The writer Betsy Warland discusses in-betweeness, writing, and her memoir Oscar of Between: A Memoir of Identity and Ideas (Daggar Editions, 2016), with Joseph Planta.

Oscar of Between: A Memoir of Identity and Ideas by Betsy Warland (Dagger Editions, 2016). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Oscar of Between

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, at TheCommentary.ca.

Starting today is across British Columbia until the November 7th, there’ll be a series of events as part of Read Local BC, the second annual, two-week long campaign to promote British Columbians to read local books, visit local libraries and local bookstores. There’ll be a number of events, including a free one next Wednesday, 02 November 2016 at 7pm, at the Book Warehouse at 4118 Main Street. It’s called Writing the Body, and it’ll feature previous guests to the program Maureen Palmer and Mike Pond, and my guest now, Betsy Warland. Betsy’s new book is Oscar of Between: A Memoir of Identity and Ideas. It’s gotten a lot of good notices. I’ll get Betsy to tell us about this book which looks at her experience of in-betweeness, from her childhood in the rural Midwest, through to her first queer kiss in 1978, divorce, coming out, writing, the writing community here in Vancouver and more. Betsy Warland is the author of 12 books of poetry, creative nonfiction, lyric prose, including the bestseller, Breathing the Page: Reading the Act of Writing. She has taught creative writing workshops for over 35 years, and is on the faculty of Simon Fraser University’s The Writer’s Studio. She is the founder of the Vancouver Manuscript Intensive program, and for over 25 years has consulted and edited manuscripts professionally. Betsy was a 2016 recipient of the Mayor’s Arts Award for Literary Arts. The website for more is at www.betsywarland.com. It’s on there that Betsy cultivated an interactive salon, where pieces of the manuscript for Oscar of Between were posted and commented upon by salon readers. This new book, published by Caitlin Press’s new imprint Dagger Editions. And do drop in to other Read Local BC events, Thursday the 3rd also at the Book Warehouse on Main, Caroline Adderson, Aaron Chapman and Eve Lazarus will be presenting. And our pal Chris Brayshaw’s Pulpfiction Books at Main and Broadway will be hosting an evening with poets, Tuesday, November 1st. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Betsy Warland; Ms. Warland, good morning.

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