Nov 17, 2022Where are you going?Many of my childhood memories were dormant for years. Then, when I became a parent, they re-emerged, like little crocuses sticking their heads out from the spring snow. …Parenthood7 min readParenthood7 min read
May 20, 2022Transformative writingWhen we celebrate Shakespeare and contemporary greats like Alice Munro or Toni Morrison, we sometimes conjecture as to how these creative geniuses acquired the status that they did. Were they tapping into a particular zeitgeist, did they have good networks, did they “market” themselves well? I admit to not being…7 min read7 min read
Jan 21, 2022What should I write about?Yesterday, in one sitting, I inhaled all of “If you absolutely must.” It’s a guide to “making it” in writing by Freddie deBoer. It’s not long and anyone familiar with deBoer’s substack and blogging would enjoy his usual candour. I only rarely go in for guides to writing. …Writing Tips6 min readWriting Tips6 min read
Apr 9, 2021There can be no return to the pre-Sebaldian worldI am early on in my Sebald apprenticeship, having read The Rings of Saturn a couple of years ago, and only this year getting to The Emigrants, Austerlitz, (with a re-read of Rings for good measure), as well as well scrolling through anything I can find about him online. (This…Wg Sebald4 min readWg Sebald4 min read
Dec 1, 2020Surviving the Trans-CanadaEntering Kenora in my car, the sun having set a couple of hours ago, I let my guard down. It had been a long day of driving, all the way from Sault Ste-Marie, on the heels of the previous day’s drive from Montreal. …Travel5 min readTravel5 min read
Sep 26, 2020My father’s music is gone but poetry is never far from his lipsNext month, I will turn 45. I always have reason to think of my father at this time of year, but now especially. Dad is very ill, approaching the end of his life. Covid-19 restrictions permitting, I will soon be paying him a visit. My father has always been proud…Music5 min readMusic5 min read
Aug 8, 2020What does the pandemic feel like?Like many, I have engaged with news of the coronavirus pandemic mainly through the Internet. …Covid-197 min readCovid-197 min read
Aug 2, 2020Writing workshops are where people go to conceal and reveal themselvesIn 2017, I spent a week facilitating a writing workshop. Sitting in front of me at their desks were well over a dozen children aged eleven to fourteen. …Rachel Cusk5 min readRachel Cusk5 min read
Jul 27, 2020Where is your ID?I’ve been thinking a lot about ID. I own so much of it, and now I am a father, I have to also carefully acquire and safeguard pieces of ID on behalf of my daughter. My first identity document was a passport. My eyes were immediately drawn to the ornate…Immigration5 min readImmigration5 min read
May 14, 2019Des communautés en transition à Pointe-aux-Trembles et Montréal-Est(Le Projet Impact Collectif est appuyé par une coalition qui regroupe environ 10 grandes fondations montréalaises. Dirigé par Centraide du Grand Montréal, le PIC a pour but d’améliorer la vie des Montréalaises et Montréalais, tout en collaborant sur une approche novatrice visant à réduire la pauvreté à grande échelle. …Villes8 min readVilles8 min read
