I wrote that I will never again say “things can’t get worse.” Because they did, and continue to. COVID-19 cases are increasing again in China, Japan, the U.K. and elsewhere. And the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine grinds on. I find this particularly affecting, as I am married to a Ukrainian-Canadian, and I wrote […]
Protesters against vaccines in Ottawa are walking on Parliament Hill, screaming “freedom” in a pathetic imitation of Mel Gibson’s overdone portrayal of William Wallace. What does “freedom” mean? It means responsibility. You can do the things you want to do, go where you want, say what you want. It also means you have to take […]
My father, David Thomas Reid, died on January 19, 2022, at age 87 of COVID-19. This is a story of his passing. It’s not the only story. It’s told from the perspective two thousand kilometres away, by his son. The story as told by David Reid’s friends much closer to him will be different. But […]
It’s hard to sum up my feelings about this new year. Normally, I feel energized by the start of a new calendar, and a little daunted by all the ideas for new projects, or finishing older ones. It’s silly on one level. Any day can be the start of a new year. I feel similarly […]
What’s the difference between the way a writer imagines a realistic scene, and the way a reader experiences something? Could it be similar to the difference between the way we watch a motion picture about, say, a day at the lake, and the way we remember a day at the lake? I sometimes edit novels […]
By Scott Bury We’ve entered what my neighbour called “the ugliest month.” It’s easy to see what she means: grey skies, naked trees, the bite of the wind. Hallowe’en is over, the full-on insanity of the holiday shopping season and its excessive decoration and celebration have not started yet. The upcoming observance of Remembrance, Armistice […]
How well do you know writers? Even if you’re close to several, the next one will surprise you. Every one is so different. This week, get to know Patricia Logan, author of erotic romances and mysteries. How would you describe your books? I have written almost 70 books, so I’ll concentrate on the last five […]
I’m starting a new occasional series on the blog today: interviews with other authors about their journey as artists. And these will be authors with styles very different from my own. We will start with an author of contemporary literature, stories about women, from Australia: Lucy Appadoo. Full disclosure: I recently edited her soon-to-be released […]
Last month, I predicted that the COVID-19 pandemic would soon be over. A month later, reality has again proven me wrong. New infections are surging around the world even as governments relax restrictions that protect public health. Some 50,000 cases in one day in the U.K., as it celebrates “Freedom Day,” when all the COVID-limiting […]
