The Panel

I got up and found a coffee shop this morning, a cute place called The Second Cup, and sat, drank coffee, ate a scone and made notes on my fifteen minute talk. When it was time I headed back to the hotel and saw this tent. I wondered if it was erected specifically for the Word Fest Authors in case....no one came to their readings....no one bought their books...someone threw tomatoes.



I pushed those thoughts away and stared at distant China town. Perhaps I could make my way over there if I survived the panel.




No need to worry. It was wonderful to share the room with Aritha van Herk, Tony Rees (Arc of the Medicine Line), and Gil Adamson (The Outlander.) Their readings were wonderful and Aritha was the perfect moderator, smart, funny, warm. After the panel we signed books until the books were gone, we waited for more books to be delivered and signed a few more. I, after hearing Tony and Gil speak and Aritha speak, am eager to read their work. I bought books, got them signed, and will worry about the luggage issue later.


We went to lunch at the Joyce Pub. There you see writer woodworker, canoe-maker extraordinaire, David Finch, with the indominable Gil Adamnson and publishers rep/bon vivant Heather Parsons. Those are my glasses, my notebook, and my local brew, Grassopper Ale, with a lemon. David told me it was a girl-drink but I think it must be the addition of the lemon that makes it girly as I saw pretty burly guys quaffing the insect-labelled beer.

Gil and I went to the Glenbow Museum and spent a couple of hours walking around and talking. We enjoyed Arithas wonderful Mavericks show, sat in a 1900's train, a 1950's drugstore, and were awed by a stone sculpture of the fasting Buddha.