Our neighboring province, Prince Edward Island, is the Land of Green Gables, a small, almost-perfect island immortalized forever in the works of Lucy Maud Montgomery. I have never read the books, but I have seen the television series by Sullivan Entertainment, and feel a certain fondness for Anne Shirley that I can’t quite explain.
Prince Edward [...]
Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category
Anne of Green Gables – 100th Anniversary*
Posted in Canada, Writing on July 25, 2008 | 4 Comments »
The Kate Inglis contract
Posted in Life, Nova Scotia, Writing on July 6, 2008 | 3 Comments »
The conversation in our house earlier today.
K: Have you been over to Sweet Salty recently?
R: Oh, I don’t know. Maybe a week ago.
K: Kate Inglis has a book deal.
R: Really? Is it…?
A pause. Kate has been through 18 hellish months; the Sweet Salty site is an unbelievably moving journey.
K: No, it’s not what you think. [...]
Grace
Posted in Life, Writing on May 2, 2008 | 11 Comments »
Funny to think of insomnia as a gift.
And yet suddenly, I do. Four times in the last two weeks, a flash of street light, or our icy floor to the bathroom, or some rush of chemical that I can’t control has left me wide awake while the night is black as pitch.
That’s not my way. [...]
The Writing Life
Posted in Canada, Life, Nova Scotia, Writing on April 23, 2008 | 5 Comments »
How do writers manage to survive, and feed families, and live their lives?
True, as an occupation, Canadian writers in this century are doing better than writers did in the 1990s, when I started freelancing. Then, the average writer made about $21,000 per year. Ten years later, that number had nosed upward to a little more [...]
The Myths of Christmas, Part II*
Posted in Life, Spirit Moving, Writing on December 12, 2007 | 3 Comments »
The big day is drawing nigh: Christianity’s happiest celebration, and the second most important day on the Christian calendar.
But Christmas wasn’t always so cherished. For three hundred years after the birth of Christ, Jesus’ humble beginnings weren’t even observed. It wasn’t considered important, not by Paul, nor any of the Gospel writers, nor the early [...]
The Myths of Christmas, Part I*
Posted in Spirit Moving, Writing on December 5, 2007 | 4 Comments »
Everyone knows the story.
That the baby Jesus was born in a manger, surrounded by oxen and donkeys, to humble parents named Mary and Joseph. Shepherds came to pay homage, heavenly hosts sang like the Mormon Tablernacle Choir, and three wise men came from afar bearing kingly gifts.
But is all of that true, or is it [...]
Opinion
Posted in Internet, Writing on November 25, 2007 | 8 Comments »
On Friday, another blogger told me that she didn’t want me to read or comment on her site ever again.*
It’s amusing that I could inspire such animosity. Because for the larger part of my life, I wouldn’t say shit if my mouth was full of it. I walked very softly, and avoided controversy. I kept [...]
Time to Blow this Popsicle Province?
Posted in Life, Nova Scotia, Writing on November 21, 2007 | 6 Comments »
::::I could swipe Kristina’s heading: Welcome to the Pity Party. But really, I’m sorry if I bum anyone out on your Thanksgiving holiday… I don’t mean to! I hope everyone has a great celebration!:::::
___________________
By writing about our failures as writers, I sometimes worry that I sound like a fragile little artist who breaks into pieces [...]
Writers and Readers
Posted in Internet, Writing on November 14, 2007 | 9 Comments »
Right now, there are about 110 million blogs on the web, but the vast majority — more than 99 per cent — get almost no traffic.
I learned that little nugget by reading Tena Russ yesterday, but it didn’t surprise me. Not everyone wants to become the next Dooce*. Some people have started blogs as a [...]
No Wine Column for You!
Posted in Nova Scotia, Wine, Writing on October 18, 2007 | 5 Comments »
Every week, our provincial newspapers feature wine and restaurant columns written by people who probably shouldn’t be writing such things. We have good writers who nevertheless haven’t spent any time working in a restaurant or a restaurant kitchen; experts with modest writing skills; and people who have no business offering any opinions on food or [...]
