Writers’ Union of Canada member. Author of Torn Apart: The Internment Diary of Mary Kobayashi, about the uprooting and incarceration of Japanese Canadians in WWII. Writer-in-residence at Vancouver’s Historic Joy Kogawa House (Fall 2017). 150-km distance from Toronto. $175.00 per session (no HST). Travel costs by public transit apply outside Toronto.
Susan begins her presentation by explaining how the research and writing of Torn Apart has changed her life. A third-generation Japanese Canadian, Susan had been indifferent to her heritage until she approached it from a personal view. Hearing stories from her mother and other family members, Susan now realizes that history is much more than what happened in the past—it’s what we choose to remember.
A reading of text excerpts follows the introduction. Susan then gives a slideshow of period and contemporary photographs to illustrate both the reading and the background of the book. The presentation ends with a Q & A session.
A one-page preparatory list of questions is available for handout, if students have not read the book. Susan’s talk can be tailored to suit particular subject areas (English, Creative Writing, History, Social Studies).
Length of presentation time: 45 minutes to an hour, or one period. Maximum 2 sessions per day.
Susan will present to Grades 4 and up, including high school students. Maximum number of students per session: 50, although Susan is flexible and has presented to much larger groups in an auditorium setting.
Susan is comfortable in a classroom or a library.
Equipment required: projector and screen, lectern (music stand, table or desk) to place book while reading, portable microphone (if room size is very large).
Contact Susan to book a visit: