Island Studies Press

05/13/2024

Thanks to Atlantic Books Today for the review of Brent MacLaine's A Skeptic in Springtime! Find a copy at your local bookstore or read online here: https://atlanticbooks.ca/our-latest-edition/

04/23/2024

Looking forward to Brent's launch tomorrow night! Hope to see you there.

Brent MacLaine will launch his new poetry book called A Skeptic in Springtime tomorrow (Wednesday) at 7 pm, in the Faculty Lounge (Room 201), Main Building at University of Prince Edward Island. The event is free, all are welcome to attend. The event is sponsored by Island Studies Press, the UPEI English Department, and Bookmark Island Studies Press

04/17/2024

Be sure to listen to CBC Mainstreet today as Brent MacLaine joins Matt Rainnie to talk about his new book, A Skeptic in Springtime. Hope to see you at the launch on Wednesday, April 24, at 7 pm in the faculty lounge, Main building, UPEI.

04/16/2024

Join the Island Studies team. Posting closes tomorrow!

The University of Prince Edward Island offers an amazing and affordable student experience in beautiful Charlottetown, PEI. Our interesting and unique programs bring out your best, lead you to realize new and hidden talents, and be great at what you do. Find your genius at UPEI!

03/28/2024

Save the date: Brent MacLaine's new poety book, A Skeptic in Springtime, will be launched on April 24, 2024, at 7 pm, in the Faculty Lounge, Main Building Room 201, University of Prince Edward Island.

A Skeptic in Springtime wrestles with uncertainty and aging, hurricanes, gravity, and particle theory. Amid all the unknowns, “Still, the white-throated sparrow cries I’m here, here, here, here.” Rooted in the PEI landscape where he grew up, MacLaine’s gaze ranges farther afield to Assyrian myth in “Killing a Lassamu,” to the Song Dynasty in “Su Dongpo Makes Ink,” to art in “Claude Monet in the Waiting Room.”
The book closes with a tribute to the late John Smith, former poet laureate of PEI. Combining keen observation of the natural world and the human condition, the poems in this collection contain “a universe which has leapt from nothing into something.”

Brent MacLaine is a Professor Emeritus at the Department of English at the University of Prince Edward Island and the author of six volumes of poetry. He grew up in the rural community of Rice Point, PEI, to which he returned after teaching at universities in Vancouver, Edmonton, China, and Singapore. His awards for poetry include a League of Canadian Poets prize, the Prince Edward Island Book Award, and the Atlantic Poetry Prize.

The event is free, all are welcome to attend. Books will be available for purchase. The event is sponsored by Island Studies Press, the UPEI English Department, and The Bookmark. For more information, contact Bren Simmers at 902-566-0386 or [email protected].

03/25/2024

Several Islanders were recognized recently for preserving and promoting Prince Edward Island’s heritage. PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation, along with Lieutenant Governor Antoinette Perry, presented the 2024 Heritage Awards to groups and individuals in several categories at Eptek Art & Culture Ce...

03/12/2024

Thanks to ABT for this shout-out for A Skeptic in Springtime by Brent MacLaine. His sixth poetry collection officially releases on April 1, but you can find early-bird copies at The Bookmark in Charlottetown.

On days like these, Atlantic Canadians can understand A Skeptic in Springtime. The poet, Brent MacLaine, is one of three with new collections we're taking a look at for ABT 99 in May - when hopefully even the skeptics won't see snow!

If not, take strength from his words from "After the Winter Storm":

"Last night, a winter star must have burst;
fields of white debris stretch to every corner-
beneath the stoic spruce, through door cracks, under sills"

Island Studies Press

03/11/2024

Join us for the book launch of Inclusive Education: A Global Perspective by Dr. Carla DiGiorgio on March 12, at 4:30 pm in the Faculty Lounge, Main 201, UPEI. The event will feature a short discussion highlighting legislation, policies, and challenges to inclusive practices around the world. Free, all are welcome.

This scholarly survey of international approaches focuses not only on disability as a separate entity but recognizes that it is closely intertwined with cultural, sociological, and economic realities of daily human life. “Best” practices cannot be transplanted but need to arise from an understanding of local contexts and resources to be successful. By looking at the global picture of inclusion, the reader will gain a fuller understanding of the capability of communities to improve their policies and practices in meaningful ways.

Dr. Carla DiGiorgio teaches sociology and research methods at UPEI. She has been a professor and researcher for over twenty years and specializes in social systems. Her interests lie at the intersection of ability, society, and culture in educational environments. She is the author of four books, including Inclusive Education: The interaction of identity, power and practice and Field and Habitus in the 21st Century.

Inclusive Education: A Global Perspective was published with the support of a SSHRC Exchange Publication Award from the Office of the Vice-President, Academic and Research at UPEI.

03/08/2024

If you know any teachers in Atlantic Canada, there's a great giveaway contest for local books. Our latest title, Inclusive Education by Carla DiGiorgio, is one of many excellent teaching resources on the Atlantic Books in Classrooms website. Be sure to check it out!

02/21/2024

Thanks to Matt Rainnie for chatting with Callum Beck about his forthcoming ISP book, The Belfast Riot of 1847. On March 1, 1847, the Island experienced the second-worst election riot in Canadian history. About 200 Scottish Protestants and 300 Irish Catholics got into a brawl, resulting in at least three men dead and up to 100 others injured. This event set the stage for the hardening of the sectarian conflict between Protestants and Catholics on Prince Edward Island for the next 125 years. If you missed the interview, you can listen to it online on CBC Mainstreet.

02/20/2024

The latest Island Studies Press book has landed! Inclusive Education: A Global Perspective by Dr. Carla DiGiorgio will be launched on March 12, at 4:30 pm in the Faculty Lounge, Main 201, UPEI. The event will feature a short discussion highlighting legislation, policies, and challenges to inclusive practices around the world. Free, all are welcome.

This scholarly survey of international approaches focuses not only on disability as a separate entity but recognizes that it is closely intertwined with cultural, sociological, and economic realities of daily human life. “Best” practices cannot be transplanted but need to arise from an understanding of local contexts and resources to be successful. By looking at the global picture of inclusion, the reader will gain a fuller understanding of the capability of communities to improve their policies and practices in meaningful ways.

Dr. Carla DiGiorgio teaches sociology and research methods at UPEI. She has been a professor and researcher for over twenty years and specializes in social systems. Her interests lie at the intersection of ability, society, and culture in educational environments. She is the author of four books, including Inclusive Education: The interaction of identity, power and practice and Field and Habitus in the 21st Century.

Inclusive Education: A Global Perspective was published with the support of a SSHRC Exchange Publication Award from the Office of the Vice-President, Academic and Research at UPEI.

02/14/2024

ISP author Dr. Callum Beck will be giving an online Zoom lecture called "The Religion of the Yellow Stick" on February 15, 2024 @ 19:30 (UK time).

The "Religion of the Yellow Stick" is a facetious label used in the Hebrides and in Prince Edward Island, Canada, to describe a persecution of “Catholicks” by a Presbyterian laird in the outer Hebrides. The two lairds, Islands and times most often associated with this title are MacLean of Coll on Rum in 1725 and Boisdale on South Uist in 1770, but there are about 15 historical contexts with which it has been associated. This talk will demonstrate the originating event underlying this label and trace the rise of the variant versions.

This talk will begin at 7:30pm (UK time) and last up to one hour, followed by questions. Participation via Zoom is free to members of SHIHR and to students. Non-members other than students are politely requested to contribute £5 to society funds. To do so, please go to the lecture page on our website and click the 'Add to cart' button, then proceed to the checkout.

To see full listings of all our online lectures, please check our website. https://www.highlandhistoricalresearch.com/online-lectures

Online Zoom Lecture: 15th February 2024 @ 19:30 (UK time)

The Religion of the Yellow Stick by Prof. Callum Beck
This talk will begin at 7:30pm (UK time) and last up to one hour, followed by questions.
The ‘Religion of the Yellow Stick’ is a facetious label used in the Hebrides and in Prince Edward Island, Canada, to describe a persecution of “Catholicks” by a Presbyterian laird in the outer Hebrides. The two lairds, Islands and times most often associated with this title are MacLean of Coll on Rum in 1725 and Boisdale on South Uist in 1770, but there are about 15 historical contexts with which it has been associated. This talk will demonstrate the originating event underlying this label and trace the rise of the variant versions.

Participation via Zoom is free to members of SHIHR and to students. Non-members other than students are politely requested to contribute £5 to society funds. To do so, please go to the lecture page on our website and click the 'Add to cart' button, then proceed to the checkout.

To see full listings of all our online lectures, please check our website. https://www.highlandhistoricalresearch.com/online-lectures/

01/26/2024

The second printing of Time Flies has arrived! Snag your copy at The Bookmark in Charlottetown. You can also order online from our distributor, Nimbus.ca. Thanks to The Guardian and Vivian Ulinwa for writing an article about Josh's recent lecture on coastal change and ribbon development on PEI. If you missed the lecture, you can watch the recording at https://islandstudies.com/events/recordings/

Note: It will take a week or so for books to be back in stock at Indigo/Coles.

12/19/2023

Just in time for Christmas: The Bridge Effect examines the effect of bridges—be they physical or digital—on island life and culture. Editors Laurie Brinklow and Andrew Jennings have compiled examples from around the world, including Prince Edward Island, Scotland, Malta, China, Japan, and the Netherlands.

Bridging an island is often a polarizing subject. A permanent link allows for the transport of people and goods on- and off-island and can even allow an island to remain a viable place to live. At the same time, it changes the character of an island as bounded and set apart from the mainland.

Not all bridges are physical. In recent years, access to broadband is allowing islanders to be part of the global world but still make a living on their islands. From the economic effects resulting from these links to how islanders feel about themselves once they've been joined to a mainland or another island, The Bridge Effect explores if and how “islandness”―and, ultimately, island identity―has changed on these small islands.

Copies are available at The Bookmark in Charlottetown or online at Nimbus.ca.

12/12/2023

If you are looking for a copy of Joshua MacFadyen's Time Flies, there are still some copies left at the Bookmark (14) in Charlottetown and Coles (3) in Summerside. Otherwise, we have sold out the first print run and will be reprinting, but sadly they won't be here in time for the holidays. It's great to see this book getting so much attention! Thanks to the CBC for publishing a great article about Time Flies on Saturday, December 9.

12/11/2023

Two Island Studies Press books are now available as accessible ebooks in libraries across Atlantic Canada: My island's the house I sleep in at night by Laurie Brinklow and Listening for the Dead Bells by Marian Bruce. The Read Atlantic collection features over 100 titles and no wait times. Happy reading over the holidays!

11/22/2023

Thanks to Melissa Heald and The West Prince Graphic for interviewing Joshua MacFadyen about his new book, Time Flies: A History of Prince Edward Island from the Air. The book launch will be held on November 29, at 7:30 pm in the Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building, UPEI. Hope to see you then!

The book is available at Bookmark, UPEI Bookstore, Indigo, and Coles on the island, and you can order copies online through our distributor, Nimbus.ca.

11/15/2023

Thanks to Matt Rainnie and CBC Mainstreet for interviewing Joshua MacFadyen about his new book, Time Flies: A History of Prince Edward Island from the Air.

If you missed the interview, the recording is up on the CBC PEI Mainstreet website or you can listen by clicking the link on our website.

Time Flies: A History of Prince Edward Island from the Air Joshua MacFadyen Time Flies offers an unprecedented view of one island province’s journey into modernity through a unique blend of aerial photography and historical synthesis. The book presents images of iconic landscapes on Prince Edward ...

11/14/2023

The ebook versions of My island's the house I sleep in at night by Laurie Brinklow and Listening for the Dead Bells by Marian Bruce are now available to borrow at the PEI public Library!

Browse, borrow, and enjoy titles from the Prince Edward Island Public Library Service digital collection.

10/31/2023

Join Joshua MacFadyen and Island Studies Press to celebrate the launch of Time Flies: A History of Prince Edward Island from the Air on November 29 at 7:30 pm at the Faculty Lounge in Main Building (Room 201), at the University of Prince Edward Island. Books will be available for purchase and signing. The event is free and all are welcome.

If you can't wait until the launch, you can pick up your copy at the Bookmark, the UPEI Bookstore, and Indigo in Charlottetown and at Coles in Summerside. You can also order a copy from our distributor who ships across North America :https://nimbus.ca/store/time-flies.html

10/25/2023

A great review of Joshua MacFadyen's new book, Times Flies, in the fall issue of Atlantic Books Today. Mathias Rodoroff writes, "Elaborately written, clearly structured with a wealth of written, visual and digital sources, Time Flies illustrates a groundbreaking combination of research methods that show to any reader the potential benefits of using aerial photography and creating digital datasets."

Read the whole review online for free here: https://atlanticbooks.ca/our-latest-edition/

10/21/2023

Point Deroche makes national news again! See the October 19 article in The Walrus. Trevor Corkum interviews Laurie Brinklow of Island Studies:

"For Brinklow, the connection many Islanders feel to the coastline is central to their sense of psychological well-being. Living on a small island creates a feeling of boundedness among island dwellers, of being held by the place where water and land meet. The edge of the coastline is sacred space, she says, and blocking access to that space constitutes a kind of psychic disruption. 'It really hits to the heart of people’s sense of islandness and identity.'"

09/11/2023

Writers and book lovers on PEI: Be sure to check out the Wild Threads Literary Festival this weekend. Tickets are starting to sell out so be sure to buy yours soon.

Wild Threads Literary Festival is a four-day celebration of creative writing, taking place historic Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island from September 14th-17th 2023. Presented by the PEI Writers’ Guild, this experiential lit festival burst onto the literary scene in its inaugural year of 2019.....

07/24/2023

Leonard Cusack will be giving a talk on the history of St. Dunstan's University on Saturday, July 30 at 2 pm at the Church of St. Andrew in Mount Stewart. Here is a photo of the SDU campus in 1964.

05/30/2023

Check out this great profile of Alan MacEachern at the Rachel Carson Centre in Munich. Published in 2003 by Island Studies Press, The Institute of Man and Resources chronicles the rise and fall of an important Canadian environmental group of the 1970s whose mandate was to research, develop, and demonstrate systems for alternative energy and resource self-sufficiency. Be sure to check out the other resources on the Environment & Society Portal that focus on the human-environment relationship.

Book excerpt from former Rachel Carson Center fellow Alan MacEachern's The Institute of Man and Resources: An Environmental Fable. Learn about how Prince Edward Island in Canada tackled the oil crisis of the 1970s by investing in renewable resources.

05/09/2023

Tune into CBC Mainstreet today around 4:30 pm to hear an interview with poet Laurie Brinklow and Sean Kemp of Atlantic String Machine as they discuss this weekend's performance of a song cycle by Tasmanian composer Don Kay that features four of Laurie's poems.

Prince Edward Island's award-winning string quintet, Atlantic String Machine, with guest soloist Hannah O'Donnell, will perform the song cycle's world premiere on Saturday, May 13, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. at St. Paul's in Charlottetown as part of the final concert of their 2022-23 season entitled “Coming Together.”

Tickets are available at Eventbrite and at the door.

04/23/2023

Looking forward to Dr. Irene Novaczek's seaweed lecture on Tuesday evening!

Island Lecture Series presentation by Dr. Irené Novaczek RESCHEDULED for April 25
Tuesday, April 25, 2023, 7:00 pm
Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building
Free to attend

The presentation by marine ecologist Dr. Irené Novaczek about the ecosystem restoration project at Basin Head, previously scheduled for April 18, has been postponed until Tuesday, April 25, at 7 pm in the Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building, UPEI.

Basin Head was designated as a marine protected area under the federal Oceans Act in 2005 to conserve and protect a unique strain of Irish moss (Chondrus crispus), which is thought to exist only within that area.

Part of the Institute of Island Studies’ 2023 Island Lecture Series, the presentation will focus on adaptive management of the marine protected area to ensure that the unique giant form of Irish moss at Basin Head is able to survive in the coastal lagoon environment, which is challenged by impacts of local agriculture, invasive European green crabs, and ongoing climate changes.

04/19/2023

Celebrate with us - our annual Poets and Pints event,
Studio One in the Confederation Centre of the Arts
145 Richmond Street, Charlottetown Thursday, April 27th from 7-9 pm.

Guest poet Sue Goyette, with Bren Simmers and Catherine Edwards.
Q&A moderated by Jane Ledwell.

Register for the open mic following the main event by emailing [email protected].

Refreshments will be available. Cash bar.