BIG NEWS: GOD LOVES HAIR – SECOND EDITION
In September of 2011, the first run of God Loves Hair sold out! Shortly after, I was strongly encouraged by friends to do a second run but was not prepared for the greatest push, which came from my parents. I unexpectedly received a cheque in the mail from them, without my asking, to help pay for the printing. This act of overwhelming generosity adds another beautiful chapter to what has been already such a special journey with the book.
So with a lot of love and support, I am thrilled to announce the upcoming release of the second edition of God Loves Hair featuring a NEW short story & accompanying illustration by the mind blowing Juliana Neufeld, which can be seen above. (I have made jokes about how half the reason for writing the new story was to have the chance to work with her again! #superfan) The omission of Madge from the book always felt like a giant oversight and I am relieved that this has been corrected.
The book will be out on February 13th but you can pre-order the book starting TODAY right here. The books will be shipped on the 13th and the shipping fees for ALL book orders made before the end of February will be waived.
If you are in Toronto, I will be doing a reading to launch the second edition alongside the Toronto premiere screening of a wonderful film called I AM. I had the opportunity to see I AM at the Vancouver Film Festival last summer and everyone in the theatre was in tears by the end. This will be taking place at Ryerson on February 13th and is being co-sponsored by Inside Out and SAVAC. More details regarding this event will be announced here in the weeks to follow. SAVE THE DATE.
Lastly, if you are in New Jersey/ NYC/ Philadelphia/ Washington/ Pittsburgh & Chicago, I am doing a joint book tour with Farzana Doctor in your cities in March and hope you can make it to the readings listed here.
Thank you again for all you kind words of support, whether via tweets or DMs or Facebook page comments or emails. YOU inspire me! And yes…I am working on my next book :)
-VS
Top 10 Movies of 2011
2011 was a GREAT year for movies. More often than the not, I left the theater feeling highly entertained. Here are my faves:
Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part Two: A satisfying finale to a series, film or tv, is nearly impossible. But David Yates did such a fantastic job that the most disappointing part of watching the film was that there was no standing ovation at the end. Also thank you internet!!
Pina: This movie made me want to quit my day job and train to be a dancer at the school of Pina. Unlike anything I have seen before.
Drive: Sexiest Movie Of The Year. Style, blood, minimal dialogue & the perfect soundtrack.
Certified Copy: An absorbing meditation on relationships, the shapes that love can take in a lifetime, featuring the mesmerizing Juliette Binoche.
Carnage: I have a theory that you can tell if you will like a movie in the first ten minutes. I loved this in the first five. Four characters, one room = TENSION. MY FAVOURITE.
Bridesmaids: I saw this in theatre twice. I loved how excessive the jokes were, that each time they really, reaalllly went there.
Winnie The Pooh: No sarcasm. No pop culture references. No 3D. Just a sweet, earnest movie. The world needs more of this.
Incendies: I resisted seeing this for so long because the trailer kind of put me to sleep. The film does anything but. Truly haunting. Believe the praise.
Bill Cunnigham New York: “He who seeks beauty will find it.”
Beginners: Generally the white-man-with-existential-crisis genre does nothing for me. But throw in a charming gay dad, and the father-son dynamics that come with, and that changes everything.
Honourable Mentions:
West is West: In recent years there has been an influx of films discussing what it means to live in North America as an South Asian immigrant. What I loved about this film is that it showed the flip side, the ways our connection to The Motherland can be romanticized and unfortunately lost.
Weekend: A gay Before Sunrise. The beauty, excitement and ache of making a connection to someone in a short span of time.
Rabbit Hole: How do you recommend the saddest movie of 2011? A devastating examination of loss with incredible performances by Kidman & Eckhart.
Biggest Disappointment:
Tree of Life: Even the incredible visuals couldn’t keep me from falling asleep (perhaps it was all the religious overdubs.) Then walking out. Wish I had watched this 2 min synposis instead.
