Six Questions interview #148 : John Geddes

John Geddes is the former Ottawa bureau chief at Maclean’s, where he won National Magazine Awards for political journalism. Last year, he picked up a Digital Publishing Award for a personal essay on the Nazi past of a Viennese painting in the National Gallery of Canada’s collection. He was co-winner of the Ottawa Book Award in 2006 for his novel The Sundog Season. Earlier this year, his story “Tetlock” was published in the Irish literary quarterly The Moth and his poem “Curfew” recently won Arc Poetry Magazine’s Diana Brebner Prize. He lives not far from the Ottawa River with his wife, the CBC journalist Joanne Chianello.

Q: How long have you been in Ottawa, and what first brought you here? 

I moved here from Toronto in 1989 to work in the Parliament Hill bureau of the Financial Post, reporting on politics and economic policy. I was only a few years into a career as a journalist, so that was an exciting time for me. Way led on to way, and I covered national affairs for three decades, mostly at Maclean’s, where I also wrote quite often about art.

Q: How did you first get involved in writing, and subsequently, the writing community here?

I started thinking of myself as a writer, who knows why, when I was kid. I was also fascinated by politics from pretty early on. So a life in newsrooms seemed a natural aspiration. But I also loved stories and poems, and always wanted to write them. As an undergrad at University of Toronto in the early ‘80s, I hung out with driven writers and impassioned readers. One of my best friends was an Auden nut, still is. I latched onto Derek Walcott, who was then coming into his own as a major poet. As for Ottawa’s writing community, I’m only just meeting writers of poetry and fiction, although quite a few of my old friends are accomplished writers of non-fiction.

Q: How did being in such a community of writers shift your thinking about writing, if at all?

I retired from covering the news only a couple of years ago. From what I can tell so far, the literary scene seems friendly. Still, my thinking about writing comes pretty much entirely from reading. I’ll read something that gets to me and wonder, Could I do something like that? Occasionally I read something thought-provoking that’s expressly about the writer’s life and work—George Saunders’s beautiful, insightful A Swim in a Pond in the Rain comes to mind. Generous friends recently gave me a Paris Review subscription, and I lap up the author interviews.

Q: What do you see happening here that you don’t see anywhere else? What does Ottawa provide, or allow? 

I’ve lived in Ottawa for so long that I don’t have enough experience elsewhere to know if there are distinctive happenings or unique resources in this city. But I am grateful that the Ottawa International Writers Festival has, over the years, invited me now and then to interview both fiction and non-fiction authors, novelists and journalists. As a writer with a foot in both worlds, it’s been fun to meet authors from either side of the divide on the festival stage. 

Q: Have any of your projects responded directly to your engagements here? How have the city and its community, if at all, changed the way you approached your work? 

Way back in 2005, I published a short novel set in mining country in Northwestern Ontario, where I grew up. Ottawa didn’t enter into it. Yet I find the stories I’ve written recently want to take place here, so to speak. For instance, earlier this year an Irish quarterly published a pandemic story I wrote, in which the protagonist is a 90-year-old guy who turned out to hail from Lanark County. Does my poetry somehow respond to where I live? I don’t know. Bardia Sinaee, who judged the Diana Brebner Prize, says my poem “Curfew” is “placeless,” and I’m afraid he’s right.     

Q: What are you working on now? 

I’ve been toiling away, as best I can, on short stories for a couple of years. I work on poems whenever some snippet of language won’t leave me alone until I try. I would like to say I’ve also got a second novel on the go, but that would be stretching the truth.

 

Six Questions interview #147 : Leslie Roach

Leslie Roach has lived in Ottawa since 2017. Her debut collection of poetry Finish this Sentence was published by Mawenzi House in 2020. She’s a lawyer who has worked at the United Nations, Parliament and the Supreme Court of Canada. She writes about challenging the status quo and finding one’s true purpose. She was born in Montreal to parents who immigrated to Canada from Barbados, and taught her the value of hard work, education, belief in oneself, and decency towards your fellow human.

Q: How long have you been in Ottawa, and what first brought you here? 

I’ve been in Ottawa for 5 years now. Before then, I had been living abroad for 10 years working for the United Nations in several countries (i.e., Italy, Mali, Tanzania, Kenya and Senegal). In 2015, my family and I decided to return to Canada. We initially settled in my hometown of Montreal and spent two years there. Then, in 2017, my husband found a job in Ottawa, so my son and I joined him a few months later. In the time I’ve been in Ottawa, I’ve had the opportunity to fulfill my dream of being an author. I’ve also held jobs at Parliament and the Supreme Court of Canada in that time.

Q: How did you first get involved in writing, and subsequently, the writing community here? 

I have written poetry, journaled and have had a passion for the written word since young. When I arrived in Ottawa in 2017, I would see posters for Ottawa’s International Poetry Festival (VerseFest). That inspired me and I started to work on a poetry collection. In 2018, I submitted my first poetry manuscript to three potential publishers and got an acceptance that year. In 2020, my debut collection of poetry Finish this Sentence was published by Mawenzi House. That collection deals with the very real and damaging effect racism can have on mental health and empowering oneself to confront this societal plague while maintaining one’s sense of self and bliss.

Just prior to my book’s publication, VerseFest asked if I could host one of their events. I was touched, excited and nervous. It was my first time participating in an event of the kind. It was great. It put me in touch with local and international poets. For me, VerseFest reaching out signaled my entry into Ottawa’s poetry community. Since that time, VerseOttawa (Ottawa’s non-profit poetry promoting organization, which is responsible for VerseFest) has included me in their events, so I’ve felt quite welcomed and energized by the Ottawa poetry scene.

Being part of a writing community is something that I cherish and try to nurture, which is not always easy since I juggle my day job, family life and writing. The writing community is particularly valuable to me because I chose the writer’s life after an established career as a lawyer and international civil servant with the United Nations, so I have not been privy to learning the ropes of the industry like other writers might have (for instance through a Master’s in Fine Arts). Being connected to a writing community gives me access to a pool of talented people that I can put my questions to about the complex world of Canadian literature.

Q: How did being in such a community of writers shift your thinking about writing, if at all?  

Being part of the local writing community shifted my thinking about writing in one very specific way. That is, it helped me to see that it is possible to be a full-time writer. I was suddenly exposed to people who were doing just that. I’ve even met full-time poets. That has been extremely inspiring. I’ve enjoyed speaking to writers about how they make the writer’s life work for them.

Q: What do you see happening here that you don’t see anywhere else? What does Ottawa provide, or allow? 

What I’ve seen happening in Ottawa is that you can actually access the writing community because the people are down to earth. I’ve wondered if I would have had similar access in other cities. I can speak about the local poetry community. They encourage you to come out and participate regardless of your level and give you opportunities to get involved. The poetry community got me involved from the time my debut poetry collection was about to be published, and I really appreciated their pro-active outreach. It made me feel like I was becoming part of something.

Q: Have any of your projects responded directly to your engagements here? How have the city and its community, if at all, changed the way you approached your work? 

My projects are indeed responding to my time in Ottawa. My writing has historically reflected on such topics as racism, microaggressions, diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, social norms, gender, mental health, isolation, class structures and bureaucracies. Being in a government town like Ottawa and working for state entities has enabled me to reflect more deeply on the topics that I write about. In addition, I write about empowerment, following one’s bliss and mindfulness. My time in Ottawa has increased my resolve to focus on doing work that I love and following my life’s purpose.

Q: What are you working on now? 

I am currently working on my second book of poetry and perhaps my third as well. I continue to reflect on racism, microaggressions, diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, social norms, gender, mental health, social isolation, class structures and bureaucracies. Empowerment, intuition, mindfulness and being true to the callings of one’s soul are also key topics. My writing is increasingly recognizing the role writing itself has played in my life in terms of providing a steady guide and barometer towards presence and purpose. I pay tribute to the writers and teachers whose words pushed me further along my path.

Six Questions interview #146 : Shannon Quinn

Shannon Quinn is the author of three collections of poetry. Her latest, Mouthful of Bees, was published by Mansfield Press in December 2021.

Originally from Ottawa, Quinn has lived in Montreal, Edmonton, Iqaluit & Thunder Bay. She currently lives in Toronto where she is proud to both provide and use mental health and addiction services.

Q: How long were you in Ottawa, and what first brought you here? What took you away? 

I was born in Ottawa, the youngest of six children. I left for McGill when I was 18 and didn’t come back except for holiday visits. Leaving was both emotional and exciting. Basically, I found out I was much less prepared for the world than I knew, so the learning curve was extreme…awkward and painful…but there was also an energy at the time of adventure and abandon.

Q: How did you first get involved in writing, and subsequently, the writing community here? 

I did not connect or follow the writing community in Ottawa until about 10 years ago. There is so much talent. People making really creative choices with their work. Here I’m thinking of Manahil Bandukwala, Conyer Clayton and Natalie Hanna, just off the top of my head. I dabbled in short fiction in my twenties but in my thirties found poetry, which was a great feeling of arriving at a place that felt like home.

Q: How did being in such a community of writers shift your thinking about writing, if at all? Have there been subsequent shifts due to where you have lived since? 

I didn’t gather with other writers until my late thirties. In my twenties I worked in theatre, in Edmonton, and had a very immediate sense of community there. Finding my poetry flow and people to critique it took a bit of time. I currently belong to a writing group that tries to meet once a month. Getting feedback from my peers is an essential part of my process.

Q: What did you see happening here that you don’t see anywhere else? What did Ottawa provide, or allow? 

Ottawa will always be steeped with nostalgia for me. It’s where I grew up and every early memory is there. My parents made a real effort to bring me to the theatre when they could, something I respect them for and am grateful for the exposure…along with my late father’s voracious reading habits.

Q: Have any of your projects responded directly to your engagements here? How had the city and its community, if at all, changed the way you approached your work? 

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to read in Ottawa, the first time I had ever read in the city I’m from. It was a wonderful feeling to see my family there. In practical terms, when COVID hit and I couldn’t go home I turned to friends to talk about collaborations. I worked remotely on a chapbook (An Orthodox Strain of Light) with Merrill Shatzman; Professor Emerita, Duke University and artist. Her art work and design were gorgeous. I also worked remotely during COVID with two Toronto artists: griffin epstein and bryan depuy. This project was about taking an eco-myth about climate grief and turning it into an audio-visual experience and can be experienced here for free:

https://whosewoods.org/biophilia/

I was blown away by what they brought to the project.

 Q: What are you working on now? 

I am working on a chapbook for Anstruther Press, due out in 2023.

 

Six Questions interview #145 : Chris Lackie

Chris Lackie has written comics published by Red Stylo Media, Oneshi Press, and Arledge Comics. His work is also featured in other comic anthologies, such as the Best of Indie Anthology 2019 and the Continental Cryptid Anthology. He lives in Ottawa, Ontario, with his wife and two sons. Chris can be found online at www.chrislackie.wordpress.com and on Twitter at @ChrisLackie.

Q: How long have you been in Ottawa, and what first brought you here? 

I moved to Ottawa 15 years ago to take a job in the public service. 

Q: How did you first get involved in writing, and subsequently, the writing community here? 

When I was a child, I would make up stories about my friends and I having adventures, fighting monsters, and going into outer space. I’d write them all down and give them to my family members to read. In high school, I started writing terrible poetry and slightly-less-terrible plays for drama class. I stopped writing when I got to university so I could focus on trying to be an accountant (which, thankfully, didn’t happen), but after I graduated, I quickly realized that creative writing is something that I absolutely have to do. I created a blog to scratch that itch, which became a mix of a real-life journal entries and absurd fictions where I play the main character.

My life changed when my wife decided to buy me a Batman comic book (Batman: Cacophony #1, if you’re curious). I’ve been hooked on comics ever since, and I eventually discovered that, while I love reading them, my true passion is creating them. This ultimately led to me working with some of my fellow Ottawa comic book creators.     

Q: How did being in such a community of writers shift your thinking about writing, if at all?  

I’m inspired by all the incredibly talented writers and artists in Ottawa. I used to think that making comics would be a fun hobby that wouldn’t necessarily lead to anything, but seeing creators like Tom Fowler, Jack Briglio and so many others excel in this industry makes me feel like I can do it too.  

Q: What do you see happening here that you don’t see anywhere else? What does Ottawa provide, or allow? 

I grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, and everything always felt claustrophobic and stifling. Ottawa’s a big city that doesn’t feel like a big city. It has all the amenities you could ever want, but it also has space to breath and grow.

One thing I look forward to every year is Ottawa Comiccon. Seeing what other comic book writers and artists are creating always makes me want to be a better storyteller.

Q: Have any of your projects responded directly to your engagements here? How have the city and its community, if at all, changed the way you approached your work? 

When I first became a comic book fan, my favourite place to buy books from was a store called the Silver Snail. Every week, I looked forward to going to the shop, picking up my books, and chatting with the staff and the other customers about what was going on in the latest issues of Justice League and Spider-Man. I was very sad when the store closed in 2015, but the lasting legacy of the Snail to me is that I met two incredible artists, Heather R. MacDonald and Becky McKercher, that I have worked with on multiple projects. It always makes me a little giddy when a comic is put together by multiple Ottawans!  

Q: What are you working on now? 

I just finished a couple projects that I can’t really talk about yet, so stay tuned!