Poynteronline writes about We Are Iran by Nasrin Alavi.

Amy Gahran has posted on Poynteronline about the report published by Chatham House on the role of Iran in the Middle East. Chatham House is a leading UK think tank on international affairs. If you visit Poynteronline you’ll see the links to download the report and the press release.

The post comments on the report’s assessement that the US misapplied power in regards to Iran. The connection to We Are Iran is that Amy has recently started reading the book, which has offered her an insight into Iran and world affairs from the perspective of Iranian bloggers.

The book is blog postings translated from Farsi. Amy offers comments about the book and the power of blogging. It’s a good article and an excellent connection between We Are Iran and current affairs.

Note: An excerpt of We Are Iran: The Persian Blogs by Nasrin Alavi is available on The Tyee. 

Toronto’s International Festival of Authors has started a blog. It’s brand new so please have a look.

http://www.ifoa.blogspot.com/

Some of the great authors attending the IFOA this year are Patrick McCabe, Jon McGregor and Julie Burtinshaw. Watch for more details about their upcoming books and check out the IFOA website for details on their events: http://www.readings.org

Drawn.ca has reviewed a couple of great books for kids.

The review of Ann and Paul Rand’s kids books (Chronicle) can be found here.

Sparkle and Spin: A Book About Words by Ann Rand and Paul Rand

Little 1 by Ann Rand and Paul Rand

Also on Drawn.ca is a posting about Ingri Von Bergen and her quirky and lovable plush characters, which were featured in a book for preschoolers called Me! Me! ABC by Harriet Ziefert.

Here’s the link to the posting about Ingri.

Gunter Grass, author of the The Tin Drum, Crabwalk, and many other works of fiction and nonfiction, announced in an interview Saturday that he served in Hitler’s Waffen SS, the combat arm of the Nazis during the Second World War.

The confession has stirred up mixed feelings among historians, reviewers, fans and Grass’ biographer. The CBC reports that Gunter “Grass has always been a critic of German society, pushing people to come to terms with their Nazi past. For decades, he has said that he was drafted in 1944 and held as a prisoner of war until 1946.”

Although many condemn Grass for keeping the secret for 60 years, there are those like German-Jewish writer Ralph Giordano who’ve offered support, “What’s worse than making a mistake is not coming to terms with it."

Günter Grass is one of Germany’s most celebrated contemporary writers. Novelist, poet, playwright, essayist and graphic artist, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1999. A number of his books have been translated into English and are available in from Harcourt Trade Publishers. See books from Gunter Grass.

Don’t get jetlagged ... here are some fast facts on travel.

Top Destinations for Outbound Travel from Canada
1. US
2. UK
3. Mexico
4. France
5. Cuba
6. Dominican Republic
7. Germany
8. Italy
9. Netherlands
10. Spain

Other Top Contenders
1. China
2. Hong Kong
3. Japan
4. Australia

Top US States Visited by Canadians
1. New York
2. Florida
3. Washington

Top Canadian Provinces Visited
1. Ontario
2. BC
3. Quebec

Top Canadian Cities Visited
1. Toronto
2. Vancouver
3. Montreal

(Source: Canadian Travel Commission, 2004)

Top Travel Books Coming This Fall
1. A Year of Adventures, “exciting adventures for each week of the year.” (Travel Guide avail. August)
2. Empire of the Soul, “Paul William Roberts insightful account of journeys in India.” (Travel Writing avail. September)
3. Home As Hotel (Travel Photography avail. September)
4. Costa Rican Spanish (Phrasebooks avail. now)
5. Micronations (Self-proclaimed nations avail. September)