Power Failure
When I arrived at university, the first thing I was asked to do was write an English…
Essay
The Dim Light of This Christmas
If I had to define Christmastime in one word it would be light. The light that…
Drunk Promises Are Hard to Keep
Beginning is easy. Finishing is hard. I often have grand ideas for a poem that will never…
A Letter to Mike, the Angsty Squirrel I See on My Porch Sometimes
Dear Mike, Did you know that if you lie very still, and very flat, and make sure not to…
On Meeting Irving Layton
In the early seventies, Irving Layton came to our High School in Montreal-North upon the…
The Pheasant
They had married in September and it was the end of October when Giovanni stood alone at…
Famous Poet: Please Give Me a Dollar
Sometimes I have to laugh. I’ve got three dollars in my pocket. There’s a blinking…
Every Novel Has a Soundtrack
Long-form writing is a lonely business. In a previous blog (“Writing With My Feet”),…
Visiting the Old Town
There used to be one reason, really, to visit Italy. Brothers and sisters, parents and…
Building the Canada-Italy Bridge
In December 2001, Italy’s Minister of Foreign Trade, Adolfo Urso, headed a business…