October 7, 2005
Miffy Enjoys Singapore Airlines
This page has been crying for a picture, and as nothing photographical has happened of late, we will remember Miffy’s flight. You may note that this photo was taken in Japan where our Miff is ubiquitous, and the passenger to Miffy’s left has a Miffy neckrest.
Speaking of Japan, I got a package in the post yesterday from a former student. She sent me a box full of Japanese cookies (oishi) and a wall hanging that she had made. It was the first package the had ever come in the mail for me with patterned wrapping paper and a bow on the outside.
I continue to be so busy. However paper for Spring Comes Suddenly has been purchased. Did I mention we’re going to the Toronto Small Press Book Fair? You should come too!
Gleanings: At Maud Newton, a take on the Harpers Ben Marcus corrects J. Franzen article. Guardian books is obsessed with poetry. Andrea Levy notes the influence of Coronation Street in shaping her storytelling. I take this as meaning I can watch Eastenders for homework.
And congrats to Tom and Katie! Pickle Me This is going to be following their pregnancy closely. Heaven forbid Katie goes the Marie Osmond in the closet route, because of course she’ll be dealing with her postpartum depression with vitamin c tablets. And now she’s been banned from making noise during the birth, under John Travolta’s recommendation. When I marry a man old enough to be my teenage dad, I want to be a scientologist too.
October 5, 2005
Gourmet Microwave Cookery
Currently bogged down in marking, readings and in assignments of my own. However I must mention the boxes and boxes of books on microwave cookery that were available at the Vic Book Sale yesterday. They were fabulous relics, with photos of revered microwaves in kitchens with gold or green appliances. The books nobody reads just fascinate me.
Gourmet microwave cookery is ten thousand times worse than soup-mix recipes. That’s a fact.
October 2, 2005
Flowers in the Window
Went all Mrs. Dalloway this morning and decided to buy the flowers myself. The price of flowers has gone up at bit since either Mrs. Dalloway or I last bought them, so I only got a small bunch but I was desperate for them, a proper party. We had a wonderful brunch time gathering, with piles of food and good conversation, tea, coffee and, of course indispensibly, flowers. Our house is now officially warmed.
A publisher writes of first novel submissions, “as I waded on through… I wanted to engrave one sentence on all their hearts – read more, write less”. India Knight celebrated marriage, and uses the word “tofu” which stands for “totally fucked”.
September 29, 2005
Read these
Michaëlle Jean’s installation speech as Governor-General of Canada. Also, an excerpt from “Why Experimental Fiction Threatens to Destroy Publishing, Jonathan Franzen, and Life as We Know It” in the latest Harpers. Which I’d buy if it wasn’t $7.50. Outlandish!
September 29, 2005
A matter of when
Alright, I realise newspaper pages must be filled, but I am so tired of hearing about the major disasters, tragedies and horror that Canada would not be ready to handle. I am all boyscout about being prepared and basic precautions, but at the same time the point of the future is that it creeps up upon you. Maybe Canada isn’t ready for a terror attack, but hardly anywhere is except places that are horrible. Maybe Canada is not equipped to handle to a natural disaster, but America the state-of-alert golden child certainly wasn’t either. I know I am simplifying things, but this sort of speculation leads to mass hysteria, which primes people to react to things badly. Every time something explodes or floods, there are journalists who are wringing their hands in despair that it wasn’t local, but then again next time it might be! So they write a story about that. And it’s boring, repetitive- anything “that isn’t a matter of if but when”. An expert in the paper this weekend followed up that gem with, “People must awaken to the fact that Big Brother isn’t out there and won’t help you when all hell breaks loose.” Does that mean anything? Are there people sitting around poking holes in dikes waiting for Big Brother?
I am very interested in the burial of Lenin’s tomb.
September 29, 2005
I ride a lot of horses
Tonight we went to see Margaret MacMillan read from and discuss Women of the Raj, which I’m currently reading and enthralled by. It’s inspiring me to write poetry! Not every history book has such power. I hadn’t seen her for three years, since I was fortunate enough to be in her Cold War History class, and to be in her presence is a great experience. She is an amazing speaker, a brilliant woman and very funny too. She is just the same, and I was excited for Stuart to meet her, as I’ve talked about her so often over the years- especially July of 2004 which I spent reading Paris 1919, which she signed for me tonight! (My copy of “Women of the Raj” is alas a library book.) It was lovely see her again. Tonight we also heard Barbara Hodgson, who read from her book, Dreaming of East which was wonderful.
I am listening to the new Dar Williams CD. The whole thing can be streamed, follow the link from her website. It’s good. Already, I love “Teen For God”, which is classic Dar Williams and has the line, “This world that you made for us, I know, I know it’s dangerous, so I ride a lot of horses”.
Good graffitti is whoever spraypainted “Anne” over a part of a scaffolding emblazoned with the word “Murray”. Not so good is the poster campaign for literacy at the library on the corner, which directs you to which number to call if you in fact cannot read.
September 28, 2005
Music Box Dancer
Dar Williams has a new album out. I also found this website, an mp3 blog of women’s music that is quite cool.
September 28, 2005
Wascally Wabbit
Would you agree that someone saying, “Do you have a speech impediment? There’s nothing wrong with that. When my sister was young she couldn’t say her ‘r’s either.” is justifiable grounds for a ruined day? Particularly when you weren’t aware you couldn’t say your ‘r’s?
September 27, 2005
Both Screens
The new point of everything lately is the five senses. Concentrating. What does Fall smell like? What do raindrops sound like? Bonfires and a million pins dropping. I am very bad at senses. Fall and raindrops is an inadequate response. I am learning. What does the music in the other half of our semi-detatched house sound like? Bulls charging the wall. Feels like too. Last night I walked home from school, into a time warp. I used to walk home that same way a million years ago. Glances into glowing windows remains more interesting than any movie I have ever seen. Yesterday I wore brown cordoroy pants, and it was autumn. I don’t know which came first.
The new writing life is lived with discipline. I write for about twenty minutes when I rise every morning, and then two hours later in the day. And this will be upped eventually. Practical habits.
I am obsessed with “Twin Cinemas” by The New Pornographers.
