A READING OF SHADOW OF THE LION

I recently did a reading for the Dominion Reading Series in Vancouver B.C.
It included a time to discuss my writing process as well as a Q&A period.
The evening was a big success for me with an enthusiastic audience.

Here's the link to the YouTube video of me reading.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0oBzQK9leE&t=171s

Book Launch and Readings: Promoting SHADOW OF THE LION: THE FIELDS OF HADES

 This past weekend I spent a delightful day at the Vancouver Public Library at a Writer's event.  We had tables to display our books and spent most of the day chatting to passersby.  I did a short reading from the Epilogue of SHADOW OF THE LION: BLOOD ON THE MOON.

My books didn't arrive on time but I had brochures printed up to advertise both volumes of SHADOW and this proved practical, as people who had books for sale weren't making many sales.  It was a fun day though, hanging out with other writers. And a good chance to promote my books.

I have organized my book launch for SHADOW OF THE LION: THE FIELDS OF HADES.  This will be held at the Kitsilano library branch in the week preceding Greek Days on West Broadway. I wasn't able to obtain the room at the Hellenic Centre even though the Greek Consul agreed to sponsor me, because they were charging a lot of money for rent.  But this library setting should be great and we will have an after party down the road at the Olympia Taverna afterwards

The launch is on Tuesday, June 20, at 7 pm. It's a small room so if you want to come, be there early to get a seat.  I'm looking forward to reading from THE FIELDS OF HADES and seeing everyone!
And thanks to my son, Steve, for making me this nice poster!

THE BUSY LIFE OF A WRITER

Reading at the Canadian Institute, Athens,  Oct. 2015

 

It's been months since I wrote in LIVING THE WRITER'S LIFE.  And yes, it's a very busy life!

First of all, no sooner had Christmas and New Years passed when I was told I'd have to move from the suite I'd occupied for 10 years.  This in itself was a trauma but when I started to look for a new place it was even more nerve-wracking and depressing.  There is a crucial  housing and suite shortage in Vancouver and it's all due to off-shore buyers snapping up houses and paying exhorbitant prices which locals could not afford.  And everyone has gotten so greedy. Imagine asking $1200 for a basement suite!  So for someone living on a pension and considered 'low income' it was a very stressful time. At first I thought perhaps I should put my stuff in storage and go back to Greece but I knew I'd have to soon start edits on Volume 2 of SHADOW so the timing wasn't right.  I thought I'd end  up in a shelter, then a travel writer friend intervened for me and I was shown a suite near where I had been living and I got it.  I moved in the beginning of April but it took a good while to get used to the new place and especially all the traffic noise. But I have adapted and feeling more 'at home' now.
Finally I am able to get back to some more writing, although I have been working on the Greek Island's ebook guide and have completed the Saronic and Ionian Islands part.

Visiting the Cave of Eurypides on Salamina island

Last week I also started the final proof edits for SHADOW OF THE LION: THE FIELDS OF HADES and it is due to be published in October. If' you've read Volume One BLOOD ON THE MOON I know you must be anxious to get this second part of the book. And I can assure you it is one that will keep you turning the pages!

 The Temple of Poseidon

I got some inspiration from Lord Byron when I was visiting Cape Sounion

 

Meanwhile, I am planning a trip to the Islands, starting with Corfu. Flying to London first, on September 4, and visiting briefly with cousins in Caerphilly, Wales, then on to Corfu and a bit of Ionian island hoping until I reach Athens. Then later I hope to visit Crete and a few other islands including my favorite island, Naxos.

 Temple of Apollo, Naxos.

 Naxos Sunset

It's nice to be back in blog writing mode and I hope you'll see more of me in the future. 

WAX POETIC!

Reading at Poetic Justice



I don't generally consider myself a poet, but somehow lately I seem to have found myself in that category.  A few weeks before I left on my trip,  I was invited to appear on a Co-op Radio show, Wax Poetic as their guest for the show.  I was very honoured to be invited as this program has some of the best local poets as their guests. 

For my half hour reading, I selected poetry that was connected to my historical fiction writing.  First I read selections from my work-in-progress Celtic novel "Dragons in the Sky" which has some chapters written as 'stanzas' in Bardic verse.  Next I read selections from my Alexandrian Collection: Hymns for Gods and Heroes which was written some time ago when a poet friend challenged me to write a collection of poems about Alexander's life, parallel to my novel "Shadow of the Lion".  I followed that by reading a short passage from the final chapter of my novel.

The radio readings were a great success and that put me in an entirely new literary category when other poets heard me read.  I was invited to appear as guest poet at a Poetic Justice reading when I returned home from my travels.  This is a poetry reading group that meets on Sundays in New Westminster (a city just next to Vancouver.).  For this reading I again chose stories that showed my interest in historical fiction writing (including several I had read on the radio show) as well as travel poems.  While I was away in Greece I was urged to write some new poetry and although I can't 'write on demand' I somehow managed to at least produce two new poems, which were included in the collection I read that day.  I had also included (in the historical poetry) the opening monologue from my play about the lyric poet Sappho, "House of the Muses".  I had shelved this almost-finished work a couple of years ago after it was panned at a playwright's workshop I had been attending.  Surprisingly, when I read this monologue (which I had planned to rework), it went over so well that an actress in the audience actually asked me if she could perform it some day!  (It just goes to show you that sometimes first opinions are not necessarily everyone's opinions!)

Yesterday I went to Poetic Justice again and read at the open mic.  This time I read some poems dedicated to my late friend Anibal as this month is the anniversary of his death from cancer 5 years ago.  Again, my poetry was enthusiastically received. 

All this 'waxing poetic' has really empowered me.  Maybe I should take myself more seriously and write more poems?  Usually I have written little snippets when I am sad or lonely or going through some kind of personal dilemma (broken love affairs and the like).  Poetry doesn't just seem to 'flow' out of me the way prose does.  But perhaps I'll pay more attention to the Muse now and see if she wants me to write a poem or two.  I'm even thinking of becoming a more frequent reader at the open mics.  There are a lot of poetry venues around town.  It's just a matter of finding the time and courage to attend.

I AM A BOOK

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a book? Well, this past week I had an opportunity to be one: a "book" in a "living library". When I was first invited to participate in this unusual all-day event, to be held at a local high-school, I was not only pleased to be asked but very curious as to what this would mean and what the exact concept was of the "living library". You know that saying "You don't always know a book by it's cover"? Well, this is kind of like that. It's a unique group participation developed in Denmark to break down prejudices and misconceptions about people. The 'books' in this 'library' have many different titles, just as people have many different roles in their lives. You might look at a book and say "I don't want to read about that. That's a boring/unpleasant subject". On the other hand, once you open the book and start to read it, you might find it is very interesting and intriguing and not at all what you'd first thought just by glancing at it's cover.

Every 'book' in this 'living library' had several titles, just as there are many various titles for books that might cover similar or the same subjects. Or some books might have several different stories within it's covers. It's the same with people. You never know the whole story until you have heard/read it. You'll be surprised at what's inside some of those 'books'.

The idea of the 'Living Library" began in Copenhagen, Denmark initiated by five young people after a mutual friend was stabbed in a brutal attack. These five kids wanted to do something to raise awareness and to use their peer group to educate them against violence. So a youth organization called "Stop the Violence" was formed. You can read more about it and the history of the ''human library" at http://www.humanlibrary.org

Moscropt Secondary School in Burnaby, BC. is the only high school in North America to offer the concept although a few colleges have tried it. You can read a blog about our experiences as 'books' in the "Living Library' at www.beyondthebeadedcurtains.blogspot.com

After participating, I would say that ALL high schools should think about offering this 'living library' opportunity to their students. It might break down a lot of barriers, open up possibilities and help to eliminate prejudices and misconceptions about people. It might
help stop bullying!

The people invited to be in the Living Library were asked to come to the Moscropt School a week before the event would take place so we could be briefed on what was going to happen and what was expected of us 'books'. We chose titles (there could be more than one) and later on, wrote those titles on a paper. Then we all went around and wrote our idea of what those books were about (what kind of people those books were.) It was quite surprising to see the results, some of them rather harsh. Those comments would be later put into paragraphs for 'bios' of the 'books' and circulated to the students who would be visiting the Living Library the following week.

My titles were: "Elder" "Travel and Historical Fiction Writer" and (here's the one that caught the kids' attention! "Wanna--be Crime and Investigative Journalist."
Other titles were: "Anti Capitalist Activist" ,"Adopted as a Child", "Young Adult Gay Male Survivor of a Brain Tumour" , Costume Designer/Former Figure Skater" "Omni Sexual/Drag Queen/Photographer: "Ex Gang Member/Ex prisoner/ Ex addict
/son of a KKK father" Big and Beautiful/ Formerly size 5 and bulimic", "Politician/MLA" "Person with a Disability" Gay Lawyer/Farmer/Figure Skater" "Plumber" (this was a single parent woman!) and many others. We were given tips about"what makes a good book" and "how to be a bestseller", how to initiate discussions with the 'readers' and the general protocol of being a 'book'.

On the day that the Living Library program took place, we met at 8.30 in the school Library and were given cardboard signs with our book titles and sat at tables where the kids would come to 'read' us,. The school classes took turns coming into the library and were escorted by volunteer students to whichever 'book' they wanted to 'read'. Usually there were two or three kids at a time, although occasionally only one student came and, in the case of the ex-gangster/addict/prisoner/son of a KKK father, he had swarms of kids around him all day long. And so did the gay books. You would never know to look at the 'books' who they were or had been so it was very interesting to hear the questions the kids asked and see their reactions. I think this is an excellent way of educating people about others who live very different life-styles and in this way it breaks down those prejudices and misconceptions.

My 'readers' were mainly interested in travel, where I'd been and good ideas for budget travel for students. A few were really interested in the writing aspect of my life and were kids who aspired to be writers too. I answered questions about 'voice' and 'setting details" One special coincidence happened when a young fellow said "I don't write but my grandfather does. He used to be a writer for the Vancouver Sun". It turned out that his grandfather was a reporter/BC history writer who I had great respect and admiration for when I was a copy runner at the Vancouver Sun newsroom back in the 1950's. Another young man, who is from Bangladesh, expressed an interest in visiting surfing beaches. I told him my grandson was a surfer who lived in California. This boy has never surfed but that is his dream, and part of the dream is to return to Bangladesh where there are some good surfing beaches. One of the volunteer students sat down with me at the end of the day and it turned out he was a Macedonian Greek from Thessaloniki. We had a vibrant chat about places both he and I love to visit such as Thassos Island. I thought that he was much like my Iskander in Shadow of the Lion -- not only with his intelligence and curiosity but his looks were what I visualize Iskander to have been like.

The entire day was an amazing experience and although I came home at the end of it feeling exhausted, I wouldn't have missed it for the world. I not only learned a lot about my 'readers' but I hope they learned something from 'reading' me as well.

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THE BEST LAID PLANS

I'm writing this from a web cafe and something weird is going on with this blue underlining. I had great plans to finish my novel by the end of May when I am leaving for England/Greece, but last week my computer blew up on me. Fortunately not the hard drive, just the electrical. But it's going to be a couple of weeks before I'm up and running again and as I am leaving here May 24 there certaintly won't be time to finish Shadow of the Lion.

This is also putting a glitch in my weekly (paid) writings for the Vancouver Guide although at least I can post those (without the photos) and I'll be able to pre-date the ones for posting while I'm away.

This has been a very disturbing and upsetting development right when I had so much to do. The best laid plans....and all...

On top of this distress I had just dealt with some upsetting interference of certain people at one of my memoir writing groups. I have a great aversion to 'cliques' of any sort and perhaps that's one reason why I'm not as yet involved in the larger travel writer's organizations. So when it starts happening in my own little writing workshop groups I get very disturbed by it. At this point things are settled down. This week I organized a very successful exchange reading with
writer's groups from across the Lower Mainland who all came to my Brock House group to share their readings. It was a wonderful event, a bright sunny day down by the beach and everyone really enjoying themselves. There's some very fine writers in Vancouver and it was so good to get together to hear one another's work.

So, hopefully things will solve themselves. I am frustrated right now, wanting so badly to work on the next chapter segment of Shadow. I had the use of a laptop at home but by the weekend it also went on the fritz. It seemed almost as if I was under some kind of bad spell last week and I even started wearing my Greek mati to ward off the evil eye. (I really think it worked!)

Anyway friends, I will be back with more of the Progress Report as soon as I have my own computer back. See you then.