the extended narrative
Brent has spent much of his vertical life telling stories and communicating. In high school he rediscovered the spoken word -- we talk early then spend lifetimes talking, but how often do we really listen to ourselves? -- and used his confidence and comfort with language to embark upon and achieve a diploma in Radio Broadcasting. A brief stint as a low-paid weekend overnight host on a London, Ontario radio station taught him the value of self-editing his spoken words, as well as developing a keen ear for the sound of language.
After a year off, where he traveled through New Zealand and Australia, a pipsqueak of an inner monologue convinced him to go back to school for a degree in English Literature. He used his degree to teach in a private language school in Gwangju, South Korea for a year, but realized quickly that what he wanted to do most was teach literature and write. So, armed with that desire, he settled in the Toronto area and taught English, Creative Writing, Computers, PE, and Drama, at a small, private high school north of the city.
Then he got married, and his world just opened up.
His love of language took him to Kuwait, where he spent four years teaching English, Journalism, and Film at The American International School of Kuwait. He returned to South Korea in 2009 to teach English literature at Seoul Foreign School, the top international school in Korea.
Brent came back to Canada in 2011, and now lives in the Westdale neighbourhood of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada with his wife Rosalee and daughters Nora and Alida. When he's not crafting stories, he reads, runs, husbands, Daddys, coffees, podcasts, and teaches writing to college/university students and other aspiring scribes.
With grateful acknowledgment of granting support from: