November Recap and Recent Publication: See/Be Seen

 Hi, folks! 

November whizzed past in a blur of literary events, and I loved every minute of it. From waking up on my birthday in Wawa, Ontario and being serenaded that evening at Wordstock Sudbury by three former Poets Laureate of Sudbury in the evening, to sitting on a panel with a hugely gifted and influential poet to discuss grief, AND, back home, attending a book club to talk nuts and bolts of character and reality vs. fiction, AND speaking to a ladies' luncheon group, AND reading online for the Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop, AND a bunch of other events, it's been a wild ride.

(from top): Vera Constantineau, Kim Fahner,
and Roger Nash after their serenade.

My view at Wordstock, Sudbury's Literary Festival,
just before my panel, "Good Grief," began. Lots of fun!

November also brought my first new publication in a while, at Five Minutes (fiveminutelit.com). The short essay (100 words EXACTLY about a five-minute life episode) "See/Be Seen" is what I hope is only the first essay about my husband's dementia diagnosis. 

My 2019 essay collection, REVERBERATIONS: A DAUGHTER'S MEDITATIONS ON ALZHEIMER'S, examined how my family of origin handled (or didn't, especially) the changes brought as my mother's Alzheimer's developed. It also includes essays from after my parents' deaths--because, to my surprise, death doesn't necessarily mean the end of a relationship.

My husband's dementia diagnosis is a fact--perhaps unpleasant, unwelcome, un-wished-on-anyone, but nevertheless a fact. He may not be able to do things the way he used to, but he's developed workarounds for some things and is releasing others. He's also finding new joys. He supports my writing about our experiences. 

Most important, his determination to find beauty and happiness every day is unchanging, and he's carrying me with it. 

He was with me in Sudbury, listening to mamy panels on humour and poetry, as well as other topics, and cheering me on. I appreciate his support in this writing life we've created.

And speaking of Five Minutes, I'm one of the readers for December. It's a lot of fun to see how varied the submissions are. Have you thought of writing exactly 100 words about five minutes of your life? You should give it a whirl.