A Little Bit of Time for J.D. Salinger

I was in a bookstore, appropriately enough, when one of the staff members walked up to a floor worker nearby and said that J.D. Salinger had just died. I immediately joined the conversation and marveled at how one writer could bring strangers together like that.
We were soon joined by another floor worker who had not heard the news. Her reaction was interesting: she went off to order more copies of "The Catcher in the Rye" and rearrange the book section under his name. There was no need for this. I visited that stall ahead of her and noted the eight copies of this book, and the few others that were there ("Raise High the Roof Beam", "Franny and Zooey", "Nine Stories").
At the library, I picked up a copy of "Raise High" and am now trying to read it. Not so easy to do. As with many writers that I enjoyed as a child, my opinion has changed. I had never read this one, and I am glad that I did not pick it up as a child. It would have coloured any idea I had of Salinger as a writer.
Yes, "The Catcher in the Rye" is a classic (65 million + sold and now counting), but I think I see why he decided to stop adding to his own canon. The books that followed and preceded it could not match that sort of impact. In the press, it was announced that he had piles of notebooks with unpublished and unedited handwritten work.
I think they should stay that way; as private as the man himself.
J.D. Salinger (1919 - 2010)
P.S. The above letter was one that Mr Salinger wrote to a student looking for advice. It says it all.

Happy Australia Day?

I missed the celebrations for Robbie Burns, so I may as well say "Happy Australia Day" to my friends way down under. Or is it "Invasion Day," as many others now call it?
I am torn. As the citizen of a former colony with parents from another colony, a part of me reaches out to those populations that were wiped out or treated so badly that the aftershocks of history are still with us today. And yet, I know why my parents came here (i.e. Canada): opportunity, education, jobs, and a higher standard of living. This is the real dilemma.
Anyway, see the day the way you wish it to be seen. If you have any interest in why today is so special, click here and learn a little history.
And if you do not see the romance of such a holiday, there is one site in particular that may intrigue you.

The Earthquake in Haiti

Ladies and Gentlemen, Brothers and Sisters:
I usually have a glib or witty message to post on this site, but today I just feel empty and sick from the news I am seeing from Haiti. I had plans to meet someone today and put it off to just take in the news and consider what I plan to do (give money; donate blood, clothing, etc). But there are other issues I want to address:
Pat Robertson is the most repulsive human being that I have ever heard (fortunately I have not met him). Just learned that he blames Haiti for their problems. I will not quote him here, but I will provide a link to his comments so that you can hear what he said (click here).
Michaelle Jean - Governor General of Canada and a woman of Haitian descent - is one of the most decent people I have ever heard (unfortunately I have not had the pleasure of meeting her). She did not hide her emotions on television when discussing what we can do to help the people still struggling to survive (click here).
Two responses from two very different people. Make your own judgment. And do your part!

Canadians Against Joining Groups on Facebook

My first Facebook group and the one I am hoping will teach me which of my friends are bright and which should be left making wicker baskets in the corner. I hope that this picks up!

The First Full Week of the Year

I have been ill for the last two weeks, which is going to colour whatever I type about the first full week of the decade. I am still stuck with annoying roommates (one is hitting pieces of clay with a hammer to make a mosaic as I type), debt, no word on the job interview or CVs that I have sent out (two schools got my application to become an instructor and have a policy of making all candidates wait about six months), and a lack of friends in the city. This is hard. Most of them have moved or have always been easier to reach on Facebook. Another reason to stay stuck on my laptop.

And the good news? My stepfather is out of the hospital. He is the luckiest man I have ever met or known. First time he was in was for his heart (he has recovered); this time it was his blood-sugar level. He will have to take insulin from now on, but he is still here. Other than that, I have a plan to get out of this box. I may head back to Hamilton by the end of spring and this seems like it is on track. No other work is forthcoming and I have no real ties here.

Now, I am off to the library to get something I reserved, back here for some guitar practice (only a Fender Strat without the amp) and then back out for a show I may write about.

The Return to Somewhere

I am back in Montreal and recovering. Not just from my bad cold (that is ebbing) but also from seeing my family for such a brief amount of time and then having them so far away from me. Also, I was not prepared for the snow. It was so bad when I got here that they could not open the doors on the train to let people out. And my taxi driver got lost (apparently he forgot the name of the address I had to repeat three times and could not see the road signs in the heavy snowfall). But I am back.

Now, I have a new roommate that I find a little odd (or maybe just quiet); another roommate who just stopped speaking to me; and another roommate who I would like to stop speaking to (kind of hard to do - she is the one I pay the rent to every month).

My plan is still to leave by late spring, but that is predicated on not finding any work here before then. I have three job postings in my inbox and I may give at least two of them a try.

So, I am back. Hope that there is more for me in the year of the dragon (actually, Chinese New Year is in February, but I had to get that out there).

The Return from Nowhere

This will be my last blog post until Sunday; the day I head back to Montreal and leave the family and other folks behind. I am still a little sick, but I promised myself that I would spend the Saturday packing, watching my nephew play hockey, and getting some decent rest. That is all I need. Or is it?
I have promised myself to return back here in the spring and I am doing certain things that will guarantee this. First, I am leaving my acoustic guitar behind. I have an electric Fender Stratocaster in Montreal (no amp there) and it is good enough for a quiet practice session. Second, I am telling people that I am coming back. My mom and brother and all the others that follow and matter know this. Finally, I am already missing Hamilton. There. I said it (or at least had the nerve to type it). I have only been out to jog and visit certain relatives, but this city is the one place I truly love as much as I truly hate. But that is a Steel-City-Kid type of hate. I need this place as a jumping off point and I believe that I can take it for a few months until I am airborne.
So, that is all for now. Keep your mouse clicking on this site.