I’m giving a writing workshop in Toronto on May 28th, exclusively for fans of HarperCollins Canada’s Facebook Page. To be part of it, click on the link and see the details.  You have to ‘like’ the page and send HarperCollins Canada an email saying why you wish to be part of the workshop.  Hope you can join us!

Here’s what we’ll be doing:  “THE FOUNDATIONS OF GOOD WRITING: YEARNING AND SIGNIFICANT DETAILS” –  We’ll learn how to ensure readers care about the characters in our work, and explore the ways a writer creates emotion: significant, concrete details; specificity, memory flashes, physical signals, sensual selectivity, etc. We’ll look at examples, do writing exercises and generate story ideas.  Come prepared to do some writing and have fun!

As many of you know, I ditched Goodreads once Amazon bought it and have been hanging out at Booklikes and TheReadingRoom..  I like both sites, but wanted to share the press release from BookLikes I received today.  Love the fact they have a Canadian database.  There’s some great features on this site — with more coming about once a week — and I’d be delighted if you joined and ‘followed’ me there. . .

Here you go:

Blog Platform Designed for Book Lovers – BookLikes – Goes Live

Arthur Clutton-Brock by Sir William Rothenstein

I just came across this wonderful essay on writing (although the world “writing” could easily be substituted by a number of other things, I’m sure).  In fact, it’s SO good, I’m posting it here in its entirety. It was written in 1921 by Arthur Clutton-Brock, the British essayist and critic best known for his studies of painter William Morris and poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.  The essay was published in a book called “Essays on Vocation: Second Series,” edited by Basil Mathews (Oxford University Press).  According to About.com, in the introduction Mathews said that an individual’s vocation “is to carry his life through under the rule of the call to service.”

OUR DAILY BREAD

THANK YOU for the support so many of you have shown OUR DAILY BREAD by voting for it in the first round of Harper Collins’ March Madness.

Because of you, I’ve made it to the second round.  I’m delighted and incredibly grateful — especially since I beat out Colm McCann’s terrific book, LET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN.

We weep with the children.

The season of Christmas turns to the season of grief. Twenty-seven people have apparently died in a shooting at a Connecticut school this morning. Eighteen of them are children.

There will be, no doubt, much talk over the coming days and weeks about gun violence in America.  There will be strident voices on both sides.  There will be recriminations and accusations.

I wonder if anything will change?

But before all that, perhaps you would take a moment to join me in praying, no matter what your faith, no matter what your belief, for these children, these adults, these parents and teachers and neighbors and friends and relatives . . . that we may all be comforted.

Last Friday I posted a notice up on Freecycle.org letting people know I had a mountain of firewood (thanks, Hurricane Sandy) to give away.  One of the people who showed up was James Peeples. James is the Chairman of Artworks Trenton.  Their mission statement says the organization, “Promotes artistic diversity by fostering creativity, learning, and appreciation of the arts. Our classes, exhibitions, and events make art an accessible experience for all.”

Hi everyone,

There are few more exciting moments for a writer than the one when the cover of a new book is revealed.  So, I’m delighted to share with you the cover for my next novel, THE EMPTY ROOM, which will be out in Canada with Harper Collins, May 2013.

I must say, I quite love the cover.  Although I know the ‘rule’ of graphic design is to have the figure looking into the space, rather than out of it, I feel breaking the rule here creates a sort of tension and disturbance in the viewer, which reflects the subject matter.

Okay, so let’s talk about that big old heffalumping elephant sitting across the desk from me.  OUR DAILY BREAD did not make it onto the short list of the Scotiabank Giller Prize.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed.

On the other hand, I’m not really that disappointed.  To feel more than a modest amount of deflation would be, I think, to waggle my buttocks with ingratitude in the face of unexpected bounty.  Let’s face it, if I hadn’t been on longlisted for the Giller, whether or not I got on the short list wouldn’t have even been on my radar.  And being on the long list is AMAZING, utterly unexpected and totally thrilling.  One can enjoy such moments, but one can’t need them.  And the truth is that being on the long list has brought a number of new readers to the novel, so I’m deeply grateful.