Brandon Pitts

It’s my birthday month and things are about to heat up!

July is HOT HOT HOT and is about to sizzle even more!  This month’s Lizzie Violet’s Cabaret Noir has some of Toronto’s hottest talent gracing the stage at The Central AND it’s my birthday month!

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Marcy Rogers is a Dora nominated playwright and published writer. Her short story IMHO is included in the Foreward nominated anthology Friend. Follow. Text which she is excited to say can be borrowed from any Toronto library. She can be seen in Paul Bellini’s Liar Liar a monthly show at The Flying Beaver Pubaret or in her one woman show Lesbians Who Wear Lipstick: The Middle Ages.

Brandon Pitts Prolific novelist, poet, lyricist, and playwright, BRANDON PITTS is the author of the poetry collection, Pressure to Sing (IOWI), the novel, Puzzle of Murders (Bookland Press) and the play, Killcreek (IOWI – 2013 Toronto Fringe). He served as editor and contributor to the anthology The Courtney Park Connection (IOWI). In 2011, he was selected for inclusion in the prestigious Diaspora Dialogues as an Emerging Voice and has been widely anthologized.

For a complete list of publications and performed plays, please visit: http://brandonpitts.com/Publications.html 

Four Winds Collective is a songstorm of musical forces intertwined for the greater good. The diverse creative forces involved are: Arlene Paculan (ArlenePaculan.com) soulful jazzy pop; Heather Hill (HeatherHill.ca) piano pop rock; Kat Leonard (KatLeonard.com) feisty comedic pop; and Meghan Morrison (MeghanMorrison.com) Celtic groove music. The Winds travel together with their unique and charming shows aimed to illuminate life’s joy, heartbreak, inspiration and encouragement through their music and storytelling. They are available for booking traditional venues as well as house concerts and corporate events.

Upcoming for August

I will be featuring a few times in August, please come see me at Jennifer Hosein’s gallery show opening (August 15th/poster below), The Plasticine Poetry  Phanatics (August 17th) and The Beautiful & The Damned’s final show (August 28th).  More info to come…

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Lizzie Violet’s Cabaret Noir with Brandon Pitts, Cry Wolf and Bella Fox

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That’s right!  Next Sunday is the the 2nd helping of Lizzie Violet’s Cabaret Noir at Q Space!!!  The April 14th features ARE Brandon Pitts, Cry Wolf and Bella Fox!  I hope to see all your beautiful faces!

The Next Big Thing Interview

I was asked by my friend and fellow scribe Heather Wood to participate in “The Next Big Thing” project. TNBT is a way for wordsmiths to promote upcoming work. Basically, a writer answers ten questions about a new work and then get other writers to do the same. However, I’ve added a bit of a twist to my list.  I think that playwrights, bloggers and songwriters should be part of this as well, so… here are my Next Big Thing Q & A’s:


Ten Interview Questions for the Next Big Thing:

What is your working title of your book?  The Treadle

Where did the idea come from for the book? I was I was around 5 or 6 my Mom inherited her Grandma Brown’s Treadle sewing machine (made in 1889).  I became obsessed with it.  I would actually play games where I would open the drawers and pretend there were magical creatures hidden in them.  As I got older, my obsession turned to designing doll clothes, then eventually my own clothes.  I learned how to sew on it.  As I sat there running the petal with my foot I would come up with stories about the kinds of women who might have also used it.

What genre does your book fall under?  Literary Fiction.  Though there will be a bit of historical fiction in it as well, as it spans time from the early 1900’s to mid 1980’s.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? 
Though they aren’t Scottish (Elizabeth is Scottish), I picture a young Elizabeth played by Kate Winslet and older Elizabeth would be Helen Mirren.  The book itself has 3 female protagonists.  Elizabeth, Carrie and Lizzie. Grandmother, Mother, Daughter.  I’m not sure who I’d cast for the rest of the characters.  Knowing me, it would be a mix of quirky Canadian and British actors.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? Three women, three generations, with one very powerful object that ties them all together.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? Once the manuscript is done, I will be sending it off to a publisher.  I’ve already lived through the world of self-publishing and feel this novel deserves so much more.


How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? The story has been with me since I was a kid. I finally sat down and started working on it between other projects over the last 2 years.


What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?  I don’t like comparing what I’m writing to other books, because they all stand on their own, although I am inspired by many writers.  Just too many to list here.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?  A few people inspired this book.  My Great Grandma Brown, whose Treadle sewing machine I inherited, my Grandma Betty, My Grandma Carrie and my mother.  All strong women who have had a lot of influence on the woman and writer I have become.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?  Strong female characters.

And now check out The Next Big Things of these wonderful writers.
Kat Leonard
Cathy McKim
Monica S. Kuebler
Brandon Pitts
Marcy Rogers