i'm obsessed with shorts. short. stories.
i’ve read a very interesting essay. i’m not yet entirely certain what i’ve learned. my brain is sizzling. i’ve intuitively known some things about writing and this essay kinda reinforces them. i’ve known about repetition. and some of the acoustical forms. then there’s learning about other various forms of consecution–structural, thematic, and acoustical. structural consecution … Read more
i’m done my final story of this ms. PS send gin. PPS send tonic. PPPS limes, too.
in a recent New Yorker podcast, Richard Ford states that novelists cannot be perfectionistic, that it doesn’t fit the novelistic form; however, this trait fits the short story form. this really got me thinking, took me on tangents into the writing/personal. last year, i tried to write a novel and it fucking freaked me out. … Read more
those old stories. chainsaws, cedar bark and woodchip on orthopedic chair rests. summertime heat. wandering empty streets on friday and saturday nights. running through Sherlock’s field for kicks; lost in a forest of cornstalks. saved, somehow, by the immense Canadian flag at the husky. cars idling, racing to the edge of town and back again. … Read more
that one of my stories has been nominated for a National Magazine Award for fiction. the story is titled ‘The Suitable Dress’ and it ran in the summer 2012 edition of GRAIN Magazine (39.4). not only is it a pleasure to have published in GRAIN, but this nomination is an honour. http://www.grainmagazine.ca/archive.html
dear alice, i had coffee with a writer friend and she said something profound: “everything comes back to Alice.” we talked about crafting stories in Canada. then we talked about your success and the scrutiny and how the people of your hometown weren’t supportive of your writing, because it cast light on the darker aspects … Read more
dear alice, we need to talk about sex. you wrote this sexy bit in the story “Differently” (Selected Stories) that deals with sex in a frank way, so much so that i’ve often reflected on your writerly stance. here’s a sample: And Georgia, herself, watching her children on the roundabout, or feeling the excellent shape … Read more
dear alice dear imaginary readers of this blog, i have won a writing prize called The Brenda Strathern “Late Bloomers” Award. it’s for people over the age of 40 who are looking to publish their first book. that’s me. with the monies i will go forth into the creative vortex known as The Banff … Read more
one day, i doubt and the next day, i believe. it’s been an unusual week.