Some stuff n stuff

Just finished reading a book by Nigerian writer, Lanre Soyode whom I met at Leytonstone Library at an event, recently.  The book is about a money scam involving a bank and a fraudulent account and is set in London and Nigeria and has a happy ending with lots of twists and turns. It was weird to be involved in the reading because we are living in these recessive times and my book is about the pitfalls of money, trying not to sell out, and so on. 

It was a Saturday all ages event which also featured a beefy feller with some large snakes in a separate room in the library, a first for me. 

Also it was good to drink with George Murray in London, briefly about a week afterwards. We called Paul in Toronto that evening. 

 

Taking the what..?

"Pipin' er...?"

Heresay, recollections, tall tales, survival stories, John Stiles talks about life in the back of a small rock n roll van and peddling Taking the Stairs in London's East End.

June 20th

10 am

Leytonstone Library

London

UK

London Train, Halifax Band...

Rocks n Rain...

1989, Damp and mouldy basement, Smalls Band House, West End, Edmonton.
Q: Where you from again?
A: Nova Scotia...
Q: Why'd you wanna live there, its nothin' but rocks n rain.
A: Ummm... I'm gonna write this book bout that...
Q: What?
A: Jest you wait.

2009: London (British Library, Manuscript Section)
Reading: The Sayings and doings of Sam slick (2nd edition). Leather bound, 1830 odd.
Sam Slick: "Never seen so many rocks - enough to starve a rabbit."
Deduction: well he started it.

Victorian-era descendants at London literary bash?

This London event rekindles a love of Victorian-era wits such as Nova Scotian Thomas Chandler Haliburton and Londoner Charles Dickens. In years past descendants of Victorian luminaries such as Sigmund Freud (great grandaughter, poet Annie Freud) have attended and this year the Patron of the Charles Dickens Museum, Lucinda Hawksley who is a descendant of Charles Dickens will read from her novel: Katey, The Life and Loves of Dickens's Artist Daughter.

To get the evening rolling a group of local London poets called the purple poets will perform 'The Clockmakers Clock' in honour of Canadian Thomas Chandler Haliburton and the evening is always well attended.


Where: The Pembroke | 261 Old Brompton Road | London SW5 9JA
When: 21 Apr 09 | 7 pm
Cost: 5 Quid

Proceeds to The Maple Leaf Trust
www.mapleleaftrust.org

Irving Layton Tribute by Patrick Woodcock

Recent observations about Canada...

1. People 'discuss' their feelings in public in Toronto. (Not so much in the UK.)
2. There's a lot of Chinese people in Toronto. (I never noticed before.)
3. People are slightly ruder at Tim Hortons. (it was lunch hour, tho)
4. Paul Vermeersch has an airborne cat.
5. Ontario is a watery place...
6. The Leafs need a hockey player who comes from Canada.
7. Mats Sundin is slower but still all class.
8. Adam Getty's Repose was 'staff' pick at Indigo. Shelve stockers, fans -- not too too bad.

Trono... if I make it in time..

will read from Taking the Stairs...


Toronto Reading is:
Monday March 02
Rowers Pub
150 Harbord Street
Toronto
7:30-10:00 pm

with Adam Getty
Linda Leith
Gianna Patriarca

Some observations...

are they correct, I dunno

NS..ers will talk till they are blue in the face
and keep er goin' over the odds bin at Frenchies.

Londoners will be polite and formal with you
but they won't raise an eyebrow or move down
the train once they've staked their claim on the
Central Line (in the rain).

Parisiens will sing Bonjour Madame and tut tut
at those who don't speak French and shrug at the
economic downturn - well why not? but the fact
remains: THEIR LITTLE DOGS MAKE GREAT BIG
SHITS THAT STICK IN GRATES.

noted on a rainy day after a w/e in Place de la Republic.

Notes from a bygone era...

Oxen ploughed the mountain, horses the valley.
And the rest of them picked the fields clean.