July 15, 2005
You can get used to this
Tonight we went out in the boat. There had been a pretty anti-climactic storm this afternoon that did kill the heat a bit, and the air was just fresh. We went swimming off the boat and the water was perfectly warm, we just slipped in with pleasure rather than icy torture. My mom had packed a picnic dinner- chicken and watermelon. There were loons in the water and the sky was blue, the sun reflected broken in the waves. Stuart asked, “Is this Canada?”. My dad laughed and told him it was. Stu said, “I’ll adapt.”
July 14, 2005
It's not easy
Lionel Shriver’s strange column, volume two. She doubts Tony Blair’s ability to stand up to terrorists, in light of concessions made toward terrorists in Northern Ireland. It’s a complicated issue, and perhaps she draws parallels too quickly. I think when you have to live with people who harbour some legitimate grievences against you, compromise is necessary if you want to move out of the Dark Ages. In Italy, ignorant people engage in print warfare. It’s drawn parallels to this story, as Theo Van Gogh’s murderer goes on trial in Holland. There is no black and white anymore, no room for sweeping statements. Living together has become unbelievably complicated and requires an open mind.
I enjoyed “The Dialectic of Fat” from Ms. The article talks about the centrality of women’s weight to her identity, double standards, fat as a feminist issue and the new globalisation of eating disorders. I find it so interesting to look at the way Western media has affected women’s body images internationally. It’s sometimes difficult to strike a balance between these feminist fat acceptance ideas, and the fact they could be seen as excuses to be unhealthy. I think the former is more important. The article mentions the amount of time women spend at the gym these days, and how many of these women really are seeking health over thinness. It’s an absolute fixation for most women I know, regardless of what they actually weigh, and really there are so many more important things to worry about.
Found The Gates of Ivory by Margaret Drabble today in a used bookshop. It’s the final book of the Radiant Way trilogy, the first of which was absolutely brilliant and the second (A Natural Curiousity) which I enjoyed. I’ve never seen it used (or new- it’s out of print now) and the spine wasn’t even cracked. So now I have all the Drabbles except “The Red Queen” which isn’t in paperback yet anyway. And we saw Dr Barnardo’s Children tonight. It was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen, so moving and entertaining. It’s such an important story and was told in such an honest way. We also went to our wedding reception venue to check it out and it was lovely. Tomorrow we’re renting a sander to get ready to repaint some furniture for our new apartment and selecting flowers for the wedding, and perhaps going for a ride on our boat on Clear Lake.
July 11, 2005
Cancon on
Now reading Geist, which is odd and not entirely satisfying, Northrop Frye’s “The Educated Imagination” and the play Alice’s Affair by Susan Coyne. We are going to see “Doctor Barnardo’s Children” at the 4th Line Theatre this week and to see Ann-Marie McDonald read at The Lakefield Literary Festival on Friday. Apparently we are also going canoeing tomorrow. I think we can determine that I am getting my Cancon on, even though I missed seeing Lighthouse at the Festival of Lights last week.
July 8, 2005
Our best?
I read something recently about the way the public mood was so misjudged after September 11th 2001. Revenge wasn’t the first word on everybody’s lips, but instead compassion, outpouring like it never had before. If America had had a different kind of leadership- more confident and less shakeable- it could have rode that wave to show those who hate what we stand for how wrong they are in their condemnation. A better world could have come of that tragedy but instead the simpler knee-jerk reaction was chosen, and here we are four years later and it’s all the same. In no way is anyone responsible for these acts but the perpetrators, but I also don’t think world leaders have done much to make us safer. Iraq had nothing to do with international terrorism until the US invaded, and now it’s a breeding ground. Their regime needed to be done away with, but it was hardly the ideal political climate in which to do so. I would feel much more confident about proclaiming the greatness of our society (and I really believe it is great) if we had taken a look at ourselves after 9/11 and ensured we had no blood on our hands. Our reputation has been sullied by irresponsible leaders who have lied to us and riled us to ignorance for their own gain- but it’s clear now that this isn’t the war they were looking for. It’s like the Russians who rolled their 19th century cannons into World War One. You can’t fight a war with “terror”; you can’t win it and you can’t land on a boat in a jumpsuit and proclaim your mission accomplished- unless your mission was to stir up a chaotic maelstrom throughout an already troubled place. Reading the Churchill quotes at Live Free or Die, it’s so clear what a dearth of good leadership we have today. Churchill says, “You do your worst and we will do our best” but for the last four years, I don’t think “we’ve” been doing our best at all. Something has to change because the road we’re on currently just isn’t going anywhere.
The Guardian has some really throughtful articles right now that I’ve enjoyed. We’re in Toronto this weekend- patio bbq last night with a view of the skyline, today we went our for breakfast, went to the Beaches, an art show in Nathan Phillips Square, looked for Miffy goods in Chinatown and bought fruit and veg in Kensington. We saw our new apartment last night, and it’s the most wonderful place I’ve ever seen. I’m in love with this city in a way I never was when I last lived here. Was ashamed by the Toronto Sun headline this morning, which my English husband really didn’t find amusing. I thought “Bastards” was brilliant, and “Go get ’em George” was classic, but todays’ headline- so distasteful that I daren’t repeat it- was simply inexcusable.
And just sad for London, which is one of the most magical places in the world. We were there just two weeks ago, which of course makes it stranger. So relieved no one I love was too affected, as selfish as that may be.
July 7, 2005
Sundry
I would really like to know how to live with stuff like this and not become an angry Daily Express reader. I am relieved to find my loved ones well and accounted for, but I am so angry and frustrated and the tirades that come out of my mouth- not worth repeating and embarrassing. The whole thing is perfectly heartbreaking.
July 6, 2005
Collect
I enjoyed reading “An English Professor’s Credo”, the Victoria College Baccalaureate Address by my former professor C. Anderson Silber. A very odd but interesting article by Lionel Shriver, whose “We Need to Talk About Kevin” I finished this afternoon. Oh my, what a book. You wouldn’t think a book that you know from the start winds up in a school massacre would be able to twist so far at the end, but it did. Lionel Shriver, politics aside, is an absolute genius. On the Things I Miss About Britain list is celebrity chefs; Zoe Williams skewers Nigella on the telly. Matt Seaton. who wrote a book about cycling that I actually enjoyed, recommends his ten best cycling books. I don’t know if I’ll go so far as to read them. AS Byatt on the still life as metaphor.
Have organised my photo albums, CDs, and am getting started on all the rest. We are streamlining my collection of collections. I had half a Dairy Queen Blizzard Yesterday for the first time in two years, and it was brilliant. We are going to Toronto from Thursday until Sunday. Canada is a very good place.
July 2, 2005
Booknews
Interesting things I observed during my eight hours as a bookseller today: everyone secretly wanted to buy Monica Lewinsky’s biography but no one would admit it, the first books sold were all my Beatles stuff left over from my adoloscent obsession, at every lawn sale someone comes along and asks to buy the furniture the stuff is sat upon, everyone loves Ramona Quimby, if you tell certain people that certain books are “Women’s Studies Books” they will buy them without question, the woman who sang me songs from her native healing circle for no particular reason, a lot of people want to buy your vinyl, people really like Russian history and no one wants my 17th century lit anthology (including myself), there is a woman who spends every Saturday cruising yard sales to find books by Belva Plain, the old lady who wanted to know if we had Stephen King, no one wants Life’s Little Instruction Book. The unsold books I took back for myself were The Summer Book by Tove Jansen, Mrs. Stevens Hears the Mermaids Singing by May Sarton, Nightwood by Djuna Barnes and Stuart took Brave New World because he hasn’t read it. In other book news, I bought a magazine called Geist today. In my new poor student incarnation, I am allowed only one magazine a month IF it is under $5.00. I also received George and Rue by George Elliott Clarke from my parents.
July 2, 2005
Long Weekend
Why do I have wireless internet on my front lawn? I don’t know, but I’ll take it as it comes. We have jet-lag and as a result were up at 6:00 this morning, which was fine as we had our book sale ready to go at 7:00. We sold more than half the books and made over $100. It was a splendid way to spend the day too, talking to lots of people and reading The Globe and Mail for the first time in over a year. It’s a real shame their free internet content is next to nothing. or I would be doing some mad linking. There were really great stories today and I still have three sections left to read. We are enjoying Canada, and I think between Tom Cochrane, beers on patios, fire works, twee parades and a yard sale, we’ve had the ultimate experience. Even unemployed, Saturdays are special.
July 2, 2005
Massive Book Sale
Massive Book Sale tomorrow! Everything for one dollar or best offer. Fiction, biography, YA and childrens, plus lots of non-fiction (history texts, and a great collection of feminist works). At my house on Water Street beside the Red Cross building. Get there early!
