January 27,
2007
There
were eight of us here Thursday night to honour the Muse. Bob,
Ellie and Jean didn’t read, but were a wonderful audience for the
rest of us.
Bob
did inform me, though, that the certificates he had brought last week
were not to give Jacoby Bros. permission to use a trademark, but rather
a hallmark. Their jewellery had 3 markings on it: for hallmark,
trademark, and quality. I stand corrected.
Susan
brought a list of the top 25 books for fiction and the top 25 for non-fiction.
These were the ranking of sales in Canada for 2006. There was
a further listing of the top 25 fiction and 25 non-fiction for paperback
as well. Sad to say I have only read two out of all those listed.
Susan had highlighted a number of them, and Bob had also read a number.
The list was published in The Globe and Mail on Jan. 6/07.
Susan
read another chapter of her brother’s book. Gravel is thinking
of selling his bike after the gang’s annual bike trip to New Brunswick.
He wants to get away from the gang. Payback, the leader who is
going to jail, wants Gravel to run the gang while he’s incarcerated,
but Gravel tells him he plans to sell his bike. Payback is angry,
and we learn how tough he can be by the recounting of his past actions
when crossed. A lot of foreboding here.
Lynette
read another piece related to the course in the Alexander Technique
that she’s taking. This one was titled “Positions And Attitudes
Of Mechanical Advantage” and outlined the lessons she learned in paying
strict attention to and then detailing absolutely every movement she
made in picking up a cup in her kitchen. The goal is to unlearn
habitual ways of moving and relearn more beneficial ways of doing things.
I
read Chapter 33 of my novel, “Fire”. It told of Fiona and
her son, Cam, racing back to their townhouse to find the love letters
that had been written to Fiona’s husband, Jack, by the woman he had
died trying to save from a fire they now suspect the woman’s husband
may have started. They find and read the letters and pick out
the ones that tell of the threats that Dan, the woman’s husband, had
made. Before they decide what to do with them, the doorbell rings
and two police officers arrest Cam for arson. – I want to add
some more to this chapter, and Lynette pointed out to me how I had repeated
myself by explaining what Fiona was thinking, and then having her state
the same thing in dialogue. I have some work to do.
Margaret
said she is going to have the characters in her stories all relate to
each other in some way. The latest one she’s writing has Hamish
(who wrote about the cat that died and who then inherited a castle)
wanting his uncle, Rev. Peabody, to perform an exorcism to rid the castle
of ghosts. But Rev. Peabody has no wish to to do so after losing
his big toe and still needing a hernia operation. Margaret
had us laughing again.
Gemma
read more of Kooma, the pup who has his first taste of dog food, and
then learns that “Kooma” is his name. Growing quickly and
eager to explore, he gets stuck behind a sofa. As his brothers
and sisters leave his life, he gradually transfers his affection from
his own mother, who is seldom around, to the woman who comes to visit
and holds and talks to him. Very heartwarming.
Since
Valentine’s Day is just over 2 weeks away, I suggest we submit poetry
or prose about love, or a Valentine’s Day experience, to be posted
on our website. I think I have two poems I’d like to post.
Anybody else have something? I dare you.
Next
meeting here at my place, Thursday, February 1st, at 7:00
p.m. And may Cupid inspire you to write in the meantime.
Lisa