PAPER CHASE: It's Your Money Honey: read about it

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McDonald (left) and Misner want to engage women in financial matters. IZABELA RACHMAL photo

Winnipeg entrepreneurs Laura McDonald and Susan Misner feel too few women are engaged in financial matters, and hope to remedy this with the launch of It's Your Money, Honey: A Girl's Guide to Saving, Investing, and Building Wealth at Every Age and Life Stage.

It began three years ago in a grocery store. Misner, who worked in the investment industry, glanced at the usual assortment of checkout-stand tabloid headlines and asked herself, "What in this lineup is going to inspire my daughter to be a CEO of a company?"

Misner partnered with McDonald, and together they started a digital media company and website geared toward women: Golden Girls Financial. The book is part of a three-part plan: website, book, and one day -- if plans pan out -- a TV show. It's Your Money, Honey will be launched Thursday, 8 p.m., at McNally Robinson Booksellers.

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Ukrainian Culture Under Stalin is the title of this year's J.B. Rudnyckyj Lecture at the University of Manitoba, to be delivered by Serhy Yekelchyk.

Yekelchyk is a Victoria scholar of Stalinist culture and political life in the former Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. He has written three books on the subject, including Ukraine: Birth of a Modern Nation (2007) published by Oxford University Press, New York.

This is the 19th annual lecture. Past speakers have included Ukraine novelist, journalist and screenwriter Andrey Kurkov and CTV journalist Victor Malarek.

The lecture takes place Friday, 3 p.m., at the Elizabeth Dafoe Library on the U of M campus. The event is free and open to the public, with a reception to follow.

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A convoy of authors and activists will soon head to Tucson in response to the removal of seven books from the Tucson Unified School District's Mexican American Studies program, which was immediately suspended.

Arizona superintendent of public instruction, John Huppenthal, said in a statement that the books were pulled because the "materials repeatedly reference white people as being 'oppressors.' "

There has been an outcry though traditional and social media. Renowned American aboriginal author Sherman Alexie posted on Twitter: "With the ban on ethnic studies, Arizona is now officially practicing American Apartheid." His book The Lone Ranger and Tonto's Fist Fight in Heaven is one of the removed books.

The Huffington Post reports that between March 12 and 18 the convoy will travel from Houston, Texas, to Tucson to raise awareness, and to "celebrate many cultures."

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The Manitoba Writers' Guild has big plans this spring. While marking its 30th anniversary, it will also celebrate writers and writing in this province with a Symposium on Manitoba Writing, scheduled for May 10-12.

Researchers and scholars from around the world will gather to discuss the ins, outs and impact of Manitoba writing. There will also be panels on Mennonite, aboriginal and francophone writing, keynote presentations, and events featuring Manitoba authors. The symposium will wrap up with a cabaret.

Most events will take place at the Canadian Mennonite University. Additional details will be available soon on the Guild website, www.mbwriter.mb.ca.

anitadaher1@gmail.com

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 4, 2012 J8