Stories are not just at the heart of any civilization, they really are that civilization.

Stories are everything and everywhere — from gossip and oral traditions to religions to films, plays, radio, television, songs and poetry and of course books.

If you read, and even more if you write, you likely already know about the important new initiative in Nova Scotia called Books Start Here. If you have not yet heard of it, please check it out. Our distinctive Maritime culture, not to mention lots of jobs and economic impact, need all the help they can get in this era of global reductionism. That is, we need a vital publishing industry that connects with the stories of who we are and aspire to be, and examples of poets, novelists, historians, illustrators and editors who will inspire the generations to come. Or think of it this way: we should be providing some of our own self-reliant cultural reference points and not just consuming what is generated in LA, New York and Toronto.