Archive for July, 2008

Wednesday @ Video Plus

{ July 30, 2008 @ 10:20 am } · { flitting }
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I’m not at the store yet – but that is the big ~event~ for today, worse luck. It is all Sue’s fault – imagine taking a whole week off and not being here to do the beer truck thing! Poor planning, I say!

Ross was picked up for work @ 7 as usual … shortly afterwards, the skies opened. There was a large thunderstorm; it has eased off now, but is still raining heavily. Perhaps it will continue and he’ll end up being off in time to do the beer truck thing himself. That would work for me.

I have SO many things on my To Do list right now it is ridiculous! How in hell do I end up with so many things even when I am mostly off? I’m only teaching 6 hours a week this semester – well, mostly – this week has an extra day of teaching – a one-day workshop in Advanced Functions & Formulas & Macros in Excel tomorrow. That is actually my favourite of the one-day Office workshops…. I like playing with Advanced Functions & Formulas & Macros in Excel. Do need to do some prep for it though, even though I’ve done it before … I’m not very good at keeping track of the stuff I used last time (more than a year ago) so constantly end up recreating things.

Starting in the Fall, Georgian College is upgrading to MS Office 2007 …so all of the courses I have been teaching will need a complete overhaul, and I shall have to get used to – and good at 2007. I have the software but haven’t yet loaded it on either computer. Should do it on the laptop, I suppose… my desktop is being wonky and annoying, so not going to even go there.

And yes, I do know that I am a geek and fix & build computers and should be dealing with my own … but I don’t want to spend the $$ to upgrade, nor do I have the inclination to reformat it, although I know that I should. One of these days. What I really want to do – sometime soon – is buy a whole new laptop. There really isn’t much wrong with my old laptop – the battery doesn’t work well any more, but I could just replace that, I suppose.  But even then, it would still be old :) I want a new one!

Maybe in February next year… when I will – hopefully – have not only my scholarship & TA income, but also $$ coming in from teaching at Georgian again starting in January. Assuming we can work the schedule out. Or – if John St. should happen to sell at some point (not that it’s listed – but there is interest none-the-less) … if that happened, the line of credit would be wiped out and I could justify spending some of my scholarship $$ on a new laptop, I think.

Anyway …back to my To Do list.

  • I stalled after the third psych quiz – 2 more to do. Plus a research project and book final exam. And then look into doing MA in Psych through Athabasca also.
  • Losted the envelope of info and forms to be filled out from Trent. Find it. Oh yeah, and call Registrar’s Office and get name change done! Oh and also need to do name change for drivers’ licence and OHIP now that official paperwork is here.
  • Finish Ross’ pest control test bank (in Access) & also redo website for Huronia Pest Control.
  • Still need to decide on a topic and write proposal for a paper re: Adolescent/Emerging Adult fiction & Eros so that I’ll be ready to submit it re: next year’s Human Condition conference hosted by Laurentian@Barrie. Ideally, should write a draft of the paper this summer too. I think that it would be cool to go back as a presenter (volunteered as a student the last 2 years)
  • Working on a new short story which shows no inclination of wanting to stay short – I think it might end up being a novel. It is really cool. It’s based on 2 of my campers – well, that is where I started – but of course, I’ve run so far with it already that it isn’t them anymore… But I should not be working on it when I have yet to finish my first Birch Centre novel or Back To School for Grownups (collaborating on that one with Jodi). The other problem with the fact that this story is not staying in the short story category very well is that that means that I need to come up with something else for the CBC Literary competition (deadline November 1). So add that to my list as well.  Got bunches of short stories that I could have added – but guidelines state not previously published or read …and most of mine have appeared somewhere – either on TooWrite or Gather, or I’ve read/published them through school stuff. Could do a rewrite of something though, maybe?
  • Oh, and on the topic of publishing – I really do want to get things sent out somewhere. Haven’t added to my collection of rejection letters in almost a year. Never going to get anything published if I don’t send it out anywhere.
  • Oh yeah – and I am feeling very guilty about my Tay Community Magazine gig – need to write a couple of articles for them too. Bad writer. Anyone got any ideas? Thought of maybe doing something about how easy it is to take what we have here in Tay for granted – realized the other day, while driving home from Leacock event, how long its been since I just sat outside in the evening and watched the sunset. Add that to my To Do List too! Both the sunset and the article.
  • And I want to help Steph & Lee get their novel looked at too – working on a rewrite of query letter – hmm… that’s a relatively small chunk I could possibly do today. Before I go to the store, even….
  • Tons of summer reading yet to go …got second shipment of textbooks from Amazon yesterday; haven’t finished reading the first batch yet! Also go a stack waiting to be picked up at Trent – the books for the course I’ll be TA-ing in the fall. Have read most of those already though.
  • Speaking of Trent, I need to go to Peterborough and pick up those books and scout out a good deal on a motel. There is one I’ve communicated with that could work but it is a couple of Km out of town so would have to drive the car into town – would be nice, if possible, to find one that has everything I need (reasonable price, highspeed internet & a fridge) that is on a bus route. Doesn’t seem like there is much parking around Catherine Parr Traill College. There is a bus that runs between the 2 campuses – but at this point, seems like I only need to be up at the main campus on Wednesdays. Will be some running back & forth on Wednesdays – class at CPT for me, TA-ing at the main campus …but the rest of the time looks to be all centred at CPT.
  • I’m also paying full price for cigarettes again, until I get off me arse and make a trip up to Bala. Was hoping Ross would have a job up that way and pick some up for me, but he hasn’t been that way since I asked. Need to quit, really. But in the meantime, need my Sago’s.
  • Need to do some writing re: proposal for Masters Major Research Paper (MRP) and also re: statement of intent re: PhD program. MRP proposal isn’t due until November or December – for Trent – but and PhD apps aren’t due until Jan/Feb 09. BUT scholarship applications re: next year are all due early in October – and they require some vision …I need to be able to tell them where I’m headed so that they will want to give me more money to go there! So … I need to get on them sooner rather than later. I like scholarship money :)
  • My office is a DISASTER area – to the point where it’s driving not only Ross crazy …but me, even. Need to get that in order.
  • Got 1 computer on my table to replace power supply (for a customer) – and 2 more customer-computers behind that one. Got Jess’ desktop fixed – still sitting by my kitchen door. Not doing her much good here – need to go down to Brampton to deliver it …and watch the kids play soccer/baseball, also. And Tamara’s desktop also needs to be picked up at some point so that I can fix that.
  • Really should make a trip to see Dad (in Niagara Falls ON) and Grandma Mary (in London ON) before I get busy again. Yes, I do know how ridiculous that last sounds – but truth is, this is my downtime. Come fall, I’ll be carrying full time school again – on top of everything else. And then in Winter semester, will be adding 4 sections of teaching in Barrie (so add 12 hours teaching, plus prep for new program/textbooks & marking, plus commute time)
  • Haven’t been fishing yet this summer! That will not do. The boat is in the water – need to go fishing, or all that work will be wasted. Besides, now that Leacock is over, really do need to make a concerted effort to spend quality time with my husband :) Since he’s home in the evenings now & all :)
Heron on my dock yesterday, 29 July 2008. Good reasons to sit outside on the deck and watch the sunset.

Heron on my dock yesterday, 29 July 2008. Good reasons to sit outside on the deck and watch the sunset.

Sunday @ Leacock

{ July 29, 2008 @ 9:07 pm } · { Leacock Festival }
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David Gilmour, Lauren B. Davis & others

David Gilmour, Lauren B. Davis & others

 Missed the first Sunday session – it was poetry, featuring George Elliot Clarke and Christopher Doda reading from their own work, and some of the Exile ladies (who read their own work on Saturday night) reading from the work of Canadian author & poet Gwendolyn McEwen.  

Recovered after his adventure.

Recovered after his adventure.

Apparently the readings were very good – but the big excitement of that session was Dr. Bruce Meyer ’s run-in with a hornet. Bruce is the Artistic Director of the Leacock Festival, noted author, and Laurentian University @ Barrie professor - and he’s allergic and didn’t have an Epipen with him. Fortunately, he wasn’t stung.   

 

The next session – the Fiction Finale at 3 p.m. was one I was especially looking forward to. It included readings from Diane Schoemperlen, David Gilmour and Jane Urquhart.

David Gilmour read from his most recent novel, The Film Club. Gilmour is the winner of a Governor General’s Award (2005) for A Perfect Night To Go To China. The Film Club is, according to Walrus magazine reviewer Marianne Apostolides:

an aytipical memoir…. about men and boys and what they really feel, how they really talk when alone with each other.

Gilmour’s reading was very entertaining, and made me a) decide that I need to buy the book and b) wish that I had thought of doing something similar with my youngest. She would have benefitted, I think.
 

Right before the skies opened

Right before the skies opened

Next up was Diane Schoemperlen, the author of several novels & short story collections, including:

Schoemperlen read from her latest novel, At a Loss For Words, which I have read, and thoroughly enjoyed.

Here’s the review I posted on Gather:

At A Loss For Words is such an easy and enjoyable read. It’s like reading a journal – not the author’s, not the protagonist’s – your own. So much of it resonates.

She describes the art of procrastinating when one is unable to write. I do that. Exactly like that – well, except that I’m on Gather and Schoemperlen is not.  But otherwise,  it  fit. I know that stuff.

She describes her conversations with her friends. Me. My friends. I know those conversations.

The vast majority of sentences in the novel begin with “I said…”, “I didn’t say…” or “You said…” (referring to the guy who has – well – not exactly dumped her; that would involve him actually doing something – and that is just never going to happen – but ended their relationship through passive aggressive behaviour and out-and-out neglect).  It should, probably, not work. It is so repetetitive that it should become boring. But it doesn’t. Partly, I think, that was a function of the interspersed ~stuff~: writing prompts, lists, a definition of passive-aggressive, horoscopes and so on. But mostly, it is just because the writing is so direct and entertaining.

From the review I read, and the podcast I listened to, I got the impression that there would be angst, and whining, even. I hate whining – it is obnoxious. This character – and this novel – is far too funny, and real, to ever be accused of being obnoxious. I thoroughly enjoyed At A Loss For Words as a reader, a writer, a woman, and especially, as a Canadian.  The weather, the places, the President’s Choice brand groceries: it all contributes to a strong sense of “I know that”.

Need a book to take to the cottage, the beach, or to read on the bridge while the kids stand in line-ups at Wonderland? This is a great choice.

At a Loss for Words:A Post-Romantic Novel

Author: Diane Schoemperlen
Published by Harper Collins
ISBN: 978-0-00-200881-5

How fast can you run?

How fast can you run?

This reading was on the lawn – the plan being to allow the kitchen staff to get Swanmore Hall set up for the dinner event. The weather did not co-operate though; shortly after Schoemperlen started reading, it started pouring, and we all ended up running across the field and re-convening inside.

These guys didn't mind the rain.

These guys didn't mind the rain.

 

 

The last reader was Jane Urquhart, another prolific, award-winning author whose credits include:

Getting sorted. Austin Clarke in hallway...one of the few dry people.

Getting sorted. Austin Clarke in hallway...one of the few dry people.

 

The final event of the Festival was Austin Clarke’s Birthday BBQ  – dinner, and readings from Andrew Mcrae, who read from a story about a man who was ‘locked in’ and David Chariandy, author of Soucouyant. Both authors – as well as a future literary genius (Barry Callaghan’s 4 week old grandson) were introduced by award winning author Austin Clarke.

 

 

Saturday @ Leacock

{ July 28, 2008 @ 4:55 pm } · { Leacock Festival, flitting }
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Another busy day at the Leacock Festival.

Saturday began with the Humber School of Writers reading. Host Antanas Sileika was joined by Steven Skurka, Joseph Kertes and Anthony De Sa. Skurka is a lawyer, legal analyst for CTV, and has written a book,  Tilted: The Trial of Conrad Black.  De Sa read from his book, Barnacle Love. And Joseph Kertes read from Gratitude. I was kicking myself for not recognizing his name and putting it together with the book – I could have taken my copy and had it signed, dammit! I have read Gratitude - and only recently, too. It was an excellent read; a very compelling and moving story.

I’ve also read most of Mark Kingwell’s lastest book, Concrete Reveries - and could have had HIM sign my copy for me, if only I could have found it before the event. Kingwell is a philosopher, and I had, for a time, had Concrete Reveries as my car book. You know, the book you keep in your car to read when you get to places early, or have a break between, or while the guy pumps your gas on those rare occasions when you can find a full serve? Anyway…at some point, it must have come into the house… at least for this one, I managed to make the connection ahead of time; I just couldn’t put my hands on it. Kingwell has appeared at the Leacock all three years that I’ve been going, and his presentations are always unique. 2 years ago, we had group discussions about a happiness machine out on the lawn, last year involved mixed drinks – which HE got to drink, but the bar was closed for the rest of us – no fair! This year he brought a slide show and talked about New York and Shanghai – cities he used as case studies in the book.

Saturday evening at the Leacock is Barry Callaghan ’s Exile Ladies’ Night. Exile the Literary Quarterly is a recognized and respected journal that has been publishing since 1972. Although Canadian, they draw their material from authors around the world, attracting many diverse voices. In addition to the fact that I always enjoy the Exile events, I very much like the fact that they offer a “show special” subscription rate.  This year’s Ladies Night included readings from Lauren B. Davis, Anne Michaels & Kathleen McCracken. I particularly enjoyed the short story read by Davis, “bad Irish accent” (her description) and all. Author of several novels including The Radient City, she has a new collection of short stories being released by Exile in September 2008.

Friday @ Leacock

{ July 27, 2008 @ 1:45 pm } · { Leacock Festival }
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Yes, I know I missed Thursday – skipped the afternoon session with Judy Fong Bates author of Midnight at the Dragon Cafe. I heard afterwards that it was excellent, though.  In the evening I went to the Letters Dinner, which featured roast beef, an assortment of salads, and strawberry rhubarb pie for dessert – oh, and journalist Marty Gervais giving a presentation on his Summer in Iraq (2007).  He was there with the Iraqi Boxing team, while they were training for this year’s Olympics.

Sherry Lawson reading at the Leacock Festival

Sherry Lawson reading at the Leacock Festival

Friday was very busy. First there was the annual Teddy Bear’s Picnic at 2 p.m. I didn’t have kids with me, so didn’t stay for all of it, but I did manage to be there to hear Sherry Lawson, a storyteller from the Mnjikaning  Rama First Nation. I was interested in part because I have been doing a lot of reading about First Nations topics in preparation for my MA @ Trent. The PhD program I hope to go into once I’m done my Master’s is in Canadian Studies, and includes a large amount of First Nations subjects. I was able to speak to her briefly afterwards, and bought her memoir, a book of short stories called I’ve Been Shot At…What’s Your Excuse? which I then read over dinner before the next section. Each of the stories is only a few pages, and offers a glimpse into Sherry’s experiences throughout her life, both as a child and later, as a prominent adult in her community.

 

 

Later in the afternoon, Julie Roorda read from her young adult novel, The Wings of a Bee.

And the evening session was easily the single most entertaining even of the Festival, at least so far (still got 2 to go).

The first reader was Scott Gardiner, reading from his very funny satire, King John of Canada. I thoroughly enjoyed what we heard of the book, and loved the premise. From the publisher’s website:

This is a funny, biting political satire set in the not-too-distant future. A series of minority governments, and endless Quebec referendums (designed to lose narrowly, to keep the money coming) have left Canada almost ungovernable. When the Governor General resigns in disgrace and the House of Windsor implodes in London, a media baron launches the idea of a Canadian king or queen elected by lottery.

It starts as a joke — except that the lucky winner, King John, a bright and charismatic guy from Toronto, knows exactly what people want. Soon Quebec is gone, while Toronto’s surprise bid to leave Canada is averted by shifting his official residence, the new seat of power, to the Toronto waterfront. Many good things happen, and the politicians go along for the ride. And the blockades of Native lands are ended for good, after John is heroically wounded keeping the peace at risk to his life.

Next up was  author, playwright & humourist, Drew Hayden Taylor. Taylor is the author of a number of books including Me Funny, Me Sexy, and several volumes of Funny, You Don’t Look Like One (Two, Three, Four).  I do believe that I shall have to buy some – or all – of his books. Research, you know.

Terry Fallis reading at the Leacock Festival

Terry Fallis reading at the Leacock Festival

The final reader has a success story to be envied.  Terry Fallis is the winner of the 2008 Leacock Medal for Humour – which comes with a $10,000 prize – for his self-published book The Best Laid Plans. You can read about his experiences at his blog. I loved the reading, and would have bought it on the spot but because McLelland and Stewart are publishing it, the self-published version is no longer available and we have to wait for theirs to be released this fall.  Wish it had been Penguin!

Is that not just THE COOLEST story?  Gives hope to all of us wannabes :)

 

 

Wednesday @ the Leacock Festival

{ July 27, 2008 @ 11:21 am } · { Leacock Festival }
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On Wednesday afternoon, award winning author and political columnist Richard Gwyn read from his biography of Sir John A. MacDonald. I wish I could tell you about that session, but I was busy watching The Beer Store guy load the beer truck at our store.  I would much rather have been at the Festival, but oh well.

I did make it to the evening session though, and it was excellent.

Paul Quarrington was the first presenter. He is both an author and a musician, and included both of his talents in his performance. Quarrington didn’t read from his most recent novel, The Ravine - although he did manage to work it into the conversation and encourage us to buy it a ~few~ times – instead, he read from King Leary, which won the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour (1998), and this year, won CBC Radio’s Canada Reads competition – which means it has been named the “one book that every Canadian should read”.  

The Friendly Giant's fireplace

A rocking chair for those who like to rock...

 In addtion to being a prolific author, Quarrington is the singer/guitarist for the blues/roots/country ensemble Porkbelly Futures. My favourite of the songs he sang at the Leacock included a chorus based on The Friendly Giant’s opening theme …a nostaligic gambit that works, I think, for most Canadians.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The second reader was Randall Maggs reading from his illustrated poetry collection Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems. Maggs’ work on Sawchuk, according to Stephen Brunt of the Globe and Mail:

 gets closer than any biographer to the heart of the darkest, most troubled figure in the history of the national game. This may be the truest hockey book ever written. It reaches a level untouched by conventional sports literature… His Sawchuk is real.

Wednesday at the Leacock was truly entertaining and truly Canadian, given its hockey theme. The Vezina Trophy – which Sawchuk won 3x, was also present.

Neither of my pictures of Magee turned out very well, but here is one of Quarrington and the Vezina trophy.

Paul Quarrington @ Leacock Festival 2008

Paul Quarrington @ Leacock Festival 2008

Tuesday @ the Leacock Festival

{ July 27, 2008 @ 10:36 am } · { Leacock Festival }
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previously posted on Gather

In previous years, the official opening of the Leacock Festival was on Wednesdays – after the Laurentian University students’ reading, which was advertised as a pre-event, and was held on Tuesday evening.

This year, the Festival opened on Tuesday afternoon, and the LU students’ reading is part of the Festival proper, which is cool.

The first session featured Christopher Dewdney, author of 3 books of popular non-fiction, including The Immaculate Perception and Last Flesh.  He’s also written 11 highly acclaimed books of poetry, and won first prize for poetry in the CBC Literary Competition (closing date for submissions for this year’s competition is November 1, 2008, by the way!) He also participated in the TO Star’s Earth Hour article series, with On The Sprawl Apocolypse.

Dewdney read from his most recently published work, Soul of the World: Unlocking the Secrets of Time, which Harper Collins Canada describes as:

a voyage through the seasons of a single year as Dewdney explores the world, encountering friends, family and strangers. Out of these anecdotes and incidents, the author teases extraordinary insights about the nature of time and how it influences us. Illuminating and complementing the book’s content, this deeply personal discourse links the literary past, present and future.

I very much enjoyed his reading, and would have liked to buy the book. I was particularly interested in his depictions of a ‘meeting’ with an owl in his backyard, and in his thoughts about time travel.

The other reader was novelist and short story author Barbara Gowdy. Gowdy is the author of several novels including Mr. Sandman, The White Bone (which is told from the viewpoint of an elephant), and The Romantic. Her most recent novel is called Helpless . 

Helpless is the story of a child abduction, told from various points of view: the abductor, the abductor’s girlfriend, the child and the child’s mother. Harper Collins Canada says

Helpless is Barbara Gowdy’s brilliant new novel, a provocative, gripping story of an unthinkable act and a mother’s heroic love for her child.

The New York Times review describes Gowdy’s writing:

Gowdy writes as if she’s on a sinking boat and needs to throw out all the dead weight. The only words that survive are the ones that matter: no extraneous evidence of her research, no long-winded descriptions, no self-indulgent frills of characterization.

The novel was a finalist for the Governor General’s Award, and nominated for The Giller Prize. To hear Gowdy reading from Helpless, visit Authors Aloud. Or, to read an intertaining interview by Toronto Life Magazine, click here.
The student reading in the evening featured 12 students – most of us, previous Laurentian writing contest winners – reading poetry or short stories. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, even though the event was rather under-attended. And it was great to have a chance to catch up with people I haven’t seen in eons.