news | MATT J. SIMMONS

Northern Gateway Pipeline

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:46:04 -0700

Today, I joined a long list of speakers in publicly and officially speaking out against Enbridge's proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline project. It was a bit of a nervewracking thing to do, but important, despite the news that the Joint Reveiw Panel sounds like a process that will have no bearing on the final decision. I went a bit over time and had to cut out a bit, but here's my speech in full:

It’s not easy to offer the panel new facts and to not reiterate what’s already been said. With a project like this, we are constantly bombarded by media of all kinds. We get snippets of the story and we hear arguments from both sides as retold by journalists and well-meaning but undoubtedly subjective commentators. We’re all exposed to the same media. I understand your goal is to gather new information to help review this proposed pipeline, but I think also that by hearing a united view on several key issues, you will hopefully have a clear idea of why there is opposition to this project, and that it’s based on facts and documented research.

Interrobang - Or, Matt on the radio

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:13:29 -0700

Over the past few weeks, I've developed and launched a radio program on CICK 93.9 FM, Smithers Community Radio. The show is called Interrobang. What is an interrobang? It's a publishing/printing mark, the unlikely combination of the interrogative, more commonly known as the question mark, and the bang, or exclamation point. It looks like this: _

The show is similarly an unlikely combination, of books and music. Each episode takes a single book and navigates its way through the pages with a carefully selected soundtrack, designed to reflect content, mood, and the general vibe of the plot, as well as the book's characters and the themes of the book. I look for song lyrics and song titles, as well as mood, style, and tone. It's a lot of work, but also a lot of fun.

Here are a few of the books I've done thus far: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey, and Not Wanted on the Voyage by Timothy Findley. Some upcoming titles: Ecstasy Club by Douglas Rushkoff and Eating Dirt by Charlotte Gill.

The search for funding

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:15:15 -0800

It's never easy to find financial support for big ideas, but I'm out there hitting up the grant circuits trying to get backing for a book-length literary project I'm working on. The idea is, well, top secret, but I can let you in on a small success: Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) has agreed to provide me with some gear in support of the project. Thanks MEC! I can't wait to get out there and use it...