Bits and Bobs

The always wondrous Kerry Clare has found another of her own kind, ie., another fascinatingly bookish Kerry! This one is poet Kerry Ryan, and their interview together is really insightful. A small example:

"KR: Well, domestic subjects are easy to come by; we’re constantly surrounded by them. But that doesn’t make it easy fruit to reach — there’s always the challenge of finding the aspects of everyday experiences or objects (especially the ones everyone is familiar with) worth the attention of a poem."


I don't look at a lot of photo blogs because, well, I don't have much technical insight into photography, and to just look at image after image, day after day, on a strictly "That's so awesome!" level, I must agree with the photographer pretty closely on the definition of awesome. I agree *very* closely with Brooklyn Codger about awesomeness--check this out, and tell me if you are surprised that her real name turns out to be Rebecca. Her posts are generally one (or more) of my favourite things: 1) things found on the ground, 2) cats, 3) food, 4) books (quite often, 1 and 4 combine), 5) cityscapes, 6) craft projects (ok, I don't get much out of crafts, but BC is so charming I go with it). Now go look at the whole blog and see if you agree about the awesomeness.


You can read a little interview with me over on the Now Hear This blog, posted in anticipation of my reading for them, next Wednesday at 7pm at the Free Times Cafe. It's been ages since I've done a reading in town, leastwise one that was public, so I'm really excited (ok, I'm always excited about readings). What to read, what to read...
RR

More good stuff

This week is full of good things I can recommend in a quick list, which is good because this week is also scant on time for me to write longer blog posts. So enjoy the fruits of others' labours:

Annabel Lyon does 12 or 20 with rob mclennan (have I mentioned recently how much I love this series?)

The Hart House Players' outdoor production of Romeo & Juliet runs until Saturday and is highly highly recommended. The spot on Philospher's Walk is beautiful and even you know the Walk, you probably haven't been there before (I hadn't--there's a grassy park on top of flight of cement stairs!) Also, and most importantly, the cast as amazing, free and relaxed and passionate, which is how I like to see Shakespeare. They play the characters young and silly and bawdy, and Mercutio and Benvolio's banter is an especial delight. Another highlight is Juliet, a role that often gets played as a pretty hysteric. Here, Cosette Derome makes the 13-year-old lover human and funny in her giggly ardour, and later in her wretched but wry sorrow. When I looked up Derome in the program, I was surprised-but-not-really to find she'd been in my favourite play of the summer, 36 Little Plays about Hopeless Girls. I wonder what else she's going to be in...whatever it is, I'd watch it!

Steven W. Beattie's desk is now viewable on Desk Space. I also love this series a lot; there are no bounds to my nosiness about fellow writers!

And finally, a while back I talked books and bars with Ian Daffern at the Victory Cafe and Dave Kemp photographed the proceedings. The result is a slideshow feature at Open Book Toronto called Open Bar. I think it's pretty cool.

Ok, now I'm outie for the holiday. Happy Civ--I promise to write something with real paragraphs next week!

Stay with me / go places
RR

Elsewheres

I've been posting elsewhere again, Writers Writing Blogs and This is a call, both at Thirsty. You are encouraged to read, and, if so inclined, answer the call!!

But I never answered his letter
RR

Everybody blog!

At That Shakespeherian Rag, Nigel Beale refuses the Salon de Refuses, and at Thirsty, Dan Wells refuses back. Intersection is blogging again, but I just found out. My Tragic Right Hip has been blogging for a while, but I just discovered her existence and coolness.

My friend C. has no personal internet presence sadly, but does have a very cool iPhone. I have nothing new to say about anything, but I was happier about being photographed with an iPhone than this photograph would lead you to believe. On the positive side, I no longer hate my hair. On the negative side, my horoscope continues to advise patience. Hence the eye-roll?



Does he get lost / hey what are you reading?
RR

Mayumi

So, yes, I did it: I bought a digital camera. It doesn't usually take this much Sturm und Drang to buy a camera (or a house) but I have a tough time with electronics. Thanks to all who supported me in my invented problem, and thanks especially to the subject of my first digital photo, beautiful Afshan in the unbeautiful rain:






The other major event of the weekend was a haircut that reduced my attractively uninteresting (boringly benign?) shoulder length curls into the Emo-Boy Special--a jaw-length tangle that flips over my entire face the moment I nod. Leaning forward, I could be in My Chemical Romance. *You* try to guess the difference:





See, impossible to tell who's who!!

Look forward to more amusing guessing games of this nature with the help of Mayumi. Mayumi is the camera--I name my appliances to make them seem less threatening, and this camera is of Japanese parentage.

My heart is far away / tell me what to say
RR