Where I Write

Wrote a little profile of my favourite writing space for UBC. Thought I'd share.

Where I Write 

There are pictures all over the floor of my office, getting dusty. There are the photographs my wife encouraged me to print and frame, the ones I took in places like Romania, Oman, Italy, Kuwait. There is the gold-framed maroon and gold of my BA in English, the navy blue and gold of my BEd, the plain cream of a radio broadcasting diploma, standing on its rolled up end. They’re all very nice. I have the best intention of hanging them up. Actually, I should say I still have the best of intentions to hang them up, the same best intentions I had a year ago when we moved into our Westdale, Hamilton home.

But they aren’t on the walls yet. Only two things are: a candid shot of me and my Rosalee canoodling, taken when we thought we were on a break from shooting portraits. A foot or so away, on a greasy dot of blue-tack, hangs a single sheet of paper that says KILL THESE WORDS, and lists writing baddies like Suddenly, Started, Very, Then. Seems like every time I go into the office to decorate I end up at the desk instead, chicken scratching an outline or character sketch or hunt-and-pecking through edits or new material. The picture of my wife inspires me to create; the other keeps me sharp when it’s time to hone my words.