The leaders of Canadian national parties have altogether too much power over their parties. In my opinion, they should be in parliament at the discretion of their caucus, not vice versa. However, let’s work with what we’ve got, because sure … Continue reading
Beviamo! Mangiare! Buon divertimento!
A righteous curse on those fiendish little non-recyclable coffee pods and their expensive, cranky and thoroughly decadent coffee-making machines. Continue reading
Should I make an audio version of my book?
Reading (and recording) your novel is the best investment you can make in editing your work. Continue reading
Glenn Gould at 84
In the bookends of his career, the first and last versions of Gould’s Goldberg Variations, Gould gave us a fresh insight into Bach’s music that is brilliant, analytic, intellectual. But in the end, Gould’s humming is the only live, human element. Continue reading
Two Boys on Opposite Sides of the War of 1812
Brothers at War by Don Cummer, published by Scholastic. It is 1811 in Fort George, Upper Canada. Two twelve-year-old boys decide to be blood brothers for ever. The trouble is that one has been brought up to believe in God, … Continue reading
The Elopus in the Fishpond
“Your Majesty. There’s an elopus in the palace fishpond, eating goldfish!”
“Goodness me,” said the Queen. “A chimera with the head of an elephant and the body of an octopus? Well, you know what to do.” Continue reading
The Setting of Historical Novels
I wrote this piece at the request of Jess Wells, who published it first on Jun 19 2014 on her page at Red Room, http://redroom.com/member/jess-wells Elmore Leonard’s 9th rule of writing is, “Don’t go into great detail describing places and things.” … Continue reading
Story Behind The Astreya Trilogy
In the 1970s, when I lived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, I sailed as mate on a traditional 50-foot wooden schooner, leaving early one summer day from the Bras d’Or lakes, near where Alexander Graham Bell tested his airplane, the Silver Dart. By evening, the ragged northern end of Cape Breton had disappeared over my starboard shoulder. Alone at the wheel, listening to the creaking, splashing, sighing sounds of sailing, I heard dolphins whistle, and when dawn came, I saw the sun rise on southern Newfoundland’s wall of cliffs that fall hundreds of feet into the sea. My skipper’s navigation was excellent: dead ahead was the flashing light of the navigation buoy we needed to guide us to a gap in the cliffs, less than a quarter mile wide. Continue reading
On Writing at 73
Today a questionnaire arrived in my email offering services to writers. Here’s how I replied:
Today is my 73rd birthday. The present that arrived from my publisher this morning was a quarterly royalty cheque — for $1.98. Economically speaking, my writing is more than a bust, it’s a major liability. However, in terms of personal satisfaction, writing has done me no end of good. Continue reading
The Beauty of Mathematics
Globe and Mail Dec. 03 2013. “Results from the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reveal that almost all provinces have seen large increases over the last decade in the percentage of 15-year-old students failing the math test.” Recently, Canadians … Continue reading