| |
|
Reviews for Searching for the April Moon Jean Rysstad, author of Travelling In and Home Fires writes: In this collection of linked personal essays, Nancy Robertson has created a beautiful braid, weaving strands of the lives of her aging parents and her own past with the on-going, ever-present now. Whether she is walking home from the hospital on a rainy north coast afternoon or combing Baja beaches, she searches for insights into life’s big questions and contradictions. It is a pleasure to wander and wonder with her and to recognize, in the end, how entwined we all are. Rita
Moir, author of Hubert Evans Award winner Buffalo Jump and the shortlisted
The Windshift Line: A Father and Daughter's Story writes: Return to Searching for the April Moon
Reviews for the weather from the west Check out Northword’s story on the weather from the west From BC BookWorld: Since 1998, Creekstone Press in Smithers has resolutely not operated as a back-to-the-land press that encourages everyone to make log houses or provides home-birthing techniques for cattle. Run by Lynn Shervill and Sheila Peters, Creekstone has endured for nine years as the lone, ongoing, situated-in-northern-B.C. imprint within the Association of Book Publishers of B.C. ever since the untimely death in 2005 of Cynthia Wilson, who managed Caitlin Press from Prince George. Caitlin continues to publish writers from central B.C., but its headquarters have shifted to the Sunshine Coast. Thus far Creekstone has released nine books of non-fiction, fiction, poetry, photography and painting. Theirs is a modest but realistic mandate: roughly one book per year. Their newest title, the weather from the west ($24), is an overtly artsy book of 42 poems by Sheila Peters and 23 paintings by Perry Rath—a sophisticated “synergistic” interplay between landscape, heart and mind. Creekstone books attempt to do nothing less than reflect life in northwestern B.C. from places such as the Bulkley Valley, Smithers, the Hazeltons, Vanderhoof, the Kispiox Valley, Terrace, the Skeena and Bulkley watersheds, the Spatsizi or Tatlatui Wilderness Parks, Haida Gwaii, the Nechako and Fraser watersheds, the Inside Passage and other traditional Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en territory—almost half the province. Sometimes, maybe those of us below the 50th parallel should think of ourselves as the sub-boonies.
Reviews for In the Land of the Red Goat – eight months on BC’s Bestseller List! Bill Otway writes in The Outdoor Edge, British Columbia (January/February 2007): "If [you like] stories of hunting, fishing and the history of both in the…Spatsizi, plus an insight into the greatness of the valley of the Stikine, then Bob Henderson’s first book, In the Land of the Red Goat, is a must read for you. Bob takes us on a grand tour through history of the changing times, methods of doing business in the hunting and fishing field and through it all his love and passion for the country, the wilderness and the people, comes through loud and clear."
Mark Forsythe writes in BC Bookworld: "Bob
Henderson’s weathered paw is extended as he steps into the studio,
his grip firm, manner direct, but he’s a bit apprehensive. He is
too far from his natural habitat. There is too much traffic, too much
concrete.
Larissa Ardis writes in Northword Magazine: "Bob Henderson is a storyteller that exemplifies the oral tradition. Until recently he’d never written these things down, but over the years of telling these stories repeatedly, they still contain an astonishing amount of detail… detail which squares with the memories of other people who were there,” says Shervill. “We knew these stories had to be recorded and shared more broadly, and that Bob had to be the one to do it.” Creekstone is celebrating the fact that Red Goat has recently become their fourth title to crack BC’s top-10 best-seller lists—and it’s not surprising. In the Land of the Red Goat offers a compelling account of an adventurous life and a valuable contribution to local history."
Larry Pynn in The Vancouver Sun (October 14, 2006) writes: "In the Land of the Red Goat is interesting both for author Bob Henderson’s reminiscences about his life as a hunting guide in Northern B.C. and for his version of historical events involving a far more legendary guide one generation ahead of him, the late Tommy Walker...Ultimately, In the Land of the Red Goat is …a good read for anyone interested in the lay of the land and its people in one of B.C.’s most fascinating regions."
Preview for "Bob Henderson was present in the Spatsizi when many seminal events unfolded and he gives us considerable insight into the character and personalities of so many individuals who have become legends in the north. It's a wonderful account."
- Wade Davis - author, explorer, and ethnobotanist who also worked as a guide and park ranger in BC's northwest
Reviews for home when it moves you"Gillian Wigmore's poems are place-literate, fully flexed, often suspenseful. When she writes of the life and death of northern people and northern rivers, you love and grieve." – Fred Stenson, award winning filmmaker and author of The Trade and Lightning. “What a wonderful fresh voice Gillian brings to the page. These wise poems know the push and pull within family. They reveal the tender truths behind the rough edges of small town life. Her voice resonates with authenticity, and whether she is writing about a near drowning or ice fishing, she is ultimately writing about the complications of love. Her poetry is rooted in the rugged and challenging terrain of northern British Columbia but she renders it all with grace and beauty. These are poems you will not soon forget.” Robert Hilles, Governor-General's Award-winning writer. ”In [Jill’s] remarkable first collection of poems, as richly layered as the landscapes that triggered them, literal currents and undercurrents, highways and migratory routes and creatures with homing and survival instincts -- all tend to act out the core speaker's emotions, her anxieties and hopes for herself and her child, her memories of her mother and grandmother, even as she tries to define her place in the world. Awe and anxiety often stem from the same source: the bridge from which one can fish also allows cars to plunge from it. The beautiful lake surface conceals depths in which one can drown. Small and large events lead to story, but the characters in it are interchangeable. Gradually, the speaker – in her several guises, now fiercely maternal, now bluster-and-strut male, now mythical or reflecting on the nature of myth – comes to realize that the home which both pulls her and pushes her away is less place than event. Her place lies in time, with its seasonal certainties and ritual assurances, and in which daughter gives way to family, individual to species, to larger, more constant nature. Heraclitus may have been right about that river, but, as with this chapbook, one comes back and back to it. – Derk Wynand, poet, translator and University of Victoria Department of Creative Writing teacher."
Reviews for Returning the Feathers “These stories will appeal to children and adults alike as they encompass the birth of the first Gitxsan, as well as the origins of the blue jay’s chatter, the mosquito’s revenge and the porcupine’s crankiness. And they provide a window through which to see and learn about the vibrant Gitxsan culture.” – Matt Pearson, Smithers Interior News “There are Native books you buy to learn the culture that surrounds us; Returning The Feathers will teach about indigenous beliefs, yes, and it’s salty, vital and accomplished to boot.” – John Burns, The Georgia Straight “Whether Returning The Feathers is a children’s storybook or is worthy of a permanent spot on the coffee table, thanks to [Ken] Mowatt’s original art work and the cadence of Smith’s storytelling voice, is up to readers to decide. – Heather Ramsay, The Vancouver Sun “These stories serve to connect Smith to her ancestors, and give her readers a taste of the rich cultural heritage of the Gitxsan people.” – Canadian Teacher Magazine
Reviews for The Rosemary Suite "As the editor of a newsletter for women with breast cancer, I see many articles reflecting their individual journeys. This story touched me. It portrays a friend’s life, the ending of that life, and gives us insight into the challenges facing those who assist a person in the dying process. The interaction of Barnwell’s poetry, journal entries and drawings depicts the fullness of her friend Rosemary’s life even as it enters its last stages." -Deborah Rusch, Alliance for Breast Cancer, Vancouver, B.C. "Leslie Barnwell, employing an intricate dance of poems, journal entries and drawings, chronicles the illness and death of a close friend. The narrative tone is direct and caring; sad without sentimentality; warm and insightful. The book rises off the particular to explore the rich emotional geography of love and friendship, and ultimately takes the reader into the thorny, elusive territory that conjoins life and death." -Jean McKay, author of Exploded View and The Page-turner's Sister “This book is the kind of remembrance that doesn’t fade. Richly textured, filled with joy and fire as well as sorrow and loss, it’s a remarkable tribute from a remarkable friend and offers deep lessons for the rest of us in what true amity means.” -Stephen Hume, The Vancouver Sun, November 2002. “This is not a story of heroics, but of ordinary people dealing with fear and loss and rage through love and courage. It speaks of riches that cannot be bartered or traded, riches that accumulate with love and generosity, and that feed us in ways we cannot name.” -Chris Yates, Connections Magazine, Winter 2002/2003 “The book offers an insight that does not compromise because Barnwell has resisted the temptation to edit out elements ... that speak of the frailty and vulnerability that one cannot avoid when it comes to death.” -Monica Lamb-Yorski, The Prince Rupert Daily News, December 2002 “Tenderness and love are pitted against pain and fear. The reader encounters the author’s sense of awe, both at her friend’s strength and at death’s determined counter-force.” -Raine Reece, The Interior News, Smithers, B.C., November 2002
Reviews for A Small and Charming World From Today "Gibson is an astonishingly graceful writer. He’s got an eye like a camera lens." -Terry Glavin, The Georgia Straight, November 2001 "The book is a vivid document of the recent past and, as the editors of the new edition point out, it’s an eloquent argument for Gibson’s guiding philosophy: to learn – not teach. His willingness to accept people on their own terms ... sets this story apart, making it a timeless document of what he encountered." -Jennifer Lang, The Terrace Standard, October 2001 "Gibson demonstrates his respect for people, their cultures and values in each word, paragraph and chapter of this book." -Daniel Smith, Treaty Negotiator, Kwakiutl Laich-Kwil-Tach Nations Treaty Society, March 2001 "Having first read the book as local history, I now recognize it also has literary elegance. It is a classic." -Neil Sterrit, Gitksan consultant and author of Tribal Boundaries in The Nass Watershed – February 2001 From The Archives "I have read a lot about Indians, but Gibson’s moving narrative has made me aware of my ignorance." -E.D. Ward-Harris, The Daily Colonist, Victoria, December 31, 1972 "[Gibson’s book] is a sensitive experience, a sensory experience, a sensible experience." -Mike Grenby, The Vancouver Sun, February 2, 1973 "Gibson’s acute perception of the people he meets is mirrored in the pages of this book." -John Manning, The Sidney Review, November 1, 1972
"You can't judge a book by its cover, I joked with Craig at Misty River Books, but I'm sure a nice one helps them sell. We were talking about a beautiful book that hit the shelves in June, creekstones: words & images. Published by Creekstone Press in Smithers, B.C., this collection of short stories, poetry and photographs is made up from the works of 27 writers and seven photographers living, at least at the time the call for submissions went out, in the Northwest. The book calls out to be picked up so that you can stroke its smooth white cover and peruse the photographed rock collection on its flap jacket. At first I was unsure whether or not it could live up to its sophisticated dress and all the suggestions that its title evoked. My fears were put to rest at first read. I meant to read just one poem and I had things to do and planned to sit down and read the book properly, cover to cover, after dinner. But just as a stroll down a beach with the vow, just one more pebble, is of no avail, I end up with full pockets, so was my resolve to read just one more page, glance at one more picture. I meandered through pages, stopping, when caught by an image or phrase, to read the whole bit. It was a rumbling torrent of words and images as satisfying and emotional, as mystifying and inspiring as a walk by a river is. Every sense wakened in a rush of thoughts, fluid as water and as interesting as glimmering stones, each one intriguing on its own but when discovered all together, a wonder. I have read every word and stared at every picture, marveling at the stories that come from a camera's lens. I've read some things multiple times, turning the words over in my mind just as I would a smooth stone in my pocket. I was a 13-year-old girl, hoping with a desperate fervor that doing things just so would make all go well for my brother and keep him from dying in Angela Dorsey's The Crossing Dance. I got to revisit North Beach in the Charlottes, to walk again upon its shore and to feel the confusion and the dreams of people I met in The Belair Beach Bar Roundup by Sheila Peters. Val Napoleon's non-fiction piece, Being Frank's Sister, inspired sadness but left me with hope as it grappled with the issues of addiction, violent crime, societal responsibility and restorative justice. Delores, by Grace Hols, made me cry for my own mother, my sister and for myself. I want to tell you about the poems of Marc Arellano that moved me, the words of Judy McCloskey that hit a chord of recognition inside me and other poems that caused me to see the world or myself differently, but I'm running out of room and you'll have to read them for yourself. Books broaden your world and make your universe bigger but the reverse is true as well. Books shrink the space between time, and people and places. They allow you to see things, to visit areas and have experiences that sometimes your reality prohibits. In creekstones you have the pleasure of home, you recognize the landscapes, have had the conversations and the worries of the characters that you meet but you also get to voyage far away, across the province, across the country, even into Mexico and that is just in words. Photographs will take you to places as familiar and loved as Midsummer Festival and to places that for some of us are only dreamed of: Wales, Australia, England. Each piece in this book belongs and makes it something wonderful. A creek bed filled with natural wealth, a perfect stone just waiting to be found." -Ev Bishop, Terrace Standard, October 2000
"Fresh out of Aberdeen University, Kenneth Macrae Leighton arrived at Alert Bay to begin a distinguished medical career in 1952. Smitten by the BC coastline, he resolved to one day explore it under his own steam, slowly. Some 39 years later his wife Nancy saw him off from Jericho Beach in the Morag Anne, a hand-built cedar rowing boat that was named for a daughter who never arrived. In the summer of 1991 Leighton rowed north to Cape Caution, across from Port Hardy, and rowed back home again; in the summer of 1993 he rowed from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert. From the launch of his boat to the launch of Leighton's book took most of the decade. Oar & Sail is Leighton's account of his 859-kilometre adventure averaging two knots per hour. He stayed out of shipping lanes, bucked wind and tides, and mainly ate Japanese noodles, biscuits and Cream of Wheat. 'It's a long way to Alert Bay and twice as far to Prince Rupert', says Leighton, 'but time and distance are not worth thinking about. The sun is coming out. I have no deadlines. It's great to be alive.' Other mariners weren't sure what to make of the lone figure bent over the oars. Typically a cabin cruiser would pull up to make sure Leighton wasn't having a heart attack, then speed away again. Full days of rowing left him knackered but in good spirits. He could always dig into his 'emergency only' parcel supplied by a friend. It contained his favourite Royal Navy chocolate, sardines, and joy upon joy, a bottle of Glenlivet malt whiskey no less. Which has been known to raise the dead on more than one occasion, or so I have been told. Leighton points out landmarks and provides historical notes behind place names such as Broughton, Johnstone and Chatham. In Surge Narrows the good doctor gets the scare of his life, becoming trapped in a whirlpool for five frightening hours. This teaches him to scrutinize his charts and tide tables with extra rigour. Sometimes during his first voyage our not-so-ancient mariner pushed himself too hard, always in the grip of determination to reach the next beckoning island. I have few regrets but, as I write, I can see a constant error threading its way throughout. The goal appears to have been everything. This is foolish and very short-sighted. I must live with my mistake. Leighton heeded his own counsel on the second journey and took more time for new friendships on the water, accepting a tow when badly needed or a bag of freshly baked oatmeal cookies. With calloused hands and Gaelic wit, he propelled Morag Anne all the way to Prince Rupert's harbour. The former head of anaesthesia at UBC Hospital, Ken Leighton died suddenly in June, 1998 of complications related to hepatitis C." -Mark Forsythe, BC Bookworld, Spring 2000
Leighton had always been active. He ran marathons, climbed mountains, and traveled compulsively, letting his working life lead him to New Zealand, Sweden, Africa, South and Central America. Of his early years in Canada - Leighton was a Scot - he practiced in Alert Bay and Smithers. It was in Alert Bay he got his first taste of the coast. He had always promised himself, said his wife, Nancy, he would explore that part of B.C. He had always loved to row, toiling from Tsawwassen to Victoria a couple of times with Nancy, and as far north with her as Desolation Sound. This time, the trip would be more arduous. So he commissioned the building of the Morag Anne. Fourteen feet from bow to stern, she was a scaled-down model of the boat that Captain William Bligh, master of the Bounty, commandeered 5,800 kilometres after being set adrift in the Pacific by Fletcher Christian and his band of mutineers. Built of cedar, she was fitted with a collapsible awning Leighton could sleep under, and a single mast and sail. Like all captains Leighton kept a logbook of the trip. It begins with guarded optimism, blisters and the utter joy of traveling alone. By this stage of the voyage, I am well settled into the routine of rowing all day or most of it. My hands are comfortably calloused and the old muscles don't creak too much. It is a grand life, and as a bonus, the sun shines every day. The solitude, the water, the magic of adventure crystallize into moments of utter beauty. Hurricane winds hit in open water as he approaches Cape Caution north of Vancouver Island. Like Ulysses, Poseidon thwarts his way. Leighton, dogged by bad weather, rows back to Vancouver. He takes a year off, traveling to Uganda for six months to work for CARE. He returns and in 1993 tries again, launching from Port Hardy. This time Cape Caution offers benign seas. I know I am going to make it this time. Just keep on rowing, steady and hard and I will get it behind me, once and for all. It is a tremendous feeling that makes me long for my companion. Sharing these moments of triumph is more satisfying than their solitary enjoyment. When you have been married as long as I have, such moments cry out for sharing. Rowing up the Inside Passage, he makes Prince Rupert, not too proud to accept a tow from a yacht for the last leg of his trip. He pines for Nancy, his Penelope. All odysseys end, of course, but Leighton, at least, had the satisfaction of completing his. Nancy's last words to me were, he wrote as he pushed off from Port Hardy at the beginning of his second attempt, Remember, you're to enjoy this. Don't feel you must go hurrying on, you've got no deadline. Make the most of it. But above all, enjoy it. Good advice."
Nov. 12, 1998 Please be advised that the Office of the Wet'suwet'en fully endorse the Canyon Creek story that was authored by Sheila Peters and Meg Hobson. The authors recently displayed it at a meeting in Smithers that was attended by a majority of Wet'suwet'en Chiefs and the Chiefs agreed with the story. As our elders
who testified in the Delgamuukw Courtcase will attest very little of our
history was written down in any format, therefore it is important that
books such as the Canyon Creek story be exposed to as wide an audience
as possible. "I wasn't going to review Canyon Creek; a script, the fine combination of Sheila Peters' writing and Megan Hobson's illustration. I'm not well enough informed about land claims and valley history to evaluate this book, I reasoned. My taste in art and illustration is strictly gut reaction. Could I offer informed comment? But this is a beautiful book about issues that reach beyond their Bulkley Valley settings. I enjoyed it so much I wanted to talk about it. But this book eludes lazy, easy definitions; makes reviewing challenging; forces one to reach beyond standard, initial labels. It's not conventional history. It's also neither essay nor fiction. This is the story of the eviction of some Wet'suwet'en people from their homes along Canyon Creek. Peters calls her version a script. The format allows evocative, thought-provoking narration of events which shattered lives. Narration gained from personal aboriginal accounts, testimony and accounts of missionaries, surveyors and white settlers is dovetailed with musing commentary. Peters' images in words complement the images Hobson has created with archival photographs. The script format allows delightful roaming though time and place, gives Peters a vantage point from which to explore and comment on these human and cultural tragedies. It also serves as a challenge to our preconceptions of history. The history student in me repeatedly lowered my gaze in search of footnotes, instinctively sought captions despite assurance that the images were used for evocative visual qualities only. The format puts the issues in broader context too, that of our views of aboriginal people, of the western movie and novel, of images of pioneers. Canyon Creek: a script is also very much a personal story by an author living near Canyon Creek with a sense of the history of her yard and the urge to comment on it. This book will be seized upon for causes, but it should be read most of all for its ability to prompt thoughtful examination of our past." -Tom Leach Interior News Sept. 23, 1998
|
 Home |
Creekstone Press | Publications |
Reviews |
"What
compelled [Leighton] to do this, his family cannot explain exactly. He
liked to travel, they say, and enjoyed hard work for its own sake. But
those are traits, not essence. Why row? Why the needless risk? What, really,
propelled Ulysses to Troy? 
