Author: bongiornojoey

To put Canadian Literature on the map, we need to make our stories required reading in schools When I was a high school student in the early 2000s, the English language curriculum was almost exclusively composed of Shakespeare and Arthur Conan Doyle titles. When I got to CEGEP, there were a few Leonard Cohen poems, … Continue reading CanLit still overlooked in Canadian classrooms

This blog post was originally published here on Rob McLennan's my (small press) writing day blog. My writing day begins at around 7 am. I’m hunched over in front of the espresso machine, watching the coffee trickle down into my cup. After frying up some eggs, scarfing them down and doom-scrolling through the news, I … Continue reading My Writing Day

Hallelujah! The novel is complete. Now it’s time to send this out, get some fresh air, and socialize for a change. LOCKDOWN! QUARANTINE! DOORS SLAM SHUT! On the day that the Canadian government launched measures to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, I finally completed my novel. The manuscript, tentatively entitled, “VV,” deals with, among other things, … Continue reading Fleshing Out Your Skeleton

Sadly, keeping up the writing routine isn’t as easy as picking up smoking, but fear not! Much to the dismay of your parents and financial advisor, you can, with the right work-ethic, become hopelessly devoted to this promising path of poverty and obscurity. [1] Space & Ritual Joyce wrote in bed with crayons while Maya … Continue reading Clickbait: How to be a Prolific Prisoner

"This isn't going anywhere! Burn the fucking manuscript!" Writer's block is often depicted in film with tortured, unshaven and chain-smoking novelists slamming fists on desks and tossing crumpled manuscripts into waste baskets. The disgruntled paper-throwing novelist is right about one thing: writer's block is a pain in the ass. Picture this: a climber reaches a slippery stretch … Continue reading Scaling Past the Dead-End