Find out more about my memoir No Letter in Your Pocket
I’m delighted to be a contributor to this new, popular anthology of British Columbia history and coastal life. In the week of Dec. 2, 2013, it’s ranked #2 on Harbour Publishing’s bestseller list. Whooohooo! My feature explores the influential role that volunteers played in saving 6,000 hectares of wilderness forests and lakes, including bear and…
Discover how B.C.’s Sakinaw salmon were saved.What emergency visits did doctors make by boat on the coast in the 1980s? I’ll be doing a brief reading and presentation, with slide-show images, as part of the Sunshine Coast launch of Raincoast Chronicles 22: Saving Salmon, Sailors and Souls. This will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 4…
I’ll be selling new books Emails from India: Women Write Home and Harbour Publishing’s Raincoast Chronicles 22 plus some new, fun products related to my picture book Gracie’s Got a Secret in Gibsons, BC. Author Michael Maser and I will be staffing the MW Book Publishing table at Sunnycrest Mall from 9 a.m. to 5…
I’ll be one of five contributors doing a short presentation and reading at the Vancouver, BC launch for Harbour Publishing’s Raincoast Chronicles 22 anthology. The book Saving Salmon, Sailors and Souls: Stories of Service on the BC Coast celebrates the people who have defined British Columbia coastal history since 1972. My feature covers the impact…
My feature “Workshop inspired by El Camino pilgrimage” appeared in the Sept. 27, 2013 issue of Coast Reporter on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast. The piece promoted my workshop “Twelve Gifts of the Camino,” inspired by my 800-kilometre pilgrimage through France and Spain in May and June 2013. Click this 12 Gifts of the Camino link to read…
Archetype: The Pilgrim What symbols represent your life journey? What’s helping you live your dream? What’s holding you back? What thresholds have you crossed or need to cross? Through a symbolic journey of creative play and walking meditation, discover the gifts of the sacred pilgrimage of the Camino de Santiago. With the help of…
I’m one of 30 writers featured in a new anthology Emails from India: Women Write Home, published by Seraphim Editions. I’ll be reading at the book’s Vancouver launch on Sunday, Oct. 6 at Cafe Deux Soleils, 2096 Commercial Drive. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and readings will begin at 8 p.m. The People’s Co-op Bookstore…
For the next two to three months, I’ll be writing a series of weekly posts, with photographs, about my 800-kilometre walk along the El Camino in France and Spain. Each week, I’ll feature a new topic, from “creating sacred space” to “the Roman road.” I look forward to a lively discussion with readers. If…
An interview with me regarding my year of college and work in Switzerland in 1976-77 appears on the website of the Swiss consulate in Vancouver, BC. Click here to read it and see related photographs.
Author reading of my children’s book Gracie’s Got a Secret at Gibsons Public Library in Gibsons, BC. The event, hosted by children’s librarian Heather Evans-Cullen, includes puppets and an opportunity for hands-on crafts. Click here to see photos of the event.
NOVEMBER 15 to DECEMBER 10 The Gibsons Public Art Gallery in Gibsons, BC will feature the creative works of 40+ members, including me, at a show honouring Leonard Cohen. I will be exhibiting a collage that features the chorus of Cohen’s song Anthem. The gala reception for Hallelujah!: a Tribute to the Songs of Leonard…
Dozens of concerned residents on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast have rallied to help save species-diverse forest in Wilson Creek. My news feature “Forest giants worth saving,” which outlined related community activities, appeared in The Local, a Sunshine Coast weekly, on Nov. 15, 2012. Click this Saving forest giants link to read the published article. * * * *…
Gracie and I had fun at Vancouver’s Word on the Street Festival. Sponsored by KidsBooks, the largest children’s bookstore in western Canada, I gave a brief reading and then a Q&A. One little girl asked me if there was a beaver in the story. I suggested that might be a good idea for a character…
The Faculty of Dentistry at the University of B.C. recently selected my image, a Haida Gwaii seascape, as the cover photo for their fall 2012 issue. This photo accompanied my article “UBC Dentistry in Haida Gwaii,” which appeared in the same issue. UBC Dentistry has selected the same image to use on their faculty greeting…
The Chapters store on Robson in Vancouver featured me on their Facebook Wall page, with a write-up about my book Vancouver’s Glory Years, co-authored with Henry Ewert. A day earlier, I had just asked a young store clerk whether I could add the book to their display of Vancouver history books. He then asked me…
I’m joining a host of local Sunshine Coast writers who will give five-minute readings on the topic of “family.” I’ll be reading the opening pages of my memoir-in-progress No Letter in Your Pocket. Doors open at 7 p.m., readings begin at 7:30 p.m. The Arts Building is at 464 South Fletcher in lower Gibsons, next…
I’m covering screenwriting for short drama and documentaries (personal narratives and issues-based videos) for grade 12 students at Powell River Digital Film School, Powell River, BC. 9 to 3 p.m.
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…
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…
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….
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:…
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…
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…