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July 30, 2015
Do Not Wait for Inspiration
Do not wait for inspiration; that bus is on an irregular schedule.I’ve been asked several times now what was the inspiration or vision for my recently published novel, and I often see disappointment ...
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September 10, 2018On Kindness, and Generosity
The Toronto literary community has recently lost two very bright lights, mourning the deaths of Priscila Uppal and Ann Ireland.Though I didn’t know either Ann or Priscila all that well, I feel fortunate ...
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July 04, 2015
A Roadblock All Writers Set for Themselves Every Now and Then
When I teach classes in creative writing at U of T’s School of Continuing Studies and at Haliburton School of the Arts, I have on occasion faced this predicament: A bright, talented, energetic student ...
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November 01, 2023Cara-Lyn Morgan Navigates the Trauma of Abuse While Building a Better Future for Her Child in Her Fiery New Collection
When Cara-Lyn Morgan courageously disclosed generations of abuse that had been hidden and sheltered in her family, she found herself estranged from people who should have protected her. It wasn't until ...
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June 04, 2014I'm so Hood: Toronto in Literature
The great and good Toronto Public Library recently introduced a cool new feature on their website.Toronto in Literature: Book Lists by Neighbourhood gives info – with a convenient map – on published ...
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August 01, 2015
The Greatest Joy of Writing Is to Occasionally Be out of Your Mind
Writing these posts over the past month has reminded me of something. It seems obvious but I’d forgotten: When writing short pieces for regular publication (in this case, every other day), my writing ...
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January 24, 2024Nicholas Ruddock & Ashley Barron Show Tenderness to Tiny Fragile Snakes, and Other Creatures
It's always fun and insightful to have picture book authors featured on Open Book, but we're doubly lucky today to share this conversation between author Nicholas Ruddock and illustrator Ashley Barron. ...
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July 14, 2021A Literary Drum Kit: J.J. Dupuis Takes Us Into His Writing Space & "Musical" Writing Method
If there's still an X-Files shaped hole in your life, you need to be reading J.J. Dupuis, whose delightfully creepy Creature X mystery series follows cryptozoologist Laura Reagan's search for monsters ...
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April 01, 2021Careful Inventory: a skillshare and series for emerging poets
Dear readers,Welcome to Careful Inventory. I am very grateful to Open Book for this residency in celebration of National Poetry Month; have you seen all the incredible company in their archives? I have ...
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September 03, 2019
On Beginning and Emerging
This is the first of my posts as September’s Writer-in-Residence for Open Book, and I’m thrilled to have been given this opportunity to share some of my thoughts on writing and the writing life. I ...