• Christopher Johnson, Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media
• John Walker, Department of Psychology (adjunct)
• David Williams, Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media
• Arlene Young, Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media

Citations are as follows:

Dr. Christopher Johnson BA, MA (UBC), PhD (Leeds)

Dr. Chris Johnson has had an enduring impact on the theatre program at the University of Manitoba and on Winnipeg’s vibrant theatre community. Over the three decades of his career, he produced a remarkable body of work as a writer, director and advisor.

Dr. Christopher Johnson BA, MA (UBC), PhD (Leeds)

Dr. Johnson joined the department of English, film and theatre in 1979, serving as coordinator of the theatre program until 2008. He brought to all of his tasks a quiet and piercing intelligence, good humour and generosity of spirit.

An outstanding teacher and mentor, Dr. Johnson developed and taught over 14 new courses and supervised both critical and creative graduate work. He published plays and book reviews, served on editorial boards and presented many papers and public addresses on plays, performance and directing.

With a publication record of over 35 articles, chapters and scholarly encyclopedia entries on Canadian theatre, he is considered a national expert on the work of playwright George Walker, about whom he wrote several articles and a book.

Over his distinguished career, Dr. Johnson was active in theatre productions and leadership capacities. He directed or acted in over 40 theatrical productions, both on and off campus. He was key to the organization and success of the annual Royal MTC Master Playwrights Festival and contributed extensively to Theatre Projects Manitoba.

Dr. Johnson’s creative and scholarly work was supported and celebrated by the Canada Council and by University Creative Grants, Major Outreach and Merit Awards. He was a significant champion of the new John J. Conklin Theatre in the Gail Asper Performing Arts Hall. He recently received the Winnipeg Theatre Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award for Theatre Educator.

The University of Manitoba is honoured to confer upon Dr. Chris Johnson the title of Professor Emeritus.

Dr. John Walker, BA hon., MA, PhD (Manitoba)

Dr. John Walker has had a profound impact on the availability and delivery of mental health services in Manitoba. He influenced a generation of clinical psychologists and other colleagues in the mental health field, and is recognized internationally for his work in anxiety and knowledge translation.

Dr. Walker joined the University in 1980. He retired from his clinical position with the Regional Health Authority in 2014 after 34 years of distinguished service. An exemplary clinician-scientist, he continues as a fulltime researcher in the department of clinical health psychology in the Max Rady College of Medicine.

In the early 1980s, he established the first anxiety disorder clinic in Manitoba at St. Boniface Hospital, integrating research and clinical services. He was a founding member of the boards of the Anxiety Disorders Association in Manitoba, and later Anxiety Canada.

A prolific researcher, Dr. Walker was lead investigator or co- investigator on over $10 million in research grants. He authored or co-authored 150 articles and book chapters, a practitioner’s treatment guide and two books. He was an outstanding clinical teacher and research mentor who supervised over 100 students from multiple health disciplines, encompassing the spectrum from undergraduates to postdoctoral fellows.

For his notable contributions to the field, he was recognized twice by the Canadian Mental Health Association, in 1988 with the National President’s Award and in 1993 with the President’s Special Recognition Award. He received the Clifford Robson Award from the Manitoba Psychological Society in 2000 and was recognized in 2010 as a fellow of the clinical section of the Canadian Psychological Association, which honoured him with the Award of Clinical Excellence in 2018.

The University of Manitoba is honoured to confer upon Dr. John Walker the title of Professor Emeritus.

Dr. David Williams Pastor Dip. (Briercrest), BA (Saskatchewan), MA, PhD (Massachusetts-Amherst)

An outstanding scholar, teacher and member of the University of Manitoba community, Dr. David Williams has been an example and a source of wise counsel to his department, faculty and his field.

Dr. David Williams Pastor Dip. (Briercrest), BA (Saskatchewan), MA, PhD (Massachusetts-Amherst)

Dr. Williams joined the department of English, film and theatre in 1973 and retired after over four decades of dedicated teaching, research and service. He was a Canada Council Fellow and a Woodrow Wilson Fellow.

He taught over 29 different courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and supervised 30 MA and PhD students to completion. In 1992, he won the Olive Beatrice Staunton Award for Excellence in Teaching, and in 1993 was nominated Canadian Professor of the Year by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, Washington, D.C.

Over his distinguished career, Dr. Williams’ contributions to the study of literature, and the social and political consequences of media change, were widely recognized in the U.S. and in Canada. Author of five monographs, the latest published in 2017, Dr. Williams’ books are owned by more than 3,000 university and college libraries over six continents. He also published over 30 refereed articles and chapters, three novels and several short stories. His critical and creative work received Canada Council grants and an Rh Award.

Dr. Williams’ 2009 book, Media, Memory and the First World War, was nominated for the prestigious James Russell Lowell Prize (Modern Language Association) and his book on media in Canadian fiction, Imagined Nations, was awarded the 2003 Gabrielle Roy Prize by the Association for Canadian and Quebec Literatures. Most recently, his essay in English Studies in Canada won the 2017 Priestley Prize.

The University of Manitoba is honoured to confer upon Dr. David Williams the title of Professor Emeritus.

Dr. Arlene Young BA, MA (Manitoba), MA, PhD (Cornell)

Dr. Arlene Young is an inspiring academic and a principled, supportive colleague and mentor to many. Her contributions to her field and to her department, faculty and the University leave a lasting legacy.

Dr. Arlene Young BA, MA (Manitoba), MA, PhD (Cornell)

She joined the department of English, film and theatre in 1998, having served the University in other capacities, including as an assistant professor of women’s studies and as an executive assistant to President Emőke Szathmáry.

Dr. Young’s many publications, including a monograph, literary editions, articles, chapters and scholarly encyclopedia entries, established her as an internationally recognized expert and a sought-after academic keynote speaker in Victorian studies, and especially on women and work in the literature and social life of late 19th-century England.

An engaging teacher, Dr. Young taught compelling undergraduate and graduate courses informed by her period research on working women, the professionalization of nursing and Victorian literature’s “new woman,” including the female detective. Her expertise informed her teaching in ways inspiring to students, making her a popular graduate supervisor.

She was recognized with honours throughout her tenure, including outstanding achievement awards in her faculty and three University Merit Awards. Her research program was supported by an Rh Award, and by grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, most recently by a Partnership Development Grant that engaged over 24 researchers from the U.S., the U.K. and Canada in The Affect Project, a multidisciplinary study of the role of emotion in aesthetics, memory and ethics.

Dr. Young also served as director of the Institute for the Humanities, and as associate head and then head of the department of English, film and theatre.

The University of Manitoba is honoured to confer upon Dr. Arlene Young the title of Professor Emeritus.

All events take place in UMSU University Centre.

Throughout the day, students, academics, and administrators will take turns reading the entirety of Mary Shelley’s famous novel. This is expected to take approximately nine hours to complete. Film adaptations of Frankenstein will play throughout the day. Students and the public will be given the opportunity to place a vote on art collages created by School of Fine Arts students. Prizes will be awarded to the top three posters. Popcorn and Frankenstein-themed snacks and drinks will be served.

An invitation has been extended to high school English classes to attend the events and participate in an interactive workshop with Dr. Michelle Faubert and Dr. Shoshannah Bryn Jones Square, Shelley researchers and experts in the Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media. To participate in the field trip workshop that has been designed to incorporate with the English curriculum, schools may contact Dr. Jones Square.

Schedule of Events

8:30 am – 5:30 pm – Reading, movies, poster competition and snacks

Where: The Gallery of Student Art, Room 105 & Room 521 AB

(Movies will be paused between 11:00 am and 12:00 noon for the high school student workshop.)

Poster competition winners will be announced at 12:45 pm.

9:45 am – 10:15 am – Trivia games and prizes

Where: The Gallery of Student Art, Room 105

What: Trivia games will be played, with the opportunity to win Frankenstein-themed prizes such as mugs, tote bags, and water bottles.

11:00 am – 11:30 am – High School Field Trip Workshop

Where: Room 521 AB

What: Dr. Michelle Faubert and Dr. Shoshannah Bryn Jones Square will deliver an interactive workshop on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818) to the high school students in attendance. Dr. Faubert will discuss Romantic science, with reference to vitalism, animism, and electricity, and Dr. Jones Square will discuss the novel’s engagement with otherness and ostracism as well as the profound influence Frankenstein has had on our present-day thinking about science, literature, and ethics. Students will be asked a series of questions, and a group discussion/debate will ensue. Questions will be provided to teachers in advance to help prepare students for the workshop and/or to help incorporate into the classroom curriculum.

This event is sponsored by the University of Manitoba Institute for the Humanities, the Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media, the School of Art, the Faculty of Arts and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Promoted to Assistant Professor

Dr. Dallas Hunt

Dallas Hunt joined the department of Native Studies in 2017 as a Lecturer and, following successful defense of his PhD last fall, was promoted to the rank of Assistant Professor. Dr. Hunt is Cree and a member of Wapisewsipi (Swan River First Nation) in Treaty 8 territory in Northern Alberta. He holds a PhD from the Department of English at the University of British Columbia, as well as an MA in Critical Theory and Cultural Studies from McMaster University and a BA (Hons.) from the Department of English at the University of Alberta. He has had creative and critical work published in The Fieldstone Review, Decolonization: Indigeneity Education & Society, and Settler Colonial Studies. His work looks at the intersections of Indigenous studies, urban studies and Indigenous literature. Hunt’s research benefits from Winnipeg’s location, being the largest urban Indigenous population in Canada, as well as provides multiple opportunities to engage in the city’s vibrant literary and arts scenes.

New members of faculty

Dr. Réal Carrière

Réal Carrière joins the Department of Political Studies as Assistant Professor. He is Nehinuw (Cree) from Cumberland House, Saskatchewan.  He grew up on the land – home-schooled, no road access, running water or electricity.  He successfully defended his dissertation in May 2018 and his research focus is on Indigenous political theories and practices, specifically of the Nehinuw people.  Dr. Carrière has presented his work at numerous conferences around the world.  He previously held positions at the University of Saskatchewan in Political and Indigenous Studies.  His teaching is currently focused on Canadian Government and Indigenous Governance and he is working on a research grant to continue his doctoral research in Northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Katrina Dunn

Katrina Dunn joins the Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media as a Lecturer and Theatre specialist. She received her BFA in Theatre from Simon Fraser University and did her graduate work at the University of British Columbia. In between her undergraduate degree and her graduate studies, Dunn distinguished herself as a professional stage director, producer and dramaturg in Canadian theatre, basing herself out of Vancouver. She was the Artistic Director of Touchstone Theatre for nineteen years and co-founded Vancouver’s PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, now a significant player in Canada’s Arts and Culture scene. She has directed over seventy professional plays, most of those Canadian. Her scholarly work explores the spatial manifestations of theatre. Her MA thesis looked at performance in rural space, documenting and analyzing plays and modes of production at Canada’s four professional farm theatres. Her doctoral project looks at three spaces of large performance in the downtown core of Vancouver. It charts how they reflect the economic flows of capital and property in the city since 1950, and how they impact local urban and cultural landscapes. At UBC, she was the recipient of the Errol Durbach Graduate Scholarship, The Mary Ellen Henley Award, and the Heather McCallum Award. In addition to seven nominations and two wins for Outstanding Direction of a Play at Vancouver’s Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards, Dunn has twice won the Robert G. Lawrence Prize for an Emerging Scholar from the Canadian Association for Theatre Research. Her papers have been published in Canadian Theatre Review and Performance Research.

Dr. Julia Gamble

Julia Gamble joins the Department of Anthropology as Assistant Professor in Biological / Physical Anthropology.  Within the modern health context, more is being learned about how early life experiences can impact later life health. Early life ‘stress’ can influence susceptibility to cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer and a host of other chronic diseases. Dr. Gamble’s research looks at these questions from another angle, using the large number of skeletal remains available from past populations, specifically through the bioarchaeological analysis of dental enamel microstructures found in human remains. Her research takes an interdisciplinary approach. A current SSHRC Insight Development Grant project on ancient pathogen DNA in medieval Danish populations aims to identify some of the infectious diseases present in these populations beyond those we can see from skeletal changes. This includes the time period of Black Death, which had a significant impact on human populations and may still be impacting descendent groups today. The research looks at what diseases are present and how they changed over time, as well as whether certain immune factors were selected in the populations in relation to the Black Death epidemic. She is also working on a developing project that aims to reconstruct patterns of stress over time from archaeological caribou and to tie this in with modern patterns observed so that we might better contextualize what we are seeing in today’s herds. Her research has been published in the International Journal of Paleopathology and in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.  Dr. Gamble completed her PhD at the University of Manitoba in 2015, where her doctoral research was supported by the prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.  She returns to UM from a position at the University of Toronto as an Assistant Professor (Teaching Stream), bringing extensive instructional experience and an integrative approach to research and teaching.

Dr. Ryan Giuliano

Ryan Giuliano joins the Psychology Department as Assistant Professor in Developmental Psychology. He completed his PhD in Psychology at the University of Oregon in 2017, with a focus in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. Before joining the University of Manitoba, he completed post-doctoral research at the Prevention Science Institute at the University of Oregon, where he maintains collaborations with multiple groups examining family-focused interventions aiming to improve healthy parent-child interactions. Dr. Giuliano’s research examines the effects of poverty and other stressful life experiences on brain function in young children and adults, utilizing electroencephalography (EEG) measures and various biomarkers of a person’s physiological responses to psychological stress. His most recent findings suggest that early chaotic environments lead to deficits in a child’s ability to filter out distracting sounds, and that alterations in brain development are driven by early changes in stress physiology. His ongoing work aims to identify physiological and behavioural patterns in children and families resilient to chronic and acute stressors. At UM, he is starting the Hearts and Minds Lab with Co-Investigator Dr. Leslie E. Roos.

Jesse Hajer

Jesse Hajer joins the Department of Economics and Labour Studies program as a Lecturer. He is a University of Manitoba alumnus, having completed his MA in Economics, and undertook his PhD studies at the the New School for Social Research in New York.  Jesse spent several years with the Government of Manitoba leading initiatives in areas including community economic development, education and training and poverty reduction.  His broad research interests lie in examining the political economy of publicly-funded service delivery in advanced economies, its evolution over time and its impact on socioeconomic inequality and the precariousness of work.  Within this framework he is focused on the analysis of privatization and its variants, and the alternative public policy responses being generated from labour and community movements.  

Dr. Nancy Kang

Nancy Kang is an Assistant Professor in the Women’s and Gender Studies program. She comes to the University of Manitoba having served as Assistant Professor of Multicultural and Diaspora Literatures at the University of Baltimore, where she earned tenure and promotion in 2018. Dr. Kang was formerly Visiting Assistant Professor of World Literatures at Clarkson University and Postdoctoral Faculty Fellow in the Humanities at Syracuse University. She earned her Honors BA from the University of Calgary, her MA from Queen’s University, and her PhD from the University of Toronto. A recipient of SSHRC funding, the Chancellor Jackman Research Fund, the Alberta Heritage Fund, and others, Dr. Kang’s scholarship has appeared in such journals as LIT: Literature Interpretation Theory, Canadian Literature, Women’s Studies, African American Review, Callaloo: A Journal of African Diaspora Arts and Letters, MELUS Journal, and Latino Studies. Her co-edited film studies collection The Culture and Philosophy of Ridley Scott (with Adam Barkman and Ashley Barkman) was released in 2013. She is co-author, with Silvio Torres-Saillant, of the recent book The Once and Future Muse: The Poetry and Poetics of Rhina P. Espaillat (2018). Dr. Kang’s current research examines narratives of alternative mothering, interracialism and forms of violence against North American women of colour.

Dr. Adam Murray

Adam Murray joins the Department of Philosophy as an Assistant Professor. He received a BA in Political Science from the University of Winnipeg, and a Masters degree in Philosophy from the University of Manitoba, before completing his PhD in Philosophy at the University of Toronto. His research has been published in Oxford Studies in Metaphysics and the Canadian Journal of Philosophy, and he has forthcoming papers in The Routledge Handbook of Modality and The Routledge Handbook of Propositions. His primary research interests lie in the intersection of metaphysics, logic and the philosophy of language. He is currently exploring the argument that whether or not a given state of affairs is genuinely possible is a matter that depends upon the salient features of the context in which that question is considered. For example, expressions like `tall’ or `smart’ are unique in the sense that the truth or falsity of sentences they are used in seems to depend upon the context in which those sentences are used. Thus, if one says in an everyday situation that Donald Trump is tall, it is reasonable to think that what one has said is true (after all, Trump’s height is considerably above average). But now, consider saying that Trump is tall in a conversation discussing the height of each member of the Chicago Bulls basketball team. In that situation, it seems like one has spoken falsely (after all, Trump is considerably shorter than the average Chicago Bulls player). This shows us that `tall’, and many other expressions like it, has a meaning that is sensitive to features of the context in which it is being used. Dr. Murray’s research extends these lessons from the philosophy of language to the metaphysics of modality, the study of the nature and structure of possibility and necessity.

Dr. Leslie E. Roos

Leslie E. Roos joins the Department of Psychology as Assistant Professor. She received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Oregon following a clinical residency at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. Dr. Roos studies how early life stress puts children at-risk for altered biological and behavioral development which can influence underlying mental health and achievement inequities. In her intervention research, she investigates how programs promoting parent mental health and positive parenting practices can encourage healthy child development and disrupt the intergenerational transmission of chronic stress. This work is approached from a prevention science framework; supporting families of young children during sensitive periods of rapid development may be particularly helpful for preventing the onset of future challenges. At UM, she is starting the Hearts and Minds Lab with Co-Investigator Dr. Ryan Giuliano.

Dr. Soodeh Saberian

Soodeh Saberian joins the Department of Economics as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Saberian received her second Masters degree in 2012 and PhD in Economics from University of Ottawa in May 2018.   Her research interests span behavioral and environmental economics, applied econometrics and industrial organization. Recent economic studies point to the impact of environmental factors such as air pollution and temperature on health and non-health outcomes. She is currently working on two projects in this area: 1) in India, investigating the effect of hot days on the ability to work and 2) estimating the effect of air pollution on education outcomes using a natural experiment in Iran. Her work seeks to find a causal link between mental health and environmental factors helping to broaden the way in which policy makers perceive and measure the benefits of good air quality as they evaluate the cost-benefit analysis of environmental regulations. Dr. Saberian has had opportunities to work on several projects with scholars from University of Ottawa, Columbia University, University of California (UC Davis) and Harvard University. She has published papers in prestigious journals such as American Economic Journal (AEJ). 

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be coming to the Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture this fall,” says Hughes. “I was really inspired by the centre’s work in crossing boundaries and encouraging connections, between academic and creative disciplines, between oral and literate cultures and between writers and communities. Creativity, in its best and widest sense, is all about discovering and exploring connection, and I can’t think of a better opportunity to learn from – and contribute to – Winnipeg’s vibrant and diverse literary community.”

Hughes was born in Atikokan in northern Ontario and brought up on the Welsh island of Ynys Mon. He was educated at the universities of York and Edinburgh, and King’s College, Cambridge, where he completed a PhD on Herman Melville’s South Sea writings.

Hughes is a celebrated writer with international acclaim. He has published four novels in the UK, and is now at work on a novel set in his home territory of northern Ontario. His short fiction has appeared in various journals, including Ploughshares, The Southern Review and New Welsh Review. He is a winner of the Edward Stanford Award for Fiction with a Sense of Place, the Rhys Davies short story prize and the O. Henry Award. Hughes brings experience working with students to this residency as he has previously taught courses on American literature and creative writing at the universities of Cambridge, Leipzig, Bangor and Cardiff.

“We are thrilled to welcome Tristan Hughes back to Canada, and to have him working with us,” says Warren Cariou, CCWOC Director. “Tristan’s fiction writing has been widely celebrated for its nuance, polish and depth, and he is also highly skilled as a mentor and workshop leader. I know we will learn a great deal from him about place, story, and the unique form of thinking that fiction writing enables.” Cariou encourages emerging writers to take this opportunity to learn and benefit from Hughes’ advice and vision.

INDIVIDUAL WRITER CONSULTATIONS

As part of Hughes’ role, he will be available by appointment to writers of all levels every Wednesday and Thursday from 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm to December 3, 2018. To consult with Tristan Hughes, students, faculty and members of the public are encouraged to contact him by email or phone 204-480-1067 to arrange a free meeting.

WRITING WORKSHOP

He will also be hosting a free six-week writing workshop throughout the residency. The workshop, entitled “In Search of the Lost Places”, will explore the different ways we can discover and use the stories, histories and places that have shaped us to inspire our fiction. Participants will be asked to experiment with using various historical sources for their writing – family and oral history, historical documents and accounts, anecdotes and objects – in order to create both historical fictions and fictions based on their own histories. Register for the workshop by emailing the Centre at ccwoc@umanitoba.ca.

Wednesday afternoons, September 26 to October 31

2:30 pm – 4:00 pm, Room 390A University College

 WELCOME EVENT

The CCWOC will welcome Tristan Hughes to the University of Manitoba at a reception where he will give an inaugural reading. All are welcome to this free event.

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

2:30 pm, Great Hall, University College

For more information, please contact Susan Rich, Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture.

Established in 1990, the UMIH fosters research and scholarship and promotes cross-disciplinary research in the Humanities and allied Social Sciences. It regularly offers creative, thoughtful, and timely programming both on and off campus showcasing outstanding research from doctoral students to senior professors from the University of Manitoba and across the globe. While the Institute is located within the Faculty of Arts, it serves the entire Humanities constituency in the University and the general community through activities including event workshops, colloquia and lectures, research clusters and affiliates, an annual conference, an annual graduate fellowship and the hUManities blog.

As Director, Joo, along with the Institute’s Board of Directors, helps to steer the annual research focus and the selected programming. In 2018-19, the UMIH research clusters will focus on two subject areas: Collecting, Citing and Curating and the Health Humanities. This year, UMIH is supporting four research affiliates and has scheduled a full slate of programming including the continuation of the Arts of Conversation and Futures in the Humanities series. Joo is looking forward to the exciting year ahead, continuing the commitment to support Humanities research conducted at the UM, to bring renowned researchers from around the world to Winnipeg and to connect Humanities research with the greater public community.

“I am a firm believer in the powers of culture and cultural literacy in helping to transform the world for the better.”

Joo, Associate Professor in the Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media, has been with the University of Manitoba since 2007. She holds a PhD from the University of Oregon and a BA summa cum laude from Louisiana State University. Her research and teaching interests include ethnic American literature, speculative fiction, critical race studies and queer studies. Joo’s current research project is on racial futures. She explains, “for politically marginalized populations, culture is the site at which their dreams, desires, and demands for a more just world are articulated. I’m drawn to texts by writers and artists of colour who are critical of capitalist notions of progress and development and dare to imagine alternative futures of resistance, survival, and flourishing.”

When not on campus, Joo volunteers with the Prison Library Committee, Queer and Trans People of Color (QTPOC) Winnipeg, and serves on the board of the Plug-In Institute for Contemporary Art. “My work is driven by a commitment to public humanities,” shares Joo. “I am a firm believer in the powers of culture and cultural literacy in helping to transform the world for the better.”

Support UMIH with a gift.

Sign up for the hUManities blog by emailing umih@umanitoba.ca.

I ‘Effed’ Up and I’m Sorry features senior scholar Chris Johnson directing, alumni Meagan Andres, Alistair Wright and student Jillian Boersch.

Confessional by Tennesse Williams has professor Emeritus George Toles directing. The cast includes Jen Robinson, Heather Roberts, Kevin Ramberran, Justin Fry, Sylvia Richardson, Ivan Henwood, Sherab Rabzyor Yolmo and Reid Girard. The production is stage managed by Winson Ta with costumes by Stephanie Moroz. (All listed are alumni with the exception of Sherab Rabzyor Yolmo, who is still a student.)

Hunks features alumni Tim Gray and Dana Smith.

Thom Pain (based on nothing) stars alumni and staff member Ivan Henwood. It is directed by alumna Jane Walker.

The Scandals of the Boy-Mind cast includes current students Reena Jolly, Evan Martin and Lu Fayoken; written by alumnus Ross MacMillan.

The Elephant Song at Venue 6 features including Ray Strachan, Kelly Jenken and Paul Duncan.

See Bob Run features Jane Walker. It is directed by Kerri Woloszyn and designed by Jeremy Rampton – all alumni.

Hamlet stars associate professor Bill Kerr as Polonius and theatre instructor Tom Soares as Claudius.

MIDDLEhood is written and performed by alumna Kim Zeglinski (nee Jaremowich).

Self-Help Shelf is co-written by staff member Shona Grewar.

Jane Petroff, student in the Desautels Faculty of Music, is performing in Journey to Kalcedon Island: A Steampunk Adventure.

Faculty of Science alumna and current Faculty of Law student Anjali Sandhu stars in I’m Not Taylor Swift, a 30-minute stand-up comedy show.

The Last 48 is stage managed by alumna Daphne Finlayson and features alumnus Wes Rambo.

Alumnus Leith Clark is directing A Midsummer Night’s FEVER! 20th Anniversary, Journey to Kalcedon Island: A Steampunk Adventure and True Blue.

Murder by Poe is directed by alumna Brenda McLean.

Staff and alumni working at the Fringe Festival include Chuck McEwan, executive producer; Eric Bosse and Karen Schellenberg, venue techs; and Tim Webster, emcee at the Old Market Square outdoor stage.

Do you know someone with a University of Manitoba connection involved with the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival? Email the show name and connection to umtoday@umanitoba.ca and we will add it to the list!

For all show listings, visit the Winnipeg Fringe website.

The book will be launched on June 2 at McNally Robinson Booksellers.

In GUSH, more than 100 women and nonbinary writers from Canada and around the world take apart the bloody instruction of menstruation: its cultures, its lessons, its equipment, and its lexicon. GUSH offers menstrual manifestos for our time that question the cultural value and social language of monthly blood loss, with rage, humour, ferocity, and grief, and propose that the menstrual moment is as individualized, subjective, personal, political, and vital as the feminist click. With work from emerging and senior writers in poetry, cartoons, flash fiction, personal essays, lyric confessions, and experimental forms, this anthology features the voices of Indigenous writers, writers of colour, writers with disabilities, rural writers and urban writers, representing four generations of menstruators: writers who call down their bloodiest muses.

There are 112 contributors to GUSH from across Canada and even outside its borders, including:

Natalie Appleton, Tasha Beeds, S.M. Beiko, Yvonne Blomer, Alice Burdick, Natalee Caple, Kerry Clare, Lucas Crawford, Jane Eaton Hamilton, Mini Aodla Freeman, Lorri Neilsen Glenn, Nora Gould, Susan Holbrook, Dawn Karima, Sylvia D. Hamilton, Sonnet L’Abbe, Sadie-Phoenix Lavoie, Canisia Lubrin, Jeanette Lynes, Chandra Mayor, Pamela Mordecai, Erin Moure, Yvette Nolan, Arleen Pare, Miranda Pearson, Pearl Pirie, Nikki Reimer,  Janet Rogers, Sharanpal Ruprai, Brenda Schmidt, Waaseyaa’sin Christine Sy, Natalie Zina Walschots, and Jen Zoratti.

How the book came to be

In Gordon’s words:

“In 2016, my period started to go haywire. I was approaching menopause and, as a result, bleeding everywhere all the time. It was intensely frustrating and strangely public—my poor poor office chair—but I was made to feel like it was vulgar and indelicate to talk about it. So I wrote a poem about all of that, the glosa “Gory” that was published by web journal The Goose. I enjoyed the conversation that resulted from sharing that poem and wanted to keep it going, so I approached Tanis and Rosanna, two of the smartest/fiercest women I know, about co-editing a collection of more of the same. They agreed to join me and THEN we started approaching all the smart/fierce writers we knew to add their voices.”

Melanie Braith received the fellowship in 2017. Melanie is a PhD student in the department of English, theatre, film and media where she explores the healing role of stories for residential school survivors and communities. Braith says of her receiving the scholarship, “Receiving the C.D. Howe Fellowship has been rewarding in many ways but most importantly in the way in which it enables me to conduct additional in-depth research for my doctoral project: The fellowship has given me the opportunity to attend various international conferences on Indigenous literatures, including upcoming conferences in Regina, Saskatchewan and Berne, Switzerland.”

This year’s C. D. Howe Fellowship deadline has been extended to June 15, 2018. Information on how to apply is available on the Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture website.

Cariou’s research focus was on the interpretation of traditional and contemporary Indigenous stories. Working with Indigenous storytellers and writers, he researched how Indigenous communities are defined and sustained by their stories and through various innovative projects, he helped to preserve neglected Indigenous stories of the past and bring them to the attention of a new generation of Canadians.

Cariou is a Professor in English, Theatre, Film & Media, the Director of the Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture (CCWOC) and a writer, editor, filmmaker and photographer. The resources of the Chair provided the opportunity to make connections with storytellers and Elders from Cree, Métis, Lakota, Kaina and Anishinaabe communities. And, it has led to the gathering of scholars, an influence on the publishing of Indigenous works, multiple workshops and publications, and one very significant and influential relationship in Cariou’s life.

As part of the research program, Cariou began a series of colloquia focused on the principles of editing texts by Indigenous writers, called the First Voices, First Texts research group. He tells us that, “The team of editors and writers that I gathered has gone on to make a significant difference in the way that Indigenous texts are edited and marketed in North America.” This core group was also one inspiration for the creation of the Indigenous Literary Studies Association, of which Cariou was the inaugural President. The editorial principles developed by this group became important for many publishers who are committed to indigenizing the publishing process. Most directly, they were the foundation of the First Voices, First Texts book series (University of Manitoba Press), of which Cariou is General Editor. This series publishes critical editions of “lost classics” of Indigenous literature that have been unjustly neglected or have been previously published in inaccurate or inappropriate forms. To date, there are four volumes and plans for several more volumes in the future.

In addition, Cariou has been involved as a consultant and faculty member of the Indigenous Editors’ Circle, a series of workshops geared toward giving editors the necessary tools to work sensitively with Indigenous authors. Cariou explains that, “Editors from across Canada and the U.S. have taken part in these workshops, and I am confident that significant policy changes at publishing houses have arisen as a result of this work”.

Since its inception in 2008, the CCWOC has focused on developing artistic practice–especially storytelling and creative writing–as well as scholarly research on oral cultures. This mandate is very complementary to Cariou’s CRC work and he was able to provide examples of where they have intersected. Over the years, the CCWOC has hosted several storytellers-in-residence, and some have been Indigenous. “I had the opportunity to learn from the amazing Lakota/Kiowa Apache storyteller Dovie Thomason for an entire term in winter 2016,” he says. From this experience, Cariou published one scholarly article about Thomason, and is now working on a longer study of her work. He adds, “Without the CCWOC residency I would not have had the opportunity to learn from this brilliant and gifted artist”.

The CCWOC was also a crucial part of Cariou’s collaboration with Niigaanwewidam Sinclair, Associate Professor, Native Studies on an anthology, Manitowapow: Aboriginal Stories from the Land of Water. “CCWOC staff and students helped us in the gargantuan task of collecting, collating and editing all of the Indigenous writing we could find within the boundaries of what is now called Manitoba. The team discovered many previously forgotten stories by writers from our home territory that can now be preserved and shared,” said Cariou. The book went on to be the bestselling book by a Manitoba publisher in 2013, and won theOn the Same Page award.

Upon reflection, Cariou mentions that there is one relationship that stands above all others. “Perhaps the most important work I have done during the CRC has been my ongoing collaboration with Omushkego Cree Elder Louis Bird, who is renowned as one of the great storytellers in his community,” says Cariou. They have been documenting and studying the Omushkego storytelling traditions and environmental philosophies. Cariou is in the process of consolidating this large volume of work and plans to share it with Bird’s community so that the Omushkego people can maintain control over the legacy of their Elders and their traditions. “It has been a huge privilege to learn about Omushkego culture and practises on the land from Louis Bird, and to record many of his conversations and storytelling sessions. During my decade of work with Mr. Bird I was very happy to see that many of my students and colleagues also developed strong connections with him. For me, research that is focused on Indigenous cultures is primarily about fostering and building relationships. I am so happy that the CRC position enabled me to develop this rich and fascinating relationship, and I look forward to continuing this work for as long as possible.”

Bird and Cariou taught a Cree Stories course together at U of M in 2010 and in 2017, the University awarded Bird an honorary doctorate. Cariou was thrilled, “This was a wonderful validation of his work, and I know that he appreciated the gesture greatly. He now likes to tease me by reminding me that he is a doctor too.”

Cariou will stay on as Director at the CCWOC for the next three years and is committed to continuing his work with Elder Louis Bird. He plans to expand his bitumen photography practice “Petrography” – another unique medium used to share stories – which he started after visiting the Indigenous community of Fort McKay during his research. He looks forward to working with the CCWOC’s next writer-in-residence, of who he would give no hints, and is working to find inventive ways to bring together Indigenous spoken word artists with Elders, to see what kinds of amazing new stories they can develop together.

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Scott Fitzpatrick [BA/17] did just that. He’s now an eight year practicing filmmaker who has participated in film festivals around the world and has curated the annual Winnipeg Underground Film Festival (WUFF) here at home. We spoke to Scott about his career and his time at the Faculty of Arts.

“I always wanted to be a filmmaker, but I didn’t exactly know what that would look like as a career,” says Fitzpatrick. “I was drawn to the arts, film, and filmmaking since I was a child. So, choosing Film Studies and Linguistics seemed like the natural path to help me explore that.”

Experimental film is a mode of filmmaking that goes outside of cinematic conventions and explores the capacity to manipulate light, motion, space, and time. It is closely associated with modernism and trends in fine art. Fitzpatrick realized early on that to get his own work seen and distributed, even in Winnipeg, known for its rich and diverse arts scene, he had to find opportunities to gain exposure for this type of filmmaking and to present his work and that of his peers. In 2013, he began co-directing the artist-run WUFF. The festival has not only provided a second career as a curator, it has also helped to open doors for him and others, providing a venue to showcase their art and leading to international exposure. “In 2017, I received funding from the Canada Council for the Arts to support trips to perform at the Film in the Present Tense symposium in Berlin and Les Rencontres Internationales in Paris. It’s helped me establish a broader network of professionals and introduced me to amazing artists doing amazing work.”

Fitzpatrick fondly recalls studying under George Toles, Distinguished Professor, Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media. “Professor Toles encouraged me as a student to take more risks in my writing. He motivated me to go beyond what I already knew. It made an impression that sticks with me today.” He translates the guidance he received to his advice for current students, “Don’t let your time in university turn into time spent in a bubble. Beyond making films, I’ve had to learn to network and become my own promoter. Take advantage of opportunities while in school to help practice these types of skills and get in touch with local arts groups, like the Winnipeg Film Group or Video Pool, before you graduate to get a head start.”

2018 looks to be another busy year for Fitzpatrick. He is already planning the 2018 WUFF. And, to help film lovers get through this winter, Film at Forth offers four classic films each Wednesday in February for a unique night out.

Watch Scott Fitzpatrick’s 55 second film Immortal Cats #1 (2015) for a glimpse of experimental filmmaking.

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Film at Forth: WUFF presents Stir Crazy

A classic film festival to help you get through a Winnipeg winter.

Every Wednesday, February 7 – 28

Films begin at 7:00 pm

171 McDermot Avenue

2018 Winnipeg Underground Film Festival

An annual showcase for contemporary experimental film and video art.

June 1 – 3

Entry deadline is March 31, 2018.