The smoke that has blanketed Calgary for the past five days makes me long for the “glass air” and “limitless grassland wrapped in light as clear as cellophane” that poet P.K. Page loved about Calgary when she lived here in the 1920s.
Monthly Archives: August 2015
WWC postcript
Last weekend’s When Words Collide writers and readers conference was a blast. I took in activities for three days, but managed to pace myself so that I didn’t feel exhausted at the end. I sat on two panels, read from my short story in the crime writing anthology, AB Negative, stayed up past my bedtime for two parties and attended numerous sessions where I picked up tips and insights into writing and publishing. I’ve already registered for next year – only $45 if you sign up by December.
The Calgary Tower
I can relate to author Robert Kroetsch’s meditation on the Husky Tower, even though the now-named Calgary Tower no longer towers above the surrounding buildings. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed many trips to the upper floor for views of the mountains and Calgary spread below. A few times, when relatives visited for the Christmas holidays, we’ve had breakfast in the revolving restaurant. Being December in Calgary, we didn’t even have to get up early to catch the sunrise.
Alberta Humour
When our book club was recalling the books we’d discussed in recent years, someone asked if there was a type of story that was missing from our selections. One person answered “humour.” Barb Howard’s Whipstock is a rarity – a funny Canadian novel, with depth. It deals with the oil patch and feminism, another unlikely pairing.
Where I’ll be at WWC
Calgary’s When Words Collide writing conference is less than a week away. I’ll be sure to get there in time for the keynote addresses on Friday night (August 14th). These are always a great introduction to the conference’s special guests and are sometimes quite creative. If I’m up to it, I’ll stay on for the Noir Bar Evening Social in the hotel’s Boomtown Lounge.
My events are all scheduled for Saturday, August 15th. At noon, I’ll be moderating a panel on Does the Mystery Protagonist Drive the Novel? – my first experience as a panel moderator. At 2:00 PM, I’ll be reading from my short story “Freezer Breakdown” at the book social for the Alberta crime anthology, AB Negative. Then at 3:00 PM, I’m on a panel that will discuss Thrillers vs. Traditional Mysteries. Again, if my energy sustains I’ll attend the Crime Writers Fandango party that evening.
For the rest of the weekend, I’ll be free to chat with people I run into, browse the booksellers’ tables and attend sessions that strike my fancy. I’ve looked at the WWC program and, as always, it will be hard to choose from the varied and exciting offerings.
Wild youth in Calgary
Calgary gets raunchy in Ophira Eisenberg’s memoir Screw Everyone: sleeping my way to monogamy. I like the surprise twist of the excerpt’s last line. My sons also attended Western Canada High School. They were there later than Ophira, thankfully.
AB Negative Launch
Stacey Kondla captured this photo at the AB Negative launch Tuesday night, at Owl’s nest bookstore. I look kind of goofy, but the picture doesn’t lie when it shows me having fun during my reading.
AB Negative Shout-out
In today’s Calgary Herald, Eric Volmers wrote a great piece about AB Negative, the new Alberta Crime Anthology that will be launched this Tuesday at Owl’s Nest Bookstore. There’s even a line in it about me. I hope to see you at Owl’s Nest this week.
Cemeteries
My husband finds it morbid, but like Aritha Van Herk in Places Far From Ellesmere I like to wander through cemeteries. You can imagine stories from so many of the graves. This reminds me that I haven’t visited any Calgary cemeteries. Perhaps, I will now.