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Reading Liberia Pictures
Come visit my “Reading Liberia” photo album!
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Looking Ahead… And Looking Back
Even as I anticipate heading off with Peter, imminently, on the first winter holiday either of has taken to a warm place, and returning to a basement much transformed during our time away, I feel the need to return once more to moments from my time in Liberia – for my own pleasure in reliving…
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Good News for Love Every Leaf
When Menelik-Llord Aidoo, one of the writers I worked with in Liberia, wrote a piece about a comic book he’d read as a child, about George Washington and his love of nature, I was glad I’d brought Love Every Leaf with me, to plant the idea with Liberian writers that they might like to consider writing biographies, too.…
Read More...South Africa
I’d been told to expect elephants, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, and more. And I suspected that if we did, it would be fun. But I had no idea how exciting it would be. For fifteen years my husband’s cousin John and his wife Veda urged us to visit them in South Africa. When we finally went…
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The ABCs of European Travel
Cruising down rivers and canals from Amsterdam to Budapest had its lovely moments, but the experience paled in comparison to our visit to South Africa and to my own time in Liberia in February. Not that I’m ungrateful for a season so rich in travel opportunities, but I do understand why “Another Bloody Castle” is…
Read More...More On Africa
I’ve just finished reading The Native Commissioner by Shaun Johnson (winner of the Best Book In Africa Commonwealth Writers’ Prize 2007). I bought it while in South Africa, thinking it might offer me useful insight into the complex world of that beautiful country, and it did, to some extent, though of course there is a…
Read More...Touring Newfoundland's West Coast
My travels as a Canadian author have taken me to every province and territory in the country. Last week returned me to the west coast our easternmost province. Readings and writing workshops took me to its northern tip (only one road goes there), south to Port aux Basques and to many gorgeous spots in between.…
Read More...Back in Liberia
I’m sitting on the fourth floor balcony of the Cape Hotel in Monrovia in shorts and t-shirt listening to a mixture of surf and hotel generators, and the occasional honking of a motorcycle horn. It’s just after nine o’clock at night. African music has been added to the surf/generator mix as I type this. Who…
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It's "Wear Red" Day
Did you know that today is “Wear red” day? And no, I didn’t make that up! Even though as author of Red is Best, maybe I should have. 🙂 Red’s not your colour, you say? You have nothing red in your closet? Why not – just for today – borrow something from your sister, your…
Read More...Last Word from Liberia
Once again it’s late at night. And what can I say except that once again it’s going to be tough to leave this amazing country and the remarkable group of people I’ve had the privilege of working with here. We’ve had some animated discussions about all manner of things. We’ve heard some great stories too,…
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