Readers of Canadian literature will be saddened to hear of novelist and poet Robert Kroetsch's death at the age of 83.
Click here for the CBC news story, including a synopsis of his work.

Although Kroetsch was well-known for his fiction and poetry, he shows up in the non-fiction world, mostly musings and interviews about writing, including:

Abundance : the Mackie House conversations about the writing life
Summary: This conversation between Robert Kroetsch and John Lent is guided by love -- of the word, of stories, of reading, of teaching. These two veteran writers circle around the topic, returning to the centre, to the question "where's that damn story?"

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Labyrinths of voice : conversations with Robert Kroetsch
Summary: The voices of other novelists, poets, and critics participate in this series of conversations—they agree or disagree, illustrate or elaborate on Robert Kroetsch’s own words as he talks about literary influence, the importance of game theory in literature, the uses of myth, and approaches to narration.

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A Likely Story : the Writing Life by Robert Kroetsch
Summary: A Likely Story recounts the writing life of Robert Kroetsch, one of Canada's foremost writers and literary theorists. With incisive wit, humor and penetrating insight, Robert Kroetsch follows the events of his life, both real and literary, that have moved him from the bareness of desk and computer into the secret places at the heart of the writing experience. Throughout this chronicle, he toys ironically with the notion that he ceases to be himself when he writes, that writing allows him to escape from the confines of self into exciting varieties of the essay, story and poem.A Likely Story records in loving detail that escape. It is a remarkable assemblage of confessional personal essays, one of the principal elegiac poems of out time, a cowboy poem and speculative pieces that defy literary classification. Through them all Robert Kroetsch enters the landscape of recollection, discovery, delight, self-deception, play, grief and revelation, and through them all he insists with customary boldness: "I am attempting to write an autobiography in which I do not appear."

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Typing in Robert Kroetsch as an author search brings up all SILS holdings by him, including his many books of poetry.

Click here to see the post on the Fiction Files blog, highlighting Kroetsch's novels.

Anne Raina Author Reading
Monday, May 16, 2011
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Public Meeting Rm 1, Upper Level, Central Library
2311-12th Avenue

You are cordially invited to attend a reading by Anne Raina, author of Clara's Rib, the true story of a young girl coming of age in a tuberculosis hospital in the 1940s and `50s. Clara`s story focuses mainly on her years growing up in `the San` in Ottawa, Canada. Readers of all ages will be drawn into the evolving seasons of Clara`s life of courage, faith, pranks, laughter, first love, despair and hope from the time she enters the San as a pre-teen until her departure as a young woman in her mid-twenties. Discover why, when Clara left the San for the last time, one of her own ribs was packed in her suitcase.

Admission is free by pre-registration is required. To pre-register, please phone 777-6120.

Hardcovers $1
Paperbacks 50¢
Spoken Word $1
Movies $1
DVDs/CDs $1

No taxes, GST exempt.

Save even more when you fill up a RPL bag for $10.

For more details, visit www.reginalibrary.ca or call 777-6000.

Payment by cash or cheque only.

Elizabeth Taylor dies at age 79

Elizabeth Taylor became a leading child actress at the age of 12 when she starred in National Velvet. Her film canon includes such classics as Cleopatra, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Most famous for her violet eyes and eight marriages to seven husbands, Taylor was also admired and respected for her unwavering commitment to AIDS Research. The Hollywood film legend is survived by her four children, ten grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Find Elizabeth Taylor in the RPL Catalogue

Elizabeth Taylor Wikipedia Page

Elizabeth Taylor at IMDb

For those of you who missed the announcement a couple of weeks back (cause obviously we sort of did), Regina Public Library announced that Regina author Edward Willett will be its writer-in-residence for the 2011-2012 season, beginning on September 1, 2011 until May 31, 2012.

As writer-in-residence, Willett will be available for consultation with local writers looking for guidance on personal writing projects. He will also conduct public readings and workshops focused on serving and supporting the writing community in Regina.

Willett is the author of more than 40 non-fiction and fiction books, including Marseguro which won the Aurora Award for Best Canadian Science Fiction Novel in 2009.

Please note that all of Regina Public Library branches will be closed this Friday, October, 22 for a staff conference. We apologize for the inconvenience and will resume normal business hours starting on Saturday, October 23.

Regina Public Library now offers Mango Languages for free, easy and fun online language learning.

Mango is available in two versions:

Mango Basic:
Perfect for a beginner, Mango Basic teaches everyday greetings, gratitudes, goodbyes and helpful phrases in a short period of time. The courses, which require only two to five hours of time to complete, are currently available in 22 languages and 14 English as a Second Language (ESL) courses.

Mango Complete:
Mango Complete offers a 100-lesson course that digs much deeper and is designed to provide a more complete understanding of the entire language and culture. Courses include Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. ESL courses include Polish, Spanish and Portuguese.

Note: You will need a valid RPL library card number to use this resource.

There's nothing like reading a great book in the lazy days of summer, especially when you have a chance to win some great prizes...

Starting June 14, tell us the title of a book you've read and be entered to win $50 Book & Brier gift certificates. Regular draws will take place at all RPL locations throughout the months of July and August. The Grand Prize - an evening at Beer Bros Bakery & Cuisine along with tickets to the Globe Theatre - will be drawn on September 10.

So don't forget to pick up your entry forms from any RPL branch or if you prefer, bookmark this link to enter online.

This contest runs from June 14 to August 31 and is only open to Regina and area residents.

Monday, June 21, 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm, Downtown Regina

In honour of Aboriginal Day, Regina Public Library in partnership with the Regina Plains Museum and the Saskatchewan Writer's Guild, presents a walking tour of downtown sites connected with Riel's life, followed by a reading of his poetry by Jesse Archibald-Barber and other readers.

The agenda is as follows:

6:30 pm - 7:00 pm - Meet at Regina Plains Museum, 2nd floor, 1835 Scarth Street and view the displays

7:00 pm - Tour leaves the Regina Plains Museum

7:45 pm - 8:00 pm - Tour ends at RPL Film Theatre (lower level), Central Library

8:00 pm - Riel poetry reading, RPL Film Theatre

For more information or to register, call 777-6120.