A thousand apologies for the long delay in updating the old blog, an item that’s been on my To Do List for an indefensible length of time. There is much happy news to report however, so make yourself a nice cuppa and throw another log on the fire and I’ll begin.
The Halloween readings! Ah joy! They were such fun! First, the morning reading at From the Heart Gift Shop – the owners Jackie McCreary and Geri Maisonneuve went way above and beyond the call in promoting our books (Mary Ann Mulhern’s “Sleeping with Satan” and my “holy cards: dead women talking”). As it turns out, we were the first actual reading ever done at From the Heart, and it was very well received! Marty Gervais, our publisher (Black Moss Press) took some video of the reading and posted it on You-Tube. First time I’ve seen myself give a reading and my reaction was a combination of a beaming “Oh, that looks really good!” and a wincing “Oh, I could have done that better…” But overall, joy, joy, joy!
Then off to Page 233 in Amherstburg for the afternoon reading. All throughout October I’d been working with the local papers and sending out invitations all around to drum up interest for the event. Well, ahem, seems I was successful. The little book store was packed to the rafters with many folks standing in what little space there was left. One of my choir members videotaped my part of the reading and made a DVD of it for me! I was delighted! My first DVD! Ain’t technology grand!
There was such a palpable energy in the room that I was able to perform some pieces I’d never done before – St. Jeanne Louise Barre, St. Laura Vicuna to name two. These poems take enormous effort to perform, and if I can’t feel the…expectation?…affirmation?…deep listening? from the audience, I won’t even attempt them. But that afternoon, in that little store, I encountered a graced moment, what the Irish call “a thin place” and I gave it my all. It was aaah-some!
And as Marty couldn’t come to the Burg that afternoon due to a pressing engagement in Detroit (I’m thinking a top secret mission for the CIA maybe), I was pegged to introduce Mary Ann and was very grateful for the opportunity to express my admiration for one of the brightest lights in Canadian literature and my dear friend. After the reading and the book signing, we discovered we were starving, and went out for some food and still more great conversation. It was just a glorious day! That night I couldn’t get to sleep for hours!
A few days later, Mary Ann officially launched “Sleeping with Satan” at BookFest 2010, and once again it was standing room only. (Windsor and Essex County are a hotbed of literary appreciation.) Mary Ann launched with Terry Ann Carter who debuted her book “A Crazy Man Thinks He’s Earnest in Paris” about the disappearance for her brother and his struggle with mental illness. Both these books, and all of Mary Ann’s previous books, “The Red Dress”, “Touch the Dead”, “When Angels Weep”, and my book are available for purchase at www.blackmosspress.com . With the holiday season almost upon us, remember, books make great gifts!
People are still talking about the reading. I’ve been stopped at Wal-Mart, my church, and even my doctor’s office for pete’s sake (!) by folks who wanted to express their appreciation and who are urging a repeat performance. Nothing would please me more! But for now it’s back to the hard slog of writing. I’m continuing to write volume 2 of “holy cards” as I feel I owe it to the “she-saints” not to leave their stories half-told. (As long as they keep talking, I’ll keep writing.) And then there’s a new short story that’s been rattling around in my head for months, not to mention the novel languishing in my desk drawer…But all in good time.
So there dear readers, you’re up to speed. I promise to be a little more regular in my posting from here on, and a million thanks for your support!
