Tomboys, Dead Gophers, and a Coyote – Ivan Coyote at the WORD Christchurch Autumn Season

Funny, tender, perceptive - Ivan Coyote is all these things, and on Monday night I was lucky enough to see them talk at The Piano as part of the WORD Christchurch Autumn Season.

I was really disappointed to miss Ivan on their last trip to Christchurch last year, so as soon as I learnt they would be back this year, I made sure to get my ticket in my hot little hand. I have been a fan of Ivan's work since reading Missed Her several years ago, and have only become more of a fan with Gender Failure and Tomboy Survival Guide.

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The audience who attended An Evening with Ivan Coyote was - to quote one of my neighbours - 'quite an eclectic crowd'. Despite any differences in age, gender, or any other identifier, however, everyone was completely drawn in by the stories of growing up in small-town CanadaWhat's it like to be the only little girl in the world who didn't want to grow up to be Princess Di on her wedding day? Why open the door to someone empty-handed when there is plenty of road-kill around to offer? What songs would you include in the soundtrack of your life? And how cool is it to live near a World Record-holding giant squash?!

Much of the material was from Tomboy Survival Guide, Ivan's most recent book, but the fact that I'd already read the stories did nothing to diminish my enjoyment of the evening. Ivan's portrayal of different characters had me laughing out loud, nodding in agreement with their observations of life, love and public toilets, and feeling like I was watching more than just one person. The elderly grandmothers, the best friend from childhood, and the ball players and sports coaches - Ivan's storytelling and use of voices  brought these characters to life, and it was a parade of the weird and the wonderful that we saw up on stage.

Tomboy Survival Guide

With a large number of gender-diverse audience members, Ivan also had words of encouragement and support for those who don't look or act the way boys and girls 'should' look and act - be kind to yourself, be kind to others, and embrace what it is that makes you individual and unique. Be yourself, and know that asking people to use the 'singular they' pronoun to refer to you is not going to cause the end of the world!

Ivan is a fantastic storyteller, with some great stories to tell, and I look forward to hearing more from them. With sold-out audiences this year and last, Ivan has said they will be back, and I know that there will be keen interest in their next show. Until we hear about their next visit down to Aotearoa New Zealand, however, have a read of Ivan's books available here at the library.

Missed Her

Gender Failure

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