Fellow writers and readers, this is my last week as Writer in Residence at the Toronto Public Library, and so I welcome you to the final instalment of Three Things. First, though, I'd like to say a heartfelt thank-you to the management and staff of the North York Branch, as well as to all those […]
Welcome back to Three Things, faithful reader. This week's fictional leads: "Conversion," "Shell" and "Leave Me." Conversion This week I had the great pleasure of meeting playwright/author/activist Eve Ensler, and hearing her speak about her stunning new memoir, In the Body of the World. The book is a raw, insightful, deeply moving account of […]
Welcome back, fellow writers and readers. This week's triple-take on the fictional "leads" that surround us: "Final Words," "Natural Defences" and "Mind the Gap." Final Words This week I had the pleasure of watching the eighties dystopian classic Blade Runner for the first time since, well, the eighties. I'm definitely less inured to on-screen […]
Welcome back, gentle reader. This week's Three Things: “The Guest,” “Thinking Big” and "Spruces." The Guest Recently, while listening to The Story from Here on CBC Radio, I heard a chilling cautionary tale about a sixty-seven-year-old woman who fell prey to an opportunistic couple. (To listen, click on the April 24th episode). Characterized by […]
Hello again, fellow writers and readers, and welcome to Three Things. This week's offerings: "Family Ties," "Her Face(s)" and "Selfish Jean." Before we begin, a reminder to those of you within hailing distance of Toronto: don't miss the upcoming panel discussion, "Abiding Obsessions, Recurring Themes" with myself and celebrated Canadian authors, Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer, Nino Ricci […]
Welcome back to Three Things, gentle reader. This week's fiction leads: "The Camp," "Debbie" and "Flamenco." The Camp How's this for a headline with potential: "U.S. Hermit Arrested After 27 Years in the Wild" I'd be happy to build a short story based on that title alone, but as it turns out, the accompanying […]
Welcome, faithful reader, to the tenth instalment of Three Things. This week's offerings: "Sourpuss," "Restless," and "Women Who Run to the Wolves." Sourpuss This week while waiting to pay for a bag of lemons at the local produce stand, I chanced to overhear a heavy-set man speak the following lines into his phone: "Was […]
Welcome back, fellow fans of the written word. This week's triple threat: "Monkey Mind," "Disruptive Presence," and "Fatima." Monkey Mind This week the headline from one news story "cross-pollinated" with the image from another to get me thinking creatively about our fur-clad cousins. The resulting equation: One angry response to the idiocy of subjecting […]
Welcome to Three Things, fellow writers and readers. This week's fictional leads: "Reunion Party," "The Bouncer" and "Emergence." Reunion Party This week I became aware of a fascinating collaborative project between Canadian artists Vid Ingelevics and Blake Fitzpatrick entitled "Freedom Rocks: The Everyday Life of the Berlin Wall." From the project website: "The title […]
Welcome back to Three Things. This week's offerings: "Bag of Tricks," "Knavery's Plain Face" and "Sounding." Bag of Tricks Oddly enough, two of this week's fictional “leads” involve imaginative cross-pollination between British television and travel on the TTC. The first began with an eccentric-looking old woman who shared my seat on the King […]