Writers share a stage

The Markin-Flanagan writer-in-residence program is a jewel in Calgary’s literary crown, bringing respected writers to the University of Calgary for consultations with aspiring writers and to work on projects.

To celebrate the changing of the guard, outgoing resident and travel writer Marcello Di Cintio and incoming resident, poet and translator Oana Avasilichioaei will share the Arrata Opera Centre stage for a joint reading.

Di Cintio’s current project examines communities that “live in the shadows of walls, fences and other ‘hard’ barriers.” Avasilichioaei’s recently completed work, entitled We, Beasts, “composes debauched poetic tales about a child, a tyrant and a wolfbat.” Put those two together and you have one interesting literary event.

Thursday, September 16 at the Arrata Opera Centre.

A wizened Suzuki heads to church

David Suzuki is a Canadian institution. His ongoing work on TV, his multiple books and his environmental advocacy as chair of the David Suzuki Foundation have all cemented his place in the nation’s collective consciousness.

In his latest book, The Legacy: An Elder’s Vision for Our Sustainable Future, Suzuki reflects upon and shares his accumulated knowledge. The Legacy looks at how our current environmental mess (writ large) was created, and lays out a more eco-friendly direction for the future.

Suzuki will be in Calgary, presented by WordFest, at the Knox United Church downtown on Tuesday, September 21.