Latest news with #CraigNorris
CBC
3 days ago
- CBC
Survival, pain, resilience and healing: Kitchener author finds peace in writing memoir
For Matthew Greg, growing up and living in Ireland was a traumatic experience. From emotional to physical and sexual abuse, he felt unwanted and unloved. That changed when he met his husband and they moved to Canada, settling in Kitchener. After some encouragement from his husband, Greg decided to write his life story, which is now a two-volume book called Love Shouldn't Hurt. He joined CBC K-W's The Morning Edition host Craig Norris to talk about the book and what it took to write it. Warning: The following interview details about sexual and physical abuse as well as suicide. The following has been edited for length and clarity. Craig Norris: This memoir details all the trials and tribulations you've gone through. Let's go back a bit. Tell me about growing up in Ireland? Matthew Greg: I'm the middle of 10 children and at the age of three weeks I had very, very severe asthma and my whole body was turning yellow. We call it yellow jaundice at home and my doctor had told my parents to rush me to the hospital, but there was no guarantee that I'd still be alive by the time I got there. At the age of 5, I had been sexually abused by a neighbour. He used to tie my hands to the back of his bed, onto the steel frame and he used to whip me, but he never left marks … that went on for a few years and he had threatened me if I had said anything to my parents, he would kill my dad. And I didn't want my parents to know anything. Craig Norris: In the ensuing years, then, when did you come to realize what that experience did to you? Matthew Greg: At the age of 12, I knew that I had been kind of into guys by then, but that's the time that the abuse with the neighbour had stopped because he had passed away. And that was when a new friend came into my life … His name was Peter … we spoke about everything and anything you could speak at, you know, as best mates would. [The book details how Peter killed himself.] Craig Norris: Did it start as, you had the idea that you were going to write a book or was this sort of a way for you to document what had happened to you and maybe sort of use it as a healing process? Matthew Greg: My husband had actually inspired me. He said to write it down on the computer, you know, get it out of my system because it was bottled up inside me. Every time I'd see a child being abused, I used to bawl my eyes out. And my husband said, you know, put it down on … And then he said we'll try and see if if it's possible to get it published in all which is done. Craig Norris: And was it healing for you? Matthew Greg: It is now knowing that it's out there because I know there's lots of other people going through with it. Matthew Greg: Hope. I hope it heals somebody. That if somebody is going through what I've been going through, that it, it helps ease the pain, you know, might make it easier for them to be able to put their own story down on paper.
CBC
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Guelph author Melinda Burns uses poetry to connect to her Indigenous roots
The medicine wheel is a sacred symbol in many Indigenous cultures. It represents the four seasons and how each is associated with different aspects of life, growth and teachings. For Guelph author Melinda Burns, it served as a way for her to reclaim and celebrate her heritage. And she does this through a collection of poetry found in her recently released book Homecoming. Her poems are grouped according to the directions found on the medicine wheel. Each section reflects both the universal human journey of growth and learning, and the author's personal experiences. Burns recently sat down with CBC K-W's The Morning Edition host Craig Norris to talk more about the book. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity. Audio of the interview can be found at the bottom of this article. Craig Norris: The poems you wrote represent the four directions of the medicine wheel. For those who aren't familiar with what each direction means, could you walk us through them? Melinda Burns: I t's a symbol in Native American spirituality of wholeness and balance, and it's a circle that's divided into four quadrants. The east is for beginnings, spring, morning, starting out. The south is for summer and the afternoon adolescence of life. And that represents innocence and joy. The west is autumn and evening, and it has to do with loss, but also introspection. And then the north is for winter and for the ancestors and old age. And it has to do with wisdom. Norris: How does your poetry correlate with the wheel? Burns: When I was starting to put this collection together, I was trying to think of how to order the poems that I've written over a long time. So there were poems for my childhood and growing up and my relationship with my mother, marriage, motherhood. And when I thought of doing it chronologically, it just didn't seem quite right. And when I hit on the idea of arranging them according to the medicine wheel, it really presented a sense of wholeness in a life. In the east there are many beginnings, not just the beginning of our life. And in the south there are many joys, not just the joys and wonder of childhood. And of course many losses and the need to go within to understand them. And also a lot of gathering of wisdom over the years as we live and as we connect with our ancestors. Norris: As you've been writing and compiling these poems, what has that done for you personally, as you continue your own journey of reclaiming your heritage? Burns: Well, it is an ongoing journey. I called the book Homecoming from the very beginning because it's about the journey that all of us make to come home to ourselves, to who we're meant to be and who we really are. So there was a double impact for me. One was just compiling the poems and getting to see my life [and having] that feeling of wholeness, that everything fits, that nothing is good or bad or right or wrong, it is just part of the cycle. But the other part certainly was about putting it out as a native person claiming this very rich heritage that I didn't get to know about from my mother because of her connection to residential schools and her distancing from our heritage. Norris: What has your poetry helped you to learn about yourself? Burns: I really do think poetry helps us learn a great deal about ourselves. There's a quote from Rumi at the beginning of the book that says: 'Through love, all pain will turn to medicine.' And I think it's helped me to see how true that is, that when we, when I approach my life with love, with everything that's happened in it, the highs and lows, the joys and losses, that it does turn to medicine and in the sense that it strengthens and fortifies me. Norris: Could you share a poem with us? Burns: I have one that I wrote some years ago, and you might recognize this particular festival this is referring to... Norris: What do you hope people take away from your collection of poetry? Burns: I hope that they can relate to each section as they read it. So there's four sections and then the centre, which is the place of mystery and the creator. And that as they read my poems in those sections, they think about their own beginnings and their own joys and their own losses and times of going within and their own wisdom that they've acquired. And that it helps them to see their lives in this sense of wholeness rather than that linear idea of birth on the left and death on the right and trying to get somewhere in between. That there's really no place we need to get. We're just always circling the mystery. And I hope that's a comfort to people. Norris: What's next for you? Burns: A couple of things I'd love to mention. The French edition of the book is coming out in 2026, which is just amazing to me to be able to see my poems in another language. I'll be reading at the Eden Mills Writers' Festival this year. It's on Sept, 7 and right now the The Hillside Festival poem is in a poetry and art rotating exhibit at The Boathouse in Guelph, and the exhibit is going to feature poems and artwork that is inspired by the poems [in Homecoming ].
CBC
23-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition airing London Morning on Friday
Due to technical difficulties, CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition with host Craig Norris will not be heard on 89.1 FM or the CBC Listen App on Friday, May 23.. Instead, listeners in Waterloo region will hear London Morning with host Travis Dolynny. The CBC London team will include weather, traffic and news from Waterloo region, so listeners in our area will be able to stay up-to-date. The team at CBC Kitchener-Waterloo is working hard on the problem and we hope to have the show back on the air on Monday. If you'd like to speak to CBC Audience Relations about the technical problems, contact Audience Relations online or on the phone. Use the online Contact Form or call 1-866-306-4636.
CBC
18-04-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Kate's 5 fun things to do this long weekend in and around Waterloo region: April 18 to 21
Social Sharing It's the long weekend — perhaps a very long weekend for those who have both Friday and Monday off — and it's going to be a very spring-like weather rollercoaster with sun, rain and mild and cool temperatures. The Kitchener Rangers have a do-or-die game Friday in Windsor. Down 3-1 in the playoff series, if Kitchener wins, they'll be back at The Aud in Kitchener on Sunday night. If you're looking for something fun to listen to on Monday, CBC K-W's The Morning Edition with host Craig Norris is doing a special province-wide show that will focus on election issues from Ontario communities. Tune in and listen to the morning team between 6 a.m. and 8:40 a.m. Monday. If you're driving this weekend, here are some gas prices: Easter Egg Hunt for Dogs Friday 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Knollwood Park, Kitchener Riverside Park, Guelph It'll be cuteness overload in two local parks as dogs hunt for eggs with treats inside them. There is a cost to take part because it's a fundraiser for National Service Dogs. Register ahead of time or pay at the park. National Service Dog event page Bonus: Easter Pawty Saturday 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. The Modern Paw, 720 Belmont Ave. W., Kitchener This is a free, pet-friendly event with an egg hunt and photos in front of an Easter-themed backdrop. This is a fundraiser for the Kitchener Waterloo Stratford Perth Humane Society. Brewer's Brass Friday at 7 p.m. TWB Co-operative Brewing, 300 Mill St., Kitchener The brewer at TWB, Peter Collins, is one heck of a trombone player and he's getting the brass quartet back together for a fun Friday night concert. Entry is pay-what-you-can. Facebook event page Earth Day Clothing Swap Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Church of the Good Shepherd, 116 Queen St. N., Kitchener Bring clean and gently used clothing, shoes and accessories for all ages and a reusable bag to this event and swap what you don't wear anymore for some new-to-you gems. There is an entry fee of $5 at the door, but bring a reusable mug and enjoy some refreshments. Organizers say this swap is a great way to save money, give away unwanted clothes and get something fresh for your wardrobe. Facebook event page Easter Egg hunts There are several egg hunts planned. Here are a few: Saturday at 10 a.m. — Doon Pioneer Park Community Association will host a hunt. The festivities kick off with a performance from Krickett and the hunt gets underway at 10:30 a.m. Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Downtown Cambridge Easter Egg Hunt starts at Encore Threads and Treasures located at 60 Main St. and people will get a map of participating businesses taking part in the event. Saturday 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. — Hespeler Village Easter Egg Hunt will have people visit downtown businesses to get treats. Enjoy live music with Katy Topham on Queen Street and the food bank will be on hand to collect donations. Saturday 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. — Verity Community Church in Waterloo is hosting a hunt and people can also enjoy a hot beverage. Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — TheMuseum in downtown Kitchener will host a hunt with eggs hidden on all five floors of the building. Participants will receive a hunt booklet and for each egg returned, kids will get a piece of candy. It's also the last day for the Giraffe, A Heightened Experience exhibit. Sunday 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. — This event is for young children, from infant to six years old. An egg hunt for toddlers will take place on the indoor field at the Royal Distributing Athletic Performance Centre followed by a tot 'n' play session. The older kids will get to go on an Easter scavenger hunt outside. Registration is recommended. Hoppy Easter with Baby Chicks Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday Schneider Haus, Kitchener
CBC
13-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
CBC Poetry Prize winner Kyo Lee releases 1st book called I Cut My Tongue on a Broken Country
A newly released collection of poetry from 18-year-old Waterloo poet Kyo Lee explores the search for love through the lens of a young queer Korean Canadian. In 2023, Lee was 16 when she became the youngest winner of the CBC Poetry Prize for her poem Lotus Flower Blooming into Breast. Now, she's released I Cut My Tongue on a Broken Country, an intimate collection of poems covering topics including lineage, family, war, and hope. CBC K-W's The Morning Edition host Craig Norris caught up with Lee to see what she's been up to since. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Audio of the interview can be found at the bottom of this article. Craig Norris: It's been about a year and a half since we last spoke Kyo. What's changed for you? Kyo Lee: Not much because most of the book was written by the point that I won the CBC Poetry Prize. I did a lot of editing for that book, which actually was quite rigorous. I think it was harder than writing the book. But other than that, I've been doing regular high school stuff, attending school and applying to universities. I think I've been having a couple of months, maybe a year of creative fermentation, as I like to call it. I haven't written that much since I wrote the collection, but I've been trying to be more porous to the world. I've been trying to gain inspiration in everything that I see. Craig Norris: And now your book I Cut My Tongue on a Broken Country is set to be released. How would you describe this collection? Kyo Lee: I think of it as a collection of growing up while trying to learn how to love. It's a story about the Asian-American diaspora and about womanhood and about the struggles, typical or not typical, associated with growing up. You know, about learning how to be yourself really while dealing with a bunch of different identities and learning, trying to love yourself and to love the world while growing up. Craig Norris: Does poetry do that for you? Kyo Lee: Yes, absolutely. I think poetry is kind of a coping mechanism for me. And it's also the way I learned how to survive, how to become myself. Craig Norris: Where do these poems come from? Kyo Lee: A lot of the poems are based on my own experiences, but I also do say that they're not always completely non-fiction the way people expect them to be. Whether that means I'm collecting different images from different experiences in my life and putting them all together. But I also do sometimes just pull from different settings, from images from photographs, you know, other artists. And then I put them all together into one scene. Craig Norris: You also run poetry workshops for teens. What is the number one piece of advice that you give to new writers? Kyo Lee: Whenever I'm asked that, I think often about what the director of Citizen Kane, Orson Wells, said about how he made Citizen Kane, which is ignorance and sheer ignorance. Not to compare myself to Orson Wells, but I think about that a lot, that the reason that I was able to write this book is because of ignorance because I didn't know it was going to be so hard. So I think my advice is to you have to gaslight yourself a little bit into thinking that it's not hard at all. Tell yourself it'll be easy peasy, that you'll write that book in two months. And then once you're in it, you probably won't write that book in two months. But now it's too late to back out. You just gotta start and then see where that takes you. WATCH | Former CBC Poetry Prize winner releases a new collection of poems: Former CBC Poetry Prize winner from Waterloo releases a new collection of poems 5 days ago Duration 0:47 On top of being the youngest person to ever win the CBC poetry prize, Kyo Lee's work had also been recognized by several prestigious literary organizations like The RBC Bronwen Wallace Award, Prism International, New York Times, just to name a few. Now, at 18 years old, the Waterloo-based poet is releasing a new book called I Cut My Tongue on a Broken Country. Craig Norris: This is your last year of high school. What's next for you? Kyo Lee: I'll be going to university next year and hopefully I'll be studying English. I'm going to Yale, I think, well, I'm almost confident I'll be going to Yale. I just haven't committed officially. Craig Norris: Congratulations! You also mentioned that you started writing again, is it poetry? Kyo Lee: I've been writing maybe the beginnings of a novel. Fingers crossed it becomes more than a beginning. I've also been writing a little bit of poetry, but I would really like to explore what else I can do.
