This will be the summer of cool as Robert Cray opens the three-day Edmonton Blues Festival with his smooth, seductive vocals.
Event organizers have confirmed their lineup of 13 acts that blaze a distinctive path, bring a soulful virtuosity and shake off the rust. Now in its 16th incarnation, the festival happens at the outdoor Heritage Amphitheatre in Hawrelak Park from Aug. 15 to 17.
Other notables include The Nighthawks, Mississippi Heat, The Cash Box Kings, Fathead, Lurrie Bell and the biggest pistol of them all, Mavis Staples, a Grammy winner and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
A non-transferable weekend pass is $90. A transferable pass is $105. Single day passes range from $45 to $50. All are available through Ticketmaster or through the website at bluesinternationalltd.com.
It’s been exactly 10 years since Marty Chan released his first children’s book. Growing up in the small town of Morinville in the only Chinese family largely inspired The Mystery of the Frozen Brains, the first book of a four-part series.
By Canadian standards the series has been a bestseller, with more than 30,000 copies flying off the shelves. This does not factor in library reads.
“I’m pretty tickled about it. When you compare it with playwriting for theatre, you’re happy if 2,000 people see it. To know that more than 30,000 have read it is remarkable,” says Chan.
Chan believes the series’ success is attributed to the universal experiences of childhood everyone shares – mother conflicts, school frustrations and competition and bonding best friends share.
The initial print run for Mystery of the Frozen Brains was set at 1,100 copies. The book went out to schools and sold well at stores.
“It was a grassroots build that made its way through the province.”
One of Chan’s happiest memories associated with the book was winning the 2005 City of Edmonton Book Prize, a win that cemented youth literature as carrying certain human truths.
But one of the most profound experiences of his life occurred during a trip to a rural elementary school. Chan had gone to read his book to a class. In it he noticed a shy, Korean kid sitting quietly in the class.
“He was the mirror image of me growing up. I didn’t think much of it. But a few months later, the librarian contacted me and said when he (boy) came to the school he was really shy. But he lit up when I read the story and couldn’t wait to read it himself. I can’t believe one book, one visit could turn a life around. I could have died that day and had a happy end to my career.”
Chan returns for a reading and book signing to St. Albert Chapters on Saturday, May 10 from noon to 5 p.m.
