Life in the DTES -- the RAW version

As the mainstream media saturates with Picton-related portrayals of 'gritty' downtown east side life, New Star Books has done Vancouver the favor of reprinting Maxine Gadd's Backup to Babylon. Gadd, a 'red-diaper baby' born in London during WWII, emigrated with her family to Vancouver in 1946, living in a downtown hotel. Interspersed with stints of rustic Gulf Island living, Gadd has resided off and on in the DTES almost ever since. Backup to Babylon--now re-issued in one book with "Lac Lake" and "Greenstone" as well as the title work--recreates Gadd's experiences of the downtown eastside in the 60's, and the politics of Vancouver's poorest neighbourhood in the days of the Francis Street Squat.

Maxine Gadd will be reading at 7:30 pm Thursday night with Jenn Farell (Sugar Bush) and Sharon English (Zero Gravity) in the Peter McKay room of the Central Library (350 W. Georgia) as part of the RAW Exchange Series.