Return to Rae Strait
In August 1854, during a single prodigious Arctic expedition, the Scottish Orcadian superman John Rae solved the two great mysteries of 19th-century Arctic exploration. First, beating his way overland with his two hardiest men, an Inuk and an Ojibway, he discovered the final link in the Northwest Passage, the only channel navigable by the sailing…
Read MoreNew MFA program in Creative Nonfiction
Our Hero turns up on a roster of nine writer-mentors for a new Master of Fine Arts program in Creative Nonfiction. The program, which launches this August at the University of King’s College in Nova Scotia, is the brainchild of the well-known Halifax author Stephen Kimber. The nine writer-mentors from across the country have together…
Read MoreOh Danny Boy, the pipes are calling. . .
The latest issue of Active Adult magazine carries a travel article I wrote after sailing around Ireland last year. We enjoyed that trip so much that we’re going back this year. You can find the piece (and see some spectacular photos) in the March/April issue of Active Adult. It begins: With The Gathering Ireland 2013…
Read MoreThe Franklin Story is Coming to Television
Does anybody remember my review of The Terror by Dan Simmons? OK, I didn’t think so. It ran in the Globe and Mail almost six years back. I declared the novel a tour de force, and lauded the way it transformed the fate of the lost expedition of Sir John Franklin into a supernatural, hell-bent…
Read MoreThe Collected McGoogan: 10 titles, 13 books!
Limited edition. Our Hero has put together two complete sets. The Collected McGoogan comprises ten titles, thirteen books, all signed by the author (to you if you wish). Each set includes one copy of How the Scots Invented Canada, Fatal Passage, Ancient Mariner, Lady Franklin’s Revenge, Race to the Polar Sea, Calypso Warrior, Chasing Safiya,…
Read MoreFifty Canadians Who Changed the World
Hurrah! Let the bells ring out for Fifty Canadians Who Changed the World. Today I sent the final, edited typescript to the managing editor at HarperCollins Canada. Substantive edit: done. Copy edit: done. Word count: 88,527. Publication date: this September. At left, a photo of Our Hero that evokes his jubilation. Otherwise, it has nothing…
Read MoreThe Royal Society of Edinburgh
Our Hero is bringing John Rae back to Scotland, figuratively speaking. Ken has been invited to lecture about Rae at the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), Scotland’s National Academy. On April 22, he will give a talk entitled John Rae: The Forgotten Hero of Arctic Exploration. Rae was born in Orkney, northern Scotland, in September,…
Read MoreThis writing instructor has no shame!
In the beginning, I had doubts about teaching online. In a classroom situation, I could rely on my good looks, augmented by one-liners. Working online meant losing these resources. But, hey, good news! Judging from the latest report card, online is working wonderfully. Out of seventeen categories in this latest report card, sixteen were straight…
Read MoreRobbie Burns Bash Looms!
Thanks to How the Scots Invented Canada, we had a pretty good run, Sheena Fraser McGoogan and I, with bagpipers piping us into one event or another. Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal . . . who knew the Scots were so keen to party? They’re at it again, and us along with them, on Jan. 23,…
Read MoreUntitled Post
The Art of Fact: An Introduction to Writing Non-Fiction ONLINE COURSE!!! For those who have registered, the syllabus has gone up. Instructor: Ken McGoogan / University of Toronto / School of Continuing Studies Ten weeks starting Jan. 21, 2013 The hallmarks of Creative, Literary or Narrative Nonfiction are truth and personal presence. The genre includes…
Read More