Ivan E. Coyote

Ivan E. Coyote came to tell stories in my class today. It was sheer luck that it even happened; I was in the admin office a few weeks ago at just the right time - Ivan was going to be in town for a local spoken word event, and I was there - right place, right time - to say "pick me! pick me!" for a special visit to "Controversies in Feminism." I ordered Ivan's latest book, Loose End, online the week before, and last night I crawled into bed with the copy in hand. Mistake and a half: I was up until well past 3AM, eyes burning and feeling strangely awake...knowing full well that I had to be up and moving in less than 4½ hours to get to class but knowing that sleep wouldn't be forthcoming anytime soon. I felt like I had found something and someone absolutely wonderful - smart, funny, political and very real...

And then Ivan showed up this morning and showed - via charm, honesty, graciousness and skill - how the art, no, the craft of storytelling transforms those very same written words that I read last night into something entirely different.

A few highlights of the talk and the dialogue that followed:

• a recurring focus on the importance of respecting elders, those who paved the way before us;
• a genuine active interest in maintaining respect and to listening to all sides;
• a reflection on gender and generations;
• a conversation on how gay bashing can be construed as gender bashing;
• the need to actually critique instead of just criticizing (action/inaction)...and to actually DO something;
• the significance of knowing one's audience and thinking about where you're going to lead people;
• the idea that gender binaries ultimately hurt everyone;
• the notion that a voice itself can be gendered;
• that any opportunity to break binaries should be taken - even if modifications happen only slowly slowly slowly...

Bio blurb, from Ivan's official website:

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...The Globe and Mail called Ivan "a natural-born storyteller" and Ottawa X Press said " Coyote is to CanLit what k.d. lang is to country music: a beautifully odd fixture."

It doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of describing the magic that Ivan worked in front of the packed lounge. Or the effect that Ivan's presence and storytelling had on everyone on the room.

A parting anecdote (in response to someone who - just the day before - demanded that Ivan tell him how he could 'slot' Ivan in a nice, neat gendered box):

Imagine you have one pair of boots, and they're the only ones you'll ever have in your life. One is too big, and it chafes; the other's too small and it rubs. "Either way, you end up with blisters."

Yup. Buy the books. And the CD. Attend a talk if you're lucky enough to have Ivan in your town. Do it.