News Archives: GPRC Instructor Anna Lapointe Publishes Her Third Book
Friday, November 17th, 2017
This September, GPRC English instructor Anna (born Annette) Lapointe published her third book, You Are Not Needed Now.
When Lapointe was in grade five, her grandfather bought her an old portable typewriter. “I sat there and banged away,” said Lapointe. “And I thought, ‘I love this. I’m going to do this forever.’ And I am.”
Lapointe is originally from rural Saskatchewan, and she completed both her BA and MA at the University of Saskatchewan. After completing her Master’s degree, she had the opportunity to teach at the post-secondary level for a while and discovered a love for it.
“Teaching has become an incredibly important part of my writing because it’s how I meet people and how I hear new stories. It gives a lot back,” said Lapointe.
For her PhD Lapointe moved to Winnipeg, where she met her husband and lived for seven years. She taught at the University of Manitoba and the University of Winnipeg. After an interview on Skype in 2012, Lapointe took a job with GPRC without really knowing where Grande Prairie was.
For Lapointe, one large difference between teaching at GPRC rather than at a university is class size. GPRC’s smaller class size means Lapointe has a lot more time for her students. “You get a lot more personal attention here. And I really like that,” said Lapointe. “We got you. Whatever you need to know, we’ll get you there.”
Bethany Barthel, a second year Arts student who has taken three courses with Lapointe said, “I think she’s really approachable. She is helpful and she never makes you feel nervous asking a question or making a comment in class.”
Barthel has gone to speak to Lapointe outside of class time as well. Whether it was to chat, ask about the field or pursuing an academic career, or even to talk about stress, Barthel said Lapointe was always “really helpful and reassuring.”
The first novel Lapointe published was Stolen in 2006. It won the Saskatchewan Book Awards for First Novel and Novel from Saskatoon, and resulted in Lapointe being named the Canadian Authors Association Emerging Writer of 2007. In 2012 Lapointe published her second novel, White Tail Shooting Gallery. It was a finalist for the McNally Robinson Book of the Year.
Unlike the first two, Lapointe’s third book, You Are Not Needed Now, is a collection of short stories connected thematically. The book explores the idea of people and things that are unnecessary.
“She did read us one of the stories from her newest book and I thought it was really clever,” said Barthel. “She always makes class entertaining. I’m never bored in her classes. I internalize most of the information as well. It sticks with you.”
Due to her work as a writer, Lapointe has really had to think about the hows and whys of writing and that comes across in her teaching style. “I think a lot of people struggle with writing because they don’t understand the logic behind it,” said Lapointe. “It seems like a lot of arbitrary rules. What I try to do is explain why we’re doing what we’re doing.”
Her writing career lends to her credibility with the students and they acknowledge her real world experience. “Especially for the creative writing courses,” said Barthel, “because she can tell you tips on what really engages readers and what keeps them immersed.”
For students who aim to be writers Lapointe recommends, “Practice and persistence. There is a stage in your writing where you hate everything you write, because your taste is really good but your skills aren’t there yet, and it will drive you crazy. There’s nothing for it but to power through.”
Students with an interest in creative writing can submit to the , an online literary magazine Lapointe edits. Even if a submission is not published, Lapointe will give some feedback and suggestions to help better the writers.
Next year, Lapointe will be teaching Victorian Tales of Terror, Science Fiction, and Intermediate Creative Writing at GPRC.
More information on her books can be found at: