Nov 2009
I've finished reading the rest of The Journey Prize Stories 21, and there are some truly fabulous pieces in there. Yasuko Thanh and David Margoshes are the two other finalists. Suko for a moving and delicate story about Chinese lepers at the turn of the century banished to an island off the coast of Victoria. David for a lovely, layered work of memory about an advice columnist for a Jewish newspaper. You've got to read both of these!
Another great story is "Miracle Mile" by Alexander MacLeod--about friendship, running and letting go.
Oct 2009
I was on my bicycle half way to work when my cell phone rang and it was The Writers Trust of Canada. Okay, it wasn't the entire organization, just one man and in my excitement, I can't even remember his name. He was calling to tell me I'm a finalist for the Journey Prize this year. What a thrill. Break out the champagne!
The reading at Robson Square Bookstore was great--a good showing despite the rain and the staff there are lots of fun. They videoed much of the evening and have put some clips on The Robson Reading Series Facebook page
Sept 2009
A copy of this year's Journey Prize Stories arrived on my doorstep today with what I've got to say is the best looking cover they've done in years. Lots of great looking stories I can't wait to read. More on that once I've had a look inside....
I'm reading at UBC Bookstore Robeson Square downtown in Vancouver with two other West Coast writers from this year's Journey Prize Stories (Yasuko Thanh and Paul Headrick). Haven't met either before but am looking forward to it. The event is Thursday, October 29 at 7 p.m For directions, visit: http://www.rsquare.bookstore.ubc.ca/common/hours.html
Aug 2009
I'm teaching at Camosun again this fall--an introduction to writing short stories. If anyone out there in Internet land (who also happens to live on Vancouver Island) cares to join, the more the merrier.
May 2009
I got an email the other day from McClelland & Stewart letting me know I've got another story in the Journey Prize Stories this year. That's been the exciting news of the month. I've swapped out some of the stories on the site so those who read regularly will see some new stuff (and yes, I know that doesn't happen very often). I've been revising the collection, with the help of Harold Rhenisch been ensuring the collection is ready for the big time. Also hard at work on a novel. More about that in the months to come!
December 2008
Aside from having a birthday and enduring two solid weeks of snow here in Victoria, there was lots more going on this month. My collection was short listed for the Metcalf Rooke Award this fall. Congrats to my friend Amy Jones who won for her great collection What Boys Like & Other Stories. A copy of this year's coming attractions also landed on my doorstep this month. It was great fun to see a few of my stories in there, but even more fun to read Rebecca Rosenblum's work (speaking of Metcalf Rooke, she won it last year for her book Once!) as well as Alice Petersen's. It's a great anthology and well worth dropping by your local bookstore for a copy.
September 2008
Comming Attractions is just about to come out so I've taken Mercedes Buyer's Guide off the website as I figured that was only fair. I've added a couple of other stories instead--The Last Great Works of Alvin Cale is a recent story. Some of you might also notice I recorded two stories over the summer and posted them here as well.
August 2008
I'm teaching a couple of courses here in Victoria if you live nearby and are interested. One is a short story writer's workshop at Camosun College starting at the end of September on Wednesday evenings. The other is Monday evinings with the Victoria School of Writing and it's entitled "A Writer's Revision Toolkit" If you're interested, contact either place, or drop me a line.
I've been having a great reading summer, some absolutely fantastic books. The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill, The Lizard Cage by Karen Connelly and A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon are three of my favs. I've just finished the Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. A good book, narrated by a dog which was kind of fun, but not up to the previous three books I read.
July 2008
I just got a copy of The Wisconsin Review in the mail with my story "Promise". It's the story shortlisted for the CBC a year or two back. I'd sent a copy to a Canadian publicationafter it was shortlisted but didn't win. They took a year to get back to me with a check box saying try us with a re-write. So I sent it to a couple of American lit mags--they never take long to respond. Two months later I had an acceptance note and two months after that, it's there on my door step.
I promised to post it after publication and wanted to do so, but it turns out it's one of the stories Mark Jarman accepted for Coming Attractions 2008 (along with "Mercedes Buyer's Guide" and "X") so I'll have to wait on posting it here.
May 2008
I just got an email from Mark Anthony Jarman accepting me for this year's edition of Coming Attractions. He wants to look at a few different stories, so I'm sending him more to pick from. It's great news and has been keeping me up at night with a smile on my face. I'll post more when I know more.
December 2007
A few new stories coming out this winter. One in The New Quarterly, due out any day now--the story of a retirement party that changed a life (actually, several lives). Another in The Antigonish Review about a brother and sister in the weeks after their mother's funeral . The third is coming out in Prairie Fire--about a trip to a cottage to catch racoons. They're all soon on their way to a book store near you some time in the next few months.
October 2007
I'm still at UBC and still doing the low residency MFA and this year I've been doing poetry with Susan Musgrave which has been a lot of fun. Some of you have asked me to post a poem or two, so I'm adding this link here to a couple of poems I wrote for the course.April 2007
I've got a reading in May 15th at Camosun College here in Victoria. It's not a public reading. I'm a guest at a class, but when you do as few readings as I do, even this counts as news.
The Antigonish Review just accepted a story of mine called "Florida." It involves a near-miss accident between a car and a bicycle, two stolen packs of cigarettes and a balsa wood statue of the Virgin Mary. Not sure which issue will have it, but I'll post when I know.
A friend convinced me to read American Psycho. Have only read the first few chapters (the opening has to take the record for the most brand names in a chapter). Certainly dreading what's to come.
January 2007
My short story "Promise" was shortlisted for the CBC Literary Award. It's a dark story about two brothers. I'll post it here after it's been published.
In terms of what I'm reading, I just finished No Country for Old Men, by Cormac McCarthy. It's a fantastic read and I just rushed through it, but note to self: read something lighter and more uplifting next time.