Recently in one of the discussions taking place on Chapters’ Community pages authors have been sharing images of their work spaces, prompted by Gail Anderson-Dargatz who received an invitation from Hal Wake, artistic director of the Vancouver International Writers and Readers Festival. Each week the festival website will feature the writing room of a different BC writer, both in photograph and essay. Gail thought it would be nifty if we did the same sort of…
And it all has to do with computers. It seems every four years or so we have to replace our computer. Motherboard always fails, and despite the fact we always say we’ll just put in a new motherboard, invariably it seems it will be easier to just upgrade the entire system and purchase new. As we all like to quip: electronics are obsolete the moment they hit the marketplace. So this go around, after agonizing…
I have a book signing tomorrow at Coles, Conestoga Mall, Waterloo, noon to 4:00 p.m. I’m spending the afternoon preparing for it, packing books, show cards, the paraphernalia required for a professional presentation. Tomorrow, inevitably, someone will comment how exciting my life must be — pursing a career as a writer, being interviewed by media, appearing at book signings. I’m always a little surprised by the comment. This thing I do is a job. Just…
I’ve known Alix since she was about seven years old. She and my daughter, Kelly, were friends. Still are. Very good friends. The were competitive, loyal, a buffer for each other through the absurdities and cruelties of elementary and secondary school.Alix is a grown woman now, accomplished, bi-lingual, intelligent, caring and a lovely, gentle soul who often thinks of others over herself. In recent years she endured, with her parents, her father’s debilitating wait for…
It isn’t easy, you know. Getting it right, that is. And even when you do you start second-guessing yourself, finding some minor flaw here, something to tweak there, and sooner or later you’re wondering why on earth you thought that ‘thing’ — whatever that thing is — just simply isn’t good enough for anyone to see. Or at least that’s how my universe unfolds. The perpetual edit. For now, however, I think I have Version…