September 13th, 2012

Reading in Ottawa

We briefly interrupt the 1000 Things We Like listing to bring you this shameless self-promotion. Well, promotion for lots of others, too, but if you click on this poster to make it big enough to read (why do you thwart me, WordPress image sizing?) and look way down, you’ll see I’m doing the last reading of the fall at the Ottawa Public Library on November 24. Tremendously looking forward to it! If you’re in town, please consider it (or any of the others)! Note, online signup required (here’s the link)

July 28th, 2012

Readings and Writing, Past and Future

I’m thinking it’s going to be a European summer on Rose-coloured–ie., nothing much will get accomplished in August. But here are some snaps from a reading that took place in July, and a small list below of things up coming once unproductive August is over.

Fred Addis, Leacock Festival organizer and warm-hearted host (and BBQ master) kicking off the Happy Hour.

Me, reading at the Leacock Festival’s Happy Hour last weekend.

The wonderful Ken Babstock, whose reading from *Methodist Hatchet* was genuinely as thoughtful as this photo looks.

Mark Kingwell, the guiding force behind Happy Hour, reading an essay about poetry and suicide that was far more inspiring than you might think.

The Happy Hour was a really great event, and I’m only sorry that we couldn’t have stayed longer to see more Leacock Festival readings. And Orillia–so gorgeous! I went in a lake!!

Ok, onwards–in the fall I’ll have a couple new stories out and do a couple fun readings, so here’s where to go if you miss me:

My story, “Everyone Likes a Little Guy” will be in the September issue of The Rusty Toque.

My story, “The House that Modern Art Built” will be in the fall issue of PRISM international.

I’ll be doing a reading or two at the Vancouver International Writers’ Festival October 16-21 (exact dates and times to come)

I’ll be doing a reading and Q&A at the Carlingwood Library in Ottawa on Saturday November 24, 2-3 pm.

So there’s some stuff for me to look forward to, and hopefully some of you guys, too. And of course I’m open to adding to this slate, if opportunities come along!!

June 4th, 2012

At the Eh-List Reading Series, S. Walter Stewart Library–Tomorrow!!

Good news–I’m on the “Eh” list and will be reading tomorrow evening to prove it, at the S. Walter Stewart Library, at 7pm. Yes, yes, it’s the east end, but trust me, it’s exactly equally as cool east of Yonge Street as it is west–maybe even cooler because we’re not so worried about it. Plus the reading is at a branch of our beloved TPL–it’s never a bad time to support our libraries. And finally, I don’t exactly know when my next public reading in Toronto might be–perhaps not for a while. So if you’ve been hoping to see me read, this might be your shot!

But, ok, if for some reason you really can’t make it…you could listen to this wonderful podcast of Laura Boudreau reading my story “How to Keep Your Day Job.” She does a wonderful job, and there’s an interview with RMSYL wizard Steve in the mix too.

Other things you could do to fill the void if you really really can’t make it tomorrow night include reading this lovely review of *The Big Dream* on the Stuff I’m Reading blog and/or watching this adorable video that I made of an angry cat.

And finally, I can’t resist sharing that a story from the new-new book (ie., the one that doesn’t exist yet) has been accepted by PRISM international and I’m just thrilled. There’s editing to do before it can actually get into print, but one of these days my story “The House That Modern Art Built” will actually be in this prestigous journal and on newsstands. Which gives me hope that I might just finish the rest of the book…eventually.

March 26th, 2012

East Coast Tour

Ok, so here we go (sodio?): tomorrow at dawn, I will be driven to the ferry docks, ferried to the airport, flown to Montreal and then Halifax, where I will be re-united with wonderous story-writer Amy Jones and we will read to the people of Atlantic Canada! So look out Atlantic Canada! Seriously, if you’ll be near any of these spots at the appropriate dates/times, you should totally come out. Amy’s pretty awesome and, well, if you’re reading this blog then you already know about me.

Tuesday evening, 7pm at St. Mary’s Univesity in Halifax

Wednesday evening, 7pm at Acadia University in Wolfville

Thursday evening, 8pm at The University of New Brunswick in Fredericton

And then back here, to sleep for a while and see what the cat has broken. It’s gonna be a fun week–seeya on the road!

February 4th, 2012

Lit Live and Rowers Pub Reading Series

Just a quick note to remind you that I’m reading Sunday night in Hamilton at the Lit Live Reading Series and Monday night at the Rowers Pub Reading Series here in Toronto. Twould be lovely to see you at one or the other.

Happy weekend!!

January 15th, 2012

What’s Going On

The Big Dream came out four months ago this coming Friday (yes, I do celebrate book birthdays) and it is still enjoying some nice attention. The Globe and Mail ran a very happy-making review on Saturday, and I have a number of events coming up. If you’re not sick of me/this book quite yet, I hope you’ll make it to one. And, as ever, if there isn’t event in your area and you wish there were, let me know–couldn’t hurt.

Hope to see your smiling faces at one of these! Drop me a line if you need more info.

October 10th, 2011

Tour and Thanksgiving

So the WOSS tour ended on Friday night with a lovely reading at Cafe Bettina in Montreal, hosted by Kathleen Winter and attended by many lovely folks, including a few that maybe weren’t aware that a reading was going to take place until it actually did.

I got the train home at sunrise yesterday (a rather rosy dawn over the “Farine Five Roses” sign) to celebrate several days of Thanksgiving with lots and lots of people, and lots of food. I have to get back to that in a moment, but since I am thankful for the opportunity to go on this tour, this post fits today, so below is a picture by our loyal fan/tour photographer Ray Boudreau, of the team at the Hamilton reading:

And here is a link to a little video that was shown on Windsor Today, taken on the first night of the tour. It really amazes me that the power of video-editing has made us all look so sane and calm. Thanks, Jeff!!

It was a wonderful experience, the WOSS tour. But now for some family, some kitten playing, and (yet more) pie.

September 27th, 2011

Storyville

Hi again! My story “How to Keep Your Day Job” is on the Storyville App, which means if you subscribe to the app–for iPads and iPhones and perhaps some other things–you get my story as well as many other wonderful-looking ones, for $4.99 for a 6-month subscription. I think short-story apps are wonderful, and quite possibly the way the form will wind up going. Sort of makes me want to get a cellphone of some kind.

September 20th, 2011

I’ve been…

I’ve been getting interviewed by Michael Bryson at The Danforth Review and Julie Wilson at Canadian Bookshelf. That last one was bonus-good, because it was a co-interview with Mark Sampson. I’ve also been making muffins and buying tights and rehearsing my reading because tonight is the Book Launch for The Big Dream.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

As you were. Hope you can make it tonight–it should be a wild party, or at least, one with a lot of friends and sugar.

September 8th, 2011

Vancouver to Halifax (but not in that order)–The Dream Tour

A couple nights ago, I dreamed I was Dave Barry. If you are not familiar with him, Dave Barry is a very sucessful American humourist who has written tonnes of books and newspaper columns, and used to do a lot of book tours and speaking engagements that took him all over the world. Then he would write subsequent books and newspaper columns about how he hated touring.

When I am awake, I don’t think I’ll ever be Dave Barry–as far as I’m concerned, all readings are thrilling. And I have a lot of thrills ahead on the upcoming Dream Tour–I’m a little in awe about hitting 7 provinces and doing close to 20 readings in the next few months. Of the cities I’m slated to visit, I’ve never set foot in 4 of them (I bet regular Rose-coloured readers can guess which). And I’m touring with cool people throughout, so I don’t think I’ll have many dull moments.

If you are in or near any of the following spots on the right days, please do come out and tell your friends and associates to join us. I will no doubt be talking up all of these events individually as they get closer, and of course some things might get added (or subtracted, I suppose) but for now, here’s the plan:

September 20, Toronto The Big Dream Book Launch at the Dora Keogh (141 Danforth), 7pm–featuring a stage interview with Kerry Clare, a short reading, books for sale, and a muffin tray–what more could you want??

October 2, Windsor Women of the Short Story Kickoff event in Windsor at the Phog Lounge, 7:30, in concert with Laura Boudreau and Cathy Stonehouse

October 3, London, with Cathy and Laura at the London Public Library, 3rd Floor, 7pm

October 4, Hamilton, with Laura and Cathy, at Bryan Prince Booksellers

October 5, Toronto, with Cathy and Laura, at Type Books on Queen Street, 6pm

October 6, Ottawa, with Laura and Cathy, at Collected Works

October 7, Montreal, with Cathy and Laura, at Cafe Matina

Then–a nap. Well, then Thanksgiving, then a nap, then some work. And then,

October 19, Peterborough, a solo reading at Trent University

November 6, Toronto (venue TBD), the Literary Deathmatch, Golden Girls edition, with Carolyn Black, Dani Couture, and Grace O’Connell, hosted by Julie Wilson

And then, oh my god, in an airplane. WITH WINGS!

November 22, Calgary, with Ray Roberson, at Pages on Kensington

November 23, Vancouver, with Ray and Cathy (remember her from October?), at Incite (scroll down), 7:30pm

November 24, Winnipeg, with Ray, at McNally Robinson Grant Park, 7pm

Then a whole bunch more work, the winter holidays, 2012, and then (you aren’t tired of this yet, are you?)

February 5, Hamilton, at Lit Live, Line up TBD, 7:30

February 6, Toronto, at The Rowers Pub Reading Series, Line up TBD, 7:30

Then work, and snow, and then OMG another airplane! Hopefully this one has wings too!

March 27, Halifax, with Amy Jones, at…details to come

March 28, Wolfville, with Amy, details to come

March 29, Fredericton, with Amy, details to come

~~
Ok, that’s a lot of readings, but stretched over 7 months it should actually be just about perfect–no Barry-esque kvetching from this corner. I also do the occasional school or book club visit, but I’m not including those here since they aren’t public. If you want to talk about that possibility in your school/book club, please drop me a line.

Also, if you are distant from all of the above readings and wish I were doing one closer to you, please let me know. Not just because it’s an ego boost for me, but because it’s helpful to know where I could schedule a reading and not be faced with a sea of empty chairs. Obviously, if you’re knowledgable about good venues to read in and that sort of thing, that’s helpful, but no problem if you just want to say, “Come read in Saskatoon (etc.)!”

Really hoping to see many of your lovely faces at some of these events!