Ottawa: Ivan E. Coyote launches The Slow Fix

Ivan E. Coyote is one of Canada's most acclaimed storytellers; her first three collections were insightful, deeply personal stories about gender, identity, and community. Ivan's most recent book, Bow Grip (2006), was her first novel; it won the ReLit Award, was shortlisted for the Ferro-Grumley Fiction Prize in the US, and was named a Stonewall Honor Book by the American Library Association.

With The Slow Fix, Ivan returns to her short story roots in a collection that is disarming, warm, and funny while at the same time subverting our pre-conceived notions of gender roles. In "By Any Other Name," Ivan gets into some serious male bonding with her Uncle Rob; in "The Curse?" a cousin's stepdaughter helps her to overcome her lifelong dread of buying tampons; and in the title story, she does her best to fix what's wrong in the world by telling the homophobe in the barber's seat next to hers to shut up.

Ivan excels at finding the small yet significant truths in our everyday gestures and interactions. By doing so, she helps us to embrace not what makes us women or men, but human beings.

With local favourite Megan Butcher.

Thursday November 20
Doors at 7:45, limited space
Venus Envy, 320 Lisgar

Limited space indeed! Ivan packed 'em in - the doors were closed at 7:50, full to capacity, and my date had to bang on the door and demand to be let in. I read my Kissing Kegger story, and am happy to report that people laughed in all the right places.

Ivan was his usual charming self, and told 4 or 5 engaging stories. We could have listened to him for hours longer.