April 25, 2008
Currently mad for
I am currently mad for Emily Perkins, whose A Novel About My Wife is soon released (and it comes dovegrey recommended). Very exciting also to announce that I will interviewing Emily Perkins in the very near future. And so I’ll be blasting through her back catalogue in the meantime: I’ve got her previous novels The New Girl and Leave Before You Go, as well as The Picnic Virgin, an anthology she edited of contemporary New Zealand short stories. Stay tuned for news and reviews.
I’m now reading Jennica Harper’s The Octopus for the fourth or fifth time.
March 26, 2008
Poetic April
I was a poet first, before I’d ever written a line of prose. Which I might tell you to make myself sound interesting, prodigious, but I was actually 8 years old in the time of which I speak and the poem was stupid. Though it’s true that I’ve wanted to be a writer ever since then, and that it was poetry that inspired that yearning. I wrote poetry quite regularly in the years that followed, much of it cripplingly teenage. Some of the better stuff I’ve even posted here. But I don’t write poetry anymore. I thought it was better to concentrate my talents where they seemed to lie, and I felt I didn’t know enough about the stuff to make it my own.
But there is something about April. We’ve just passed a long, hard winter, all poetry seemingly sucked out of life, and so during next month I aim to inject some, in large doses. Even if it has to be in lieu of real spring. I’ve been inspired by writer Laurel Snyder (one of my favourite bloggers for years now) to write a poem per day, for it will be National Poetry Month after all. To be posted here. Just small poems, and I make no promises of them being any good, but I think the exercise will be interesting. In fact, some under-stimulated muscle somewhere in my head is absolutely crying out for this.
In addition, of course, I plan to read quite a bit of poetry. Once our boxes are unpacked in the new house, twill be a perfect time to embark upon the unread books on my shelf by David McGimpsey and Carol Ann Duffy. To reread The Octupus by my favourite poet Jennica Harper. To memorize my favourite poem Portrait of a Lady, which I’ve been wanting to do for years (though this is unlikely). I’ll also pick up Snyder’s book (as she’s started this after all).
With spring comes such inspiration.
May 24, 2007
Sense
Have you submitted your workplace haiku to Bookninja? I did today, inspired by the haiku they have posted (and by the workplace, of course). Read them here, including a few by my favourite poet Jennica Harper. And then submit your own!
Heather Mallick underlines why I perpetually sing her praises with her piece on challenging authority. Oh, when she writes, “I believe education is important for its own sake. It is the basis of civilization. I especially believe in the teaching of history./ I am an elitist. I want people to be well-read, to value books. Here’s my reasoning. Educated people are more likely to deny authority. People who don’t read don’t have an intellectual storehouse to help them think independently. They do what they’re told. They have an endless desire to please those in authority; they don’t know they don’t have to.” Has anybody in the whole world ever had more sense?
Maud Newton points me toward the following: the hierarchy of adjectives, which are rules you don’t even know you know; and a poem by Grace Paley. And it was my coworker (since we’re giving props here) who showed me this article on the evolution of phonebook catagories. No more shall you be able to look up a buttonhole maker, or carbon paper.
Today I met Erica G walking down Palmerston. I was on Harbord, reading and walking, and she pulled her own book out of her bag, which we discussed as we crossed the street, and then we said our farewells. I think it would be lovely if we all starting asking, “So what are you reading?” instead of “How are you?” when we met. The conversations might be better.
February 1, 2007
Sites to see
The big news is that echolocation issue six is online and it’s beautiful. The launch is tomorrow night, Thursday, February 1st, 2007 8pm and thereafter at Labspace Studio, 276 Carlaw Ave., Suite 202. www.labspacestudio.com.
Also online, I’ve just found Jennica Harper’s website, where you can find out more about this fabulous poet/screenwriter/comedian/teacher/etc/etc.
And finally, we bring you every book Art Garfunkel has read since June 1968 (via 50 Books). The world has beeen waiting too long.
December 20, 2006
Pickle Me This Picks of '06
What you’ve all been waiting for, to enhance your reading lists for ’07, or to help you get that Christmas shopping done.
New(ish) Fiction Picks
Sweetness in the Belly by Camilla Gibb
On Beauty by Zadie Smith
Alligator by Lisa Moore
The Accidental by Ali Smith
Mean Boy by Lynn Coady
When I Was Young and In My Prime by Alayna Munce
Saturday by Ian Mcewan
The Emperor’s Children by Claire Messud
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Memoir Picks:
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Giving Up the Ghost by Hilary Mantel
Poetry Pick:
The Octopus and Other Poems by Jennica Harper
Anthology Pick:
Writing Life by Constance Rooke (ed)
Non-Fiction Pick:
The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth by E.O. Wilson
New to me only (but I loved them all the same):
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
A Big Storm Knocked It Over by Laurie Colwin
Wonder When You’ll Miss Me by Amanda Davis
Collected Stories by Grace Paley
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Our Favourite CD was “Let’s Get Out of this Country” by Camera Obscura and we also liked “Sam’s Town” by The Killers
Our Favourite movie was Little Miss Sunshine
Our Favourite Holiday destination was Prince Edward County.
It’s been a very good year. And all the best for 2007!
November 3, 2006
The Octopus and other readings
Last night, I went to see the brilliant Jennica Harper read, and it was wonderful to put a voice to those words. I enjoyed the evening very much, as Rebecca Rosenblum was there, and we got to hear other readers too, including Leon Rooke, Terence Young and Patricia Young. If I haven’t implored you to check out Jennica Harper’s The Octopus and other poems yet, you should do so. It’s a top-rated Pickle Me This Pick of 2006.
And Jennica signed my copy and I got a bookmark!
October 17, 2006
An all-night cosmic dance-a-thon
I loved Jennica Harper‘s book The Octopus and Other Poems and now she’s coming to read in Toronto! I’m going. You should too.
8:00 pm, Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Box Salon Reading Series
Rivoli Cafe and Club
332 Queen Street West
Toronto
8:00 pm, Friday, October 27, 2006
I.V. Lounge
326 Dundas Street West
Toronto
7:30 pm, Thursday, November 2, 2006
Fellini’s Shoe Cafe
226 Carlton Street
Toronto
June 26, 2006
The Octopus
Last night’s insomnia was brought to you by Jennica Harper’s The Octopus and Other Poems, which was the most compelling collection of poetry I’ve ever encountered. Now, seeing as I have never read this book, it was technically illegal under the rules of The Great Summer Rereading Project, but I thought I could do with a poem or two before bed. Was not meant to go to plan. It was a poem or ten, and then they swam around in my head after that, well into early morn. I would recommend this book to anyone. In fact, I would encourage you to buy it. From “Favourite” she writes: Your mother sits with you/ on a piano bench. You are five;/ you would rather be writing/ words in the evening/ air with a sparkler. Could you imagine line breaks more perfectly? The long poem “The Octopus” is itself particularly exquisite and you can read an excerpt at the first link.
Further, rereading The Book of Laughter and Forgetting has become particularly enjoyable. It’s one of those books, like Carol Shields’ Unless, that I approach years later, more focussed and serious about writing than I ever was before, and it becomes clear that the book was all about writing anyway. The book is far too reaching to be summed up at all; somehow one revelation just leads to another. But it’s so rich and steeped in truth, and I am very glad to know it again.
June 26, 2006
Things
Now, I love things, which is a fine thing now that my globe trotting days are behind me, I plan to live in my apartment for many years to come and perhaps live in this city forever. Thingness is such a joy, and if I may celebrate a bit here, please allow me to share with you my magnificent birthday haulage. Includes, a yellow china dish with dragon flies that is a bit Dillardesque from Sk8, earrings from my sister/fashion advisor, an exceptional amount of book vouchers, a tea cosy from Harrods and a Miffy mug from Aunt etc, a copy of The Guardian that I spent the weekend reading (the book reviews- such a pleasure!) from the in-laws, a pink cake stand from Jennie, Miffy magnets and other fine paraphrenalia from my sister in law, a Penguin Room of One’s Own tea towel, and the following books: The Octopus and Other Poems by Jennica Harper, the fun Don’t You Want Me? by India Knight and Kitchen Confidential. Stuart bought me the book bag I wanted from Type Books (with a picture of a bicycle on it) and Olivia, the wonderful children’s book by Ian Falconer. This is not an exhaustive list. I am an exceptionally lucky young lady. Which is not news to me by any means, but still, how absolutely lovely.
