Jonathan from the Lethbridge Public Library Information Services, Char Schow and Richard Van Camp talk amongst themselves before the Zoom webinar began on Oct. 8, 2020.
An Edmonton author wants to be remembered as somebody who made people laugh, did his best, didn’t take, didn’t lie and didn’t steal.
Richard Van Camp shared his aspirations during a Q-and-A session for Word on the Street – Fall Reading Series. This event is hosted by the Lethbridge Public Library and The Word on The Street Festival Lethbridge.
The next Word on the Street event is Oct. 22, the one after that is Nov. 12 and the last one is Dec. 10.
Van Camp was born in 1971 in Fort Smith, N.W.T. He is a proud member of the Dogrib (Tlicho) Nation. He currently lives in Edmonton, Alta. with his wife and son.
He graduated from En’owkin International School of Writing and has a fine arts degree in creative writing from the University of Victoria. He also has a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of British Columbia.
He is a well-known author and storyteller with 24 publications. He writes novels, short stories, baby books, children’s books and comic books.
One of his more recent publications is called Moccasin Square Gardens. It’s a compilation of 10 short stories.
His latest book can be described as funny and sweet with a bit of Indigenous humour.
Patti-Kay Hamilton, a writer, journalist and storyteller from Fort Smith, N.W.T. enjoys reading Van Camp’s stories.
“Richard, your stories are good medicine, thank you, thank you.”
Hamilton also describes his stories as “an ocean of antlers.”
Van Camp sees Hamilton as an amazing storyteller and author.
“You’re a superb writer yourself.”
A few stories in Moccasin Square Gardens are Knock, Knock, Super Indians and The Promise.
In Knock, Knock, there is a joke about a couple of Cree kookums. In the Cree language, kookum means grandmother.
Super Indians is about how a deceitful chief gets what he deserves during a game of tug-of-war on Canada Day.
The Promise focuses on how a Dene boy gets someone else to do all his chores in exchange for a new Intellivision game, B-17 Bomber.
All three of these stories focus on modern life in Denendeh.
Moccasin Square Gardens is different than his other publications because Van Camp wanted to make it funny.
“I think out of all my books, Moccasin Square Gardens is by far the funniest.”
Even though there are some funny parts to the book, it’s not all funny. Some people tell Van Camp that they wish the book was funny all the way through.
Van Camp disagrees with that viewpoint.
“I don’t want it to be funny all the way through; I want it to be jarring. I want it to be an experience, I want it to be a garden of terror and light at the same time.”
Van Camp wanted to make the book like a dance.
“I wanted this to be a dance. It took about two years, but that was really the inspiration behind it.”
A successful book, according to Van Camp, is when people think about the characters years later.
“I love just wounding people with my work, where years later they’re thinking about a character and wondering how they are. I think that’s the mark of a successful book.”
Moccasin Square Gardens was published in April of 2019.