The Word on The Street

Published on September 25, 2011 by Jonathan Růžek

I took in a bit of “The Word on the Street” festival this afternoon. The streets around the Lethbridge Public Library were closed off for presenters, booths and FOOD. I ate a hot dog.

Sunday, September 25, 2011 marks the day that Lethbridge joins Toronto, Vancouver, Halifax, Kitchener and Saskatoon in hosting the national Word On The Street Festival and celebration of literacy.

Hosted by the Lethbridge Public Library, the Lethbridge festival is designed to be a playful, all-ages, spill-out-into-the-street community event with something for everyone to see, hear, do, and of course, eat!

More photos after the jump. Continue reading ‘The Word on The Street’

Whetstone #2 now available

Published on September 25, 2011 by Jonathan Růžek

I got the heads up from my sister, the assistant editor for Whetstone magazine, that issue #2 is now available. For those unfamiliar:

Whetstone is a biannual literary magazine managed by student-enthusiasts at the University of Lethbridge with occasional help from members of the English Department.

Originally established in 1971, Whetstone was revived in September 2009 and aims to attract writers from southern Alberta and the prairies.

Whetstone accepts original works of prose, poetry, photography, and graphic design from students, scholars, and members of the general public.

To get your copy:

Whetstone website
Facebook page

But you don’t have to take my word for it

Published on February 24, 2009 by Jonathan Růžek

It’s Freedom to Read Week from February 22-28, 2009.

So often, books are censored or removed from bookshelves in libraries and schools because their content is deemed unsuitable for children or audiences in general. I remember reading “To Kill a Mockingbird” in school as a part of my curriculum; it’s now banned. Another childhood favourite, Huckleberry Finn, is considered racist, yet (to many scholars’ opinion) it was written against that.

We sometimes take for granted the freedoms we have available to us, whether it be net neutrality, free speech or the books that sit on our shelves. This week, I encourage you to be subversive; go to your nearest library and read a “challenged book,” if you can find one. Make Mark Twain proud:

I am always reading immoral books on the sly, and then selfishly trying to prevent other people from having the same wicked good time.
- Mark Twain (regarding banning of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the Denver Library)

Freedom to Read