CNFC Members’ Readings
The Creative Nonfiction Collective (CNFC) hosted Members' Readings this month and I was excited to participate. So much of our time as writers is spent alone, typing or writing words that are hard-fought to get out of our brains and onto the page/screen, then revised and polished multiple times. [...]
805 Lit + Art essay: Talisman
“One time, I found what I thought was a silver dollar until I picked it up. It was thin and aluminum, and what it most resembled was an encircled five-starred sheriff’s badge. One side displayed a crown. The flip side revealed a horseshoe surrounded by the words GOOD LUCK. [...]
Summer slowdown
I seldom give myself permission to slow down, but the combination of a cottage getaway, good book and too-hot-to-move weather shaped a very relaxing week. Reading Abraham Verghese’s Covenant of Water at water’s edge seemed very meta. Propulsive storytelling and gorgeous writing ensure [...]
RTCC 2024: Cancer research cycling fundraiser
My favourite cycling fundraiser is back! It's time to train for the Ride to Conquer Cancer in support of life-saving research at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Today marks the 36-year anniversary of the experimental bone marrow transplant that cured my leukemia and saved my life. That’s why I’ll be [...]
The Examined Life Journal essay: Endangered
Excerpt from my essay "Endangered" published in the Examined Life Journal, Volume 11 (2024) "We fly to Florida in early January, fleeing Canada’s snow and ice. Two days later, my partner in life and travel sits beside me on the outdoor patio of Mulligan’s Beach House overlooking the Atlantic [...]
A Return to Writing
One of the great joys for me this year was a return to focusing on my own writing. Like many others, the pandemic played havoc with my sense of time and connection these past three years. Fortunately, my involvement with the CNFC board helped me maintain my sanity and [...]
Research Excellence at PMH
In November, I attended a couple of events to celebrate research excellence at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH). The first one focused on illustrating fundraising impact, both in the clinic and the laboratory. A new state-of-the art clinic to support people who are undergoing clinical trials treatment, and new lab [...]
Anything is Possible for BMT Survivors
On September 27th, I had the great pleasure of speaking to other survivors at the inaugural Princess Margaret Hospital Allogeneic Blood and Marrow Transplant (Allo-BMT) Patient Survivorship Day In the 35 years since my transplant, I've never seen so many BMT recipients in one place—it was mind-blowing! There were [...]
When Community Converges
I attended a nonfiction writers’ conference during the last weekend of May. For the first time in four years, the Creative Nonfiction Collective (CNFC) hosted an in-person writing conference at the University of King’s College where I graduated with my MFA in 2020. [...]
15 years of Riding to Conquer Cancer
There are many things that can happen to a body after a bone marrow transplant. Graft vs Host disease, infection, viruses, autoimmune conditions, not to mention the lingering side effects of treatment and medication. And if you’re lucky enough to survive 35 years, as I am, there’s [...]