Will PEI Start a New Green Wave?

Here’s the snazzy image created for the story by the folks at The Walrus.

This month, I published my first essay in The Walrus. Called ‘Will PEI Start a New Green Wave?”, it explores the popularity of the PEI Green Party heading into a spring election on PEI, and the impact a potential win (or strong finish) would have on the Green Party federally.

This piece was truly a labour of love. I had the chance to speak to Islanders supporting the Green Party, interview party leader Peter Bevan-Baker, speak to a national pollster, and interview a political scientist at UPEI. I learned lots more about PEI and its reputation for innovative, ahead-of-the-curve environmental policies.

For example, PEI is a global leader in wind energy, producing 25% of its energy from wind. In July, 2019, the province will enact a province-wide plastic bag ban. PEI leads the country in composting rates and has one of the strictest, most comprehensive waste-sorting programs in the country.

All of this because of the fragile nature of the island. Living so close to the sea, folks are more aware of the devastating impacts of climate change. This is one of the reasons cited by the folks I spoke to about their support for Peter Bevan-Baker and the PEI Greens.

You can read the full article here.

'Saving Face' longlisted for the CBC Short Story Award

I’m very excited that my short story ‘Saving Face’ was longlisted for the 2019 CBC Short Story Prize. This is the third time I’ve been longlisted for the award. ‘Saving Face’ tells the story of two men who meet in a hotel bar in Beijing. It was one of 31 stories longlisted this year. Although I’ve never won the prize, it’s always great to be recognized by a group of peer writers for one of Canada’s most prestigious short story prizes.

On CBC, I described my inspiration for the story as follows:

"I used to travel to China frequently for work and found both the alienation and surprising moments of personal connection in Chinese cities very powerful. Beijing is a city steeped in history but also very futuristic, a place where status and power are important. I wanted to explore how a chance encounter — in an era of unprecedented state surveillance — can offer a fleeting opportunity for intimacy between two men.”

You can read the first few paragraphs of the story on the CBC website. Also, if you haven’t yet, I encourage you to consider submitting to the CBC Literary Awards (short story, nonfiction, and poetry). It’s a great opportunity to showcase your work.

Write by the Sea...PEI writing retreat set for June 23-28!

MAKE SPACE FOR YOUR WRITING.

Welcome yourself into the first days of summer with this idyllic five-day writing retreat on PEI’s gorgeous South Shore. Designed for both new and experienced writers, Write by the Sea combines writing workshops, dedicated solo writing time, special events designed to showcase the Island’s spectacular arts and culinary scenes, and plenty of time to relax and unwind.

Join author Trevor Corkum and yoga teacher Joshua Lewis to make time for your writing and deepen your commitment to creativity. Each morning, we’ll gather for daily writing workshops in the gorgeously refurbished Victoria School House. After a light lunch, afternoons will allow for both solo writing time and optional cultural activities, such as kayaking, food tastings, and cycling—or let yourself take advantage of the week to explore the Island on your own. Evenings feature a combination of group dinners and free time for further writing or exploration. We’ll cap it off with a Thursday night cabaret and an optional chance to read your work to the group.

This intimate retreat is set in vibrant, eclectic Victoria-by-the-Sea, a small fishing village turned flourishing artist colony. Victoria’s sumptuous restaurants and pubs stand side by side with an array of artisan shops. Visit potters, sculptors, painters, glass makers, and candle makers. Tempt yourself with handcrafted Island chocolates. See a show or enjoy a concert at the renowned Victoria Playhouse. Or end the evening with a glass of wine overlooking the ocean. Victoria is a compact village nestled on the coast, with its own small beach and coastal walking trails. Our retreat hotel, The Orient, is a historic Victoria landmark, offering rustic charm and a cozy home base for travellers since 1900.

Writing practice will be guided by Trevor, an award-winning author and creative writing instructor. Whether you are curious about writing, love to journal, have been working on a secret memoir, or have a specific fiction, nonfiction, or other project in mind, this retreat will give you ample space to commit time, energy and focus to your practice. Guided activities will include responding to prompts, discussion on craft and technique, interactive storytelling activities, and the opportunity to complete a short piece during the week. No prior writing experience is necessary, and there will be no expectation that you share your work if you prefer to simply indulge in some quiet writing time.

Optional mindfulness activities and yoga workshops will be led by Joshua in his signature all-levels accessible and inclusive style. Long-time practitioners, as well as those with little or no experience, will find Joshua’s embodied and inspired teaching methodology to be approachable and profoundly impactful – calming and soothing for the body, mind and the heart.

Check out the retreat information pages for more information, including registration and accommodation information. Special pre-release and earlybird program rates from $675 per person!

If you’re looking for a yoga-focused Island retreat, we’ll be hosting Yoga by the Sea in Prince Edward Island from August 25-30. More information coming soon.

Fables for the 21st Century launches November 23

Join us at the Art Gallery of Ontario

Last November, I spent three luxurious weeks at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Tucked into my personal studio—built from an old fishing boat—I spent my days writing, drinking coffee, and communing with elk and deer while snow fell outside.

I was one of ten writers taking part in Fables for the 21st Century. Under the wise mentorship of Madeleine Thien, Rawi Hage, and Lisa Moore, we were commissioned to create ten short fables designed for these complex times. The themes of these fables reflected our own private obsessions and concerns—climate change, queer parenting, 21st century groupthink.

My own piece, "LACEC217863—EZ” explores a time when AI (artificial intelligence) are used as “intimacy companions” for human beings. What happens, I wanted to know, when AI achieve consciousness, yet remain shackled to the whims of their human minders?

We’ll be launching Fables for the 21st Century at the Art Gallery of Ontario on November 23. It’s a free event and open to the public. I hope to see some of you there. You can RSVP here.

If you’re not able to join but would like to get your hands on a copy of the Fables anthology, hop on over to the Walrus store to order a copy.

Surrendering to the mystery

Photo credit: Ann Millar

Reflections on the 2018 Victoria Literary Festival

The Victoria Literary Festival wrapped up last weekend, and I'm full of inspiration and humility. It's always with joy and awe that I step into a workshop space. I wonder at the folks who will arrive. What stories they carry, what goals and dreams lay just below the surface. 

I love the feeling of surrender that we share when we work together. There's a surrendering to the creative process itself, trying to sidestep the urge to censor and allow the stories that need to be told the space to come to life. There's the surrendering to a sense of awkwardness and vulnerability. What if I make a fool of myself? What if I say something ridiculous?

Each time I facilitate a writing workshop, I am reminded of how few opportunities there are for adults to come together with what might be called "beginner's mind"--that wide-open, non-judgemental space where new ways of seeing come to life. It's important for me as a facilitator to cultivate a space of safety, where we're able to take risks together and feel the pulse of creativity come to life.

The workshops at the Victoria Literary Festival vibrated with life. We dove in deep, cultivating stories from our lives, writing tiny memoirs, breathing together, crafting haikus. We danced and played. We held silence. Most of all, we remembered that when we come together with openness and curiosity, incredible things can happen.

Reading from "Emily and Me" during the VILF evening review (Photo credit: Ann Millar)

I'm grateful to have served as this year's VILF as writer-in-residence, and thankful to all the folks who took part in this year's workshops and the evening review. Thanks also to the local Island media for such great coverage of the festival. Here are a few highlights:

Award-winning writer says self-confidence is the key ingredient to success (Journal-Pioneer)
Weekend of writing by the sea (The Guardian)
Victoria Literary Festival opens (The Guardian)
Writing and yoga part of Victoria Literary Festival (Journal-Pioneer)

If you missed the festival and are hoping to dive into your writing early this fall, I'll be hosting a one-day retreat here on PEI on September 22. It's filling up quickly, so if you're hoping to join us, get in touch soon to reserve your space. 

In the meantime, enjoy these last days of summer, and happy writing.