I had a wonderful job this spring. I reviewed three 'crime' novels that were very different in tone and style for Atlantic Books Today and it was an absolute pleasure to write. Having a deadline was refreshing and invigorating - it made me feel young again. COVID years dropped off my shoulders and it felt … Continue reading Imagine being a Writer
Literature
Mom and the Old Bitch Above
There was a time in my youth when I wished my Mom was dead. As soon as I wished it I realized that it was a terrible solution. I knew that my Mom drove me crazy in various ways but it was certainly not fair to request her death in order to set me free … Continue reading Mom and the Old Bitch Above
A Cuppa
My friend looked at me with an expression of dismay, “Well”, she said, “I don’t know what to do now”. I was at a loss too. Her husband was lying dead on the driveway with my favorite scarf jammed between the ice and his grey hair. He … Continue reading A Cuppa
Magical thinking, magical writing
My Mom and I were talking about memory and writing; recollection. She said it is too bad she cannot write down all the things that she is thinking and remembering, recollecting and sorting. And and I said, does it matter, after all? Do we need to record the details of our lives, does it matter? … Continue reading Magical thinking, magical writing
Stay Calm, Be Brave and wait for the Signs
I have been spending much of my time thinking and writing in my wonderful philosophy class that I am taking long distance from Memorial University in Newfoundland. Prof Craig Cramm offers a gem of a course for students looking for an elective, and the class has more engineering students than philosophy students. This is my last class … Continue reading Stay Calm, Be Brave and wait for the Signs
Writing about Writing
I wrote this post three years ago. Now I live without my Mom's voice and I am doing what I promised. I am working on a big project, writing a novel and my mind is playing on a big canvas. My blog posts arrive quietly in my mind while I am cleaning, sorting or … Continue reading Writing about Writing
Rape, Sordid Sex and Self Actualization
I was reading The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay, the second book I have bought on my kindle, last night before falling into delicious sleep. My interest in the book was twigged by an interview with the author on CBC Radio. The novel is told by a 12 year old girl in the 1800’s in … Continue reading Rape, Sordid Sex and Self Actualization
Notes from a Sinking Isthmus 