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May 21, 2018
On racialized motherhood, writing, and sleep deprivation
The day before my son’s due date, I sent what I thought was the final draft of The Better Mother to my editor. The baby’s bedroom was finished: yellow walls, penguin stencil, gingham curtains. My ...
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November 30, 2020
When old ways, thoughts, beliefs, and people no longer serve you
“Every moment is a fresh beginning.” —T.S. EliotLately I have been thinking about the act of releasing the things in my life that no longer serve me. When I revise a piece of writing, the first ...
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February 12, 2021
LOVE IN THE TIME OF COVID: The writing process Part 4 of 9
The creation of tension and suspense and mood shifts to me are just as important as creating characters and the plot themselves. Tension and suspense is what makes the story come alive. For the short ...
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June 01, 2021
Podcasting about Indigenous books
The world of podcasting is already saturated. Even book podcasts are abundant, with various shows focusing on everything from reviews to an author’s body of work to genre. Although it seems a new podcast ...
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June 07, 2022
Getting Started the Long Way Around
I didn't always want to be a writer, mind you, I didn't learn to read or write until I was about 12. I have this auditory learning disability that makes learning things a challenge, most things I can ...
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April 01, 2023
Poetry as Joy: A Retrospective and Introduction
April in Ontario is unpredictable. There can be warmer days to soak up the sun by a river, or ice storms to coat everything with a perfect translucent film. In any case, April feels ideal for poetry—the ...
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May 31, 2014
So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye
This marks my last post as Open Book Toronto's writer-in-residence, and I want to thank everyone for their support this past month. Everyone has been extremely kind – both those authors, artists, and ...
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June 01, 2021
Isolation Creation: How the Pandemic Improved My Writing
Do you remember the person you were before the pandemic? Do you remember making plans, getting excited?The end of 2019 seems like ten years ago, but a couple of things stand out: signing my book deal ...
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April 29, 2024
In Praise of Literary Magazines
Within the small world of poetry readership in Canada, trade poetry collections are likely more widely read than other forms of publication. But publishing a trade collection of poetry through traditional ...
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July 06, 2016
The Lucky Seven Interview, with Deanna Reder and Linda Morra
Indigenous literature in North America is incredibly diverse and exciting category, so putting together a collection of essays that seeks to comprehensively address the rich themes, identities, mythology, ...