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Learning Canadian History in Brantford, Ontario

We arrived in Brantford this afternoon and spent several hours photographing and learning about the early history of Brantford (Brant's Ford) from S. Minsos, the author of Squire Davis and the Crazy River (to be published this fall by Spotted Cow Press).

The Mohawk Chapel, was built in 1785 and given to the Mohawk people led by Chief Joseph Brant. Brant's tomb and a boulder with a plaque honouring the poet E. Pauline Johnson are located adjacent to the chapel.

   

The photography and (my) learning continues tomorrow. Please drop by: same time, same place.

History, Literature, Squire Davis and the Crazy River

Squire Davis and the Crazy River

I'm preparing for my first road trip of the year, a three day trip in and around Brantford, photographing for Squire Davis and the Crazy River, an historical novel by S. Minsos which we (Spotted Cow Press) will be publishing this fall.

I'm Canadian: I studied Canadian history in school: and yet I know very little about the history of Ontario in the mid-1800s. I've learned a lot from this novel about that history, and will learn more this coming week.

One of the our reviewers wrote: "Canadians have willful blind spots. I wonder whether we are ready to read about Ruthven and the Grand River Navigation Company boondoggle. That being said, what a story!"

I'll be writing blog entries on this trip, including photographs and more details about the book.

Spotted Cow Press

Mixed Models for Publishing and Learning

The blogosphere has been full of excellent discussions of how electronic publishing will or will not, should or should not, replace paper publishing. Most of the discussion has focused on an either-or scenario: we'll have paper books or electronic books; we'll have paper newspapers or we'll read the news on a screen. The future of publishing, learning and new technology will be far more promising and more complex than some of us expect.

The good news is that we have choices and that we can access information and knowledge in many different ways. We can now receive news and other information on our iPhones or other devices while we're on buses or while we're sitting in coffee shops. We can watch conference presentations on our iPods and on our computers.

Most of us are now creators on the web as well as consumers. We write blogs, various types of messages and we produce podcasts, both video and audio. Our comments and our content can be read by people throughout the world.

Most newspapers are still producing paper products and are also online. I can still subscribe (and I do) to various newspapers and I can read these same newspapers online. I have a choice. Each day two newspapers are delivered to my door, one local and one from Toronto. On Sunday or Monday the weekend New York Times is dropped at my door. I also subscribe to the Maple Creek News, a bi-weekly paper from my home town.

But I also read headlines and stories from most of these papers online, via applications on my iPhone or Twitter messages. Paper products and electronic messages each serve a role.

Paper books continue to be available in thousands of bookstores in North America, and online, at reasonable prices. Many of these are also available electronically. We choose which format works best for us.

We have many options with regard to learning, and some of these are free. We depend on a combination of formal and informal learning. Even formal face-to-face learning can work effectively in conjunction with distance and e-learning: but most schools and universities in Canada and in many other countries have not supported mixed models of education.

Change is healthy and exciting, and it brings more choice, not less. Paper books, film cameras, newspapers and other tried and true technologies will still be used by some people if they choose them and pay for them. Mixed models of paper and e-books, face-to-face learning and podcasts, and film and digital photography are working.

If you like paper newspapers and books, buy them. If you prefer to use other ways of being informed and communicating with others, use your iPod or computer. The combination of paper and e-products gives us options that could not have been dreamt of even a few years ago. And it will only get more more exciting.

Resources for Presenters

Garr Reynolds is one of my favourite bloggers. His blog Presentation Zen and his book of the same name have changed the way his readers view and produce visual presentations. I'm always delighted to see that he has a new posting.

When Garr gets excited about a book ("Brain Rules is one of the most informative, engaging and useful books of our time. Required reading for every educator and every business person.") I'm interested.

In his blog entry entitled Brain Rules for PowerPoint & Keynote Presenters Reynolds discussed the book and shares with us a set of 131 slides which he created using his excellent presentation skills and the ideas of Dr. John Medina, the author of Brain Rules. It can be viewed or downloaded.

In my opinion this slide presentation should be required viewing for anyone teaching or giving presentations. I'll watch it again: and I'll also buy the books by Medina and Reynolds.

Presentations

Bookmaker: NPR Discusses the Espresso Book Machine

On Friday, November 23, National Public Radio (NPR) interviewed Jason Epstein and others involved in the development of OnDemand Books and the Espresso Book Machine (EBM) on their On the Media program. It's an exciting story: 'Any book, anywhere, any time.'

There are four EBM units in the world, one of which is being moved from the New York Public Library to the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester Center, Vermont. The machine that was at the World Bank is now at the Library of New Orleans where it is helping to replace books washed away by Hurricane Katrina, and another – the newest EBM – is at the University of Alberta Bookstore.

On the Media is an excellent program, one which can be heard or downloaded directly from the website as an MP3 or accessed later as a podcast. This item on the EBM is part of a program called One for the Book, which also includes a review of Amazon's new electronic book reader.

A Book Launch With A Difference: Poet Joyce Harries Meets the Espresso Book Machine

On Thursday, November 15, 2007, Spotted Cow Press launched Joyce Harries' first book of poetry – Twice in a Blue Moon: Poems by Joyce Harries – at the University of Alberta Bookstore in Edmonton. It's a fine volume of verse and Joyce presented it well. Friends and fellow poets came to hear her read and to provide support for this significant event (click here to download a sample of Joyce's poetry from the book ).

There were others in the crowd who came not only to hear Joyce read but to see the new Espresso Book Machine work. Joyce's book was the first trade book produced by the machine. Todd Anderson, Director of the award-winning University of Alberta Bookstore, discussed the machine and how he had decided that he would try to buy a machine after he and Jerome heard Jason Epstein of OnDemand Books discuss the Espresso Book Machine at the Fourth International Conference on the Book in Boston in October, 2006.

There are four Espresso Book Machines in the world at the moment: in addition to this machine there are units operating at the Library at Alexandria in Egypt, the World Bank and the New York Public Library.

Jerome Martin, Publisher at Spotted Cow Press, introduced Todd, who welcomed guests to the Bookstore. Jerome then introduced Joyce who read poems from the different sections in the book. The crowd enjoyed the reading so much that they asked her to read more – and she did.

While Joyce signed books Todd Anderson demonstrated the Espresso Book Machine to a large crowd, including several Alberta publishers. There were cheers and applause when the crowd saw the first book drop from the machine.

The Espresso Book Machine will allow publishers, writers, poets, academics, family historians and others to create and produce small runs on-demand. The unit cost of running one book is the same as that of running 63 or 630 books. It's fast and easy. And it's fun to watch.

Photo Credits: Peter Johnston

The Espresso Book Machine in Action

Jeff Holubitsky of The Edmonton Journal wrote an excellent article about the new Espresso Book Machine (EBM) at the University of Alberta Bookstore. The article, which appeared on the front page of today's Journal, includes information about Spotted Cow Press's book launch on November 15 at which the EBM will be printing copies of Joyce Harries' new book of poetry. There is also a link in the article to a video of the machine in operation at the Bookstore.
We are very excited about the EBM and the book launch. Having this new technology available for short-run books is the best thing that has happened to Alberta publishing in years.

New Technology, New Opportunities: The Espresso Book Machine Arrives At The University of Alberta Bookstore

A year ago (October, 2006) Todd Anderson, Director of the University of Alberta Bookstore, and I travelled to Boston to present a paper at The Fourth International Conference of the Book. Our paper, Competing With Free, discussed the trend towards using websites instead of textbooks in classes. Our paper surprised some of the people who attended our session, but what was most impressive about the conference was the presentation given by Jason Epstein. Epstein, a veteran of the book industry who also has a clear vision of a new future for it, is one of the people responsible for the development of OnDemand Books and the Espresso Book Machine. He talked about how the Espresso could produce a book, bound and trimmed, in as little as a minute, and how this technology can change the publishing industry.
Todd chatted with Jason after the presentation, and, as a result of that conversation, decided to buy an Espresso Book Machine for the University of Alberta Book Store. Todd's a man of vision and action: and today, one year and one week after hearing the story of this unique machine he saw the first books produced by the Espresso at the University of Alberta Bookstore. He and his staff were delighted with the results.
We at Spotted Cow Press are also very pleased that this machine – the most advanced Espresso unit manufactured thus far – is located at the U of A Bookstore. We are launching Twice in a Blue Moon: Poems by Joyce Harries on November 15, 2007, 7:00 PM at the Bookstore; books will be produced by the Espresso Book Machine during the launch. If you would like to attend please go to the Blue Moon page, download an invitation and notify us if you're coming so that we can make a name tag for you.
Joyce, an Edmonton poet and writer, will be reading from her book. She's very excited about seeing her book produced on site – the first trade book printed by the bookstore's Espresso machine.
I'll be writing more about the Espresso Book Machine and its potential. In the meantime, congratulations to Todd Anderson and the U of A Bookstore for seeing the potential of bringing this machine, the only one in Canada and one of just a few in the world, to Edmonton.

The results: books, and a very happy Todd Anderson

The Joy of Reading

This is Literacy Week in my city, and today I had the pleasure of reading The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier and A Hero Named Howe by Mike Leonetti to a group of Grade Four and Grade Five students at James Gibbons School.
I love being read to and I love reading to other people. These students were very attentive and interested in the books and in hockey in general (It is our national sport). Reading to a group is similar to telling stories around a campfire – but we need good stories and audiences which are interested. I was fortunate to have both.
We had time for questions, and the students were not shy about asking them.

'How old are you?'
'Do you like to read?'

'Is hockey your favourite sport?'
'Did you play hockey?'
'Did you play in a big league?'

'How do you publish a book?'
'How do you make the typing so neat?'
'How do you make the words so small?'
'Tell us more about publishing a book.'
'If I had a book to publish where would I take it?'

Spending time with these young students today was a privilege. They are so excited about learning, so keen about life: and their enthusiasm is contagious.

p-books and e-books

Rob Preece suggests that paper books are for decoration and e- books are for reading. Most of us who love paper books – and read them – may disagree, but it's an interesting idea.