i'm obsessed with shorts. short. stories.
dear imaginary readers of the blog, it’s been a misogynistic couple of weeks. you know, Ursula Le Guin’s essay on being a failed man is thought provoking. as an older woman, she was born just as women were considered persons. she tried to live as a man and now she’s old, and considering living as an old … Read more
Bill Murray, i love you.
yesterday, i went to the coffeeshop to write. i do that sometimes. i’ve written several stories at the coffeeshop and then there’s editing. so, i’m trying to write a story and it’s not coming. i’ve got some thinking to do. there i am, researching, writing dialogue out by hand and getting in the groove when, … Read more
my thanks to Shaun Hunter for asking me to join in this virtual tour of writers. it’s a kind of relay that proposes four questions to Canadian writers about their writing life/habits/obsessions. links to others in the relay appear at the bottom of this post. and i double-dog dare Lori Hahnel to answer these questions. what am i … Read more
time for a list. top 10 books that carry weight in my adult(ish) mind. a list on this particular day, for no particular reason, in no particular order: OFFSHORE by Penelope Fitzgerald TENDER IS THE NIGHT by F. Scott Fitzgerald BEAUTIFUL RUINS by Jess Walter AS I LAY DYING by William Faulkner WIDE SARGASSO SEA … Read more
dear imaginary readers of this blog people of the word, i found the antidote to the terminal question: how do i order stories in a collection? the source of this antidote is David Jauss. he’s written a book on writing and within said book, a chapter on the unification of short stories into a collection. an entire … Read more
here are seven obscure facts about me: i was offered a substantial art scholarship to Emily Carr Art College and turned it down. my fingerprints are on file. i trained with the RCMP in a pilot project of civilians manning wire taps. the project was scrapped. i was a party girl at a department store … Read more
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. what a complex show. swaggering, melodramatic, evangelical. at times, tender. and, may i say, challenging for the audience. i’m feeling lucky.
at the National Gallery, beneath de Goya’s portrait of Dona Isabel de Porcel, i wait. an assignation with the property agent who’s charming my husband with her long, dark, curly hair and vibrant smile. “what do you think?” i ask Dona Isabel. “it doesn’t matter how many times i change my clothes, i still feel … Read more
it’s may and it’s short story month. i have to ask myself, what is the best short story i’ve read this year. i need to think more about what goes on that particular list. that “i fucking love this story and want to steal something from it” list. re-reading is a big deal for me, … Read more