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. According to Google, these types of tokens were used in vending machines or parking lots in the eighties. Despite my best efforts, I never figured out where this one originated, but it’s been in my wallet for thirty years. Now silvery-white and polished smooth, it’s cool to the touch. Yet, [...]

By |2024-08-28T12:36:35+00:00August 27th, 2024|Publication, Survivor, Writer|0 Comments
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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 this book will linger in my mind. Early morning walks to beat the heat and consistently fiery sunsets framed languorous days. Perfect for sighting a gaggle of geese, pair of loons, fast-moving turtle, porcupine!?! (not sure who was more scared) and a magnificent bald eagle. Once again, nature restores and [...]

By |2024-08-27T22:03:13+00:00July 31st, 2024|Publication, Survivor, Writer|0 Comments
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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 Ocean. Azure-blue sky borders the saltwater, which sunlight refracts and resolves into multi-layered shades of turquoise. At the horizon, a delicate ribbon of periwinkle haze shimmers. Maybe it’s an ordinary day for most people here. But for me, it’s a joyful re-awakening, as if I’m meeting myself again after a [...]

By |2024-02-24T21:09:51+00:00February 24th, 2024|Covid-19, Publication, Survivor, Writer|0 Comments
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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 links to the Canadian writing community. That's not to say my words were unread during that time. After winning the 2020 Penguin Random House Canada MFA Prize for best nonfiction book proposal, I completed my memoir in 2021, and it went out on submission via my wonderful agent. If only [...]

By |2024-01-03T18:39:10+00:00December 20th, 2023|Publication, School, Writer|0 Comments
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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. My heart exploded with joy as I met so many CNFC volunteers and members for the first time after three years of Zoom meetings. And reconnecting with the King’s MFA community was a gift. Thanks to my hardy friends for braving the cold weather to dine al fresco with me [...]

By |2023-07-23T21:35:14+00:00June 15th, 2023|CNFC, MFA, School, Travel, Volunteering, Writer|0 Comments
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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 old age and achy joints to slow you down. Think ’57 Chevy with a rebuilt engine and a whole lot of tinkering! One constant for me these past three and a half decades has been the extraordinary care and compassion of the people who work at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. [...]

By |2023-10-15T21:35:22+00:00April 29th, 2023|cycling, fundraising, Survivor, Volunteering, Writer|0 Comments
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Another (pandemic) year, Another Ride

Pandemics come and go, but the Ride to Conquer Cancer persists. I’ve written about this event in my memoir -- about the first Ride in 2008 and how cycling 200 kilometres over 2 days helped me reclaim my health and come to terms with the after effects of the bone marrow transplant that cured my leukemia. I’ve continued to ride ever since. Ride #11 this year seems more important than ever. It's a way to transcend the fear and anxiety scenting the air and to remind myself that this too shall pass. You can learn more about why I [...]

By |2023-10-15T21:37:33+00:00August 7th, 2021|Covid-19, cycling, fundraising, Survivor, Volunteering, Writer|0 Comments
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Canadian Blood Services Profile

Still thankful 33 years after transplant, Toronto woman now helps others. "During my time in hospital, I received 157 units of blood,” she says. “Each unit represented a blood donation from someone I didn’t know. Those transfusions kept me alive during treatment, so supporting the work of Canadian Blood Services to facilitate blood and stem cell donations across Canada is a no-brainer." Thanks to Canadian Blood Services for helping me celebrate the 33-year anniversary of the bone marrow transplant that cured my leukemia and saved my life. The procedure was a last-ditch Hail Mary play after all other treatment [...]

By |2023-10-15T21:38:00+00:00May 22nd, 2021|cycling, fundraising, Publication, Survivor, Volunteering, Writer|0 Comments
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The Globe and Mail: Organ donation op-ed

Skip the mall this Christmas. Your organ-donation consent is the best gift you can give   'Tis the season for gift shopping. That time of year when we flock online, a Pavlovian response to slick advertising. We search shopping malls and stalk special one-day-only sale racks, spending hours seeking the perfect gift. But what if we didn’t have to search? What if we already carried the perfect gift within us? Less than one-quarter of Canadians have registered to donate organs, but 90 per cent of Canadians say they support organ donation. Presumed consent is a potential solution to increase donors, [...]

By |2023-10-15T21:38:28+00:00May 10th, 2021|Publication, School, Survivor, Writer|0 Comments
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CNFC launches online webinars

It's been a busy end of the year here at CNFC as we launched a *NEW* series of monthly webinars. From November 2020 through April 2021, we'll be hosting conversations and workshops with leading Canadian writers and tackling diverse topics.  From Finding the Story to Writing About Mental Health, we’ll present thought-provoking sessions that may guide us as we write during these challenging times. Click here for information about upcoming and past webinars. The webinar series is FREE for CNFC members, so here's my shameless membership plug.  If you wish to become part of our community, you can join us by following the [...]

By |2021-01-04T19:36:15+00:00December 22nd, 2020|CNFC, Volunteering, Writer|0 Comments
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