So the Story Goes is a series of activities presenting different forms of storytelling, from picture books to music to Indigenous stories. The project explores forms of storytelling important to Quebec’s English-speaking community and allows participants to experiment with many ways to tell stories.
From June 23, 2021 to February 16, 2022, seven guests hosted fascinating workshops during which participants learned from the host and then applied their new knowledge. This virtual exhibit presents a retrospective of So the Story Goes, including both its content and its results. You will be able to see some of the creations by workshop participants in the exhibit’s videos and images. Enjoy your visit!
This project is made possible thanks to the support of the Government of Canada.
Quebecois Storyteller
What would a project on types of narration in Quebec be without the participation of a traditional quebecois storyteller? On June 23, 2021, So the Story Goes was launched virtually with Bernard Crustin, a storyteller by trade for almost 20 years.
This activity was held in partnership with ès TRAD, Quebec City’s centre for living heritage appreciation.
Bernard Crustin
Describing himself as “a non-practising anthropologist,” with a bachelor’s degree from Carleton University and some graduate studies at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, Bernard Crustin is an actor, a storyteller, and a tourist guide in Québec City.
Since 2005, he has told his stories in many venues: Espace Félix-Leclerc, Lévis’ Festival international du conte Jos Violon, 106,3 FM Radio-Canada, Samedis de conter in Trois-Pistoles, the Québec en toutes lettres festival, the Orsainville Detention Centre, cafés, restaurants and schools. Most recently he was involved with Conteries de Charlevoix and the Quebec City’s Festival Contes et Menteries des Ami.e.s Imaginaires.
Photo Credit : François Rivard
Picture Book Illustration
For young and old alike, the process of illustrating picture books is fascinating. On September 14 and 15, 2021, illustrator Sophie Casson joined us to teach us about her profession. The two workshops, one for children ages 7 to 12 and one for the general public, put all of the aspiring artists to work!
Sophie Casson
Sophie’s award-winning illustrations have appeared in places like the Canadian Human Rights Museum as well as the pages of Nature, the New York Times, and many other prestigious publications. A graduate in graphic design from Université du Québec à Montréal, she is inspired by silkscreen and printing techniques. In 2011 she was a finalist for the Governor General’s Award (Children’s literature – illustrations). Her latest book Helen’s Birds, written by Sara Cassidy, was selected for the Globe and Mail 100 list in 2019. She lives in Montreal with her twin sons and a cat.
Art Credit: Sophie Casson
During the workshop, participants illustrated two to four pages from the picture book The Artist and Me, by Shane Peacock.
Youth Activity
Nina P.
General Public Activity
Jayne B.
General Public Activity
Jeanne L.-G.
Graphic Novels
Two guests joined us on September 22, 2021, to talk about graphic novels. Kassandra Luciuk, the researcher behind the text of Enemy Alien: A True Story of Life Behind Barbed Wire, discussed her discovery of a memoir from the first internment camps in Canada during World War I. Nicole Marie Burton, the illustrator of Enemy Alien, then presented her creative process.
The presentation was followed by a workshop where participants put together mini-graphic novels.
Nicole Marie Burton
Nicole Marie Burton is a comic book and children’s book illustrator based in Ontario. With over a decade of experience in activist art and design, she is a founding member of the Ad Astra Comix publishing collective, which specializes in comics with social justice themes. Her published work includes The Beast: Making a Living on a Dying Planet, The Boy Who Walked Backwards, and a chapter in the anthology Drawn to Change: Graphic Histories of Working Class Struggle.
Kassandra Luciuk
Kassandra Luciuk is an assistant professor of History at Dalhousie University as well as the author of Enemy Alien: A True Story of Life Behind Barbed Wire.
During the workshop, participants created simple plans for one-page mini-graphic novels. They then illustrated those plans, exploring different angles and ways to share information through image and text.
A participant’s plan
The same participant’s draft
Traditional Songs
On October 6, 2021, the Morrin Centre welcomed singer Tess Leblanc for an in-person musical activity. This activity, punctuated by live song excerpts, presented various elements of traditional English-Canadian songs, from word choices to melodies. The event wrapped up with a presentation by the participants of the short songs written during the workshop.
This activity was held in partnership with ès TRAD, Quebec City’s centre for living heritage appreciation.
Tess Leblanc
Originally from Moncton, Tess Leblanc arrived with a full repertoire of traditional songs in English, French and even Gaelic. A student in ethnology, she created numerous collections with singers of the Maritimes. The subject of her master’s thesis was the fabulous Acadian singer Allan Kelly.
She produced two CDs in the early 2000. She has performed at numerous festivals across Canada, from Vancouver to Caraquet. She also performed at festivals throughout the province of Quebec. Among her many projects is a play about the adventures of the first Scotsmen to arrive in the Eastern Townships.
Indigenous Storyteller
The Morrin Centre welcomed author Richard Van Camp on October 13, 2021, for a virtual discussion about Indigenous storytelling. He delighted us with stories and anecdotes, and participants even had the chance to make special requests.
Richard Van Camp
Richard Van Camp is a proud Tłı̨chǫ Dene from Fort Smith, Northwest Territories. He is the author of 26 books written over the span of 26 years. He is best known for his 1996 novel The Lesser Blessed, which was adapted into a film by director Anita Doron in 2012.
Photo Credit : William Au
Memoirs
To wrap up the series, the Morrin Centre welcomed, on February 16, 2022, the author, journalist, and creative writing teacher Elaine Kalman Naves.
Elaine Kalman Naves
Elaine Kalman Naves was born in Hungary, grew up in Budapest, London, and Montreal, and is the author of eight books, among them two award-winning memoirs about her family: Journey to Vaja, and Shoshanna’s Story. Journey to Vaja was made into a documentary film, as well as a CBC IDEAS documentary. Elaine’s novel The Book of Faith was nominated for the 2016 Leacock Prize for Humour. She has led workshops for the Quebec Writers’ Federation for more than twenty years and has taught and mentored well-known writers before they were well known.