Danny's story featured in contemporary dance work

Victoria dancer and choreographer Lori Hamar has produced a contemporary dance work, called Blood Line, based on the internment of Ukrainians during WWI.

Although she has Ukrainian blood herself, this was an event she knew nothing about. In the process of researching it, and her cultural heritage, she came across Kobzar's Children. She was touched by Danny's story, "Andriy's Break" which tells the story of an escapee from one of the internment camps. She then asked Marsha's permission to use spoken excerpts of it in her work, which debuted in Victoria last Sunday, January 30, 2011.

Audio edition out

An audio edition of Kobzar's Children: A Century of Untold Ukrainian Stories has been made for the CNIB.

To find the locations go here .

Kobzar's Children available in Winnipeg

If you're in Winnipeg you can get a copy of Kobzar's Children at Sevala's Ukrainian Deli.

While you're there, pick up a dozen or two of perogies and/or cabbage rolls.

Just fair warning, tho ... don't leave it till the last minute!

2nd Ukrainian Canadian premier presented with copy of Kobzar's Children

Last week I had the unexpected pleasure of meeting the Premier of Alberta while on a trip to Edmonton.

Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to throw a few copies of Kobzar's Children in my suitcase before I left "just in case." Did they ever come in handy!

Kobzar's Children available in Langley, BC

Today I dropped off some copies of Kobzar's Children: A Century of Untold Ukrainian Stories for Judy at Prairie Cottage Perogies in Langley. If you're in the area, you can pick up a copy (or two!) there.

World Storytelling Day in Vancouver

Two of the BC authors of Kobzar's Children, Danny Evanishen and Steve Petelycky, will be among the storytellers at Vancouver's World Storytelling Day 2007. The theme is The Wanderer.

Dr. Natalie Kononenko, Kule Chair of Ukrainian Ethnography at the University of Alberta will be giving a workshop on Ukrainian Minstrels, and will also have her excellent book, Ukrainian Minstrels: And the Blind Shall Sing, available for purchase and autograph.

Sonja Dunn

Last Wednesday, the UCPBA of Toronto hosted a book event for Kobzar's Children. Toronto contributor Sonja Dunn and I (Marsha Skrypuch) participated.

This was the first time that Sonja and I shared a launch and it was so much fun!

I chatted a bit about how the anthology came to be and then introduced Sonja. She held the audience captive as she read her story, Changing Graves.

Usually when I have done Kobzar events, contributors each only read a page or so from their story, but because it was just me and Sonja, I figured she should read her entire story. There isn't a good place to stop it and it's short and hilarious. The audience was in stitches.

Sonja has a fabulous presentation persona because she had her own TV show for 29 years. It was a pleasure to hear Changing Graves in the author's own voice.

I answered questions after her reading. There was an interesting and lively discussion.

Hardcover sold out

Well, it's official. There is not a single hardcover copy of Kobzar's Children left in the Fitzhenry & Whiteside warehouse. Contributor Stefan Petelycky wanted to order a case of hardcovers, but there were only 7 left. He snapped those up and ordered the rest of the case in softcovers. There aren't many of those left either. I'm hoping when they reprint, they'll do it in both hard and soft.