Hal's New Blog
March 24, 2008
Everywhere
Okay, so I've started a new blog. For the next year or so I'll be blogging about Peep Culture as part of a book I'm writing and a documentary I'm helping to develop. The basic premise of the project is: Peep Culture: How We Learned to Love Watching Ourselves and Our Neighbours. To find out more and follow my adventures, check it out at www.peephal.com/blog

The Broken Pencil Indie Writers Deathmatch
now till end of march 2008
www.brokenpencil.com/deathmatch
hey everyone, the magazine i am fiction editor for, Broken Pencil, is running a very fun short story contest..check out the details and vote and comment and pass this info to your friends... thanks! hal. The Broken Pencil Indie Writers Deathmatch Has Begun To witness the carnage go to www.brokenpencil.com/deathmatch The top eight have been selected! Vote now! The battle begins! Broken Pencil's first ever winner-takes-all online short story contest begins! The top 8 submissions have been selected from aspiring writers around North America and the world. Now it's time for our readers to vote and our competing writers to do whatever it takes to make it into the top four. Each week, two stories will be pitted against each other in the online arena. The authors will be in constant communication with their audience through a blog which they can use to hype their story or talk trash their opponent. The top four vote-getting stories (all of which will be published in the Spring issue of Broken Pencil) will then begin a final battle for victory. The bruised but triumphant writer will have his or her story published in Broken Pencil's upcoming Fiction Issue, and will also receive an Indie Lit Library -- tons of great books from groundbreaking small presses ECW, Conundrum, City Lights, Brindle & Glass, and Arsenal Press -- as well as $250 cash and a Broken Pencil prize pack! January 28th: Mustache Story by Michael Sasi (Vancouver, BC) vs. Last Winter Here by Emma Healey (Toronto, ON) February 4th: Gynecomastia by Janine Fleri (Astoria, NY) vs. Panties by Greg Kearney (Toronto, ON) February 11th: Amsterdam at Midnight by Graham Parke (Eindhoven, Netherlands) vs. The Worst of Us by Sarah Gordon (Winnipeg, MB) February 18th: Sickness by Jessica Faulds (Edmonton, AB) vs. Spawning by Kimberley Idol (Las Vegas, NV)

Writing Down the City and Celebrating Zines: Hal at the Library
Nov 2 and Nov 6
Toronto Reference Library (nov 2) and North York Central Library (nov. 6)
hey, wanted to let everyone know that i've got 2 interesting gigs upcoming at the toronto public library as part of my current position as TPL writer in residence. Friday Nov 2nd 3:30 pm - Alternative Tour of the Toronto Reference Library Tuesday Nov 6th at 7pm - Writing Down the City: a panel discussion about how literature is or can shape the city with Cordelia Strube, Rinaldo Walcott, and Alana Wilcox. (held at the North York Public Library) scroll down for more description of both these events. so, first off, friday nov. 2nd. i'll be leading a tour of the broken pencil zine collection at the toronto public library. event runs 3:30 to 4:30 and we'll be talking zines, access to information, the lie of underground culture and more. it's free and part of the reference library's anniversary celebration. then on tuesday nov. 6th i'm leading a panel discussion called Writing Down the City which is to be held at the North York Central Library. also a free event running from 7 to 8:30, the panel features Rinaldo Walcott, Cordelia Strube and Coach House Books editor Alana Wilcox talking about the role of literature in depicting and shaping urban Canada in general and Toronto in particular. Hope to see you at these events!