by Nancy Flight
Editors and writers across the country were saddened to learn of the death of long-time EAC member John Eerkes-Medrano, on June 15, at the age of 64. Born in Groningen, the Netherlands, he spent his early years in Edmonton and later worked in Toronto and then Victoria.
It was with great sadness that EAC-BC learned of the death of long-time member John Eerkes-Medrano (Victoria) on June 15, 2015. Those of us who had just seen, spoken to, eaten with and joked with John at the EAC conference in Toronto know that he spent his last days surrounded by his tribe: editors from across Canada who liked and respected him, who admired his work and valued his sincerity, who collaborated with him and sought to emulate him. We will miss him deeply.
A memorial page has been set up for John. Friends and colleagues are invited to leave comments there.
UPDATE: A celebration of life will be held on Friday, June 26, at 3:30 p.m., at the Multifaith Chapel, University of Victoria. In lieu of flowers/gifts, donations can be made to the people of Gambell, Alaska, via IRA Tribal Office by cheque to the IRA Tribal Office, P.O. Box 90, Gambell, AK, USA 99742. Or phone 907-985-5346 ext. 3. Ask for Eddie or Ruby. Alternately, please donate to the two local churches, Gambell Presbyterian or Seventh Day Adventist.
On April 25, EAC-BC co-hosted PubPro 2015, an unconference for managing editors and publication production specialists. We previously featured a recap of the event and part 1 of the session summaries. Part 2 of the session summaries follows.
Written by Amy Haagsma; copy edited by Meagan Kus
Chantal Moore is communications manager at the BC Council for International Education, a Crown corporation that facilitates international student exchanges. She was interested in discussing best practices for managing change.
On April 25, EAC-BC co-hosted PubPro 2015, the third annual unconference for managing editors and publication production specialists. A recap of the event and part 1 of the session summaries are below; part 2 is available here.
by Iva Cheung
For the third year in a row, EAC-BC teamed up with Publishing@SFU to host PubPro, an unconference for managing editors, production professionals, and anyone who manages publication projects.
Written by Frances Peck; copy edited by Karen Barry
Margaret Shaw
is a Coquitlam-based writer and editor of mostly scientific and technical material, ranging from manuals and books, to reports and procedures. Besides EAC, she belongs to Plain Language Association International and the Society for Technical Communication. She holds EAC certifications in structural and stylistic editing and copy editing.
I suppose I came full circle. I wrote my first book in Grade 1, at my teacher’s request. It was called In the Hospital and was a detailed account of having my tonsils out. It was bound with green construction paper folded in two and stapled.
I consider my dad, who was a chemist, to be my first and most important writing teacher, even though he never knowingly taught me anything about writing. He has always been a great natural writer and fantastic at explaining the essence of things simply. My mum, who was a nurse, was the one I asked about spelling. I remember how pleased she seemed as she spelled out words.
Written by Amy Haagsma; copy edited by Karen Barry
Recap of EAC-BC’s branch meeting on April 15, 2015.
Last month, Kelly Maxwell spoke to EAC members and guests about the fascinating world of transcription, captioning, and subtitling. Kelly is co-owner and co-founder of Vancouver-based Line 21 Media Services, which provides services to the television and film industry. Line 21 works primarily with post-production coordinators, who shepherd television shows and movies through editing, colour correction, and distribution.
Written by Amy Haagsma; copy edited by Meagan Kus
Recap of EAC-BC’s branch meeting on March 18, 2015.
On March 18, EAC-BC hosted authors Margo Bates and Daniel Francis for a panel discussion about working with editors. Jenny Lee, a writer, editor, and digital journalist with the Vancouver Sun, moderated, adding details of her own experience and encouraging questions from the audience.
What: EAC-BC monthly meeting
When: Wednesday, May 20, 2015, 7:00–9:00 pm
Where: Welch Room, 4th floor, YWCA Health + Fitness Centre, 535 Hornby Street, Vancouver | map
Cost: Members and non-members attend free, but must check in at the door.
Our 2014–15 season is drawing to a close, and it’s time to celebrate summer! Join us for wine, Murchie’s Editors’ Blend tea, snacks, and good conversation with fellow editors.
We’ll also be choosing our new executive council for the 2015–16 season. If you’re looking to get more involved with EAC, consider joining the executive. Positions are open to all members regardless of experience or length of membership. Please contact Peter Moskos at bcpastchair@editors.ca if you’re interested.
Written by Amy Haagsma; copy edited by Karen Barry
Review of seminar Getting the Message Across: Clear Writing Tips with Frances Peck (offered by EAC-BC on March 19, 2015).
Frances Peck is a writer, Honorary Certified Professional Editor, and long-time EAC member and volunteer. She has taught at the University of Ottawa, Douglas College, SFU, and UBC; presented seminars for EAC branches across Canada; and delivered training for a number of government and private-sector organizations.
One of Frances’ specialties is editing and rewriting for clarity, making her the perfect choice to teach EAC-BC’s recent half-day seminar, Getting the Message Across: Clear Writing Tips. The seminar focused on techniques to improve clarity in workplace and public documents to better communicate the intended message.
Written by Amy Haagsma; copy edited by Joanne King
Review of seminar Eight-Step Editing with Jim Taylor (offered by EAC-BC on February 21, 2015).
Jim Taylor has been a writer and editor since 1958. In 1971, he began teaching editing to business executives, using many of the concepts that would later become Eight-Step Editing. A casual mention of his process caught the attention of his EAC colleagues, and he was encouraged to develop it into a seminar. Jim confessed that, when first asked about the steps he used, he didn’t have a number in mind but surmised that it must be “about eight.”
In the spring of 1984, Jim officially rolled out Eight-Step Editing for EAC. Over the years, his seminar has achieved an almost-legendary status. Although Jim retired in 2007, he has graciously taught the seminar for EAC-BC a number of times since then.
