The Little Story Engine That Could
The Canadian Film Centre has just launched a national Internet-based storytelling initiative. Its primary purpose is to give Canadians of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to tell their life stories online, ultimately creating a collective Canadian history. Sounds good doesn't it?

In theory it is. The design of the site is simple and relatively easy to navigate. The graphics are simplistic, with a definite child-like appeal. In fact, the first thing I thought of was "the little engine that could" mixed with Sesame Street. This gives the site a friendly, humanistic, distinctly non-techno feel. A clever ruse on the Web, where many sites lack a humanistic touch.

From there visitors can choose different geographical areas to visit, as well as picking a time span you might want to read about. Once you've arrived at your destination, you're greeted with a short story that tells of one Canadian's experience. From there you can move to another and another, taking the train across the literary landscape. And of course, please feel free to submit your own experiences. Your slice of history will be part of the big Canadian picture.

What I found somewhat problematic about the site was the lack of any truly non-linear interactivity. You arrive at the story and you read it. You submit your story and others read it. It's no different than an anthology of Canadian experiences from a grassroots perspective. What I'd like to see is the opportunity for stories and experiences to blend. Imagine I'm talking about growing up in Southern Ontario in the 1960s. Wouldn't it be interesting if another person growing up in the same time and place interjected their own observations. They might be similar or completely disparate. And perhaps another person could hop in. It would offer up a myriad of different perspectives from the same time and place.

However for the most part I applaud the Film Institute and the CBC for their efforts. It's absolutely essential that we continue to keep the stories of Canada alive.

Link:
The Great Canadian Story Engine

More Music
This week violinist Leila Josefowicz joins conductor Yakov Kreizberg and the TSO for a programme of compositions of a radical and revolutionary nature. Wagner's Prelude and "Liebestod" from Tristan und Isolde, Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor and Shostokovich's muscular Symphony No.5 in D Minor will be performed.

Toronto Symphony Orchestra
June 21,22 &24
8 pm, Roy Thomson Hall

Fine Tuning
The Canadian Bookseller's Association annual meeting is just wrapping up in Toronto, and This Morning (CBC Radio at 9 a.m.) looks at some the hot topics in the industry, including last week's report from the Commons Heritage Committee. One of the most disturbing trends, in my opinion, is the industry's and parliament's focus on traditional book distribution and how it's being threatened by mega-stores and online sales. But nary a word on how e-books and e-data could topple the entire industry as we know it, within a few years. Wonder if Michael Enright and company will raise the issue?

What do you think? Could you see giving up books to read them off a Palm-device or a computer, if it was faster, cheaper and easy to read on screen? Discussion

Drop me a line.