Written by Stephanie Warner; copy edited by Meagan Kus
Recap of EAC-BC’s branch meeting on February 18, 2015.
I’m a fan of British murder mysteries and police procedurals, so it was a thrill for me to attend a talk by Dr. Lorna Fadden, a real-life language detective. Dr. Fadden is an assistant professor at Simon Fraser University, where she teaches introductory linguistics courses. She also researches in the following areas:
Canadian varieties of English and how language manifests online
discourse analysis (specifically, police interviews and internet luring)
It’s official. EAC-BC’s November 21, 2012, lecture on forensic discourse analysis was a hit.
It’s official. EAC-BC’s November 21, 2012, lecture on forensic discourse analysis was a hit. The speaker, Dr. Lorna Fadden, had us at “discourse analysis.”
Dr. Fadden structured her lecture around several of her cases, including a stalking case (which involved analyzing letters and emails) and a sexual-abuse case (which involved analyzing witness statements). She also presented details about a case that she had recently worked on as a witness for the prosecution, which required her to testify whether a series of text messages constituted “a suicide note or a credible threat.”
Rumour has it that Dr. Fadden will be delivering this lecture on Vancouver Island sometime in the next few months. Watch WCE’s event listings for details. She will also be moderating a Philosophers’ Café event entitled “Is Language Changing for the Better or Worse?” in Burnaby on December 5, 2012. Learn more.
Do you have an event planned (or know of one) that you’d like to appear in these listings? Send us the details.
November 2–3, 2012: Kamloops Writers Fair
Do you have a completed manuscript ready to pitch to a literary agent or a partially completed manuscript ready to be put through a Blue Pencil or tested at an open mike? Then check out the Kamloops Writers Fair, which “welcomes writers of all genres, as well as published and emerging writers.”
Cost: $100 (full weekend registration: includes Open Mic Night/wine and cheese reception; keynote speech; 2 workshops; Blue Pencil session; Saturday lunch)
November 7–11, 2012: Circle Craft Christmas Market
Want to get a head start on your holiday shopping? Reserve your tickets for this year’s Circle Craft Christmas Market. Browse the works of 280 Canadian artisans; create your own blown-glass tree ornament; see pottery and wood-turning demonstrations; watch performances by the Royal City Youth Ballet Company and the Anna Wyman School of Dance.
Here’s an opportunity to get a head start on your holiday shopping while experiencing the “sights and sounds of Christmas in a traditional Edwardian mansion.”
Christmas at Hycroft is organized by The University Women’s Club of Vancouver. It is the club’s biggest single-event fundraiser of the year, with funds going to promote education, “rights and opportunities for women through advocacy locally, nationally and internationally, as well as ongoing stewardship of the grounds and buildings.”
Cost: $13 for adults ($10 on November 15); $5 for children age 5–11 (children <5 years of age: free); $30 for a Family Package (2 adults and 3 children)
November 18, 2012: EAC-BC seminar: Grammar Essentials for Writers and Editors (a Seminar for the Fainthearted and the Fearless)
Can you explain how a transitive verb differs from an intransitive one or how a phrase differs from a clause? Can you tell a client or your colleagues what is wrong with a sentence that “doesn’t sound right”? Note: this seminar will be held in Kelowna.
In this seminar, instructor Barbara Tomlin will guide you to a better understanding of sentence structure and grammar terminology through exercises, discussions, and group activities. You will learn about common errors that can mar otherwise good writing and leave the seminar feeling better about your grasp of the language that you use by instinct every day.
Whether you feel anxious when you hear the word “grammar” or are eager to address gaps in your knowledge, you will benefit from this review of how English works—and sometimes doesn’t.
Topics will include:
How grammar differs from usage and style
Parts of speech
Sentence problems
Subject-verb agreement
Misplaced and dangling modifiers
Grammar resources
About the instructor: Barbara Tomlin began working in the publishing industry more than 30 years ago, first for educational and trade book publishers, and then for magazine publishers. Since then she has edited, copy edited, and proofread a wide range of material for a variety of clients. She is certified as an editor in life sciences and is a past chair of the Editors’ Association of Canada Certification Steering Committee. She has also been an instructor for SFU’s Writing and Communications Program for more than 20 years and has developed writing and editing workshops for many organizations. She is a founding member of West Coast Editorial Associates.
Time: 9h30–16h30
Cost: $120 for EAC members who register by October 26, 2012 (after: $140); $180 for non-members who register by October 26, 2012 (after: $200)
November 21, 2012: EAC-BC meeting: Language Detectives
What do syntax and CSI have in common?
What do syntax and CSI have in common? Find out in this fascinating glimpse into the world of forensic linguistics. Did a series of text messages sent before a fatal car crash constitute legitimate suicide notes? Can we tell if a 911-call transcript has been altered? In a series of letters, where does the author go from creep to stalker? Dr. Lorna Fadden, linguistics professor and consultant in the field of forensic linguistics, will tell us about these and other cases she has worked on. She’ll also discuss what she and her colleagues look for in their work, and how she came to be a language detective.
About the speaker: Dr. Lorna Fadden is an assistant professor of linguistics at Simon Fraser University (SFU). Over the past decade, her research has focused on discourse analysis, mostly of police interviews, and the methods and ethics of dealing with language evidence. She has consulted on numerous cases in Canada and the United States. She’s also SFU’s First Nations languages coordinator and a regular moderator for SFU’s Philosophers’ Café.
Time: 19h00–21h00
Cost: free for EAC members; $10 for non-members; $5 for students with valid ID
Location:YWCA on Hornby, 535 Hornby Street, Welch Room, 4th floor, Vancouver
November 24, 2012: Canadian Authors Association workshop: Research—The Key to Writing Historical Fiction
In this workshop, instructors Robert Mackay and Margo Bates will teach you how to develop your ideas, characters, storyline, and story outcome based on research.
This workshop is hosted by the Canadian Authors Association (CAA).
Time: 13h00–16h00
Cost: $30 for CAA members; $60 for non-members; $35 for students with valid ID
Location: Alliance for Arts and Culture, 100-938 Howe Street, Vancouver
Each year, the Jewish Book Festival attracts a large and varied audience to the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver for lectures, workshops, film screenings, book launches, and more. This year, more than 20 established and emerging Jewish and non-Jewish writers will be speaking at the event about subject matter ranging from literature and philosophy to history and current events.
Cost: $5 for adults (Monday–Friday: 16h00–21h00; Saturday–Sunday: 11h00–21h00); $2 for adults (Monday–Friday: 11h00–16h00); $2 for children age 7–12; no charge for children <7 years of age
Location: Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza, 650 Hamilton Street, Vancouver
West Coast Editor 