Hi Friends, I’m over-the-top thrilled at some news I got this week and want to share it with you. My novel, “f-Holes of Melancholia,” is shortlisted for The Whistler Independent Book Awards for 2020—one of six books in the Fiction category. In mid-July, they’ll whittle that down to three finalists. They announce the winner at …
As a treat on my blog this month, my insanely talented writer friend, Elizabeth Boyd, has kindly agreed to share her brilliant short story with us. It’s an unsettling, sometimes funny, and very human tale inspired by how she and her family survived their Covid19 quarantine. To give her a clap, post a comment on …
“Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.” ― Voltaire Artwork by Laurel Mae Hislop Oh my, how events have changed since my blog post in early March. I don’t even want to bring up the pandemic, because you hear of nothing else these days, but it would be …
I love reading. The Dylan Thomas poem below is titled on the Art of Poetry, but it captures the excitement and spirit of words, and books, and the joy of escaping between the pages. Notes On The Art Of Poetry by Dylan Thomas I could never have dreamt that there were such goings-on in the …
Robbie Burns Statue in Stanley Park, Photograph by Laurel Mae Hislop I decided not to do a New Year’s piece this month, not because it’s shopworn and predictable, but because of the flu which laid me low for weeks. So, instead of turkey or ham, I’m giving a thumbs-up to haggis. Not that most of …
The best of the season and a Happy New Year, everyone. My holiday wish for you, is that each minute of every day in 2020 is outstanding. Lately, I’ve been reflecting on how to make the most of my time. Must be my age. It seemed a perfect moment when I snapped this photo. It’s …
“In Flanders fields the poppies blow, between the crosses row on row…” John McCrae Photograph by Monica Galentino When I was a schoolgirl, November 11 was a monumental day in our household. My parents were both veterans of the Second World War, which shaped their lives and cut my father’s life short. I can still see …
“The key to success in life is using the good thoughts of wise people.” Leo Tolstoy Painting of Leo Tolstoy by Nikolai Ge My current bathroom book is “A Calendar of Wisdom” by Leo Tolstoy, translated from Russian by Peter Sekirin in Toronto. I’m fascinated by the lives and whimsies of enlightened artists. Quirks of …
“Fiction is art and art is the triumph over chaos… to celebrate a world that lies spread out around us like a bewildering and stupendous dream.” John Cheever Available for Pre-order Coming September 24, 2019 Available at Ingram Spark, Apple Books, and Amazon. I am super excited! My book, f-holes of MELANCHOLIA, comes out on …
“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” Plato Painting by Laurel Mae Hislop When I was four years old, my mother took me to our family doctor. I didn’t sleep much and used to …