February 5, 2010

News and news

My goodness, haven’t things around here been anticlimactic since Family Literacy Week ended. You want to know the best thing about Family Literacy Week though? That it was totally made up. True story. Family Literacy DAY was the real deal, but I thought one day wasn’t enough, so I dragged it out for another six, and then people started walking around thinking it was legitimate. At least two people that I know of! This is certainly not the first rumour I ever started, but it’s probably one of the more productive ones. It was a very good week, and I am so grateful for everyone who contributed. And I am sorry if I misled you…

Since then, however, I’ve been busy with deadlines, and preparations, plus I’ve been exhausted thanks to this baby whose sleep habits are beyond appalling. Thanks to all of this (save the baby), however, we are on the cusp of some very exciting things. Amy Jones is coming over tomorrow afternoon for her interview (and I’ve baked scones for the occasion.) I’m starting Wild Geese tomorrow, and my Canada Reads Independently update will be posted this weekend. And sometime soon I’ll be rolling out my gorgeous new website over at my own domain! I hope you’ll all adjust your links accordingly, and follow me there. Stay tuned for the official announcement…

Of course, lately I’ve also been reading. Barbara Pym’s A Glass of Blessings, and Canadian Notes and Queries. From the latter, I especially enjoyed Clark Blaise’s story “In Her Prime“, Seth on Canadian Cartoonist Doug Wright, Ray Robertson (of the Canada Reads Independently Moody Food) “In Anticipation”. I’ve been reading Sylvia Plath’s The Bed Book with illustrations by Quentin Blake, and The Tree of Life by Peter Sis on the recommendation of Genevieve Cote. I’ve been reading Annabel Lyon on writing and motherhood. Mark Sampson on email interviews. Steven Beattie’s “The problem of sustained reading in a distracted society”. Meli–Mello celebrated Family Literacy Week also last week, and this week she’s talking about toys.