Shannon Quinn will be reading from her new book Nightlight for Children of Insomniacs on Tuesday September 11th at the Artbar. The evening is hosted by Rosa Arlotto and also features David James Brock and Bruce Hunter. As usual, there will be an open mic. This week the venue shifts places and the event will be held at the Cloak and Dagger, 394 College St. The fun runs from 6 to 9 pm. See you there!
A GOOD DEATH
In Barbados, it was front-page news.
The accompanying photograph (my favourite ever):
a witness, eyes bulging in shock,
pointing to the accused
palm tree.
MAN KILLED BY COCONUT
What a way to go.
In second place (although perhaps first
in my heart): the Brazilian priest’s project to fund
spiritual rest stops for truckers. At what moment
in the night did the mischievous angel whisper:
You will break the record for cluster-balloon flying
over 19 hours in a helium-lifted chair.
1,000 balloons.
Father Adelir Antônio de Carli
strapped himself in.
Someone donated a GPS.
Father Adelir Antônio de Carli
insisted God would be his guide.
1,000 balloons.
Father Adelir Antônio de Carli
rose in his chair
into the air.
He never returned.
They lost sight of him within
a couple of hours.
A few more and the GPS
conked out.
I have no idea what would happen to all those balloons
or those spiritually lost truckers
if they tie their hearts to apples or young women
or clouds.
This was back-page news in our country.
But I keep the accompanying photograph
of a tiny man who appears to be floating to heaven
on a stem of giant multicoloured grapes
in my wallet for when I really need
a smile.
At first, I felt guilty
to laugh so heartily at another human’s demise.
KILLED BY COCONUT
VANISHED INTO THIN AIR
To be able to laugh at death.
This is a good death.
This is the only news that matters.
Today’s Globe and Mail has an obituary for the late David W. McFadden. He was a masterful writer and will be sorely missed. A nice appreciation of who he is and what we lost.
Puneet Dutt’s The Better Monsters has gotten tremendous acclaim for a first book. Dutt was nominated for the Raymond Souster Award, though that award ultimately went to Karen Enns for her book Cloud Physics. The Better Monsters was also nominated for the Trillium Award and we’ll find out tomorrow whether or not it wins. Either way, it is a winning book, worthy of the acclaim, and to celebrate, we’re extending our 20% discount until the end of the month.
In advance of tomorrow’s award ceremony, Puneet Dutt will be joining the rest of the Trillium nominees tonight at the Toronto Reference Library for a public reading. Doors open at 6:30 and the readings start at 7 pm. It’s a stellar group of writers and well worth checking out.
Here’s a little video interview with Puneet to give you a taste of her interests and concerns.
It has been gratifying to see Dave McFadden pop up here and there on the internet and in conversation since we lost him last week. He was a great writer and a beloved man and his work exerted a lasting influence on so many people. Susan Walker wrote a lovely appreciation. Quill and Quire also published a remembrance, and CBC’s As It Happens broadcast an interview with Stuart Ross who edited all of Dave’s last books including everything published by Mansfield Press.
For those of you who want to pay respects to Dave in person, there will be a funeral service Saturday, June 16, at 11 am, at St. Anne’s Anglican Church, 270 Gladstone Avenue.
