Overleaf Books: Memoir Writing

NINSHU PRESS and OVERLEAF BOOKS

present books on history, nature, eco-spirituality and

mind-body subjects

Contact: sbjulian410@gmail.com

Alley Cat Angst. Children's colour picture book, chapbook style, illustrated rhyme, 8.00

The Horse Who Moved Bones, S. B. Julian, fiction/nonfiction blend (History), Young Adult, ill. pbk, 10.00

Women Who Made the World, by S. B. Julian. nonfiction (History and Biography) pbk, ill., 97 pages, 15.00

That's Your Opinion: A Handbook on Freedom of Expression and Censorship in Canada and Around the World. S. B. Julian. Chapbook, information for readers and writers. 2019. $10 or $5 as pdf

Walking Bowker: Befriending an Urban Creek, by S. B. Julian, pbk, ill., 64 pages, 10.00

Childhood Pastorale: Children, Nature, and the Preservation of Landscape, by S. B. Julian. pbk, ill., 14.95 (OUT OF PRINT)

Tales and Trails: Living With Urban Deer, Various Authors: a short collection of stories of relationships with local deer, chapbook, ill.,20 pages, 2014, 3.95

Poultry Pets In the Garden: Raising Backyard Chickens, an informative step-by-step handbook, 32 pages, pbk, ill., 5.95 (OUT OF PRINT)

Meadows, Mounds and Meanders: Sacred Sites of Victoria, an anthology of nature prose and poetry by eight local authors, pbk, ill., 9.95

Anima Mundi: Seeking God the Mother, a creative visualization and eco-spirituality workbook for private or workshop use, coilbound, ill., 9.95

Victoria Independent Authors and Publishers Association (VIAPA) has put out a second volume of their Wandering Words anthology of prose and poetry:

Shifting Landscapes: Wandering Words II

A quonset house tells its own life story; a set of keys wonder where their lost doors went; a population of knocked-down statues find sanctuary in the gardens of a suburban neighbourhood where they reminisce over the fences; families meet at the Empress Hotel in 1927; characters glide through time in a 1920 red roadster and a 1968 Mustang; and a photosynthesizing rabbit flies into space: this collection includes a wide range of realist, historical, and fantasy fiction, memoir, creative non-fiction and poetry.

There was no content editor, no one altering anyone else's prose, the central principle being that each author speaks in his/her own voice. Professional editor Louise Beinhauer of LB Word Works got the manuscript printer-ready, and a celebratory launch was held at a Victoria restaurant on June 30th.

It was another collaborative project of 15 members of the Victoria Independent Authors group, this time assisted by a grant form the Neighbourhood Small Grants project funded by the Victoria Foundation.

(See the REVIEW in Oak Bay News -- https://www.oakbaynews.com/entertainment/greater-victoria-writers-come-together-while-working-apart/)

Look for the book in local shops and libraries,

or order a copy (paperback, 105 pages) through sbjulian410@gmail.com

$16 INCLUDING POSTAGE

VIAPA'S table at the

Church Mouse Books / Meet Local Authors event

St. Mary's Church, 1701 Elgin Road, Oak Bay

September 11th

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FREEDOM TO READ WEEK was started by the Freedom of Expression Committee of the Book and Periodical Council of Canada, and is promoted annually at public library branches. Public libraries -- where information and recreational reading is available for free to all members of the public -- are a hallmark of a democratic nation. A new threat is the stifling of some writing on ideological topics.

There has been a flight of writers to social media (a.k.a. antisocial media), but that hasn't proven a tasteful replacement for the civility of the "agora". The independent self-publisher also gets books to a public who can choose either to read or not read them -- a decision which should lie only with the individual. The other side of freedom to read is the freedom not to read, and we can all avail ourselves of that.

We have learned that freedom of expression must be re-protected in every generation. Every dictatorship in modern history has started by stifling free speech, and some group always wants to trigger censorship, often for what they consider the best of reasons. The insidious virus of self-censorship sometimes prepares the ground (we all want to play nicely), and we must guard against it.

"Playing With Censorship" - a short skit by S. B. Julian about banned plays and musicals, was shown at FREE SPEECH ROUNDTABLE at Hub Community Space, Fort Street, Victoria, on Feb. 22 2020

(Photo by Michal Emme) Tony Cain, Chris Allen, Jan Streader, Gail Straughan

New Ninshu Press chapbook looks at hate speech, Holocaust denial, press censorship, jailed writers, blasphemy laws, international governance of the internet, and related issues of interest to writers

and readers:

That's Your Opinion: A Handbook on Freedom Of Expression and Censorship in Canada and Around the World. Ninshu Press, 2019. In shops or from Overleaf -- $8.00 + postage.

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Recent from Ninshu Press

THE HORSE WHO MOVED BONES

For the Middle School reader who loves horses, dinosaurs, science and/or history. Cloudie was one of a team of horses who hauled fossils out of the dinosaur digs of southwest Alberta at the turn of the 20th century. This is her illustrated story, and an evocation of a place and culture ca. 1900.

Available at local shops, or EMAIL: sbjulian410@gmail.com

pbk, $9 (or $12 including postage)

Review by KinzieThings:

"This story is a great way for a young reader to be introduced to the historical process of retrieving dinosaur bones and other fossils. The author has set Cloudie’s story in the 1920s in Alberta. This time was the beginning of the discovery of dinosaur bones in the badlands. Cloudie was around and working at the time of the discovery and naming of the “Albertosaurus”.

The book is a great introduction to the badlands, the history of dinosaur excavation, and the work that was originally done by draft horses rather than manmade equipment. It’s entertaining enough that middle-grade readers will enjoy the book. The addition of illustrations and photographs make the book more enjoyable and will engage young readers.

The writing style would lend itself well to a middle-grade audience …" See full review here: https://kinziethings.com/2020/07/09/review-the-horse-who-moved-bones-by-s-b-julian/

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Do you want to be up to date with recent publications by Vancouver Isand authors?

Read: https://kinziethings.com (reviews by librarian/bibliophile/photographer Charlotte Kinzie)

And also read: WRITERS' CHOICE REVIEW 2021

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Overleaf Books at The Wellesley Fall Fair

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Who's your favourite novelist? S.B. Julian celebrates Iris Murdoch:

https://booksmugglersden.com/2019/07/24/iris-murdoch-on-the-anniversary-of-her-birth-and-death/

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A Ninshu Press chapbook looks at hate speech, Holocaust denial, press censorship, jailed writers, blasphemy laws, international governance of the internet, and related issues of interest to writers and readers:

READERS' COMMENTS:

"Fabulous ... a very timely book . A marketplace of ideas must be allowed, so people can judge for themselves." -- L.J.

"Very readable and covers such wide territory. And very balanced throughout. It gives an excellent overview of what’s happened and is happening, and is right up to date." --K.Z.

Get your copy of That's Your Opinion: A Handbook on Freedom of Expression

in time for FREEDOM TO READ WEEK, Feb. 20 - 26, 2022

$10 including postage!

Order from sbjulian410@gmail.com

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MORE ON HISTORY:

WOMEN WHO MADE THE WORLD

Snapshots of the lives and careers of over 50 accomplished women from the past, who worked in civil rights, education, literature, art, theology and the sciences, women who started the movements and compiled the knowledge that created the world we know.

The field of women’s studies analyzes the andro-centrism that has erected barriers against women at many junctures in history, but Julian asks whether too much focus on what women have been prevented from doing leaves young people ignorant of what they have done. Too many assume that in past eras women were silent, under-educated and excluded. In fact many reached levels of skill and scholarship unheard of among today’s students. They inspired their contemporaries and inspire ourselves with writings, paintings and horticulture, and steered governments and politicians via associations, committees, salons, institutes and myriad other channels of influence.
Do you know the names of the women who created the National Trust (UK), Kew Gardens, the Planned Parenthood Federation, the Battersea Dogs Home, Cruelty-Free International, the Cottage Garden style and Arts & Crafts movement, the poem on the Statue of Liberty, Kenya's Greenbelt Movement, Japan's Omoto religion, the Christian Science Monitor, the Gaia Theory? Who co-discovered the structure of the DNA molecule, nuclear fission, the Augur effect in physics, and instigated "sustainable development", or the Nobel Peace Prize? Nor do most school students. Women Who Made the World is a short, accessible handbook that helps fill the knowledge gap.

READ ABOUT THIS BOOK AT:

https://booksmugglersden.com/2019/07/18/lets-chat-with-author-sandra-julian/

More detail at: https://www.peninsulanewsreview.com/entertainment/readers-corner-saanich-author-delves-into-the-lives-of-notable-women/

READER RESPONSES:
"Scholarly work … engaging and edifying" -- Island Writer Magazine

"A fantastically important book, I can hardly put it down" -- Professor M.H., UVIC

"Impressed by how much information is in there" -- A. Bateman, reader, U.K.

Women Who Made the World is available in print or as a pdf file. Printed copies $15 plus $3 for delivery or postage. Also available at various shops in Victoria and Vancouver Island, and the Victoria Public Library, UVIC Library & Bookshop, and Vancouver Island Regional Library. The PDF file is available for $5

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WELCOME TO OVERLEAF MEMOIRS SERVICE

LIFE WRITING and Autobiography

Learn how (and why) to produce your memoirs whether for yourself, friends and colleagues

or for family and descendants. Explore how you fit into the shared history of us all. Learn how to organize materials and documents, shape your narrative, find printers or e-publishers.

DON'T LEAVE YOUR LIFE UNWRITTEN!

S.B. Julian, B.A. (History), M.L.S. (Librarianship) is a free-lance writer, playwright, former librarian and present book-addict. She has independently published several books and booklets (issued by NINSHU PRESS, see list below) collaborated on anthologies with Victoria Independent Authors & Publishers Association, and worked with seniors on Memoirs Projects at several local retirement residences.

http://www.abcbookworld.com/view_author.php?id=5446

MEMOIRS TESTIMONIALS:
"You have helped create a family keep-sake ... it's been a pleasure working with you." (Ian H., 2015)

"Memoir writing has been an interesting experience." (Mary Nemes, Victoria, 2014)

"Recording our history is important, helps relate the past to the present -- to understand Canada's unique position in history." (Helen, Parkwood Place -- teacher)

"Thank you for doing memoirs with Sandringham residents." (Colleen and Gert, May 2015)

Overleaf Memoirs helped produce Betty Hearn's story Betty Out and About, which is rich in information about Victoria going back to the 1930's and the War years, the burgeoning 1960's arts scene in Vancouver, retirement on a Gulf Island and more …

On the importance of memoir writing for historical scholarship, and for teaching and learning local and international History (this article first appeared in Areo Magazine):

The Historian Who Came in from the Chill

"I am in the sunset of life, and I feel it to be my special mission to tell people what they are not prepared to hear" —Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s mission is shared by many who write life stories in their senior years, who feel they have no time left for prevarication—from the Latin varicare: to walk crookedly. Their veins may be varicose but their talk is straight: they write, they claim, what they saw and thought, whether ideologically correct or not. Elderly memoirists often decide, like Socrates, that the unexamined life is not worth living, or at least isn’t as rich as the examined one. Academic history can be narrow and over-curated. Memoirists’ personal witness statements offer a different sort of window on the past. They contribute spot checks. Memoirists write micro-histories, which are rather like microclimates. Microclimates create niches in which new species can evolve: micro-histories create niches in which diversity of thought can be protected. Memoir produces not only history, but histories in the plural. No doubt House of Stone, Anthony Shadid’s 2012 memoir of home in a “lost Middle East” doesn’t describe the same Middle East as any other Middle-Easterner might. Similarly, Azar Nafisi’s memoir Reading Lolita in Tehran eloquently describes a—not the—Iran. Trevor Noah’s picture of apartheid South Africa in Born a Crime, will transport us to his—not to everyone’s—South Africa. In the memoirs workshops for Canadian seniors that I facilitate, the participants present historical detail drawn from their personal lives. The story of, for example, a prairie farmer, a member of a peacekeeping force, a wartime bomber pilot, a functionary at Bletchley or a teacher in a Moldovan village or in the Canadian Arctic, can convey how such a lifestyle felt from inside—and it often wasn’t the way ideological revisionists assume it was. Reality is revealed in the particular, not in the general or prescriptive. Memoir journals the jour — the dailiness of life. One gets a different perspective, for instance, on the sequestering of Japanese fishing boats in Canada during World War II if one reads an account by a Canadian navy sailor who delivered the boats to berths on the Fraser River. How could they do such a thing? we often hear now. Read the accounts of those sent to do it, and you’ll know. When they tell us what we don’t want to hear, we sometimes condescendingly humour seniors, as if they had forgotten what’s appropriate. Yet the proper use of the mind is free, not appropriate. The more we open our minds to the flavour and detail of a skillful memoirist’s story, the more history we absorb. The past birthed the present, and those who were there can show us how that happened. Like a historian, a memoirist writes text, a word stemming from the Latin verb textere, to weave. There’s no text without context, without the whole tapestry to which a memoirist adds her square. When judged outside its context, a memoir is only half able to do its job of revealing not only the past, but the feel of the past. Having got beyond the stage of worrying about reputation, many an elderly memoirist claims the senior’s prerogative of frankness. What can they do to me now? Fire me? Disinherit me? Kill me?, they ask. They saw what they saw. Whether or not what they saw fits our own preferences, we need to acknowledge their testimony, and not expect them to trim their sails to fit the ideological crosswinds of today. Serious students of the past needn’t be afraid of being seen reading memoirs. The general reader isn’t afraid: according to Publishers Weekly, memoir enjoyed a surge in sales in the first decade of the twenty-first century and is still showing growth in this second decade. Memoirists’ freedom from academic trappings liberates them from history and literature as disciplines. Both disciplines have tended to look upon memoir as a poor cousin from the wrong side of the literary tracks, but a good memoirist will turn this to her advantage, by expressing herself in her personal style. All writers aim to impose order on the unruliness of experience. There is pleasure in life-review, in bringing half-forgotten experiences out of the dark corners of the mind into the light of day. There is pleasure for the reader in comparing notes with the author, and perhaps discovering a fellow traveller. This is energizing — but, for some social historians, the untrammelled pen of the memoirist creates anxiety. In ideological circles, some memoirs seem beyond the pale, and on campuses may be subjected to ideological chill. Yet, for the braver students of history, memoir is a treasure trove of detail. For the general reader, the pleasure lies in the narrative arc. Story-sharing behaviour is a vital part of social interaction, and, in Social: Why Our Brains are Wired to Connect, neuroscientist Matthew D. Lieberman explains this in evolutionary terms as providing a survival advantage. Our minds are inherently narrative. Gregory Berns found that the left temporal cortex (seat of emotion) lights up in brain scans when or just after a subject reads a story. Paul Zak found that reading narratives caused an increase in “happiness hormones” like oxytocin, which makes the reader empathetic toward characters — and real-life people, as he explains in “How Stories Change the Brain.” Who, a memoirist often asks, were my grandparents and great-grandparents, and who were theirs? Where did they come from, what historical episodes did they witness? Uncovering their stories creates a sense of continuity over generations for both writer and reader. We all had ancestors: go back far enough and we all had the same ones. History is created by everyone. It is not only the famous but the masses, whose attentions made them famous, who made each era what it was. Is a memoirist, who places herself in the role of the hero—or antihero—of her story merely an exhibitionist? Perhaps by presenting themselves as Exhibit #1, memoirists tacitly confirm that any review of or commentary on the world is at least partially subjective. History is all about movements and trends, but fundamentally it’s made up of the amalgamated doings of individuals, and life-writing adjusts the focus to the subjective point of view. There is fiction in autobiography and autobiography in fiction. Much fiction is memoir in disguise, and perhaps there’s a novelist trying to get into print within every memoirist. Both fiction and nonfiction use the narrative arc to tell their tales. Accurate witness statement and subtle fabrication work side by side in memoir and autobiography, and interpreting the dance between them makes detectives and psychologists of readers and writers both. Memoir, then, can be refreshingly vibrant, freewheeling and unencumbered by academic artifice and ideological correctness. It is a genre of subversion, a bulwark against thought-control. It is not always written in old age, of course, but often it’s an elder’s final Declaration of Mental Independence. Students attending universities that concern themselves with rights-talk and apology-offering in the name of inclusion and equity may accept a chill on their speech, but the elderly typically reject the option of self-censorship. In so doing, they may be the last of a species. Maybe we should provide a refuge for them inside the agora. Maybe, the serious reviewing media should set aside a protected critical niche for the historian who came in from the chill.

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Overleaf Memoirs has produced a Readers' Theatre script: "Land of Lake and Wood" -- which consists of monologues and dialogues drawn from Memoirs Project participants' life stories. Contributors were Canadian veterans and post-WWII immigrants to Canada. Performances by Alexandria Players have been well-received by audiences in community centres and retirement homes. To see the script or request a performance, contact sbjulian410@gmail.com.

Overleaf Books

20100624

Overleaf Books & Memoirs Service