Ice-glim

The spring-view, looking out into Trinity Bay, circa 1923.

Hurricane Power

St. John's-own, Craig Francis Power, unleashed his debut novel last Tuesday, amid the full fury of Hurricane Igor. I confess, although I had checked in earlier with him, I never expected him foolish enough to coax people to risk life and venture down to the Ship Inn. But he did, and I am contrite in having missed it all.

Craig and I share weird parallels that end the moment you meet either of us, or read how we each write. Both of us were trained as artists at NSCAD ('though I preceded him by a century or so), we both write about art, curate exhibitions. This summer, each of us ventured to China on separate junkets, to check out the scene. Power's book, Blood Relatives, was written here in St. John's over roughly the same period that I was working through Firmament. Both manuscripts were shortlisted for the same award (Fresh Fish) and both ended-up with great indie publishers (Gaspereau & Pedlar Press).

CFP just did some readings from the novel in Winnipeg, and there's a short interview in the Manitoban. I was interested to read about the fiction he dislikes: Canadian writing that is: "kind of like ornate, pseudo-poetic kind of precious, dull writing.” Setting aside the 'dull', I have a nagging suspicion that good-ole-CFP might quickly deposit my own writing style and structure in this catch-all. It will be interesting to see if any parallels survive.

I'm off now to pick-up my copy of Blood Relatives to confirm the good things I've heard. Do the same.

Caplin Cove Stone

Two details from the actual Caplin Cove, taken this summer between proof edits.

Chapter 6's title (again from the Dictionary of Newfoundland English) is: FETCH

Mid-Life Vices

In less than 10 hours I turn 45.

Five years ago, at 40, I made a slim list of things to do. My way of staving off the slimy-scare of becoming a middle-ager who starts thinking about sleek red cars or eye-candy human-accessories.

I rememeber having a pint with artist/designer Beth Oberholtzer.

No doubt tired by my recounting of life thus far, Beth asked a simple question. "Okay Bruce, what do you want to do?"

I didn't think, I sputtered: "Write a book?".

There's something good about approaching 45 with that conversation done. Better yet is the certainty that I have one thing off my 'birder's-list'. Lots yet to do, but I am now starting the next (even slimmer) list with less agnst.

Igor, and sparks of life

While Newfoundland continues the clean up from Igor, I managed to clean up the once-invisible glitches discovered by our proof reader. Corrections made, we are moving closer to the Gaspereau lab exclaiming "It's Alive."

Congratulations to Gaspereau and especially to Johanna Skibsrud for making the 2010 ScotiaBank Giller Award long list for her novel The Sentimentalists. Fingers crossed in hope that the jury seriously consider smaller literary presses, alongside excellence, in their short list deliberations.

Today's Newfoundland word, heading chapter 5 is: MOONLIGHT

Hemlock & Silver

1. It is a privilege to debut a first novel with a press like Gaspereau. This reality takes me, increasingly, as we get close to launch.
   
   I live in 'Sin-Jauns", a small city rich in writers celebrated nationally and beyond. In my 15 minute walk to work, it can routinely to pass the likes of Lisa Moore, Ken Harvey, Bernice Morgan, Michael Crummey or Susan Rendell.
   
   What a town.
   
   Some of these and other author-friends have described parts of their process with other, often larger, publishers. They share concerns about: the ultimate title of their book, the design. Hoping the jacket will be good, once they finally see it.
   
   Therein lay my pleasure of late.
   
   Gaspereau's Andrew Steeves, celebrated for his book design, typographical expertise and overall love of books, has patiently asked my thoughts at every turn. Granted, I could get hit by a bus or steal away with some witness-protection-program and, rest assured, my book would look and feel great. None-the-less, he is patient and caring.
   
   I'm no designer, but Andrew sure is. I appreciate a day of working through 7 different jacket versions, each tweaked toward our common goal. I appreciate the simple email, asking me to review colours, inks and paper stocks, before he commits. We ended up with a deep-green jacket built of a paper named Hemlock and an ink born of silver.
   
   I am beginning to feel sorry for those poor louts at the bigger houses. Cheers to Andrew, and Gaspereau.
   
   Today's NL word is WRINKLE, it begins chapter 4.

Fowl editing

Pordel, our hen-about-town, pecks at all, but ignores my scribbling at edits.

Todays word & chapter 3's title: FAINAIGUE

ReProof

Andrew Steeves is couriering the final proofs as I write. Feel kind'a sorry for the proof-reader, dealing with an array of local language, my stylistic abuse of grammar, and the neologism I managed to invent.

Ah, yes: it is day 2, word 2 is:

FETCH

Again, try your luck, then scan the Dictionary of Newfoundland English online.

a dozen words over a dozen days

Of the 13 chapters that make Firmament, all but the final begin with a word from the Dictionary of Newfoundland English. These are special words, each have no easy counterpart in standard Canadian English. They are words reflecting an unique manner of thinking.

I'll offer up one word per day, as they are listed in Firmament's table of contents. Can you guess its meaning? Try and then follow the link to the DNE site.

Today's word is DWALL.

Blood (feud) Relatives

My friend, occasional co-conspirator and eternal nemesis, Craig Francis Power, launches his first novel “Blood Relatives” in one week at The Ship inn. You need to go and be there, and buy a book. I will.

The fact that the two of us, a Newfoundland ying/yang is there ever was, are both simultaneously bearing books this fall, is fey in itself.

CFP and I are both Art-Jesuits, trained by NSCAD, sent out in the world’s fringes. We both have laboured as artists, cum critics, cum curators, and have met together, facing opposite sides of art’s battlements. Alas, last time he did win (2007 Fresh Fish Award), but the day remains young.

I cannot imagine two Newfoundland novels more different than Blood Relations and Firmament. Although both are born and bred via blue-chip Canadian indie publishers (Pedlar Press and Gaspereau Press), the semblance is both nigh and healthy.

See you next Tuesday, and prepare to return in a month.

Preview? Simulcast?

Newfoundland’s Rattling Books is preparing to release EarLit 5, the next in their series of audio-books featuring new prose/poetry. The venerable Anita Best, I'm happy to report, will be narrating one of mine; a story lifted from the larger novel, entitled Fetch. EarLit 5 is in a race with Firmament for release. Click on the Rattling Books link above to check it out.

What is FIRMAMENT?

A weathered nineteenth-century headstone; the sheet music to Ode to Joy; a pattern of stars which marks the gravesite of a long lost child; an underground cellar holding the plaster fresco of the sky at night — this is the delicate web of detail and legend which links those who have lived in a Trinity Bay cove.

Firmament is at once a series of stories and a novel depicting the changing human landscape of an outport. Preacher Poole voyages through the eroticism of biblical verses while watching a tourist undress on the beach. Eleven-year-old Caleb is seduced by broadening horizons as sophisticated cousin Marina arrives in the cove complete with an upright piano. Michael, a navy deserter with a truly harrowing past, delights local children with seafaring adventures.

The stories spanning two hundred years are subtly interwoven with the human graffiti of lives past. Characters enter and leave the cove under the ever-watchful stars which give this highly accomplished work its name.

—Jurors’ comments, Fresh Fish Award for Emerging Writers

Update & ETA

The miraculous Andrew Steeves, editor, book-designer and the deft publishing brain behind Gaspereau Press (alongside the venerable Gary Dunfield) is busy working the final design for the novel, including the jacket. The initial proof is, as expected, beautifully and aptly made.

As it stands, the book is approximately 5"x 8" and 224 pages, type-set in Adobe Caslon and Matthew Carter's Big Caslon. Looks like the jacket will be a fine, elegant letter-press.

Hope to have the real thing in my hands (and many of yours) in time for Gaspereau's annual Waysgoose, slated for the weekend of October 23. Hope to travel to Kentville to celebrate, read and meet the Gaspereau team face-to-face.

The official Newfoundland launch (no doubt at St. John's infamous Ship Inn) will be planned and announced soon. Stand by.