Monthly Archives: August 2011

Bread and cheese and suicide

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Nor

My needs were simple: Bread and cheese. Buffalo mozzarella in a sea of oil and a stiff baguette. And so I leaned my bicycle against the brick wall on Queen Street, beside “Andy’s Family Restaurant” frequented by drunks, and stepped … Continue reading →

Posted in death | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

A Prairie Layton marker

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Nor

Here is how my morning begins: with a coffee and the death notices. Not so very unusual really but what’s more unusual is that I do it as a fishing expedition: hoping to catch a glimmer of a story (excuse … Continue reading →

Posted in obituaries | Leave a comment

Death knell on Toronto’s public libraries?

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Nor

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford threatens to kill our libraries. I’d like him to walk–or drive–to his home branch, unsnap his cell phone, cram himself into a chair and make his way through Farenheit 451. Unfortunately, that’ s a thinking man’s … Continue reading →

Posted in writer | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Stealing memories

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Nor

Writer’s block at summer’s end. There might be a connection. I want to dive beneath waves not lean across keys. Lick ice cream cones not blog. Read popular trash not research inside intelligent sources. Meanwhile, another deadline looms: Monday 9 … Continue reading →

Posted in obituaries | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

JFK is a good angle

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Nor

Seems that some words just know how to trip us up. Camouflage, for instance, leaves me badly bruised. I keep having to pick myself off the ground, breathe deeply, and try to spell it again. But rotten spelling isn’t the only … Continue reading →

Posted in obituaries, obituary | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Tomato Man Defies the Skies

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Nor

I’m writing an obituary about an Ottawa man who handed Princess Elizabeth a shovel. Later, when she became Queen, he handed her another one. Sometime between these two visits he grabbed another shovel and this time gave it to President … Continue reading →

Posted in memory, obituaries | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Gratitude at 3 a.m.

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Nor

She had been knocked off her bike, stuck by a car, and rushed to emergency. I got to St. Mike’s Hospital just behind the ambulance. “Is she alive?” I screamed. And then I woke up. Telling dreams don’t work unless you’re … Continue reading →

Posted in death | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment