Marguerite Andersen, novelist and editor of the Franco-Ontarian short story magazine Virages, recently discussed issues relating to small-market magazines that are produced electronically. Virages falls into that category. Her presentation was part of the Calumet Speakers Series.
Here is an account submitted by Prof. Lelia Young.
In her talk on "The magazine production process – writers, editors and technology," Andersen concentrated on electronic means of production, especially as far as women are concerned. An audience of about 25 students and faculty learned about small market magazines in Canada; they also became aware of the difficulties faced in this field by African women, who often have neither electricity nor access to a telephone line and the Internet.
In addition, Andersen made reference to Dale Spender, writer and editor of over 30 books and founder of women’s presses and developer of women’s studies courses who, when she realized that writing had shifted from print to digital, started to encode women's works in electronic form.
Author of about 15 novels and books of short stories and poetry, Andersen is also president of the Association of Francophone Writers in Ontario (l'Association des auteures et auteurs de l'Ontario français). In 2000, she was a finalist for the Trillium Prize for her poetical narrative "Bleu sur blanc."
Savitsa Sévigny, master of Calumet College, and Lélia Young, professor, Department of French Studies, organized the presentation.