leftwriter

Penticton Day One

2009-07-05T21:09:00.004-07:00

Here in gorgeous Penticton with my friends authors James McCann and Lee Edward Fodi, and editor Kallie George. We're all here to participate in the Raise-A-Reader-sponsored Youth Write camp.

Organized by writer Yasmin John-Thorpe, festivities began today with registration, and a wonderful introductory speech by BC's Lt. Governor Stephen L. Point.

At the moment, dusk is falling and I am sitting out on the deck with Lee's parents, Junior B, Shadow and Percy the cat peering through the screen door at us.

We are all geeking out on wifi and eating cherries.

Amazing.

~kc

Happy Canada Day!

2009-07-01T12:10:00.003-07:00

It's my boy's birthday today, so in honour of his 17th and Canada's 142nd, here's a dog blog I found of once confused cyber-puppy...

Notice how she watches her cat on the screen, and then goes to check her out in the fur, just to make sure she's still there!

~kc

And on a Lighter Note...

2009-06-30T20:15:00.003-07:00

...though still death-related, if you want to get technical....

I found this very cool site outlining 100-year old aerial shots of Stonehenge HERE.

Taken from a tethered balloon, it's interesting to contrast these early shots from above with what Stonehenge looks like today.

Aerial photography is apparently an excellent way to find subterranean archeological sites, as you can see HERE on this National Geographic page.

Keep an eye out as you fly over the English countryside -- you may spot a tomb from above!

~kc

Gratuity in Death

2009-06-30T09:35:00.008-07:00

Woke up this morning ruminating on death. I'm killing off a character in my latest novel, and [as usual] it ain't easy.

It got me thinking about the quality of death, particularly fictional death. Now, my Potter Protest notwithstanding, I have always been a HUGE admirer of J.K. Rowling. I love her imagination, her use of language and the brilliant mythologies woven through the Harry Potter stories.

However, [speaking purely as a reader, here] I have to say the final book of the series was a massive disappointment for me.

Yes, I think the story suffered from poor editing by the end, but that was likely a result of what I like to call 'Stephen King syndrome' -- when an author is SO hugely successful, it seems the editors begin to take a hands-off policy, as if every word is pure gold. Not really the fault of the author, unless they start believing their own press.

But in this case, what bothered me the most was the gratuity of the deaths of several major characters. Now, in reality, of course, death is often random, senseless and can occur in ways that seem meaningless and empty. I guess my question here is whether fictional death should mirror reality in that way. I hated to see characters in a story I loved more or less randomly killed off.

[But it was a war! That's what happens in war -- even in stories, you idiot! --- This parenthetical voice, by the way, is the devil's advocate who sits in my brain, poking me with her pitchfork and shrilling.---]

Okay, okay. I don't want to get too specific here, as I'd hate to spoil anyone's reading of the final HP book. So let's take this back to what I see as my responsibility as a writer.

I always begin a new story on the premise that I am making a promise to my readers. This is why I write fiction. I make a promise that somehow, no matter how bleak the subject matter, there is always some reason for hope.

Veering back into someone else's purview for a moment, I offer as an example THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy. Now this story is just about as bleak a taste of post-apocalyptic fiction as they come. But it is not nihilism. There is still, even with all the death and devastation McCarthy puts his characters to, a single ray of hope at the end.

Characters die in stories. Even fairy tales. But fiction allows for the freedom to grant my characters some meaning in death.

Least I can do.

~kc

Beah....

2009-06-26T22:09:00.005-07:00

Oh, I know I said I wouldn't, but heck...I just came across my second bear this week. And this one, my intrepid son caught on film.

Here's the baby, in the tree...peeking through the branches. He was calling his mama, and MY baby, having already had a conversation with the mama tonight, managed to squeeze off a few shots.

Here he is in full voice, tongue out -- and trust me when I say, a baby black bear calling his mama, very clearly says: ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-snort-snort-ma-ma-ma-snort-waaaaaahhhhh.

That's your bear elocution lesson for the day.

This guy rolled up the driveway yesterday, took a look around, and left. Much less fanfare than the baby above...

...but I got a clearer shot of him, too. Check out those whiskers!

Back to the book.

~kc

Unplugging...

2009-06-25T21:50:00.003-07:00

...for a few days to meet a deadline.

I've got a book to write (thankfully, most of it is written, but it Needs Finishing Badly.)

My blog posts have been scattershot (at best) lately, and sweet Darby has not blogged at all since before I left for the UK.

But all will be well soon....as long as I meet this deadline!

I have tons of news and upcoming events galore, but will save it all for a few days.

For those of you (and you are legion) to whom I owe email -- my apologies. I will be reconnecting shortly.

Back soon!

~kc

Thirty five thousand...

2009-06-21T08:48:00.003-07:00

...people, reportedly, greeted the dawn at Stonehenge this morning. Summer solstice, 2009.

I'm sure it was amazing.

However, I wonder if Duncan would agree....?

~kc

If it works for film....

2009-06-20T20:16:00.005-07:00

Just read a very interesting article on Anne Thompson's blog for Variety magazine. Today she writes about one of the speeches given at the Los Angeles Film Festival, which is just underway.

The speech was given by Endgame Entertainment chairman James Stern.

Here's an excerpt:

Thousands of films got made last year in a world that had room for just hundreds.

A friend describes this problem as a simple equation: Access to capital + low barriers to entry = glut of subprime movies. Subprime? Excess inventory? Sounds like we’re upside-down on the mortgage and it’s time to mail in the keys.

An astonishing 9,293 films were submitted to Sundance last year. Of those nearly 10,000, only 218 were screened. Of the lucky handful to get bought, so far only three have been released theatrically.

It’s pretty obvious: Indies are in a world of hurt.

Now, James is talking about independent films, of course. But hmmm...thinks I. Where else is this applicable?

The world of books and writing is going through a sea change. The delivery of information to the consumer is no longer as predictable as your daily paper. Heck, your daily paper is not as predictable as your daily paper! It's a little frightening to be a part of this change -- and pretty exciting, too. Who knows where the word will go next?

I'm a strong believer in story -- I guess I have to be. I've said in this space before that I believe books and the stories that fill them will survive. But I am as interested as the next reader to see what form we'll all be reading in ten years.

If you'd like to read the rest of James Stern's speech, you can find it HERE.

And while you're reading, I'll just sneak off to try and write a book as worthy of publication as I can make it!

~kc

Kendra Kandlestar and the Shard From Greeve

2009-06-20T14:09:00.003-07:00

Lee Edward Fodi launches his latest Kendra Kandlestar novel tomorrow at Cameron Rec Centre in Burnaby.

Where: 9520 Cameron Street, Burnaby -- Spruce Room
(near the Lougheed Mall)

When: 5-7:00 pm, Sunday, June 21.

Come celebrate summer solstice with

Kendra Kandlestar and the Shard From Greeve

Full details here: http://tinyurl.com/lg7n4j

or here if you prefer.

See you there!

~kc

KIdsWWWrite Loves WALK

2009-06-17T21:35:00.003-07:00

A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW gets 4 stars and a great review from Mena at KIdsWWWrite, a terrific on-line site for kids 16 and under to read and write reviews.

Mena writes:
" I found the way the Darby goes “through a window” to travel an original idea among so many time travel books. "

Read the whole review HERE.

~kc

Ontario Book Drive for Aboriginal Youth

2009-06-17T13:59:00.005-07:00

http://www.lt.gov.on.ca/en/Causes/BookDrive.asp?nav=2&sub=5

Just read about this yesterday via Cory Doctorow at boingboing. I've sent off an email to see where to send the books -- deadline is approaching quickly.

As soon as I get more info, I'll post it here.

I'm going to donate a bunch of copies of A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, and whatever other new titles I have hanging around.

If you are interested in donating a book or two, too -- check out the site above for more details. You don't have to be an author, and if you are in Ontario, it's as simple as dropping the books off at an OPP station.

Do it!

~kc

W.P. Kinsella's Lifetime Achievement

2009-06-11T21:46:00.006-07:00

The author who created my Silas Ermineskin's namesake won a George Woodcock Lifetime Achievement award last night.

Read about it HERE.

(My Silas Ermineskin ... as if he needs an introduction around here.)

[W.P.'s Silas and other characters...]

I'm sure if it's completely obvious, but I am a devoted reader of his work. I first read The Fencepost Chronicles when I was very young, and have read and enjoyed each and every one of W.P. Kinsella's books since.

I love his writing advice: "Get to the point and stop when you are done."

Congratulations -- enormously deserved!

~kc

Is this not a beautiful face?

2009-06-10T23:11:00.002-07:00

I am so burnt from this day, I have only the energy for a dog blog.

Silas came and posed for me betweens swims at Ambleside yesterday.

Read up on all the doings behind the Surrey International Writers' Conference here.

Registration for Fall, 2009 is now open!

~kc

SiWC Eats Author Brain, Forced to Zombie Blog

2009-06-08T21:33:00.005-07:00

Only poking my undead head in here to point you in the direction of www.siwc.ca , as the Surrey International Writers' Conference, 2009 is about to go live. Wednesday at noon is the plan.

Much round-the-clock website preparation, snowdrifts of email between zombie coordinator and innocent presenters, excessive strain placed on Web Wizard Dale...but I think we might just do it.

Stay tuned.

~zombie kc

Fascinating Faces

2009-06-05T09:48:00.003-07:00

Unlike the [mostly fuzzy, and occasionally beaky] faces posted yesterday, these demonstrate more of the famous British stiff upper lip....

To begin, a Trafalgar Lion, of course.

Keeping a stern watch over the streets of London town.

Can you see the face in this monument to Scots hero William Wallace?

A noble London lion -- NOT at Trafalgar!

In search of Moriarty -- Sherlock, on Baker Street, of course.

One of the dragons protecting the square-mile of the actual City of London, now home to the financial district.

Robert the Bruce, against an impossibly blue Scottish sky outside Stirling Castle.

A pair of serene stone Salisbury hares...

A pair of friendly potheads. [And we thought we'd left them all behind in British Columbia....]

An unfortunate sinner, forever cast in stone on the side of Salisbury Cathedral, literally choking on his own evil.

A sunny Celtic face [as seen through Roman eyes] deep inside the hidden depths of Bath.

A family emblem in the form of a grasshopper -- atop a London landmark.

More evil incarnate, this time bat-winged, once again decorating Salisbury's ancient cathedral.

Mother and child, both looking a little thin on top, as the wood they are made of disintegrates with time.

And a final British lion, this one famously gracing the Great Hall of the British Museum.

~kc

Fauna Favourites

2009-06-04T20:47:00.007-07:00

Home safely, but still reeling with the need for sleep, and the heat around this joint is not helping. No more jetlag allowed after tonight...I have a story that needs finishing and a conference that is shifting into high gear.

But first, I want to bid a final farewell to the denizens of the UK who so warmly welcomed a pair of intrepid travellers....

This lady took personal responsibility for providing all the cheese and Wiltshire cream I scoffed with my scones and jam.

Enjoying silflay near the West Kent longbarrow.

A proud young mother floated past in the pond in London's Hyde Park, with her four babies tucked neatly along-side.

I found this guy making a statement of his own on the sign pointing to Old Sarum, near Salisbury.

Back in London, we watched this guy strut his stuff on the grass at the Tower. Not really playing fair, this guardian has his wings clipped, ensuring the Tower will never fall.

This fine fellow hopped over my feet in the grass at Avebury.

The true rulers of the kingdom, found everywhere in vast numbers, expert at seeking crumbs where no bird has gone before.

I was rewarded with this pointed glance when I pushed my way through the trees beyond Wood henge to find out just who was making all the noise...

And, of course, the experience was only complete after a long conversation with this Heiland Coo...bit of a tough go with the accent, I have to admit.

Tomorrow, some of the other --perhaps a trifle less animated -- faces of the trip.

~kc

Edinburgh...city of my heart

2009-06-01T14:57:00.009-07:00

I've been to this city before, of course, but strangely enough, I found my heart still here, waiting for me upon my return. (The view from atop Arthur's Seat looking out over the firth.)

This time around my visit is too brief, but I managed to get in a few of my old haunts -- the ruined chapel on Arthur's Seat that once gave me inspiration for my latest novel when I first saw it many years ago.

The very windy, brilliant peak of same. Corstorphine Road, Fleshmarket Close, Cockburn Street ...

....and the castle, of course.

Drove through Glencoe yesterday -- a place of astonishing beauty I'd never seen before. I am quite sure my few pictures did not do it justice, but will post as soon as I can.

~kc

[Ed. note: I post this on a very slow internet connection for which I am paying an exorbitant rate (why is it that free wi-fi seems to work so much better and faster?), so I will post a link soon to a better selection of photos on my Flickr page.]

Stonehenge

2009-05-31T11:16:00.011-07:00

Enforced radio silence in the highlands has left me a few days behind, so without further delay....Stonehenge.

Our first view was from a distance, with the familiar silhouette on the hillside, shockingly close to a major road.

The second was through a fence, the only way the formation can be seen without special permission.

This is a national and world heritage site, and to gain private access, one has to apply well in advance, and complete all the appropriate paperwork. Access is granted only before the site opens in the morning, or after public closing time. We were lucky enough to gain an evening entrance.

Our guide to the stones was Carol Druce. Carol has lived nearby -- in the shadow of the stones -- for a quarter of a century, and was an incredible font of knowledge. The bag you can see her carrying here was chock full of interesting material (including diagrams and dowsing sticks) to add life to her commentary.

Just have to pause here to say that if you are going to travel to Stonehenge, it is entirely worth the additional effort and expense to have a private viewing with an expert local guide. Carol [apologies in advance....] totally rocked.

Of course, it didn't hurt her credibility that as we stood near the entrance going through introductions, she managed to conjure up this rainbow above the giant stones ....

[Ed. note: A bit hard to see the rainbow when the pic is this small -- check out better version at my Flickr page HERE.]

From a distance, the stones are mesmerizing.

Up close, they are magical.

The magestic bluestones were brought 2400 BC (and some say as early as 3000 BC) from Wales, a distance of around 400 km. (Recent theorists postulate that the stones may have travelled part of the way as part of a glacial deposit.) However they got to this spot on the Salisbury plain, there is no doubting their neolithic origins, nor the incredible amount of calculation needed to erect a formation of this size and complexity.

Anyone who is interested can find reams of material on this incredible site. There is certainly no shortage of reading material. Personally, I find it very hard to do justice to this experience on any kind of a practical level.

It was almost beyond words.

I guess it's lucky I believe in magic....

~kc

Wonderful Wiltshire

2009-05-27T14:25:00.008-07:00

More on our weird and wonderful day in Wiltshire...

In addition to our experiences in and around the stone circles, we also had a chance to visit some of the other mystical and magical sites in the area. Less than two miles from Avebury, several other sites called to us...

We toiled up a long hill for the chance to peek inside a neolithic long barrow. The West Kennet Long Barrow is an ancient tomb, thought to have been in use for over 1000 years, until it was finally sealed up by the Beaker people -- among the ancient first peoples of this area.

This is the entrance to the long barrow.

The barrow goes pretty far back.

A ghostly glimpse of the inside.

At the very back, water trickled down a wall. In this picture you can just see the posy of flowers left on the floor of the site by the travellers who sometimes sleep there.

We prowled around the nearby Silbury Hill, a man-made mound created over hundreds of years for a still-unknown purpose.

We trekked through the Roman waterworks at Bath.

A lot of roman statuary about, but my favourite was this bearded Celtic laddie.

Outside the baths, we were charmed by this elegantly-clad street performer. (That's a 8' unicycle behind him, and of course, he's wearing his safety net....)

This is a shot of Woodhenge, the remains of a bronze-age wooden structure similar in shape to Stonehenge. The timbers are gone, of course, but the pattern remains, marked by concrete blocks. The posts would have aligned with the centre aligned to mid-summer sunrise.

The mound in the middle marks the resting place of a small child.

We had a chance to ramble through the beautiful cathedral at Salisbury, home to a copy of the Magna Carta, Wordsworth's final resting place, and ...

Some very decent gargoyles. Check out these evil little sprites, gnawing on this poor sinner's face.

Salisbury Cathedral also houses this remarkable 14th C face-less clock, once housed in a separate bell tower:

Nearby, the mound and stone remains of Old Sarum (the Roman name for Salisbury) are atop a hill.

Throughout the day, as we drove around the region, we were lucky enough to spot some of the chalk horses on the hillsides.

There are seven in total, and we managed to spy three. Much of the area of Wiltshire is chalk, the result of once being at the bottom of a vast, inland sea. These hill figures are created by scraping away the surface layer to uncover the chalk below.

The Cherhill White Horse, carved circa 1780.

The Westbury White Horse. This one appears to be smiling, but in fact the smile is just a person walking along the edge of the feature. Gives a bit of a perspective as to the size...

And to finish? A beautiful descendant, perhaps, of the earliest models for the Chalk Horses.

Next post -- Stonehenge.

~kc

Avebury...

2009-05-27T07:49:00.007-07:00

I am aware that this blog has devolved into a bit of a travelogue of late, however, as these visits are part and parcel of the stuff that makes up the internal dreamscape from which I draw my work, I feel justified on reporting some of the wonders to which I bear witness.

[whew]

Okay -- rationalization over, today I've brought you a taste of Wiltshire, as experienced under the able guidance of Vic, our driver and guide for the day.

Here's Vic. He is wonderful -- a retired RAF gent who kept us hopping for 12 full hours on an unforgetable 131-mile tour of Wiltshire.

Here's his website.

To begin...Avebury.

Avebury is the site of an ancient henge -- older and much larger in scope than Stonehenge. The stones are not so imposing as those at Stonehenge, nor linked with lintels, and yet it is an amazing site. The mammoth circle runs through the village, surrounded by an enormous ditch that may have been far deeper in ancient times.

The first sight of Avebury comes with an avenue of stones leading to the site. Many of the ones closer to the village were stolen in Victorian times for use in building, as this area is all chalk, and building stones had to be brought from far away.

Due to it's size, I couldn't get a shot of the whole site -- the massive ditch that rings the site contains a circle of stones, and within that two further stone circles can be found.

Avebury is also different from its more famous sister in that it is fully walkable, without any special permissions. In fact, a part of the small village of Avebury is enclosed within the outer circle, including a pub.

We stopped and had a lovely tea at the community hall, where the local ladies provided home-made sandwiches and cakes in a not-at-all mystical setting.

The stones each have a personality and every face is unique. The neolithic age of the site has led to many theories, of course, including one which indicates that the tall stones are representative of males, and the short, squat stones of females.

I hesitate to offer an opinion.

We spent some time in the churchyard of Avebury St. James, located just beside the outer circle. The church dates back to Norman times, circa 1000, and has a Norman-era square tower and a lovely lush graveyard.

Many of the stones are too ancient to read an inscription, but the local people take care to keep the graveyard in good condition.

There were also a number of wonderful crypts, including this one, an austere little number with ivy growing out of its interior and cascading down the sides. The inscription was too worn to read.

Not all the graves were totally ancient -- this one belonging to a member of the Paradise family [quite populous in this graveyard] was dated a relatively modern 1898.

In addition to the Paradises, I also found several Crooks -- which I read as a sign that the graveyard was home to members from all elements of the religious and secular spectrum.

To finish, a more lively [and amphibial] Aveburian hopped by to wish us well in our travels.

More on our day with Vic in the next post.

~kc

More London

2009-05-24T13:24:00.009-07:00

A few more jam-packed days, complicated by difficult internet connections, results in this mostly pictoral view of this amazing city...

We awaken to an admittedly hideous view from our window...

...but it does mean that we are spared the noise from Oxford Street and the nearby pubs.

Heading out, we hit the Underground, and...

travelling through many a tube tunnel...

...on and off a few trains....

leads us to find a few secrets of the city.

We got to visit the ravens at the Tower (not as big as the ones we have at home, but lovely all the same),

as well as the lads who guard the ravens (and other denizens of the Tower of London).

Today, we peered through the window of this cheese shop in Marylebone...

en route to a Farmer's Market with the most astonishing variety of meat being sold (unrefrigerated!) from the stalls...

And on to the breath-taking Great Hall of the British Museum.

It was a brief visit, due to an injured traveller, but we had a moment to enjoy the sight of at least one individual on the premises who didn't have sore feet.

And a final ride back to the hotel on the tube, accompanied by someone who seemed to have lost his Death Star...

More soon -- tomorrow it's out of the City to seek out the secrets Salisbury and the wyrdness of Wiltshire.

~kc

London, 2009 Day One

2009-05-21T17:16:00.012-07:00

As you may have noticed, this week I popped into my Tardis,

and made my way across an extremely large land mass, followed by a rather broad body of water,

only to find myself in the land of...

chimney pots against the sky,

brilliant and buxom statuary,

and very tight spiral staircases.

London has welcomed me (and my boy) back with open arms and traffic jams.

Today, I witnessed an anti-Chinese Falun Gong protest (tiny), a celebration of the new governmental acknowledgement of the rights of Gurkha soldiers (much larger), and an anti-Sri Lankan demonstration right in the road that was traffic-stopping in its intensity.

Also, the fine workers of the London Underground struck today, with the principle victim being the Victoria tube line, ultimately shut down for the day.

Nonetheless, we managed to take in great whacks of the City, and I have worn my poor boy ragged with my high-speed delerium at being back in this wonderful place.

My favourite jaunt of the day? Here is a hint:

Can you guess? A bit hard to tell from this picture...but,

this wonderful sculpture can be found suspended from the ceiling of the teeny Operating Theatre Museum near Guy's Hospital. My favourite museum in the city, without a doubt.

It's very late here now, but I will put up a link to my flickr account and will post more pictures tomorrow.

Ta, mates.

~kc

London Live!

2009-05-20T10:33:00.002-07:00

This post will be brief and picture-less, as I refuse to pay the wifi robbery rates my hotel is charging. Will try to log on tomorrow with a few shots of this amazing city. Right now am typing this on a half-Farsi keyboard in a little Internet Cafe off Oxford Street, seated beside a zombie-ish, but good natured son after flying all night.

Am delighted to report that I did manage to arrange a private visit to Stonehenge next week, so will hopefully have lots to share after that event. Tomorrow, I think it will be Castles and derring-do in this remarkable centre of Western civilization. I love London!

~kc

The latest...

2009-05-19T12:14:00.005-07:00

So much to report!

Had a great visit last week at Macdonald Elementary school in Vancouver and a fun Creative Writing for Children class on the weekend . My new postcards are finally printed, so I had some to share!

Lots going on in the planning department for SiWC 2009 in October, and other upcoming events -- the FALL INTO FANTASY tour with authors James McCann and Lee Edward Fodi happening this year, and before that Raise-A-Reader in Penticton this July, followed by Summer Dream in August. More details soon.

But first -- a trip for r& r (research & running around) is in the offing. I'm off with my boy for a couple of weeks to the UK. Will report back here with pictoral evidence as time permits.

This...

...is what he looked like the last time he was in Scotland. (In the clutches of his sister inside the guard house of Tioram Castle in the West Highlands). He's grown a bit, and is far less likely to allow me to photograph him, but I'll do my best.

Will report in as absconded wi-fi allows. I'll be tweeting, too -- you can follow me at @kcdyer, if you are so inclined.

And lastly, today I mail out all the remaining winner's books from the various Darby competitions. Darby has just interviewed Kendra Kandelstar, and has a couple of really amazing characters to interview soon, but she'll be taking a break while we are over in the UK. If you have won a book and not yet contacted me -- or haven't received it, please drop me a line and I will rectify immediately.

And now -- ta-ta, mates. Next chat to you will come from the Jolly Olde Sode (and no -- that is NOT my secret nickname....!)

~kc

New Blogging & Social Media Class on Tap

2009-05-10T19:35:00.004-07:00

Darren Barefoot of Capulet Communications has added an extra Social Media Marketing bootcamp session to his roster. HERE is the blog post outlining the topics covered.

Sign up HERE if you are interested in attending.

Vancouver events on May 28 and June 23, at the downtown BCIT location. I'll be going to the one in June -- maybe I'll see you there!

~kc