Recent Journal Entries
Waiting for Columbus up for The City of Edmonton Book Prize
March 9, 2010
I have crocuses in my office. I was walking by the florist and couldn’t resist. They are awesome! When they’re done being purple, I’ll take them home and plant them and then they will be awesome next year in my garden.
Hey, listen, Waiting for Columbus is one of three books on The City of Edmonton Book Prize short list. This prize is sponsored by Audrey’s Books! The winner will be announced at the Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts on March 22, 2010. My fellow nominees are Edmonton Journal reporter Ed Struzik – The Big Thaw: Travels in the Melting North and Pierrette Requier’s Details From the Edge of the Village. It’s an honour to be shortlisted with these two writers. The Louster and I will be there on the 22nd to applaud whoever is picked. Our good friends poet/writer Alice Major, and film maker/director Michael Hamm are up for ATCO Gas’s lifetime achievement award, along with Broderyck Olson.
Some of the proceeds from the Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts on March 22 will go to support the Youth Emergency Shelter Society. So, come on out. The entertainment is always spectacular.
Raving Poets Band and "Uncommon Threads"
March 5, 2010
Hello, peoples…The Raving Poets Band (with Host Michael Gravel) played at the Uncommon Threads art Opening with Corey Hamilton last night at the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts, here in Edmonton. It was a beautiful 20-minute set, with Corey reading the poems…and the Raving Poets Band backing him up. Corey’s paintings are bold and childlike and charming. The colours are brash and in your face and some of the themes are dark — but these paintings certainly stopped me. Corey is Awesome! Gotta give a shout out to Kim Hung Ho whose art was also part of this show…ephemeral pen sketches with repeated motifs — a subtle gentleness. Great show.
The band dipped into the Stella Artois in the green room and our bass player, Mark Kozub almost didn’t make it on stage. The guy was passed out behind a pallet of drywall but it wasn’t the booze – he was just tired. He actually had no idea what day it was. Didn’t help that we kept telling him it was Monday, and then Friday, and then Sunday. Poor bastard. Didn’t take anything away from his bass playing, which was brilliant, as usual. Anyway, here’s a pic of Corey, with some of his art in behind him. Great night all-round!!!
"Good morning you magnificent Bastards!"
February 26, 2010
I’ve been an emotional idiot the last few days. Don’t know what’s going on but I weep at the drop of a hat. Almost makes me wish I was still talking with my analyst. Now, I just talk with myself. And I answer!! I know!!! Can you tell that I am still in love with Craig Ferguson? He started a Tweet the other day with this: “Good morning you magnificent Bastards!” Made me laugh my ass off, before coffee.
Anyway, for your continued viewing pleasure, I present the UK cover of Waiting for Columbus, still – because it just came out this month!! And because I love it. Below, are links to the UK action. Most recently is a “What’s he reading” piece at Untitled Books DOT COM. Yes, that’s my smiling face on the front screen — right here.
See my “A-Z” style interview with Picador — a sort of top-of-mind lexicon from the left side of my brain…It’s right here for your viewing (reading) pleasure. It was really fun to do…
And guess who’s got a guest blog on the PICADOR Books website? I know!!! It’s me!!! And it’s right here.
Also, here’s a list of a few of my favourite books (probably from the right side of my brain) on a UK website called
The Book Depository.
(More)Latest news...
February 17, 2010
Did I mention the UK release of Waiting for Columbus? Did I show you the cover? I know, I know…I’ve been ranting and raving about this book for well over a year. Long journey to here. But this site has two goals: ONE. Promote my books and activities around my books – a safe place to come and get information – and, TWO: a blog about writing, the writing process, and occasionally, about anything and everything. So, this continual self-promotion will continue for a while yet. However, in the coming weeks, you will notice fewer postings (less frequent) as I bear down on the new book. You know you’re in for a long ride when you fall in love with your characters…
Anyway, here’s the UK cover of Waiting for Columbus, again. Because I love it. Ah, I love all the covers…They are all different and speak to different nuances of the book.
See my “A-Z” style interview with Picador — a sort of top-of-mind lexicon from the left side of my brain…It’s right here for your viewing (reading) pleasure. It was really fun to do…
And guess who’s got a guest blog on the PICADOR Books website? I know!!! It’s me!!! And it’s right here.
Also, here’s a list of a few of my favourite books (probably from the right side of my brain) on a UK website called
The Book Depository.
This just out, produced by the lovely Geoff McMaster, my very own Vod-cast. Enjoy:
"why the moon?"
February 12, 2010
Every now and then, I like to share a “sorbet” on the blog space. This poem/riff was inspired by that little voice inside that stands up and screams at me — and I listen.
I’m mulling the idea of killing my “sorbet” list somtime in the next couple weeks. The list has around 500 people on it, all of whom receive a raw, unrefined poem from me every Friday. I’ve been doing this for seven years and I’m having doubts about it. Oh, I won’t stop writing a poem/narrative romp every week. I’ll keep it going, for myself ate least. This doubt is about sending the riffs out to an audience –it’s about a potential lack of humility, and the extra helping of ego that are attached to those poems. And I’d be fine starting over with two subscribers and seeing what happens.
Here’s this week’s “sorbet,” which could be the last….
Why the moon?
Why write a poem about the moon? Why do I care about
the moon being wrong in a Mexican sky? Why would anybody else
care that the moon was sideways – that the stars were shifted – that the air
was not frigid and hard? I mean, there is such suffering and injustice
in this world. Why not shine a light on Haiti, or Afghanistan, or Iran,
or Iraq, or a thousand other places on this planet – including our back yard,
where the poor and homeless and the insane suffer, where our
Aboriginal populations continue to struggle? There is such pain and loss, and
sickness.
And cancer! There is no way that cancer can be part of God’s scheme.
And the cruelties we inflict on each other – the things we do to each other –
can’t be part of some plan!! I have stopped watching the news but regardless,
the horrors of so-called humanity get inside of me. I have, inside of me, a mother, who because her marriage was breaking apart very likely killed her two young boys. I don’t want this goddamned bloody narrative but there it is. It makes me angry,confused,outraged and it lacerates my heart. I think of that mother and no compassion wells up inside me – only this screaming thought: “Are you FUCKING KIDDING ME!!!!”
We suffer. We are often cruel. And we suffer some more.
So, why the moon?
Why a poem about that beautiful sideways hazy moon
in a silky Mexican sky? Why not a poem that reflects the harsh
and cold reality of the human inhabitants of this pale blue dot?
Because there is also beauty, and joy, and love. Because there is
kindness, and compassion.
And sometimes, as a fledgling, struggling writer,
I try to paint a picture of how the world could be –
and perhaps, of how it ought to be.
See my “A-Z” style interview with Picador — a sort of top-of-mind lexicon from the left side of my brain…It’s right here for your viewing (reading) pleasure. It was really fun to do…
Older Entries:
- 2010•01•30 ~ Mexico research mission...semi-report {4}
- 2010•01•20 ~ The book club and a list... {2}
- 2010•01•14 ~ The light bulb {2}
- 2010•01•13 ~ Craig Ferguson, Boobies, and why Best Buy sucks...
- 2010•01•09 ~ Updated Columbus page and reviews, and MG Creative {1}
- 2010•01•06 ~ The myth of writers' block and the cardboard man... {3}
- 2009•12•31 ~ New Year's Eve Tonglen
- 2009•12•29 ~ Confounded by Pinsky, again... {1}
- 2009•12•23 ~ Happy Festivus
- 2009•12•17 ~ To be "good" or to "drink a lot and get into trouble" -- that is the question {1}
- 0000•00•00 ~ Complete Journal Archives
