Date
Tue November 25, 2008
Natasha Bakht Talks to The Star about Belonging and Banishment
View more items filed under “Non-Fiction” in our Open Book Archives.
Ten Questions with Monica Nawrocki
Submitted by clelia on September 10, 2009 - 4:00pm
Teacher and writer Monica Nawrocki talks to Open Book about reading, Canadian culture and her latest book, Thanks for Chucking That at the Wall Instead of Me: Teaching At-Rist Children and Youth (Chestnut Publishing). Open Book: Toronto:Tell us about your latest book. Monica Nawrocki:Thanks for Chucking That at the Wall Instead of Me (Chestnut Publishing, 2007) is a memoir about working with at-risk children and youth in a school setting. To me, it is about communication, and understanding the relationship between needs and behaviour in all of us. It’s basically a record of my experiences and what I learned. Feedback indicates most people find something useful in it – regardless of whether they work with at-risk kids or not. OBT:Did you have a specific readership in mind when you wrote your book? MN:Well I started out writing to and for myself: trying to process seven intense years of my professional (and personal) life. It quickly evolved into something else, and I think I had new teachers in my mind as I wrote... things I wish I had truly understood from the beginning of my teaching career. OBT:Describe your ideal writing environment. MN:I have a lovely little space that I call my “fort” because I don’t like the words “office, study, studio, etc.” It’s just a pale yellow room with good light, a desk, a comfy chair, bookshelves, a meditation corner, a giant bulletin board and things that inspire me on the walls. It also has a door that closes and locks. OBT:What was your first publication? MN:A poem called “God’s Love” when I was 8 years old. OBT:Describe a recent Canadian cultural experience that influenced your writing. MN:Hmm. Hard to identify specifics. I exist in the context of Canadian culture; am pushed and pulled everyday. At this moment, I can’t think how to connect the dots, except to say that my (relatively) recent move from Winnipeg to a small island off the west coast is having an interesting affect on how I see the world. I look forward to seeing how that cultural shift will sift through my writing. OBT:If you had to choose three books as a “Welcome to Canada” gift, what would those books be? MN:
Random Passage by Bernice Morgan OBT:What are you reading right now? MN:
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery OBT:What’s the best advice you’ve ever received as a writer? MN:Get a better chair. OBT:What advice do you have for writers who are trying to get published? MN:Be sure your project matches the mandate of the publisher to whom you are sending your inquiry (The Canadian Writer’s Market). And cross your fingers. OBT:What is your next project? MN:A young adult novel which needs a title. Suggestions may be sent to: i.suck.at.titles.com.
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