IFOA Fri and Sat
Topic: Writing Outings
Saturday 27Oct06 9:19pm

My final notes for the International Festival of Author's ...

Round Table Discussion with:
Giles Blunt, Gianrico Carifiglio, Robert Drewe, Louise Welsh
moderated by Martin Levin

Giles wrote for both Street Legal and Law & Order.
Louise Welsh said that Glasgow is the murder capital of Europe.

One worries about misrepresenting ones city in fiction.

Interest in ordinary places transformed in a new way.
You see first and tell later.
The right time to write is when you see the ordinary place as new or with new eyes.
Some recommend creating an amalgam of a place.
Mixing real places with fictional places.

Robert Drewe talked about doing something different as a writer every time. Which reminded me of Douglas Coupland a couple years ago saying that he tries to write like an artist having an exhibit. You would never have the same showing each time so why would you write the same kind of novel each time.

In response to genres and genre crossing or blending genres... The difference between books is just one - a well written book or a poorly written book.

Robert Drewe talked about the serial murder that ultimately got him to write the Shark net. The Serial killer worked for his father and killed a boy he knew and also stalked Robert's mother. Robert was a boy when all this happened and it took six years before the murderer was caught.

Gianrico who is a mafia prosecutor by day in Italy said that he is not interested in writing a diary. His character is a defense lawyer so he has to look at everything with new eyes.

Horrible crimes are committed for stupid reasons by ordinary people.

The interest in looking at people under extreme conditions and watching how they react.

The question posed, What is the decent interval to write about a true crime such as Bernardo and Holmoka?

People like to think that the bad guys are somewhere else. Killers are human beings - interest in figuring out how they work.

Margaret Atwood
Margaret was in fine form. She was really funny and really chatty.
She read from her book of short stories, Moral Disorder.

When the enchantment is broken and the character realizes that she doesn't have to do this anymore yet she still has to do it.
Everything in young society has rituals - the young don't realize that they are rituals.

We're always writing and rewriting our own stories.

Our parents are the ultimate mystery.

When asked about possible autobiographical writing she said, "I prefer lying." Of course writing fiction is considered lying.
She also made mention about the perversity of the reader that believes all fiction is autobiographical and all autobiography is made up.

Margaret asked, "Are we really that different from other people (as Canadians) and should that difference be preserved? How do we want to represent ourselves to the world?"

Ryan Knighton
He gradually went blind in adult life. He talked about how he has slowly changed his language. He's gone from asking "Who are you?" which could be considered rude to asking "Who is there?" Like answering a knock at the door and when the person responds he opens the door.

Blindness undermines any you have. Embarrassment doesn't mean as much to him anymore.

References to sight are unavoidable and they are metaphoric. When you say see you later etc...

Writing is trying to see, a way of seeing.

Ralph Steadman
Before becoming a cartoonist, "I tried everything else first."
Took a drawing course on how to draw and how to be a cartoonist by correspondence.
He hasn't worked a regular job since 1953

He of course worked with Hunter S Thompson and half created the Gonzo journalism that Hunter is famous for.

A drawing is a set of emotions set loose by the use of a line.

Of course his latest book, "The Joke is over", is at the top of my wish list.

Clifford Chase
The author of Winkie which I must have!
Jian Ghomeshi interviewed him and I've decided that I have a big thing for Jian! ha ha!
Jian started the interview with questions about Winkie the teddy bear. One of the funniest interviews I've ever attended.

Winkie, the teddy bear was Marie when Cliff's mother had it and became Winkie when Cliff had him. Hence the teddy is transgendered in the novel.

He said the novel was almost like a creative writing course assignment to write a short story from the point of view of your bear.

Question - Should we give up our bears? (Considering I recently lost my childhood bear that was a strong question to me.)

Keeping our bears is like recapturing from childhood what gets left behind.

He likes walking the line between autobiography and fiction.

Round Table Discussion with:
Nell Freudenberger, Jane Hamilton, Asa Larsson and Louise Penny
moderated by Nathalie Atkinson

Original reason for writing a book
- writing a book for myself.. what I'd like to read.
- write the best book I can write for myself

Being published and the shock of having readers.

Letter writing was the perfect way to learn how to write to entertain.

Seasons/climates as character
- everybody looks alike in Winter
- you know people by their dogs or their toques
- happy snow - that soft snow falls - the first snow, the white snow
- unhappy snow - packed snow, slushy snow, dirty snow
- pristine white carpet and we know what's underneath - something is buried.

What happens when there is a thaw when things that are buried come to the surface to quickly?

A place from one person's point of view never existed because no one significant came out of there artistically but to the artists it existed (East Village in Beijing) and what does that mean to a story?

Secrets in history. Secrets are at the heart of mysteries.

You start from scratch every time when writing.

What happens when you're stuck in a marriage?

What do you believe? We become what we believe.

Asa Larsson said that she got her idea for her novel when she was at a friend's house and saw a picture of the friend's son that she hadn't seen in years. While studying the picture she thought, "He would make a beautiful corpse." The friend has since said that she will never leave Asa alone with her children. ha ha!

People you've never met claim they are characters in your book!

As long as you're talking you're not learning.

Both Nell and Jane have a dreadful novel in their drawer.

Louise Penny's advice to me - Persevere. Believe you can finish it and publish it and you will.

IFOA Tues and Thurs
Topic: Writing Outings
Friday 11:02am 27Oct06

Okay catching up with the notes I kept from the International Festival of Author's.

Round Table Discussion with:
Mark Billingham, David Gibbins, Michael Collins, J.B. Mackinnon
Paul Quarrington was the moderator which is always good for a laugh.

James MacKinnon started on his book because of an interest in an Uncle assassinated in the Dominican Republic in 1965 before James was born.

Michael Collins talked about there being a certain agitation in sitting still for too long. His interest/ theme is about the contemplation of a lost people. Through running and coming across "lost people" through the disparity of what he lived in a University town compared to the people who lived there he got into writing.

Mark Billingham said that writing is to a degree showing off. You want people to read what you write and in a way it's like you are showing off. He said that the reveal used by stand up comics (of which he is one) is the same technique used by crime writers.

Michael Collins does some genre blending within his book, what starts off as a literary novel moves into crime fiction. Fascinating to me. Add his book to my wish list.

Why they write...
Writing as a reaction to what I see.
Writing the book as you want to write it.
Write the kind of book you'd like to read.

Who is your imagined reader?
Family, a person like oneself.

I realized that my imagined reader is my mother even though she is no longer alive. I'm writing that book that would gain her attention as much, if not more than my brother's brilliant art...

Round Table Discussion with:
Alberto Manguel, Rosemary Sullivan, and Bruce Whiteman.
Antanas Silieka was the moderator.

Rosemary Sullivan's book Villa Air-bel (another wish list item) is about the artists that stayed in occupied France in a Villa waiting to be rescued and the artists that came to try to rescue them.

Her comment when she'd asked one of the artists why she hadn't left earlier when it would be easy to leave, her response was, "we couldn't imagine a place other than Paris."

A lot of discussion about the traces we leave behind or no longer leave behind with the use of a computer. Every draft is a first draft because we keep working off the same page and saving it as such. There is not visible progression of how a work has changed.

The day that virtual sex equals sex I'll agree to a virtual library - Alberto Manguel.

A writer is someone on whom nothing is lost. Alberto quoting Henry James (I think)

Discussion about there being a need for an active public life to go with the reflective writing life.

Their favorite books that they re read over and over:
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - Joyce
The Sun also Rises - Hemingway
Moby Dick - Melville

Other comments
I'm looking for the expression of my experience in a book. Expecting to find a mirror of me when I pick up a book - Alberto Manguel

A writer needs a writers circle of friends that understand. - Rosemary Sullivan

The short sell cycle for the novel... "Books don't have sell by dates as if they are eggs. - Alberto Manguel

Each generation brings its news - Antanas

Rosemary quoting Irving Layton - You write for immortality!

We are being educated in stupidity, you need to learn how to be stupid - Alberto Manguel.

Thurs Round Table Discussion with:
Caroline Adderson, Tom McCarthy, Eden Robinson, Timothy Taylor.
moderated by Richard Crouse

How the book changes when it goes out into the world.

Eden's first novel was published in 1996. She discussed how people reacted to her when they first saw her after they'd read her book. Most people were disappointed expecting her to be dressed all in leather based on the content of her book.

Timothy, I think, said if you're lucky your life changes once your book goes out there.

Caroline mentioned a sense of elation and relief at completing the novel that turns into depression for about 6 months or until you start on your next work.

the best part of writing is writing.

People interpret your novel in ways that you've never considered.

A grieving period after I leave my characters - Eden.

Writing is self-taught if that is possible - Timothy

Even if it's bad writing it's worth doing. That is part of the process.

Reading the great works as a writer:
- studying how does he do that?
- highlighting the novel
- copying the novel as if you were writing it yourself (like an applied version of re-reading the work.)

The need to learn how to step away from yourself to see your work as a reader.

You're not meant to write it perfectly in the first draft.

Caroline writes 20 drafts per short story.

Regarding reviews - you have to be skeptical especially with praise in the public.

That's it!
EY

IFOA Receptions
Topic: Writing Outings
Tuesday 1:05am 24Oct06
We're in Scorpio now. Being a water sign it's a good time for me. Came home to an email from my watery Cancerian friend. Feels good! Totally thrilled that he wants all that I asked for.

I had a banner time at the receptions. Got up the nerve to grab Philippe Dupuy by the arm as he was walking by and started a conversation with him. We hit it off like a house on fire and hung out at the second reception. Got him to draw something for me in my little notebook and autograph it, which is my thing. Exchanged a kiss and a hug when he said his good night. He's in Montreal for the next three days. Spoke to Rawi Hage who lives in Montreal. Told him all the reasons why I love him and he in turn told me that he needed to hug me and did! When girlfish finds her inner charm the world is her oyster! I had so much fun and every author I talked to told me that they couldn't wait to run into me at more festivals as a published novelist. Paul Quarrington remembered my face and stopped to chat. Jowi Taylor was out with his six string and we shared a kiss and a smile. Met other up and comers and handed out my business cards for emails notifying me of what they're up to so I can attend.

Lots of jokes about the drunken writer cliche. Lots of jokes. It's fun when you can work past your shyness and get to know people who are also getting past their shyness.

I want to write so off to bed for an early ish rise to write in the am.
Have I mentioned lately how much I love Geoffrey Taylor the director of IFOA? Last year I asked him if I could hug him for the joy that he gives me through the festival. I think the hug will our yearly thing. Almost didn't make the final reception because I was alone and then Jowi Taylor bailed me out by making sure I went in with him. Did I mention I love him too?

How many more people can I love? And isn't it just great loving people?

Okay sleep so I can rise again...

EY

IFOA Sun
Topic: Writing Outings
Monday 2:43pm 23Oct06

Round Table Discussion with:
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Kiran Desai, Jonathan Safran Foer, Gautam Malkani

Where and what is home when you no longer live in your place of birth?
the difference of being an African in America versus an African American.

The style and form of their novels. With the internet and our different ways of getting information the novel form is bound to change - cutting and pasting ideas.

Yes yes these authors will be added to my wish list.

Round Table with:
Rawi Hage, Simon Ings, Randy Boyagoda, Yasmin Crowther

Exile and Homecoming
Immigration allows an invention of oneself rather than a reinvention. The ability to leave the past and who you were behind.
Exiles take culture with them

Even a villain should have a chance to tell his story.

the difference between leaving or wanting to leave.

an Exile says/believes - "I'm eventually going to return." He/she is longing for a Utopian version of the place that they've left.

What is the burden of the imaginary homeland?

When we write fiction we are playing with our experimental selves taking trips we've never taken, doing things we've never done.

"I would never talk to him at home."
That was the statement regarding a man out side of his homeland that moved to England and was appalled when a lower class person from his homeland spoke to him. It was one of the things we laughed at when I first moved to Toronto and became friends with some French people. "In Montreal, we could never be friends."

Kate Grenville
We can live with a fair degree of doublethink.
Whipping up fear is a way of getting things to go the way you want. IE, the government, the media.

Round Table Discussion with:
Deborah Eisenberg, Nicole Krauss, Colson Whitehead interviewed by David Eddie

Colson talked about taking notes in the city, putting thoughts into strangers heads.

Why do you write?
Writing is an act of freedom. Why not write?

Writing to follow untraveled paths. Writing about the disruption of our view of ourselves.

The perversity of the reader - The perception of the public that when we write fiction we are hiding the truth (is this autobiographical?)
When we write non-fiction we're making things up.
It brought up the topic about James Frey. Why can't his book just be inspiring and help who it helps?

It's better to say you have written a fictional memoir or a personal history.

Round Table discussion with:
Yves Beauchemin, Alon Hilu, Bernice Eisenstein and Marisha Pessl interviewed by Ken Alexander

the idea of re imagining history
looking at the slight chance that he did do it. Alon's book specifically is about playing what if with the facts that are there and the information that isn't and creating a history of someone that works with the slight chance that he did do it.

Pushing history and memory uphill.

We don't know the people who are closest to us.

Kate Grenville is the woman with the great lines to quote.
"the local is now where the universal resides."

Oh and Philippe Dupuy drew a self -portrait for me after I'd shown him the self-portrait that Sherman Alexie drew for me many years ago. Philippe's self portrait is him as an alien with six arms, three antennas, a tail and two feet. ha ha!

No real notes from the Going to Print Round Table discussion...

EY

IFOA Sat
Topic: Writing Outings
Monday 12:34pm 23Oct06

The big bonus is that Starbuck's is giving out complimentary coffee during the festival. Can we say, too much Decaf? Yup!

Mark Z. Danielewski
wrote House of Leaves... add to my wish list.

Jonathan Safran Foer questioned Mark about what the Z in his name stood for. Mark said that he'd decided that he wouldn't reveal it until he told his wife of which he hasn't met yet. That went into a conversation about that which is hidden. Closed Doors - What is behind those closed doors? Family history that is behind closed doors or kept secret. His father was in a work camp (concentration camp) in Dachau. He went from being in a work camp to becoming an avant garde film maker. His dad, in his younger days performed in other languages that he couldn't speak in. He'd learn the piece and could perform it like it was his language. Fascinating the spirit of humans. What we can do when we're motivated and possessed.

In my notes I wrote... Language he could perform but not understand.

Questions posed to think of when writing:
How will I show things that are private to me?
Who is the witness of this story?

The act of looking. Looking for the history. Looking behind closed doors. Looking for the secrets. He said that his father used to call him the drill because he'd drill him daily about his life prior to coming to the States. What stories families tell.

He talked about enjoying things now that you know that your dead parent would enjoy. That his dad would be into ipods and downloading and all the gadgets. I think in the same way about my mother.

Empathy starts in the imagination.

Style seemed to be the theme of the weekend as a whole. Things that I want to do in my writing. A novel that is set up like a scrapbook and the more you delve into the scrap book the more the story is revealed.


Gay Talese
interviewed by Sandra Martin

What is my true home? another theme that ran through the weekend. When you are from somewhere else and you reach a point where you're not of that place nor of this place.

What is it about others I can relate to, find myself in?
Of course Gay is for immersing in the area that he wants to cover. Living with the people etc.

He read from his book, The Writer's Life... my wish list!

His piece was about going to Calabria which made me chuckle to find out that he was Calabrese (or Calabrian). All the Italians I know that are Calabrese never say they are Italian they always say they are Calabrese. He even mentions that in his piece. We're so attached to where we come from.

He discussed eavesdropping on the stories of others. Personal stories. Knowing the personal info of others. You can see how he could become the type of writer that he became.

He uses fictional techniques in non fiction.

"Work is like the art of hanging out."

He likes subjects an Historian wouldn't write about. Writing about the ignored people. People on the fringes. The lady that carried Frank Sinatra's hair pieces. The third horn player in his band. People that were not known but were affected by his life.
He said that the history we most think about was written by fiction writers.

Both Gay and Mark Danielewski mentioned Herman Melville - not successful as a writer while he lived but the audience, the readers decided after his death that he was a worthwhile writer.

Philippe Dupuy and Charles Berberian
Graphic Novelists.
They work together. They showed some drawings trying to explain how they work together. One drawing of two guys sitting across the table from with both of them holding on to the same pencil. Another one showing one guy drawing with the head of the other on top of his.

They said they can't really explain how they work together other than saying that they sit down and discuss the story and from there one starts to draw, the other adds to it and it keeps going that way until it's done.

I especially want to add them to my wish list...
Imagine if I bought every thing I wanted?

Their comic series Monsieur Jean basically started with the idea of a 17 year old writing a letter to the man he'll be in his 30's.

They are interested in telling really sad stories in a funny way; building bridges between the past and the present; loners, outsiders, bohemians.

Jaime Hernandez
of Love and Rockets fame. - hmm - Wishlist!

the characters write it I just have to take them somewhere
Kill someone you know not a character that just arrived in the last issue.
Our duty to have characters of our own ethnicity. We have lots of stories to tell. Yes he discussed that when he and his brothers were delving into comics that all comic characters were white. That they couldn't come up with many stories for white characters but when they made their characters Hispanic they had lots of stories to tell. They realized that if they didn't write stories with their own people no one else would.

Ran into Paul Quarrington and asked him about his musical recommendation that I know he tells his students. He said that he recommends listening to symphonic music to help with structure.
it's a good thing I bought all those Beethoven !

EY