Find out more about my memoir No Letter in Your Pocket
SoulCollage card The Storyteller Sagewise Conference (March 23-25): Honouring Elders, and Conscious Aging I am presenting a morning workshop on journalling and self-discovery, with writing exercises, and an afternoon session of SoulCollage work. These workshops are open solely to attendees registered for the conference, held at Edenvale in Abbotsford, BC. For more information about…
Want to meet Gracie the goldfish and the author of Gracie’s Got a Secret? Don’t know how to keep the kids busy during March break? Come to Woods Showcase at Sunnycrest Mall in Gibsons, BC on Tuesday, March 20. Heather Conn will be reading from her new book, starting at 10:30 a.m. She’ll chat with…
Want to inspire a flurry of words? Like the idea of choosing from dozens of symbols and images to spark your subconscious? Through the creative process of SoulCollage®, you’ll explore a fun, intuitive way to deepen your relationship with words and produce powerful art at the same time. Enjoy two forms of storytelling through a…
A book about John Steinbeck’s marine biologist friend inspired B.C. lawyer Myron Plett to move to Ucluelet and set up practice in this island town. Plett is one of four B.C. lawyers I profiled for the cover story “Thinking big in small communities” for the winter 2012 issue of UBC Law magazine. Pictured on the…
Control Freak. Little Miss Perfect. Inner Bitch. Some parts of ourselves are hard to love, but have you ever thought that they’re here to help? Find out how through fun writing exercises and a short introduction to the power of the SoulCollage® process. Wheatberries Bakery, 818 Gibsons Way, Gibsons, BC, 6 – 8 p.m. By…
I’ll present 20 of my photographs, with 20 seconds of story-telling for each one, as part of a Pecha Kucha night in Gibsons, BC at the Arts Building on South Fletcher (on the corner beside the library). Eleven different presenters will be sharing their images, starting at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $10. You can find…
In the late 1980s, I served as publicist for an eco-tour hosted by the Quebec-Labrador Foundation/Atlantic Center for the Environment, based in Ipswich, MA. The Center retraced the steps of naturalist John James Audubon on the Quebec North Shore. I also took photographs and wrote about community-based educational projects to introduce children to Atlantic puffins….
Nov. 26 and 27 I’ll be hosting a book table for Gracie’s Got a Secret at the Christmas Craft Fair at the Seaside Centre in Sechelt. I’ll be available from 9 a.m. on, both days. (On Saturday, Nov. 26, I’ll be leaving at 4:15 to get ready for my book launch that evening.)
BOOK LAUNCH: GRACIE’S GOT A SECRET I’m excited to have Sunshine Coast entertainer John Conway do a fun storytelling session, with puppets and sound effects, for my Gracie’s Got a Secret book launch. I’ll be hosting a discussion with the audience afterwards. The launch is at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre in Sechelt, BC from…
The Art of Blogging A one-day workshop, designed for non-techies, teaches beginners the fun basics of WordPress blogging. You’ll learn how to write catchy posts, create links, “brand” your web presence and more. Includes in-class writing and group exercises. Note: This covers the creation & maintenance of content on a newly established or existing blog,…
Nov. 18 and 19 Christmas Craft Fair, Sunnycrest Mall, Gibsons, BC Gracie is coming to Gibsons. I’ll have a display table on Friday, Nov. 18 at the Christmas Craft Fair at Sunnycrest Mall, running from 4 p.m. to closing. The next day, I’ll be back at the mall all day, from 9 a.m. to closing….
Want to read a range of my articles that cover eco-related topics? Click on the magazine cover of your choice to read the enclosed feature. ENVIRONMENT Click here to access a comprehensive archive of decades of my magazine writing in a variety of topics (under construction)
Oct. 23 and 24 As part of the Sunshine Coast Arts Crawl, I joined 14 local writers at the Gumboot Cafe in Roberts Creek, BC for mini-readings and book sales. It was fun to introduce my new children’s book Gracie’s Got a Secret and read to a young audience. See my blog post “Writers’ Hub:…
Escaping the 1942 detainment of Japanese in Vancouver, BC, Thomas Hara, QC and his family fled to Kamloops, where they lived in an abandoned log cabin without water. After enduring decades of discrimination, Hara graduated from law at the University of B.C. in the early 1960s and was the first Japanese-Canadian to open his own law practice…
Wednesday, OCTOBER 12 to NOVEMBER 2 (four Wednesdays) Nature’s four seasons offer powerful metaphors for the human journey or spiritual quest. This fun and creative workshop will prompt you to explore the joys and challenges of your inner world, using symbols and words that “speak” to you. Celebrate your life. Discover the techniques of top…
September 24 and October 1 (two Saturdays) Sensitive and Aware: 10 Steps to Sucessful Travel Writing Are you a traveller who seeks offbeat or deep encounters and wants to write compelling prose? Forget tourist fluff and hotel reviews. This workshop will help you create thoughtful content that honours and respects the events and practices of…
Kwawkgewlth Chief Bill Wilson (UBC Law ’73) helped draft the first and only amendment to Canada’s Constitution and has fought for Aboriginal rights for decades. But he’s probably better known on the University of B.C.’s campus as co-founder of the law students’ annual tricycle race in the early 1970s. Since then, he’s inspired two daughters…
Before she became B.C.’s attorney general, Vancouver city councillor Suzanne Anton fondly recalls her father’s passion for law, which helped set a career choice for both her and her brother Jonathon. Suzanne’s son Robert, meanwhile, is enrolled in law at the University of B.C., calling the profession “a noble calling.” Click on this Suzanne Anton story link to…
I will be one of several presenters as part of the Creative in the Creek Salon. The focus of the event is on food, as a tribute to Robin Wheeler. All of the night’s proceeds will go to Robin’s support fund. David Roche is hosting and “Farmer Dave” Ryan and Aaron Joe will be among…
MW Book Publishing of Garden Bay, BC will be releasing my first children’s book, Gracie’s Got a Secret, in the fall of 2011. In Gracie’s Got a Secret, an impatient and feisty little goldfish named Gracie escapes her fishbowl and leaves her family, determined to share a secret with the outside world. Along the way,…
JUNE 15 TO AUG. 3 Photography and Writing for the Digital Age A comprehensive eight-week course designed for emerging writers and digital photographers. It’s co-facilitated by writer Heather Conn and photographer Josh Hite. Learn to take compelling photos and create short non-fiction narratives to promote your passionate cause or personal journey. Ideal for writers who…
From a proposed car co-op to protecting a watershed, the Sunshine Coast Regional District’s Draft Sustainability Plan provides an inclusive view of how to maintain the area’s tremendous quality of life. As part of a community-wide team of consultants, I worked as writer and editor on this valuable report, released in the spring of 2011….
TUESDAY, MARCH 2 and WED., MARCH 3 A Journey Through Life & the Self: Writing Your Way to a Short Film Powell River Digital Film School, Powell River, BC This two-day workshop for grade 12 students is designed to motivate them to greater creativity, using writing and group exercises, film screenings, informal presentations, and a…
I will be signing copies of Vancouver’s Glory Years at Woods Christmas Store, Sunnycrest Mall, Gibsons, BC from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
With special permission to carry 60 pounds of medical supplies, I set off for Cuba with a group of friends in October 2011. We were delighted to distribute these much-needed materials to small clinics in Cuba’s Trinidad region and to provide clothes and school supplies to local communities. Click here to read my Cuba Travel Article “From the Coast…
Prose on the Road: The Art of Travel Writing 1 to 5 p.m., Capilano University, Sechelt campus Do you spin tales of your global adventures but never write them down? This fun workshop helps you move your passion for travel from the road to the page. Through in-class exercises and lively discussion, you learn techniques…
SEPTEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 11 Photography and Writing for the Digital Age A comprehensive eight-week course designed for emerging writers and digital photographers. It’s co-facilitated by writer Heather Conn and photographer Adam Myhill. Learn to take compelling photos and create short non-fiction narratives to promote your passionate cause or personal journey. Ideal for writers who…
I wrote short items to accompany a photo essay of the challenges pregnant women face in Haiti. The piece is meant to increase public awareness of the activities of Doctors Without Borders in Haiti. These photo-and-caption combinations were part of the content used in my course Photography and Writing for the Digital Age. A photographer and…
Group reading Think globally. Read locally! Gumboot Cafe, Roberts Creek, BC Nine writers based in Roberts Creek, including me, will share an evening of readings in many genres. The event is a PEN fundraiser to assist an imprisoned writer. Time: Saturday, 7 to 11 p.m. Click here to read my blog account of the event…
For my Sunshine Coast media coverage, see the front-page photo and write-up of my Author Reading in weekly newspaper The Local, Sechelt, BC Click here to view the photo and article