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PWAC@Victoria
About This Author

Star Weiss
1071 Brookview Drive, Victoria, B.C., Canada V9C 3X6
Phone: (250) 478-9565
Fax: (250) 478-9565
Email: starweiss@shaw.ca

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People trust me and I honour that trust. Whether I'm interviewing parents of murdered children, parole officers, cloistered nuns, or disgruntled fishers, I'll always go that extra mile to write a thoroughly researched, insightful story. The quiet heroes living unconventional lives invariably interest me. As an instructor, I love turning people on to writing at any stage in their lives. I also host and produce programs for cable television, including Kitchen Culture, a multicultural cooking and lifestyle show featuring immigrant women on Vancouver Island, seen on Shaw Cable, Rogers, and eventually aired nationwide by Vision TV.

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Topics of Current Interest
  • Probation/parole and sentencing of violent offenders
  • Multiculturalism in action (raising cross-cultural awareness)
  • Exploring B.C.'s out-of-doors
  • Aboriginal adult education and healing
  • Individuals who are out of the mainstream (e.g., monastic nuns, psychiatric patients)
Selected Periodical Credits
  • "After Murder" (Parts I and II), B.C. Woman, Sept. and Oct. 1995. Special report on political activism of parents of murdered children in B.C.
  • "The Healing Fields," Harrowsmith, June 1994. Profile of the "Greenways" horticultural therapy program for adults with mental illness.
  • "Hitting the Trail...Carmanah Valley," The Traveller, Beautiful British Columbia, Winter 1994. A guided walk through Carmanah Pacific Provincial Park.
  • "Equal Partners," B.C. Woman, June 1995. From "silent partner" to equal partner, the changing role of B.C.'s farm women.
  • "Harnessing the Power of Prayer," Saturday Review, The Vancouver Sun, Aug. 7, 1993. A close look at the daily lives of monastic nuns in Duncan, B.C.
  • "Tzinquaw Olé," Sunday Reader, Times Colonist, Oct. 22, 1995. Interview with three Vancouver Island aboriginal dancers who travelled to Mexico to perform in an international festival of folklore.
  • "Kitchen Culture," B.C. Woman, Oct. 1994. Story of how a local TV show featuring multicultural cooking is "opening doors of friendship for immigrant women in Vancouver Island's Cowichan Valley."
Book Credits
  • Kitchen Culture, The Lives and Foods of Immigrant Women, New Roots Press, first printing, 1991; second printing, 1994. Biography-cookbook featuring immigrant women from 17 cultures presenting over 100 of their favourite, classic dishes. A spin-off from the TV show of the same name.
  • Island Cookery, Ptarmigan Press, first printing, 1981; sixth printing, 1991. Co-edited with Mary Pirie. Features over 200 recipes from Quadra Island, including more than 70 West Coast seafood recipes.
Related Areas of Expertise
~ Editing (cookbooks) ~ TV/Film Broadcasting/Production ~ Photography/Photojournalism ~ Media Relations ~ Teaching/Training/Workshop Presenter ~ Lecturing/Public Speaking ~
Staff/Contract Experience
  • Freelance Writing Instructor, Malaspina University-College, Cowichan and Nanaimo Campuses, 1990-96. Also teach English and Math in the Training and Development Department at Malaspina.
  • Education/Special Projects Coordinator, Cowichan Valley Intercultural and Immigrant Aid Society, Duncan, B.C., 1985-90
  • Information Officer, Ongwanada Hospital, Kingston, Ontario, 1982-84
  • Reporter/Photographer/Women's Editor, Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Gazette, Maple Ridge, B.C., 1974-75
Qualifications
  • Creative Nonfiction Workshop, taught by Peter C. Newman, University of Victoria, 1988
  • Broadcast Journalism course, BCIT, 1975
  • Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology, Denison University, Ohio, 1970
  • Secondary Teacher's Certificate, English, Denison University, Ohio, 1970
Achievements
  • Multiculturalism and Citizenship Writer's Grant, 1991
  • B.C. School Trustees Association Journalist of the Year, 1975
Expertise by Subject
~ Aboriginal Peoples ~ Immigration/Multiculturalism ~ Crime and Justice ~ Lifestyle ~ Education ~ Travel/Tourism ~ Environment/Nature/Out-of-doors ~ Rural Living ~ Food and Drink ~ Gender Issues (women's issues) ~
Expertise by Type of Writing
~ Feature Articles ~ Columns ~ Interviews/Profiles ~ Travel Writing ~ Report Writing ~ Corporate/Government Communications ~ Grantsmanship ~ Press Releases and Media Packages ~ Newsletters ~

Star Weiss

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Last updated: July 16, 2002   *   http://www.islandnet.com/pwacvic/weisss00.html