Kanye and Kim Kardashian follow us to Castlemartyr Resort
Writers and artists are invariably ahead of the curve. The rich and the famous are usually just one step behind. Case in point: Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are spending their honeymoon at Castlemartyr Resort, a five-star extravaganza in the south of Ireland. We read about this in today’s Toronto Star. As it happens, I…
Read MoreMarvelling at the legacy of Farley Mowat
Our Hero writes in the National Post . . . The recent death of Farley Mowat at 92 sparked heartfelt reminiscences and stirred up old controversies. But the most interesting question, going forward, concerns legacy. Some of us contend that Mowat was a giant. For starters, we cite numbers: 45 books, 60 countries, and (ballpark)…
Read MoreU of T summer course in narrative nonfiction. . .
First, the good news. We’re almost two months from starting (July 7) and my narrative nonfiction course (aka creative nonfiction) is more than half full. That is also the bad news, if you’re still weighing options. BUT: more good news! For the first time ever, I believe, U of T is offering a $50 discount…
Read MoreShout Out to Allyson Latta, Editor of Renown
No, this is not a photo of Allyson Latta. You can find one or two images of her if you start clicking here. This is a picture of Our Hero scratching away on a standing stone he discovered atop Cruach Mhic Gougain in southern Kintyre. Yes, you’ll hear Gaelic speakers insist that “cruach” translates as…
Read MoreHas anyone seen where Canada went?
Am I the only one who wonders where Canada went? A glance at the Books section in today’s Toronto Star prompts the question. Here we find 12 reviews: five long (maybe 600 words), two short (maybe 300), and five micro (say 35). And not one of the 12 treats anything related to Canada. Let’s not…
Read MoreCreative Writing Turns 50 At University of British Columbia
Gotta love this caricature by Chloe Cushman, one of several that turns up in Saturday’s National Post. The article, put together by Mark Medley, celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Creative Writing Program at University of British Columbia. Contributors include Andreas Schroeder, Leo McKay, Nancy Lee, Charlotte Gill, Madeleine Thien, and Andrew Westoll, among others.…
Read MoreJohn Diefenbaker becomes Kildonan’s Kennedy
In the north of Scotland, they’re calling him Kildonan’s Kennedy. They’re referring to John Diefenbaker, Canadian prime minister from 1957 to 1963. And, yes, they do mean John F. Kennedy, the most charismatic of American presidents, and one who was famously attached to his Irish roots. Not only that, but in the Timespan Museum in…
Read MoreSay Goodbye to John Steinbeck
FREEDOM TO READ WEEK: (Feb. 23 to March 1) Say Goodbye to John Steinbeck? Back in the day, when I was writing songs and fronting a band (Ken McGoogan & the Immoral Minority), an elected government official began lobbying to ban Of Mice and Men from schools. He stood up in the legislature and brandished…
Read MoreCelebrating John Rae at Wilderness Symposium
No, this is not an image taken at the symposium. But I couldn’t resist: I had to show them this slide. Here we have Jenna Andersen doing the only handstand that has ever been done at the site where John Rae discovered the final link in the Northwest Passage. A bunch of us got to…
Read MoreGive this man a microphone, a podium, and an audience . . .
You have been wanting to catch Our Hero in person. You know you have. . . Friday, Jan. 31: The Burns Supper at Hart House. Toast to The Immortal Memory of Robert Burns. Saturday, Feb. 8: Canoe & Wilderness Symposium. 2 p.m. Fatal Passage: Return to Rae Strait. Tuesday, Feb. 18. McGill University Community for…
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