National Network for Equitable Library Service

Sit down, Daniel's going to tell you a story. On the weekend of January 10, 2004, American monologist Spalding Gray killed himself by jumping off the Staten Island Ferry in New York City. That same weekend, Daniel MacIvor was in California, visiting a psychic surgeon who offered to save his life by removing a spiritual entity that had attached to him. But what if Spalding's death had something to do with Daniel's entity?

Forced to rely upon traditional wisdom for their survival, Elena and Bern retreat from the remains of civilization to a freezing, desolate landscape where they attempt to continue their lives after the end of the world. When a charismatic stranger from the village arrives seeking their aid, the women must decide whether they will use their knowledge of the past to give the society that rejected them the chance at a future.

Max, a lawyer for the Canadian Department of Justice, is losing his mind. In one nightmarish week, he has been shot, punched, stabbed, led on a wild goose chase, and has even seen a ghost.

Inspired by the 2004 death of seventeen-year-old Jeffrey Reodica by a plain-clothes police officer in Toronto, The Making of St. Jerome is a poignant look at the aftermath of a teenager's untimely death, the media's role on the truth, and one family's attempt to reconcile a haunting reality. When Jason De Jesus discovers his younger brother Jerome is the victim of a senseless shooting, his world is suddenly filled with questions surrounding Jerome's death. Was his brother innocent, or was he the victim of a racial hate crime?

This updated edition of Vern Thiessen's compelling play about the collision of power and one man's journey to discovery still resonates with verve and vigour.

Seeing beyond Winston's disfiguring scars and foreseeing a future with him, Lise falls in love and the couple soon marry. Years later, having inherited Lise's gift, two of their children, Theresa and Jerome, must struggle to find their place within the community. But for Leo, their middle child, that is just the start of his worries. As he grows older and the chasm between himself and his family grows, Leo realizes that he doesn't belong to his family.

Mahmoud is an exuberant, if overwhelmingly passionate, Iranian engineer-cum-taxi driver who relishes the chance to regale his passengers with his love of Persian culture. Emanuelos, a fabulously gay Spanish perfume salesman, can talk a mile-a-minute about his boyfriend, Behnam. And then there's Tara, an awkwardly charming Iranian Canadian preteen who just wants to be "normal," whatever that means.

When King Pandion marries his daughter Procne off to war hero King Tereus, she must leave her beloved sister Philomela behind. After years of isolation in a foreign land, Procne begs Tereus to collect her sister for a visit. When confronted with Philomela's beauty, Tereus's desire triumphs over reason, igniting a chain of horrific events. A harrowing exploration of violence and revenge, this adaptation features a chorus of ravaged women, each a survivor of a twenteth century conflict: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Rwanda, Bangladesh, Nanking, and Berlin.

It's been a year since Paul and Lucille's son Craig committed suicide, and their once-solid family bonds are starting to break down. While the now-separated couple tries to honour their son, Lucille's sister Liset and her husband Jim refuse to discuss their nephew. The ties that keep the four together as sisters, best friends, and spouses are strained by grief and guilt ... until a visit from a fox changes everything. Simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming, This is How We Got Here follows a close-knit family as they deal with an unexpected loss.

An unhappy orphan who finds solace in paper cut-outs of her parents, an Indian doctor who displays his medical degree in his taxi cab, and waiters who tamper with fortune cookie are some of the vibrant characters who are brought to life in this anthology of six monologues that revolve around paper. From drama to comedy to crime-thriller, Yee brings us a variety of plots and characters in a series of imaginative, thought-provoking vignettes.