Tag: Deltas In the News
Brain Storm Play
Shireen
“A visually arresting and comically haunting look at the ramifications of brain surgery and how one woman finds her way in a reality that is forever different. BRAIN STORM takes you into the operating theatre, to dissect the question; are our brains magic, machines or both?”
Shireen Jeejeebhoy, one of our alumnae, had the amazing opportunity to consult on Writer/Director Taliesin McEnaney’s captivating One-Act play Brain Storm. McEnaney asked Shireen to be both brain injury consultant and dramaturge on the world premiere mounting of her play. The workshop production of Brain Storm won the Toshi Knife Cutting Edge Award at the 2017 Toronto Fringe Festival. Combining dialogue, choreography, and projections, the 2020 mounting immerses the audience into the experience of a young woman whose damaged brain throws her into a new reality.
“Taliesin McEnaney draws on the work of famous Canadian neurosurgeon Dr. Wilder Penfield, the writings of her spiritual medium grandmother, and a brain injury in her own family to craft this unique piece of physical theatre.”
Pay-as-you-can-afford tickets are available on the Brown Paper Tickets site. Attend the play at Dancemakers Studio and enjoy dinner or drinks in one of the many restaurants in the Distillery District before or after.
“How do you make vivid theatre out of brain surgery? Somehow writer/director Taliesin McEnaney achieved that back at its workshop production at the Fringe Festival in 2017 – chosen one of NOW’s best productions and ensembles of the fest.” (Glenn Sumi, NOW Magazine, 1 Feb 2020)
Plum Blossom from the Bitter Cold
Shireen
Exciting news from one of our Tri Delta sisters! The TD Gallery at the Toronto Reference Library has a new exhibit entitled, “Plum Blossom from the Bitter Cold,” and it includes photos of Tri Delta Arlene Chan and her late mother Tri Psi Jean Lumb.
Arlene wrote in 2018:
“When Toronto Public Library announced in late 2016 that it was to establish the Chinese Canadian Archive to capture and record the rich heritage of the Chinese community, I was ecstatic. . . The connections to our past are fast fading with the loss of our elders, precious memories and personal memorabilia.”
Go! See! There’s a reading list and drop-in guided tours. Plum Blossom from the Bitter Cold runs until October 27th.
Member News: Concussion Is Brain Injury is Published!
Shireen
As you may remember, I crowdfunded an update to Concussion Is Brain Injury back in 2016. I’m pleased to announce that it’s finally launched!
Kirkus Reviews: “the intricate details of the author’s experience are riveting and enlightening.”
After many years of incubation, Concussion Is Brain Injury is re-birthed with a brand-new reader-friendly structure, all-new chapters, and updated information on my newest (experimental) treatments. The Treating the Neurons and Me edition tells my story in all its rawness and, in separate sections, outlines the lessons I learned, the treatments I underwent that dramatically healed — and keep healing — my damaged brain. I’ve written it for people with brain injury and those who know people with brain injury, with sections and related blog pages for those who want to know more about the technical details.
Self-Publishing Review: “Jeejeebhoy’s tale is highly emotional…uplifting, while giving a realistic view of recovery.”
Brain injury is a hidden epidemic and unfortunately is not treated under the current standard of care. Although fellow Torontonians like Dr. Norman Doidge have spread the news about the neuroplasticity of the brain and treatments harnessing that, most people with brain injury remain untreated. As I write: “traditional rehabilitation, involving cognitive therapy and rest, were ineffective.” Rest and strategies are not treatment. My goal in writing Concussion Is Brain Injury: Treating the Neurons and Me is to change that and give people knowledge of how they can begin to heal their brain.
Concussion Is Brain Injury: Treating the Neurons and Me is out now in paperback or ebook. Please check out my website page on it for all the details.
Arlene Chan Receives Heritage Toronto’s 2017 Special Achievement Award
Shireen
We are thrilled to share fabulous news about one of our Toronto alumnae: Heritage Toronto is honoured to name Arlene Chan (neé Lumb, Canada Alpha 1970) as the recipient of the 2017 Special Achievement Award. Presented by the Heritage Toronto Board of Directors, the Special Achievement Award celebrates individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the preservation and education of Toronto’s heritage. A community advocate, librarian and author, Arlene Chan has spent her lifetime documenting and sharing the Chinese Canadian experience in Toronto.
Born in Toronto, Chan learned her most important lessons at the feet of her mother, Jean Lumb, CM, a restaurateur and social justice advocate. Lumb taught her daughter the importance and rewards of community work, especially with her successful “Save Chinatown” campaign in the 1970s that fought to protect the area from redevelopment. After earning a bachelor of arts and masters in library science at the University of Toronto, Chan chose to devote herself to projects that carry on her mother’s legacy.
Among her many accomplishments, Chan is the author of seven books on the history and culture of Chinese Canadians; she is currently working on a historic guide to Toronto’s Chinatowns. She is the President of the Jean Lumb Foundation and oversees the Jean Lumb Awards which provide scholarships to high school students of Chinese heritage. Chan has also collaborated with numerous organizations on interpretive projects, community programs, and walking tours, including her work with the Ontario Heritage Trust, Toronto Ward Museum, and Heritage Toronto.
Chan’s generous spirit is reflected in her many volunteer commitments. She is a Little Pear Garden Dance Company board member, a member of the Toronto Public Library’s Chinese Canadian Archive advisory group, and serves on the Heritage Interpretation Working Group for the New Toronto Courthouse.
“Arlene Chan’s knowledge and affection for Toronto and its Chinese community are well reflected in her work. Her literary efforts are treasure houses of information and celebration for all those who seek to learn, understand and enjoy.” David Crombie, former Mayor of Toronto
Huge congratulations to our Toronto Tri Delta sister Arlene on this honour!!!
Event Details
The Special Achievement Award will be presented at the 43rd Heritage Toronto Awards on Monday, October 23, at The Carlu, a tour de force of Art Moderne design and a National Historic Site. At this premier event for the heritage sector, more than 500 attendees will enjoy the Mayor’s Reception, hosted by Mayor John Tory. Winners will be announced during the Awards Ceremony, hosted this year by Christopher Hume, the long-time architecture critic and urban issues columnist at The Toronto Star.
Tickets to the event are sold out. This event is Heritage Toronto’s major fundraiser of the year, raising monies in support of its public programming.
Heritage Toronto is a charity and agency of the City of Toronto that celebrates and commemorates the city’s rich heritage and the diverse stories of its people, places, and events.
Member News – Crowdfunding Concussion Is Brain Injury
Shireen
Dear Tri Delta Sisters,
I’m really excited to announce that I’m crowdfunding an update to my 2012 book Concussion Is Brain Injury! I want to make it better for readers. I want to enrich and enhance it with ground-breaking new sections that challenge the status quo, sections on the raw reality of relationships, the truth about our emotions, my thoughts on CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), faith after injury, rehabilitating reading in the knowledge economy, and a promising new treatment that I kickstarted.
To that end, I need your help to fund the services I need to bring this book to readers. The funds raised through PubLaunch – a crowdfunding site designed specifically for authors and readers – will go towards professional editing, a new exciting cover design, better packaging, and a robust marketing campaign. In return for your generous support, I have set up some great rewards for you, including prints of my original photography, special edition hardcover copies, and copies of my previous books.
The target of $11,000 will cover all expenses. Won’t you join me in making this second edition happen? Please click the link to check out the campaign: http://www.publaunch.com/campaigns/concussion-brain-injury
If you have any questions about my book or PubLaunch, please ask in the comments section. I greatly appreciate your support, and I look forward to continuing to help, educate, and inspire my readers. Thank you!
“Even though I worked with children who had brain injuries I found myself failing to understand some of Shireen’s frustrations and struggles and that is why I jumped at the chance to read her book. The book is a must read for ANY PROFESSIONAL who works [with] adults or children with brain injuries. It gives you the prospective [sic] of how frustrating our system can be and the lack of hope most professionals give to people with brain injuries.” Nancy Howson on Facebook
Meet and Greet – Oct. 4, 2012
Selen
New Member Meet and Greet
Oct. 4, 2012 at 7 p.m.
On Thursday October 4, 2012 the alumnae executive invites you to a “Meet and Greet” night at the chapter house. Come out and meet the new members following recruitment! The event starts at 7:00 p.m. Light refreshments and hors d’oeuvres will be provided, along with games and activities to meet the collegiates.
If you would like to contribute to the event please bring a small wrapped item (i.e. a $5 gift card, school supplies, a Tri Delta item etc.) to be used in an activity to welcome the new members. Please RSVP on the website or send an email to thepansyqueen@hotmail.com.
Hope to see you there!
Deltas In the News
Carrie
Canada Alpha’s own Andrea Prasow (UofT ’99) has been in the news a lot lately. As counsel for several Guantanamo Bay detainees Andrea made a name for herself as a human rights lawyer, author and advocate. She has since left the Office of Military Commissions, where she worked as an attorney, to join Human Rights Watch where she currently serves as senior counsel, terrorism and counterterrorism. As a successful woman working in international law and human rights she has become a sought after speaker and author.
Andrea graduated from University of Toronto in 1999 with a BA in Political Science. She completed her JD at Georgetown University Law Centre in 2003.
To find out more please click the following links:
http://www.thestar.com/specialsections/omarkhadr/article/882941
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrea-prasow/the-trial-that-wasnt-the_b_779310.html