arts / 8 Local writers offer Incite-ful readings at Vancouver Writer's Fest event » Conversations with Susan Juby, Julie Paul, and Marguerite Pigeon Cheryl Minns Arts Editor Marts @theotherpress.ca hree writers from BC will come together at the Vancouver Public Library to read their latest works at Vancouver Writers Fest’s Incite on February 25. The twice-monthly reading event will feature novelist Susan Juby from Nanaimo, short story writer Julie Paul from Victoria, and multi-faceted author Marguerite Pigeon from Vancouver. Juby, author of the Alice MacLeod young adult series, will be reading from her latest book, Republic of Dirt, an adult novel and sequel to The Woefield Poultry Collective. Paul will share an excerpt from her short story collection, The Pull of the Moon, which made it on the Globe and Mail Top 100 Books of 2014 list. Pigeon will read a short story from her recent book, Some Extremely Boring Drives. The Other Press spoke with : each of these writers about their upcoming readings at Incite and their latest books. What can guests expect from your presentation at : Incite? Juby: For my part, I'll be : reading from Republic of Dirt. : The book is a straight-up : stuff. I’'ll probably read : something near the beginning : that sets up the scenario : and how dysfunctional the : characters are. : Paul: Normally I try to : read something entertaining, : on the funnier side, at public : readings, although not all my : stories have humour in them. : If | have enough time, which I : think I will, I will try to read a : complete story. : Pigeon: People really : respond to the second story : in my collection because it’s : cancer. That one’s called : “Locks.” I think I might read : from that because it reads well : in public. Are you familiar with the : works by the other authors? : Juby: Ym looking forward ; to reading their books. At least : one is a poet, one is a short : story writer, I’m a novelist. One : has the greatest book title ever: : Some Extremely Boring Drives, : which indicates that it’s very : funny, or at least it’s got a very funny title. Paul: Susan’s writing is : extremely funny—laugh-out- : loud funny—and Marguerite : has areal knack for getting into : : : the psyches of her characters, : comedy, so it will be humorous : who are often in unexpected : situations. People tend to think : : of my work as humorous, with : a strong focus on character, so : I think we'll be a good match at : this event. Pigeon: I’m going to try : to read their books before I : get there. I love to read with : people I don’t know because : then I usually get a chance to : be introduced to their work. : What inspired you to write : your latest book? Juby: I read all those : , .._ ? books about being sustainable : about a woman who's surviving : ; : and farming at home and all : that kind of thing, then tried : some of that and was wildly : unsuccessful. So I decided to : write a book [The Woefield : Poultry Collective] about a : young woman who inherits a : farm outside of Nanaimo and : has all of the enthusiasm but : none of the skill and how she : tries to keep this farm going. : And this next one [Republic : of Dirt] is the same thing: : they’re trying to get this farm : established and they’re barely : even able to operate it over the : winter when there’s nothing : happening. Paul: A few of the stories [in The Pull of the Moon] were directly a result of travel : or living in another place— : Montreal, Belize, Portland, different parts of Ontario—as : well as my current home in : Victoria. A couple of stories : were inspired by having crazy : neighbours. All are firmly : fiction, meaning that I’ve : changed circumstances and : made stuff up, but at the heart : of every story is an emotional : truth, and I hope those truths : come out. Pigeon: The stories [in : Some Extremely Boring Drives] : all relate to travel and moving : around and mobility. That’s : something that’s been a really : important part of my life. I : wanted to understand my : own interest in travel, but : then I also wanted to trouble : it because I think it’s a more : complicated experience that : can be both positive and : negative. I think about it : historically, too. The culture : encourages a lot of travel, : but it’s not quite clear what : youre getting out of it these : days, especially as places : get more similar and sort of : homogenized. What do you hope readers theotherpress.ca : take away from reading your : latest book? Juby: | hope that they have : some good laughs and find : some characters that resonate : with them and take away a : sense that, no matter how : incompetent you are, if you : have friends and at least a little : degree of optimism, you can : achieve all sorts of things. Paul: My biggest hope is : that readers will feel engaged, : involved, and entertained. I : don’t set out to teach anyone : anything, or make them feel : acertain emotion. I guess if : they feel the humanity of my : characters, and maybe even put : themselves in their shoes fora : little while, I will be extremely : happy. Pigeon: I hope that they : pick up on the theme of : mobility and explore with : the characters the subtle : psychological changes that : can take place when you move : around or change location. For more information : about these authors and : their works, check out their : official websites at SusanJuby. : com, JuliePaul.ca, and : MargueritePigeon.wordpress. : com Chairman of the Board: Fixing aclassic » ‘Risk’ game review Ed Appleby illustrator Millustrator @theotherpress.ca his week, we're taking a look at a classic game, Risk, and assessing how the publisher tried to fix the major issues in the game’s most recent version. Risk is a classic board game for two to six players first published as La Conquéte du Monde in 1957 and then translated and published by Hasbro in 1959. Players attack territories. The game ends when all other armies have been wiped out. The problem with classic board games is that they : are popular and well-known : because they came first. That : doesn’t take anything away : from the mechanics of Risk, : which are simple enough for : anyone to understand. Instead : Risk suffers from an issue : that was very prevalent in the : age before complex rules and : dogmatic play testing. Anyone who has played : Risk knows about its two : glaring flaws: the game takes : forever and the winner is : obvious well before the game : ends. Many licensed editions and defend in order to conquer : have tried to deal with this : issue: Risk 2099 only has six : rounds of play and Lord of : the Rings Risk ends once the : ring reaches Mordor. But the : basic English version remained : broken for 52 years. Enter Risk (2011). This version implements a different : mechanic for ending the game: : rather than wiping out all of : the other players’ armies, you : now play until one player has a : certain number of territories or : the “cease fire” card is drawn. : This is a simple fix that ends : the game well before it stops : being enjoyable. So if you want to : experience a classic game that : has been fixed in a very subtle : but reliable way, pick up the : 2011 version of Risk and have : fun conquering the world.