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October 17, 2022
My Abuser Died
Trigger Warning – Sexual Violence, Childhood Sexual Abuse, Trauma.I have pondered the title of this thread for weeks now, wondering if I should lead with a softer opening. Something like, ‘the ...
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September 14, 2020Short is Beautiful
Don’t get me wrong, I like to lose myself in a big, fat novel. My first and still-favourite author is Charles Dickens. Not long ago I managed to get through Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch and a couple ...
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March 04, 2018
Oh, the horror!
Here's some self-gossip for you: A few years ago, in the months leading up to the release date of my book, I was pleased to take part in Naked Heart, Toronto’s LGBTQ literary festival, and to read as ...
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March 11, 2018
Escape from reality: Conventions, conferences and expos.
I haven’t spoken about it a whole lot, but just a few months before the The Bone Mother’s release, my mother died. While not unexpected, it was unpleasant, and of course brought a lot of memories ...
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March 21, 2023You didn’t get a grant…now what?
It’s grant notice season, and while some writers will be happy dancing all over their kitchens (if you are one of them, this column is for you!), some of us, well, won’t be dancing in the kitchen. ...
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June 15, 2016Social Media Magic, with Neil Wadhwa
I met Neil Wadhwa, who is digital marketing manager for House of Anansi Press & Groundwood Books, when my book was written, edited and it was time to release it out into the wild. Scary times for ...
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May 30, 2016The Burden of Positivity
As a writer, reader and reality TV watcher, Canada Reads masterfully combines some of my favourite practices and past-times in a nation-wide, televised battle of the books. And while I enjoyed the 2016 ...
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November 22, 2018Getting to Know Acclaimed Poet & Novelist Katherena Vermette, Author of the New Collection river woman
A new book from Métis poet and novelist Katherena Vermette is a big event – both her poetry and her prose have resonated deeply with readers and critics alike (earning her numerous honours including ...
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January 10, 2020“It Happened to a Friend of a Friend of Mine:” What I Learned from Serialized Horror
You’ve heard this tale before. It’s the one about the hook hand, a lone accessory on the car door of an unsuspecting couple. Or better yet, it’s the call that the babysitter finds out is coming ...
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November 07, 2025Sierra Marilyn Riley on Her Debut Novel and Writing Queer Theatre Magic for Teens
Tense, atmospheric, and irresistibly dramatic, The Dark Cove Theatre Society by Sierra Marilyn Riley pulls back the velvet curtain on ambition and the high price of artistic perfection. Set in an elite ...
