I Shithead, aka Joey Keithley, rocks out with DOA.

Book Awards honour photo art
I

can't stand tied-wins. They fly
in the face of my need for closure. I want a clear winner, a
bunch of noble runner-ups, and
finito, done, overwith. But when
the City of Vancouver Book
Awards judges (editor/author
George Fetherling, librarian
Anne Yandle and bookseller
Michael Varty) announced a tie
in this year's competition last
week, I grimaced—then I realized, yes, I had to grow up. I had
to open the ol' noggin, and acknowledge how such high standards in local publishing (and in
this case, photography) can
make judging such a competition such a chore. In this case, in
the 15th year of the award, and
when a record number of books
were submitted, a compromise,
in a tie, is called for. Every Building on 100 Block West Hastings, a series of essays on the Downtown
Eastside, based on Stan Douglas' remarkable fairy-tale like
photograph of the street (a mini
fold-out version hangs in my office cubicle) won the award. But
so did Heroines, the poignant collection of photographs of
women in the Downtown Eastside, captured so honestly in
black and white by Lincoln
Clarkes. The two split the
$2,000 booty in the first tie in
the history of the award. I think

in support of local artists. Gifford
will also be visiting artists in
their studios with a cheer or two.
Mia Weinberg, a local artist
who uses a technique that predates photographic technology,
has collaborated with Kate Collie on unique images of dragonflies, maps and plants at Studio
BlueUnit 202-1540 West 2nd Ave.
from Nov. 6 to month's end.
onepointsix gallery downMARY F R A N C E S H I L L
nmmmm
mmmm town, brings in Wish You Were
Here, the latest works of Henry
it's no accident that both books Mah, 878 Homer.
are based on photography—VanLit lovers take note: Karen X.
couver's photo-based artistry is Tulchinsky visits the library to
known globally—and the rele- read from her The Five Books of
vant issues of the Downtown Moses Lapinsky Monday, as part of
Eastside.
the Barbara Bluman Memorial
Lecture Series, happening in the
• ••
The Helen Pitt gallery continutes Alice MacKay room, in the lower
with the Live Biennal of Perfor- level, at 7:30 p.m., 350 West
mance Art at 882 Homer Tuesday Georgia. If you miss her, watch
(Nov.4) at 8 p.m. with The Comedi- out for Lapinsky at the Jewish
ans, courtesy of Vanessa Kwan, Book Festival (but more on that
Josh Neelands and Kara Uzel- next week).
The Vancouver Poetry Slam
man. It'll be a two-hour performance with looped dialogue and syn- brings in the pop culture/beat
chronized gestures based on tradi- sounds of Ralph Alfonso Monday
(Nov. 3) for a performance at Caf
tional stand-up comedy fare.
The next evening at 8 p.m. De- Deux Soleils, 2096 Commerce
von Gifford and Mark Giliiland An open slam will also be heK
p e r f o r m TAKE THAT PAINT!! PUT TT those spoken-word artis
THERE!! YOU CAN DO ITU CAUSE want to qualify for the 21
YOU CARE!! It'll be either annoy- offs and the 2004 Vancou
ing as hell or a funky-sounding se- ry Slam Team, doors c
ries of cheers (as in cheerleading) p.m., five bucks. ©