miscellany

I like to pack

… and Ivan E. Coyote does too.

From ivanecoyote.com: Ivan Coyote was born and raised in Whitehorse Yukon and is the son of a welder and the daughter of a government worker. Ivan is the author of three collections of short stories, a monthly columnist for Xtra West, and a CBC lovechild. Ivan’s work has also appeared in the National Post, the Georgia Straight, Geist, Shared Vision, Nerve, and Curve Magazines. Ivan’s first and truest love is live storytelling, and over the last ten years she has become an audience favourite at music, poetry, spoken word and writer’s festivals from Anchorage to New York City.

I came across Ivan in the queer spoken word circuits of the Northwest, Seattle and Vancouver primarily, and have seen her perform in various places, devouring every book of hers I can find. Ivan grew up in Canada not far from where I grew up in Alaska, and much of the landscape of his stories are familiar and very home-like to me, with which I really connect.

He goes by either she or he pronouns – “whatever you’re comfortable with,” I’ve heard him say – and is an incredible storyteller, the best I’ve ever seen. I highly recommend the CD You’re a Nation that she made with Richard Spencer. Download a few mp3s of Ivan’s stories from the CBC’s website.

And, in case you can’t tell by the video, he’s quite handsome.

(Thanks to Kim for the link to the youtube video.)

3 thoughts on “I like to pack”

  1. Sara says:

    What a thrill to see Ivan here (lovin the butch eye candy series). I'm in NYC, but from Vancouver and have had the pleasure of seeing Ivan on the circuit around there too.

    One of the things I love about Ivan's stories is that so many of them relate to being in the north. It's hard to describe what that means to anyone who has not spent time in such places. Rural does not describe it, it's far more wild than that. (I'm guessing Australians may understand?) But it's not the wilderness that is (for me) so hard to get my head around, it's the people: the small towns, and the huge distances between them.

    Listening to Ivan's stories about being his sweet self, out and visible, and being at home in that environment is so liberating. And funny. And hot! (and the sexy Canadian accent helps too….) It makes the world a bigger and better place for all of us.

    So Sinclair, you were raised in Alaska? Ever set any of your stories there?

    [ Sara – I never have set a story in Alaska, I don't think. But I should, thanks for the suggestion. I know what you mean about the north, the rural wild. It's hard to describe where I grew up for that same reason, it's not as simple as urban vs rural, especially since rural usually implies farmland and there's just none of that where I grew up, it's all rainforest and pine trees and mountains. – ss]

  2. Gosh …. I'm suddenly terribly attracted to someone I'd never seen before that clip. She's terribly handsome, and I do like her way with words too :)

    Yum!

    xx Dee

  3. what a wonderful storyteller! i'll have to look into his stuff. and handsome! did someone already say that?

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