Two Magical Things
It is a Friday afternoon in midwinter. To brighten the dull gray sky and open my heart for the weekend, a list: Storycorps Until last week I had never heard of Storycorps, and my life was less interesting as a result. An NPR producer built a soundproof studio booth. It travels around the country where … Continue reading
The woes of the privileged
Once upon a time I wrote a story. It got published in an anthology. (I was pretty excited.) Now my publisher wants to print a limited edition novella of my story. Not the whole anthology, just my story. On its own. My name on the front cover. So far, this is all rather fairy-tale-ish. And … Continue reading
Old [Fictional] Friends
Do you have stories that never get old? No matter how many times you hear them they still feel alive? They can rekindle a sinking heart or augment delicious indulgences, but always prove stalwart companions. Must be some type of magic. And today, as I sold off our books — we’ve shed several hundred so … Continue reading
Sea & Sky
There is this famous cliche claiming the Eskimo language has a hundred, or a thousand, words for snow. Which is quite silly since there is no “Eskimo language”. Perhaps the declaration refers all Eskimo-Aleut languages and dialects generally? Besides, English has dozens of words for snow, if you count things like blizzards, flurries, drizzles, sleat, … Continue reading
Poetry Season
In America and Canada it is National Poetry Month. And in that lovely, internet-erly world of camaraderie and social campaigning, it is also National Poetry Writing Month, or NaPoWriMo to the nerds among you (e.g., me). Some members of my family are taking the expedition to heart, and it’s filled my world with lots of … Continue reading
Travel Tuesday: Chicago
Travel Tuesdays : where I can look back fondly at wonderful places, people and journeys while we prepare for the exciting adventure ahead… Chicago, like most urban centres, can be carved up into smaller pieces: neighbourhoods, districts, regions, each defined by some homogeneity be it geographical, cultural, or historical. In some ways the city can … Continue reading
Monday Cinco!
A brief list today: 1. I did eat bugs at the weekend, as foretold: buffalo worm pate (or smooshed up caterpillar to be technical). It looked like tapenade and was mild, savoury and a bit moreish on crostini. I like being at the crest of an exciting, paradigm-shifting wave. I also do stupid things for … Continue reading
Par Avion take flight
I have to come clean. I’ve been harbouring a secret. And in the world of full-frontal bloggery, that’s tantamount to sin. I mean, what is a blog if not a license to read and judge a total stranger’s faceless life? So I’ll start at the beginning. * A million years ago, I resolved to do … Continue reading
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Have you seen the Lizzie Bennet Diaries? This show is AMAZING (and I don’t use caps lightly). Now if I gave you the 30 second pitch normally ascribed to such projects, you may rightly balk: a modern Pride and Prejudice adaptation told through video blogs and social media. (The website is also quite hideous.) But … Continue reading
Burns and other legends
If I were to describe the delicious, wonderful, humble sausage — all juicy and tender and flavoursome — as a pig’s grissle-bits stuffed in its own intestine, you would probably curl your lip and shudder slightly. Likewise, if you ever give serious thought to deep-fried chicken livers or steak and kidney pie, noses would wrinkle … Continue reading
Que Sera Sara? 