fred herzog and me

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i enjoyed a trip to the Glenbow Museum the other day, namely, Fred Herzog’s exhibit. he’s a street photographer from Vancouver who has wandered the streets of that city for 50 plus years, snapping photos of people, alleys and urban signage galore.  he’s an interesting guy, Fred. he loves taking photos and takes a great … Read more

image/inspiration

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i listened to this podcast with Marisa Silver in which she discusses her inspiration by an iconic 1936 photograph of a migrant mother. this image drives her entire novel. this process of image/inspiration is thought provoking for me, as i use images in my writing and often start with a particular image or object in … Read more

going home

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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

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wowza.  30,000 pounds for one short story.  one fucking fine short story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/mar/22/junot-diaz-wins-short-story-prize?CMP=twt_gu

darla

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three strange days into the trek, Darla notices the skin on her palms is cracking and bleeding, peeling off in strips.  her friend Amy grosses out and initially refuses to help her dress her wounds.  when Amy hands her a piece of adhesive tape, she brushes up against Darla’s skin. “you’re burning up,” says Amy. … Read more

papal shoes

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papal shoes down the laundry chute.  panicking, Maria considers sliding four stories down to the central laundry;  landing on a pile of the finest linens, 1000 count linens, holy linens.  same creases, same sweat, same stains.  and now.  two red shoes caught in a swirl of dirty cotton.  Maria pictures his holiness standing barefoot.  she … Read more

the globe

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Where did the idea come from for your book? i wrote a story about Fast Eddy in 2004. a couple years later  i was in this rather difficult creative writing class at U of C and found myself missing Fast Eddy. so, i resolved to write a short story cycle about both Fast Eddy and … Read more

the obsessive

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i’ve come to the conclusion that true artists are obsessive.  they live to create, repeating themselves, over and over again.  their work is never done and they are often too shy to show it to many people.  over the years, they follow their subjects, seemingly compelled to explore them from 360 degrees. and they rarely … Read more

a letter from alice

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sweet jesus, i returned home to a letter from Alice Munro.  did you know that she tapes her envelopes for good measure?  says a lot about her.