of thing that might electrocute you if you got too close.  “I have no idea what it is, so if you guys know anything that’d be good”, he says. Peter had gotten the fruit one day while picking apples around the Point Grey area. The lady who had given it to him spoke no English. It might seem like an odd thing to hold on to, this unidentifiable vegetable, but for Peter this strange food is a chance to learn. Why bother with Wikipedia when you have the chance to actually hold a foreign object, and find out for yourself how it works? It’s this attitude of “learning by doing” that makes Peter such an inspiring person. “It’s a fun thing” he says, “You get to meet some good people and make some connections. You see them on the street and get to say hi”. Peter shows how incredibly powerful it is that two people who can’t communicate through language can gather around a piece of fruit and share an instant connection.                   Other odd mysteries from Peter’s yellow backpack included the bark of a cedar tree, two varieties of amaranth seeds, a piece of shaped and smoothed wood, and some children’s toys. For everything in the bag Peter had a similar story of learning and connection.                   Peter pulled out a couple of the children’s toys, a small puzzle and a plastic alien attached to a parachute. “We...

By Dave Wheaton   You may have noticed an increase of community gardens in Vancouver over the past couple of years, and with the positive impacts they seem to have on the community, it’s no surprise. Gardens can turn a vacant space into a sanctuary, provide a great place to get together with friends, and make connections between neighbours. And let’s not forget the obvious – local gardens grow some of the tastiest produce available. There’s nothing better than digging in to a plate of fresh food, and you can’t get any fresher than community gardens. So it shouldn’t shock you that over the last five years, Can You Dig It project co-ordinator Cinthia Page has personally been involved in three dozen projects all over the local mainland that create community gardens in urban places, transforming vacant spaces into thriving community sites.   The Kitsilano community garden, located next to the community center, is built into a small tightly wound space that borders the community center. At first, it might seem like an unusual place for a garden. It’s much smaller than you’d expect and isn’t shaped like the gardens we’re used to seeing. But this is exactly the type of place that Cinthia hopes to find when starting a new project. “We are using pieces of land we wouldn’t have thought of using before”, she explains “But if we’re going to make this work we have to be more creative with how we use space”. The Kitsilano community garden is well worth a visit. If you go, you’ll see garden plots that have been elevated and shaped to get the most possible surface out of the small piece of land. It’s this exact sort of creativity that allows these urban plots to flourish...

By Aryan Etesami Photo courtesy Craig Lee For this month’s issue, I am very excited to introduce to my dear readers an intelligent and hard-working young man: Craig Lee. Craig who is currently in his late 20’s, was born in Richmond, BC and raised in the Surrey area for most of his childhood. After graduating from high school, Craig entered the Criminology program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University with the intention of becoming a police officer in the RCMP, but soon realized that his true passion in life lied elsewhere. Craig left the Criminology program and decided to make the transfer to Simon Fraser University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2012. Having always been complimented on his superb listening skills, Craig just knew he wanted to a therapist ever since the age of 12! After earning his undergraduate degree, Craig went on to gain his first real Counselling experience through volunteering at a crisis line in Surrey, while also helping a child with autism over the period of year. Convinced he wanted to pursue a career in Counselling, he began sending out applications to those Graduate schools that resonated with him the most, and finally came to choose Adler’s School of Professional Psychology to further his formal education in the field. Craig admired Alfred Adler’s (whom Craig’s chosen graduate school was named after) ideals of community contribution and social interest, and set it out for himself to follow in his footsteps. He initially entered the Masters of Counselling Psychology program and shortly after, Craig was co-facilitating a support group consisting of 10 women in the North Vancouver area, as part of his community service practicum and working alongside a professional Art Therapist, Dr. Duanita Eleniak. Within a year into...

By Haley Cameron  Photos: Noriko Nasu-Tidball   When Wendy Sparrow first began to learn Salish weaving, her sister, Debra, wasn’t particularly interested. “At that point I was into my own jewellery design,” explains the striking Musqueam woman with a commanding yet nurturing presence that inspires instant respect.   Fast forward a few decades and Debra, perhaps best known for her design of Team Canada’s 2010 Olympic jerseys, is a celebrated weaver whose reputed projects are just as practically functional as they are powerfully artistic. But above all else her work is historical.   It was ultimately a longing for history that inspired the two sisters to pursue Salish design. They were lost, Debra explains, and yet inspired to learn their purpose. “In order to know ourselves we had to know our own histories,” she says eloquently, her sentences flowing like carefully structured prose. “It was never about becoming an artist but rather becoming who we truly are.” The two abandoned their “little girl toys” of drugs and alcohol in order to listen for direction from their ancestors.   For Debra, that internal search quickly led to a curiosity for design. Sparrow, whose brother is the current Musqueam chief, is careful to explain that “art” per se does not exist in Musqueam culture. “Everything made is made to be used,” she outlines, describing how even the most ornate and decorative creations had a purpose in ceremonial practices. Her own interpretation is not that art doesn’t exist, but rather that “everything is art.”   “Growing up we were only really exposed to Northern design styles,” Debra says, explaining that the history they did know was never presented visually. “We grew up hearing it but not seeing it,” she continues, noting that while she knew the iconography...

By Dave Wheaton Photos: Noriko Nasu-Tidball At Keiko’s home, she, Noriko, and I met with John MacLachlan Gray. I think the best way to describe John is as a modern day Renaissance Man. I say this because it seems that whatever John attempts, whether it’s theatre, novels, film, or television, he knocks it out of the park, earning awards like the Governor general’s medal and the New York Film and Television Gold Award along the way. He’s best known as the writer of the 1982 international, award-winning musical Billy Bishop Goes to War. But despite his early success, John never slowed down. He continued to turn out top quality plays, novels, movies – you name it. In addition to fiction writing, John has written for both Globe and Mail and The Vancouver Sun, and written and performed for CBC’s The Journal, all while finding the time to raise two boys with his wife Beverlee. It all sounds overwhelming, but to him it’s simply writing for writing’s sake. “I write because I feel like writing, not because I’m ambitious or anything”, John told me, after asking him if he has any plans to wind down and retire. John takes a seat in the living room opposite Noriko and I and settles into a cross legged Zen-like pose. As he talks, you notice this habit he has of moving his hands in sync with the rhythm of his speech. Since the year 2000, John has been writing thriller novels. His earliest is titled A Gift to the Little Master, set in a version of modern Vancouver “where everything has gone wrong”, according to him, and in 2007 he completed two historical thrillers set in London during the Victorian period. “What have you been working on lately?”...

By Haley Cameron Photos: Noriko Nasu-Tidball   Mary Bennett has always been an artist. These days the longtime Kitsilano resident– “Kit-sil-eye-no,” she laughs, emphasizing the original pronunciation– incorporates collage and acrylics to produce two dimensional mixed-media canvases. Her favourite theme right now? Birds’ nests. But if you ask Bennett, her primary creative outlet is not painting.   “Creating a sense of community is my true art,” says the middle aged woman, who is retired from her executive role on the Canadian Unitarian Council, but just getting started on a career close to her heart. Bennett is quick to explain that community building has been a personal priority for as long as she can remember. A self-proclaimed Community Engagement Leader, Bennett can trace this passion back to her childhood.   “When I was in grade 5 I organized a birthday for my teacher,” shares Bennett, with a smile that reveals just a touch of her 10-year-old self’s pride. Fast forward a few decades and she’s still organizing gatherings as the Celebration Planner & Housewarming Coordinator at Kits House.   Bennett, a North Vancouver native, has known that she belongs in Kitsilano since she first planted herself on West 4th to sell tie dyed scarves in her twenties. “Kitsilano was all hippies then,” she laughs, not denying the classification altogether. The job sparked a lifelong love affair with the Westside neighborhood that has ultimately led Bennett to her latest role in the local neighborhood house.   Bennett studied Art Education, through a program that included studio training, before taking more of a Human Resources route with her career. Her corporate background is in team building and communications, but it wasn’t until she joined the Vancouver Arts Council that she realized how complementary these two avenues could...

“It’s wonderful to see what happens when people bring great ideas to life. It truly is inspiring.” ~ Editor-in-Chief It’s only been a little over a month since the garden was born and the work parties are already well underway. Kitsilano Community Centre, along with its community partners, Urban Systems Foundation, Can You Dig It and Society Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC) and many community volunteers, has been using a collaborative approach to transform its literally vacant exterior spaces into an amazing organic vegetable garden that adds beauty, value, and a distinctive identity to its neighbourhood. Under the leadership of Robert Haines, the board president, Gabriel Pliska, the Garden Committee Chair and board member, Oren Burnspark, Garden Coordinator, Ben Mulhall from Urban Systems Foundation, and Cinthia Page, Can You Dig It Project Coordinator among others, the garden is a unique collaboration of artists, local adults and youth and kids, and garden lovers. It is such a valuable asset for neighborhood development by developing and nurturing public space which promotes sustainability, food security, community education and public health, and coming together. I have “attended” the last 2 work parties and here are some photos we took. People’s smiles are so glamorous and the garden is so lush and green, which is the best kind of advertising!!! Congratulations to Kitsilano Community Centre Collaborative Garden! For those who are interested in volunteering and/or learning more about the collaborative garden, please contact Kitsilano Community Centre and follow us on FB.            ...

By Aryan Etesami Photos courtesy of Leigh Boyle   Sometimes all that’s needed to make you happy is a nicely done manicure! And the best person to attest to this statement is no one but an ambitious woman named Leigh Boyle. Leigh is 26 years old and although born and raised in North Vancouver, has finished all of her school years up to the 12th grade at Crofton House School here in the Kerrisdale neighbourhood. She holds her Bachelor of Arts in Communications degree from Trinity Western University and is currently working as a fundraiser at Union Gospel Mission on the downtown eastside. What sets Leigh apart from a typical, working university-graduate however is that she is the founder of a successful non-profit, volunteer-based society called the Lip Stick Project. After graduating from university, Leigh travelled to Swaziland, South Africa for an internship and later to Ethiopia to work as a communications officer. Soon after however, she started to feel very lonely working a routine job and being unable to effectively communicate due to the language barrier. As a coping strategy, Leigh started volunteering with a local women’s hospital, where she encountered many women living with a painful condition common in some developing countries, called Obstetric Fistula. Limited by communication difficulties, she surprisingly came to realize the best way to bring some happiness into the lives of these women may be nothing else but a good old manicure! When she later returned home from Africa, Leigh was encouraged by friends and family to re-establish the same practice within our healthcare system here in Vancouver; and that marks how the Lip Stick Project finally came to life. Today, men, women and children facing challenging health-related situations at local hospices and hospitals, have been receiving professional grade...

By Katja De Bock   If you are a regular reader of Kerrisdale Playbook Magazine, you will have noticed the beautiful photos of our interviewees, capturing the essence of their personalities with just a short click of the lens. You might be surprised to it’s an emerging photographer, Vancouver-based Noriko Nasu-Tidball, who made the professional photos.   In my experience as a producer and interviewer of television magazines, the videographers dominate the set. They have to set up their gear of tripods, lamps and cables in what is usually a very short time. However, for the nervous interviewer and self-conscious interviewee, that time seemingly takes forever. Moreover, the videographer often interrupts the flow of the interview as the subjects move in and out of focus, or when camera cards are full or batteries empty.   Not so when I am working as a writer with Noriko Nasu-Tidball as my photographer colleague. When my editor-in-chief, Keiko Honda, and I are speaking with the interviewee, Noriko has the astonishing ability to become what they call a “fly-on-the-wall.” You don’t hear her, you don’t see her, and yet she manages to make hundreds of photos per session, of which only a handful will be selected for the magazine.   For most of the interviews in Kerrisdale Playbook, Noriko relies on ambient light (daylight) and does not ask the subjects to pose, as she wants to capture the gist of the moment. An exception is a group portrait at the end of the interview.   Noriko says her love for vérité-documentary style of photography began during her childhood. She grew up in Susami, a small town in the Wakayama prefecture (administrative district) in Japan, as a daughter to a banker and a kimono storeowner. Magazines were always around...

  By Katja De Bock Photos: Courtesy of Shannon Selin   When Shannon Selin’s father took his daughter to the site of Napoleon’s 1815 surrender in Waterloo, Belgium, little did he know the trip would eventually result in a remarkable novel about the defeated emperor.   After three years of research and writing, Shannon Selin presented her novel Napoleon in America on April 6 in Marpole’s Historic Joy Kogawa house, with the renowned Japanese-Canadian author present at the launch party.   Incidentally, Selin lives only three houses away from the Joy Kogawa House, where Kogawa lived as a child. The historic residential building now houses a writer-in-residence program.   “The spirit of writing emanates from having Joy Kogawa so close – it just washes down the street,” Selin says of her prominent neighbour.   As you may remember from history class, Napoleon never made it to America, but died in exile at the age of 51 on St. Helena, a remote island in the Atlantic. But Selin, who was interested in the state of mind of the man who had achieved so much, yet was confined to a small island, chose his last months at St. Helena as the starting point for her book. The literary fiction genre in which historical events unfold differently than they did in real life is called “alternate history,” but Selin wasn’t aware of that when she wrote the book, at first purely for her own interest.   Selin starts the novel in February 1821. Asking “What if Napoleon escaped and made it to America?” she sets in motion a series of astonishing and amusing events. Shrewdly, she places Napoleon’s arrival in New Orleans on May 5, 1821, the official day of his death in real life, thus enabling the emperor...