‘Hello world’ is right! This is my first experience as a blogger, so I’m interested to see how it goes. Hopefully it doesn’t become a landing strip for my silly stream-of-consciousness. So far, making my own blog as pretty as the template is completely evading me. It’s going to be a technological adventure.
My name is Julia. I’m an actor and singer, but have finally made my way back to the land of scholars to complete my Bachelor of Education (recently ranked No. 9 in the world!) in the coming year. Being that I’m an actor, telling other people’s stories, or being a part of a story is something I’m constantly working at. What I think is interesting is how, no matter what story you’re telling, no matter what it’s about, if you have an open mind and the ability to examine the tale from different angles, you can find something that you connect with and a new perspective to add to discussion. A question that has sparked my interest so far from the 470 course website is, what is meant by ‘stories we tell ourselves’? To me, this implies an untruth or fabrication that we may be adding to our stories. Why are we doing this? What are we trying to change about our perceptions and understandings of Canada through our storytelling?
This blog will be an exploration and conversation about Canadian literature in conjunction with the UBC course ENGL 470A: Canadian Studies. What I hope to gain from this course, other than an increased digital literacy and proficiency, is a better understanding and appreciation for stories that come from Canada and stories about Canada. I am ashamed to say that I was not anxious to take this course, as I often find that Canadian content pales in comparison to anything which comes out of America or Britain, so I hope that, throughout the summer my eyes will be opened. That being said, it was my privilege to participate in the 2013 In Tune Conference here in Vancouver, which is a conference/ festival to celebrate and develop new Canadian musical theatre. I was so pleased and proud to learn about the high quality theatre coming from Canada. In fact, this year’s conference debuted a new adaptation of Pushkin’s Onegin, commissioned by Vancouver’s Arts Club Theatre Company, which was later fully produced to great success and acclaim.
Works Cited
“In Tune 2013.” Touchstone Theatre. Touchstone Theatre. Web. 12 May. 2016
“Onegin.” ArtsClub. Arts Club Theatre Company, 2016. Web. 12 May. 2016.
“QS World University Rankings by Subject – Education.” QS Top Universities. QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited, 1994 – 2015. Web. 12 May. 2016
Ullrich, Julia. Entrance to Stanley Park in October. Digital image. N.p., 09 May 2016. Web.
Hi Julia, thanks for sharing your insights! I’m especially intrigued by your unique perspective as an actor. How do you get into the stories? How do you become a Victorian detective or a zombie from Victoria, with your own flare? Where is the actor’s place in the narratives? In popular press and literature the Canadian voice can be overwhelmed by that of the more established and populous American and British ones. Maintaining the Canadian voice is important in the digital age. That is part of the fun of studying English literature – its cultural and geographical richness. I learned a while ago the largest country by population where English is an official language is not Canada, United States, or United Kingdom; it is India. – John
Hi John. You pose some interesting questions here. For one, I think the actor’s place in a narrative is not to change it, but because they are a unique person with their own life experiences, that will influence how they feel about the story they are telling and ultimately how that will come across in their work. And you’re right; maybe the feeling I get about Canadian literature is that it is simply overwhelmed by voices that are more experienced and prominent. I think that’s a really good way of expressing it. It will be interesting this semester to learn about “what stories we can’t seem to hear, and why.”