ISBN 978-0-986652   
    168 pages                $17.95 

Table of Contents         Contributor Biographies

Back Cover        Foreword      Fact Sheet

I keep reading and reading, laughing, crying and nodding in agreement. 
                                Lisa MacColl, Kitchener, Ontario
and Lisa's review on Amazon.ca:
       Warning: Do not start reading "Prose to Go: Tales from a Private List" unless you have time to read it cover to cover. The stories are compelling, wonderfully crafted, and like decadent chocolate, leave you reaching for another piece.
       The honesty in these stories is endearing and charming. The writers know their craft, and draw the reader into their lives with courage, humour and word pictures that are vibrant and lovingly crafted.
        Read this book, and then buy it for everyone you know.      (5 stars)


So far I have read most of the stories and I'm impressed. These private stories have depth of reflection, turns of phrase and emotional honesty that either made me think, get teary or laugh out loud. Prose to Go is great as a collection because you don't have to read it in order, you can sample a la carte. Great work!   (5 stars)
                              Jane Langille, on Amazon.ca
Also 5 stars on Chapters/Indigo


On Chapters/Indigo:  5 stars from Karen MacDonald
Captivating Stories
       For me, the experience of reading ' Prose to Go' was similar to being at a dinner party. Throughout the evening something said by someone will evoke a memory from another...and so the stories begin. It felt like meeting someone new at that party and getting a glimse of who they were from their story. I thoroughly enjoyed the book; however, I now think of my breasts as pita breads with nipples. 


entertaining, funny but also sometimes touching...
(Line Hamelin, Buckingham, Quebec)


Everything from the simplistic beauty of the day-to-day miracle to the tragedies that follow one through life is covered in these pages.  Courage rears its head through laughter without denying the need for tears on occasion...I enjoyed the roller coaster of feelings.
(Reviewed by Donna Fawcett, writing instructor at Fanshawe College, London, Ontario) 


What happens when a group of writers chat back and forth online? A lot of storytelling and sharing of memories, plus advice-giving, virtual hand-holding and encouragement. For one group of writers, the online discussions led to a wonderful collection of stories, Prose to Go: Tales from a Private List...You'll find yourself sometimes laughing out loud, sometimes weeping, and often simply nodding your head in agreement.
         Cheryl MacDonald in Heronwood Heritage News


This is the perfect book to entertain you in the short, vacant spaces in your life such as when you are waiting for an oil change or a Doctor's appointment. Mind you, I read it sitting comfortably in my own living room when I was waiting for supper to cook or the cat to finish her sleep on my lap. I was pleased to be reading excellent prose, knowing I was reading Canadian literature as I joined the authors in the foibles and charms of daily life.
                Elizabeth Atherton-Reid, Edmonton, Alberta


Carole Giangrande has read two selections from Prose to Go on her  Words to Go podcast.
             http://www.wordstogopodcast.com/


Article about Primary Editor Irene Davis
in Canadian Jewish News July 28, 2011.

Article about contributor Helen Lammers-Helps 
in the New Hamburg Independent
July 15, 2011. 


I kept laughing out loud in the lively first sections, telling my husband that he would enjoy it.
           Patricia Anne Elford,  Petawawa, Ontario


well put-together...an entertaining read
           Rabbi Reuven Bulka, CFRA news/talk radio


Prose to go... is delightful. Julie Watson conveys the thrill, joy and surprise I experience during each Aquafit class. Moving quickly through the water without fear of aches and pains still surprises and delights me even after 6 years!
          Ethel Nesson, Chicago, Illinois

 

Comments from Readers & Reviewers

NEWS

Joanne Carnegie, one of the 18 contributors to Prose To Go: Tales From a Private List, is co-winner of the Barbara Novak Writing Award for Excellence in Humour/Personal Essay Writing for 2012. The award is given annually by the Professional Writers Association of Canada at its annual meeting in June.

Joanne was one of two of our contributors who won First Prize in different categories in the Summit Story Contest.  Joanne Carnegie won in the children's category for Just Desserts, which appears in Prose to Go. Steve Pitt won in the Funny Stories About Animals category. Books containing the winners are being published by Summit Studios.


From GoodReads.com
May 27, 2011     Deb rated it 5 of 5 stars
         I was having a bad day. I needed an escape. The fictitious novel I picked up could not 'take me away' from the realities that were getting me down.
         I put it down and picked up Prose To Go. I read from start to finish in one sitting. That is simply an immediate 5 STARS to me.
         Eighteen professional writers who are longtime friends, connected because of their passion about writing.
         But this is not about "writing". This is a collection of their own personal "snippets in time" that they share with the reader with stories ranging from laugh out loud funny, (Joanne Carnegie's Just Desserts), heartwarming, (Gordon Gibbs', Inside the Santa Suit)  uplifting, (Elle Andra-Warners' Now Should Come The Laughter), to poignant, (Fred DesJardins' Funny Man Blues).....
          Delightful!....And I found out something about professional writers....they are just like you and me.
                   Deb Morehouse, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia


       A very easy read.  A variety of short and different stories, each one entertaining in its own way.
        I read the book - cover to cover - even the biographies at the end.
        Will there be a repeat book next year ?  If so - sign me up !
        Trudy Martin, Editor - Calgary Lapidary Journal
                                 Past President - SCRIBE

This is a great little book, obviously very thoughtfully put together and a very nice run through the emotional spectrum. It kept me occupied and well entertained on the train to Toronto.
                                     Eileen Reardon, Ottawa


Listen in as writers share confidences with other  writers. You'll laugh, you'll cry. You'll love it and wish for more.     Kathleen Hamilton, Montreal, Quebec


I love the idea of this book—essays from a group of authors who embody the spirit of diversity. The stories are as different as the people who wrote them. What they share is talent, love of writing, and Canada. Everything about Prose to Go: Tales From a Private List speaks of professionalism. The more I read, the more I wanted belong to Bobbi Graham's select group of friends. Maybe next time she puts together a project like this, she will reach across the border and include me. I would be honored.
                    Bobbi Linkemer, St. Louis, Missouri


...the kind of book you take to appointments, on trips or on vacation... small doses of real life...little spaces in one's life worth remembering. 
                    Sherry F. Russo, Albany, Georgia


I enjoyed Elle Andra-Warner’s memoir of her daughter’s birth, as seen through the newborn’s eyes. A reminiscence of the young Peter Falk by Barbara Florio-Graham is equally charming.
                    Hubert O'Hearn, By the Book Reviews


Review in the Salon section of the Telegraph-Journal,
June 18: 

Hampton writer Trudy Kelly Forsythe is one of Barbara Florio-Graham’s Private List members. Formed in August 2007, this nationally-spread writing group is comprised of people addicted to writing. Prose to Go collects some of their stories and divides them into five themes. Forsythe’s Rolling Stones: ABang ForAll Generations is included in the ‘WhatintheWorld’ section. Some of the stories are better than others, but the collection offers a nice glimpse of the range of short-form writing that’s out there and is worth a read for budding writers.
                                                     –Telegraph-Journal
Editor’snote: Trudy Kelly Forsythe launches ‘Prose to Go’ today at Benjamin Books in Rothesay from1-2 pm.


I really enjoyed reading these from the heart stories. 
                   S. Slaney, Petawawa, Ontario


From a review of holiday books by E.E. Cran,
in the Atlantic Pages of The Guardian, P.E.I.
December 31, 2011

          The other two books reviewed here are not specifically about the New or Old Year but contain a miscellany of persons, stories, and events which seem suitable for the time of year.  First there is "Prose to Go", a collection of  short essays by twenty-three professional writers who have known each other for many years, whence "Private List" in the subtitle.  Most are funny, a few are very sad, even tragic, ("Funny Men Blues" by Fred Desjardins, "About Joanna" by Lorri Benedik).  A few are neither, but still worth reading ("Today I Let Go of the Wall" by Julie V. Watson, and "Places of the Heart" by Irene Davis).
        Two Island writers are represented, Julie V. Watson and Debbie Gamble, but most of the writers live in Ontario.  However Helena Katz ("Driving Alpacas", and "The North Becomes Her") lives in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories.  Good, not-too-light reading for the time of year or for people who think even a 100-page book is too long.  "Prose to Go" is published by Bridgeross Communications, Dundas, Ontario, and sells for $17.95.


When you love to read, but your busy life doesn't allow enough time to do so, there's nothing better than the quick hit of a short story. Prose To Go: Tales from a Private List is the perfect fit for those looking for an eclectic range of first-person stories. ( Lori Gallagher in The Daily Gleaner, New Brunswick)

 

Managing Editor: Barbara Florio-Graham