Brockton Writers Series (and Other Writerly Things)

Hi, everyone, it's March. And still 2025. I felt the need to point that out because the months take forever and fly by at the same time. 

Not a recent photo, but a
fair representation of what today looks like

A reminder: on Wednesday, March 12, I'm reading in the Brockton Writers Series. If you're in the greater Toronto Area, head to the Glad Day Bookshop, 499 Church Street. If you aren't, you can watch on their YouTube channel, here: Brockton Writers Series - YouTube  

In addition to the other readers, the evening will feature Asifa Sheikh speaking about Playing with Form in Nonfiction, an always-fascinating topic. Although I tend to default to the standard linear narrative, I've braided narratives and am striking out into other ways to spread my wings. 

I'm excited to be part of this event. Participating is one way to remind myself that yes, I've written books and I have spoken to people about them and about writing. I've hung out in the company of other writers and listened as they talked through challenges and joys. 

Those reminders are especially helpful at times when you might be producing new work or revising work, and you're even submitting that work for publication in various places, and said publications aren't leaping at it with great enthusiasm. (That's a fancy way of saying the work is getting rejected.)

Another way to remind myself that I'm a writer (even though recent work isn't being published) is to try new forms (as I mentioned above). I spend a few moments every day playing around with writing I don't normally do--a sentence, a poem, a response to a prompt. I wrote about this briefly last month, too. Sometimes that playtime turns into something, but mostly it doesn't. It feels good to exercise my creativity, though! Especially in difficult times.

It's in the Library! And copies are available for your book club to read!

Other ways I remember I'm a writer: My book is available at the local library, and it's even part of the Book Club in a Bag program! (Note that this screen shot shows my book is available to read, if you happen to be in Thunder Bay and you or your book club want/s to read a generally positive book about found family, making choices in difficult times, bears, and spring coming to Northwestern Ontario.)

I also appreciate it when readers review my book--and it was a great thrill to appear on an end-of-year list from the Podcast Canada Reads, American Style! Rebecca had interviewed me early in the year, which was a lot of fun, and it was so gratifying to hear that my book had stuck with her in December!

Otherwise, I'm just a writer like everyone else in strange and dangerous time, lamenting those who inflict pain deliberately for the sake of meanness and chaos and power. I put words together, I pay bills, I tend to appointments, I care for others, I protect what is within my purview to protect, I make and eat food, I shovel snow. I clean (some of the many) things that are dirty. I vote, I speak up, I commune with people and plants and animals and everything in between. It doesn't feel like enough, and it's not, but it's what I can do, and I need to acknowledge that this is the context today.