Blog # 179...July 2026
The art of survival is occupying all of us these days and pulling away from despair is taking effort and creative thinking. Following the NY Knicks first NBA championship since 1973, David Remnick's editorial inThe New Yorker shared the joy enveloping the Cityfelt, finishing with, "Joy, remember that?" "
I now choose what to read from what's available on the many forms of audio books at the Library.. It means I sometimes can't find what I think I want, but discover an unexpected treasure instead. I've loved Ann Patchette's writing ever since Bel Canto, so I reserved
Story of a Happy Marriage expecting a novel. Instead I found myself engrossed in a collection of personal essays, a memoir of sorts. As well as stories of her childhood and growing up, she shares how her years as a journalist informed her fiction writing and her thoughts on the craft of writing. Her piece on the creation of Truth and Beauty, which she wrote after the death of Lucy Grealy is an exquisite and loving tribute to friendship. The story of opening Parnassus, a Nashville bookstore gives her a chance to champion both reading and independent bookstores. As you may have guessed by now, I liked this book.
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And Scotland keeps attracting my attention. Douglas Stewart has a new book, he won the Booker prize with his first, Shuggie Ban, written after many years as a successful fashion designer. In a delicious interview with Oprah Winfrey, he introduced his latest ,John on John, set on the remote island of Harris, where the famous tweed is woven. The meeting of her voluptuous exuberance with his restrained humour makes for something both funny and sweet. YouTube has it.
I was so happy to be back in Quebec recently, having let too much time pass since my last visit. This time we were in the Eastern townships, in and around Sherbrooke. The town centre has been largely shifted to the outskirts, but its history has been preserved in a series of mammoth murals,on large expansive walls of buildings scattered throughout the town. Here's a link so you can look at them
all if you're so inclined, they're quite fabulous.
Wow, that's the longest link eve,! hope it works
I've always had a somewhat proprietary feeling towards the Toronto General
hospital, having been born there, delivered my daughter Julia there and worked on the front line in inpatient psychiatry from 1984 to 2001.
I winced when they gobbled up theToronto Western and then most of University Avenue as the University Health Network., but I rejoiced when they established Dunn Avenue for 41 vulnerable people who lived on the streets and were frequently in Emerg. They're now entering another area of social concern,supporting members of our aging population to stay in their hom.
It's called NORT, no idea what that represents in our world of acronyms and lol's, but I think there's plans for one in my neighbourhood, which is quaintly called Seaton Village. .I'll see if I can get to the bottom of it, in the interest of the art of survival and report back.
So, as Bugs Bunny would say,That's all folks! I hope you found some joy as you read this and will spread it around, and keep cheering for Team Canada, in all its forms on July 1st.
Back in August.
