I’m a writer in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. I’m taller than I look.
Saturday, September 19, 2026
Several times a year, I have a calendar item that says “Canadian Tire.” I’m not off to the hardware shop; it’s a wink to a funny story I heard from the woman who keeps my… Read More
Thursday, September 17, 2026
“Unpersecuted, unjailed, unharrassed writers are trouble for the ignorant bully, the sly racist, and the predators feeding off the world’s resources.”— Toni Morrison I’ve been making my way this week through the wonderful book Toni… Read More
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
“The future you have, tomorrow, won’t be the same future you had, yesterday.”— Chuck Palahniuk Everyone’s favourite American nihilist novelist (he wrote Fight Club, natch) popped out this observation into a 2007 book called Rant,… Read More
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Earlier today, I placed an order at the venerable Fred’s Records here in St. John’s for the forthcoming album from Meshell Ndegeocello, the American bassist, producer, singer and lifelong boundary-pusher. Synonym doesn’t come out until… Read More
Sunday, August 30, 2026
The call came in around 3 in the morning, and we were sound asleep. It was a nurse, telling me my mom had fallen in her bathroom. It was a Sunday morning, and ordinarily, I… Read More
Friday, August 28, 2026
“Hello, Bonnie,” I would often say. “Hello, darling,” she might often reply. I knew Bonnie Leyton in a variety of contexts over a large number of years, but I saw her most often over the… Read More
Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Over the weekend, we hosted some visiting friends for a dinner, and Martha reached for a true family favourite for the main course: the paella recipe she learned from her mother. Julita Muzychka moved from… Read More
Friday, August 21, 2026
It’s become one of my happy places. After a workout at the local Y, I pull into the sauna in the changing room, and just unwind for 10 or 15 minutes … if I can… Read More
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
“You can always count on people to do the right thing once it’s cheaper than doing the wrong thing, eventually.” — Alex Falcone I heard this nugget of wisdom through one of the posts by… Read More
Sunday, September 6, 2026
“We were tired of making coffee and not policy.” — Robin Morgan The feminist writer, editor and author Robin Morgan died in New York Saturday, just days after her colleague and fellow activist Gloria Steinem…. Read More
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
“Forgiveness. Which is maybe where love and justice finally meet. Peace, at last.” — Tony Kushner The playwright Tony Kushner put these words near the end of his epic Angels in America, in the mouth… Read More
Saturday, August 29, 2026
“Summer afternoon — summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”— Henry James There are things about late August and early September that seem to contradict… Read More
Thursday, September 3, 2026
Most of the songs I listen to are conventional — that is, they have lyrics. I might even sing along to them as I putter about the house, or drive anywhere. But I’ve always had… Read More
Monday, August 31, 2026
Fifty years ago, Abba released Dancing Queen. I can’t think of too many songs that have had so much currency throughout those years, that — even now — can pack a dance floor within a… Read More
Wednesday, August 26, 2026
“I’ve always been misunderstood because of how I look; don’t judge me by the cover ’cause I’m a real good book.” — Dolly Parton In November 2023, I borrowed the audiobook of Songteller: My Life… Read More
Monday, August 10, 2026
“The best revenge is to live on and prove yourself.”— Eddie Vedder Something of a voice for Gen X kids like myself, Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder’s quote above has been dished up around the… Read More
Thursday, January 15, 2026
I’ve been making a full-time living as a writer since 1985, when I moved to Ottawa to work as a reporter. I was in my early 20s, and I was hooked. I continued to work… Read More