Back on French Radio, Today in the Company of Author Kim Thuy

You may remember that last winter, I did a number of spots on the Radio Canada literary program, Plus qu'on est de fous, plus qu'on lit!...

Well, guess what? I'm BACK-- this time as a regular columnist! My beat is English Canadian literature, and I'll be reporting and reviewing new releases.

Today, I spoke about C.S. Richardson's lovely new book, The Emperor of Paris. The book is set in the early nineteenth century in Paris and it's a kind of ode to love and literature and the little twists of fate that end up creating our lives. One of the main characters, a butcher named Emile Notre-Dame cannot read or write, but he can tell a great story. He hands over his breads and brioches, "with a smile and a story."

Yesterday, The Emperor of Paris was longlisted for the 2012 Giller Award. Also on the list is Ru by Montreal author Kim Thuy. And Thuy was also on the show today, interviewed by host Marie-Louise Arsenault. 

I've met Thuy before. She's a wonderful funny down-to-earth woman. And today she said some things that were so smart I had to jot them down to share with my students -- and with you, dear blog reader.

Arsenault asked Thuy how she feels about language. Thuy said, for her, working with words "is like playing with Lego blocks." She also shared some wisdom she got long ago from her mother: "Life is a struggle. Sadness leads to defeat."

I love how writing is a combination of work and play. Yes, we writers have to work hard to find the best way to put our thoughts and feelings into words, but we need to play with language, too. Thanks Kim Thuy for reminding us of that!