10th Canadian Challenge - 15th Review - The Sisters Brothers

The actual Canadian content of Patrick deWitt's The Sisters Brothers is essentially zero.  The author was born in Canada but had moved to the US before he wrote his first novel.  The Sisters Brothers was a follow-up novel that caught fire, as they say.  After this, he briefly moved with his family to France, which inspired him to write his third novel, Undermajordomo Minor.

The setting of The Sisters Brothers is the American West, starting in the Oregon Territory and then travelling with the Sisters Brothers to San Francisco, which is in the grips of gold fever.  (We don't even get the hint that the same kind of gold rush will hit the Yukon at some point.)  There's nothing wrong with this of course, but it is an extremely nebulous link to Can Lit.

I have to say I don't really understand all the fuss about this novel.  It is basically someone steeped in high-brow fiction slumming it in the Western genre.  It might be one thing for the narrator, Eli Sisters, to think and talk in such high-falutin language, but pretty much everyone does throughout the novel with only one or two exceptions.  It kind of grated on me and gradually I lost interest in this novel.  I think the one part that was droll was when Eli was trying to lose weight and was cutting back on his meal portions until his brother, Charlie, convinced him that the woman he was slimming down for was not worth the effort.  After this, Eli stuffs himself with biscuits and pork.  I know there are a lot of fans of this novel, but I just didn't feel very invested in the characters or the plot.

Winding down 2016

I am definitely not going to miss 2016.  It will go down as one of the worst years ever -- basically when average people lost their minds and decided that sticking it to the man was the best thing since deep-fried Snickers.  Of course, 2017 may end up considerably worse, but I am trying very hard not to pay any attention to what happens in the U.S.  (I know my daughter would be thrilled if we visit Europe rather than the States again.)

For me personally, 2017 will likely be a decent year. I've made some decent progress on writing various plays.  I've gotten two actors interested in putting on some shorts, and that may be enough for me to commit to making this happen.  I'll also look more seriously into getting my anthology of transportation poetry published, though I don't want to spend a lot of time on that.

Anyway, I tried growing a bit of a goatee.  While it was supposed to be a quasi-tribute to George Michael (his last look anyway), it just looked bad.  Mostly it was coming in completely white and made me look even older than I actually am.  I looked like a scuzzy version of Peter Gabriel, so I ditched the whiskers.

Due to catching a cold, I put on hold making the curtains and these stuffed fish toys.  I'm sure the germs wouldn't have lasted, but I just wasn't feeling that well anyway.  (It probably is even more sensible not to try to make any sugar cookies right now...)

I'll do it when I get back.  I've just finished packing for my trip to DC.  I've also just learned that it is going to snow tomorrow (in DC, not Toronto) and that always makes for an unpleasant visit (since DC is never prepared for snow of any kind).  It means I'll have to wear boots, and I'll probably have to wear them on the plane, since they won't fit in my duffle bag.

Normally, we put away the Christmas tree and take down the lights a full week after New Year's, but I'll be gone next weekend.  So we took advantage of the fact that I had Monday off, and got everything packed away by Jan. 2!  That has to be a record for us.

This year my daughter wanted a gingerbread house.  I debated getting a kit, but then just bought one that was pre-assembled, and we added the frosting and decorations.

Even though we've now eaten almost all of it, she is quite upset that some is going to end up in the compost.  But it is starting to get stale, much like 2016 did there at the end.

With that, I need to bid you adieu and get some rest before flying out early in the morning.  Best wishes for 2017!

New Year, new events

I'm very slowly filling up my calendar between now and May.  I actually have a few things already scheduled for July and that's before booking anything at Stratford or Shaw Festivals!

Obviously losing the Storefront Theatre is a blow, particularly since I planned to see Stupid F*cking Bird in March, but there is quite a bit else to keep me occupied.

January, I'll be back at Tarragon for Sequence, and Wolf Manor will be doing Danny and the Deep Blue Sea as well (need to get tickets for that soon).  Shakespeare Bash'd should be doing Twelfth Night at the end of Jan. or first week of Feb.  I'm sure there will be other things of interest that spring up.

I think I'll skip Coal Mine doing Superior Donuts (in Feb.).  I'm sure they will do a great job, but I just don't want to see it until I am done with all the rewrites to Dharma Donuts.

I have decided to check out My Night With Reg in Feb.  I generally catch one Mirvish show per season, and it looks like this is the one.  While it is really tempting to go see The Book of Mormon again, I'll try to restrain myself.

I do have to squeeze in George Brown's production of As You Like It in Feb.

In March, I will probably check out Wolf Manor's Three Sisters and Panych's 7 Stories at Hart House, and I am likely going to head over to Buffalo to catch A View from the Bridge.

I haven't seen anything that truly grips me coming through Crow's Theatre, but I might go see The Orange Dot in the second half of March, mostly so I can check out the space.  It's supposedly a 90 minute piece about existential dread.  I'm sure that will help distract me from whatever idiotic things Trump is up to south of the border.  Or not.

It looks like there is a one week run of Our Town at Buddies, and this seems like a fairly experimental version.  I'm leaning towards going.

I am probably going to see Dennis Kelly's Orphans at Coal Mine in April, though I'm pretty sure it will also be quite depressing.

I also will be catching two George Brown productions: The Penelopiad and A Flea in Her Ear and squeezing them in in April.

I just learned that there will be a production of Proof at Red Sandcastle in May, and I'm fairly likely to see that.  Details still forthcoming.

I'm debating seeing It's All Tru at Buddies in May.  Mostly because I have seen almost no queer theatre at Buddies since I've moved back, and that sort of seems weird to me.

Another production that was just announced is Ntozake Shange's for colored girls, which will be at Soulpepper through most of May.  It is again, super depressing, and I have seen it once already in Evanston, but I might go again.  Unfortunately, it remains just as relevant today as when it was written in the mid 1970s...

So I think I'll find a way to keep myself busy...

Going out with a bang (SFYS)

I'll probably regret staying for the entire Sing-for-Your-Supper (solely due to having a cold), but it was a very emotional evening.  Scott Garland had already decided that three years in the saddle was enough, and he decided to mostly focus on his own writing and acting.  However, that wasn't the big news.  The big, terrible news is that the landlords of the Storefront Theatre have decided to tear up their lease and go with a more commercial tenant.  This is the same crap that happened to Unit 102.  Storefront has basically decided there is no way they can finish out the season, so they are cancelling Stupid F*cking Bird in March.  I am so disappointed.  They'll try to regroup in the summer and see where they end up.  Maybe it will be Leslieville for a while, until that gets too gentrified.

Sing-for-your-supper will try to go on, perhaps taking a month off to regroup.  I could see them perhaps trying to get slotted in at The Social Capital.  Anyway, it was tough news to hear, and I feel really badly for the company.

On a more positive note, I actually had three people come out from work to see the piece with two more of their friends.  They really enjoyed themselves (and said that they might come out more often).  This was one of the strongest line-ups I've seen.  When it came to my piece, I thought the actors did a great job.  As it happens, I brought some big white gloves that were used for the Mickey character and a small Mickey Mouse doll.  It really helped.  The actor that played the waiter was really almost surly, which never would have happened at Disney World, but it was funny.  He then put on an amazing Mickey Mouse voice.  The audience was laughing so hard that one of the lines got swallowed and the actor repeated it, but it still didn't quite hit.  Nonetheless, I think it went over really well, and Kat Letwin said that I had totally nailed the Disney experience for her.

I handed out a few more cards, and I think I will recruit one of the actors to play a few roles in an evening of shorts.  She has the connections to make it happen, though ultimately it is about how much money am I willing to shell out (for director, stage manager, etc.).  Anyway, it's something to think about.  I basically have to get enough momentum going and enough other people interested that I can't back out.  I'll post more thoughts on this as things start shaping up, but now I've got to get some rest and try to shake this cold.

Edit to add: I'm still not feeling great, but I have a feeling the cold should basically be over by Thurs.  I left work early (very rare for me) and slept from 4 pm to 9 pm.  Now I'm a little wired, but I'll try to do a bit of reading, drink some herbal tea and get to bed by 10:30 or so.

The story about the Storefront closing hit Twitter naturally but also The Star.  I see that they are at least contemplating putting up a couple of the productions.  Somewhat selfishly I hope that would include Stupid F*cking Bird, since they must have put up some dough for the rights.  Even more selfishly, I hope they look into Coal Mine or Crow's Theatre, since they would be super convenient for me.  Anyway, time will tell what they decide to do.

I went through my archives and it appears that I had 5 pieces put on by SFYS -- the first Straying South in Feb 2015, then Wet in Sept. 2015, then The Re-Up in May 2016, followed by the The Pitch in June 2016 and finally Meeting Mr. Mouse in Jan. 2017.  It looks like I sent in a total of 10 pieces, though in one case the file was completely corrupted.  On one occasion I missed the deadline and on another I came in so late that they had chosen the line-up already. (I almost always got things in on the last day...)  Perhaps I should have resubmitted them, but I had already moved on.  So personally I am counting my success rate as 5/8.  It is certainly possible that the Toronto Cold Reads will take one or two of the other pieces, but perhaps not.  I don't want to get too hung up over it.  Anyway, my idea for an evening of shorts would include three of the ones put on at SFYS and one piece done in Chicago, along with two short monologues to get the audience ready.  It's starting to come together in my mind, and I need to run it past a couple of people to see if this really makes any sense, or if it would be too much of a good thing.  More later.

The Mouse that Stayed Out Too Late (SFYS)

I have finally started to succumb to picking up a bit of a cold.  I don't think it's a bad one, but it is frustrating.  I also really have to shake it by Friday, since I am flying to DC on Saturday, and it is no fun flying when a bit under the weather.  (Most likely I got the cold because I relaxed too much over the holidays.  My mind lets up just a bit and -- wham -- I get sick.  This runs in my family, actually...)

Anyway, title is a bit of a play on The Mouse That Roared.  (I actually don't think I've ever seen this Peter Sellers movie from start to finish.  I'll have to correct that some day.)

As I mentioned here, I wrote up a short piece about visiting Disney World as an adult and struggling a bit to find the magic that everyone else feels.  It really is supposed to be a comedy, though I suppose it has a serious edge to it.  I just found out that Meeting Mr. Mouse was selected to be read tonight, as part of the first Sing-for-Your-Supper of 2017.  So excited!

Details: Storefront Theatre  - 955 Bloor Street West (basically right at the Ossington station).  It starts at 8, though I would recommend turning up about 7:45. (I'll be there already.)  It is free, though a donation of a loonie or toonie is always welcome.

This is a bit of an historic occasion, since apparently Scott Garland is going to step down from Sing-for-Your-Supper as co-MC.  I guess we'll find out why tonight, but fortunately, the series will continue with Kat Letwin and two newbies: Marissa Heintzman and Cameron Wyllie.  Even though I am definitely trying to focus more on longer pieces, sometimes a shorter, more focused (and more funny) piece just comes to me, and I have to run with it.  That was the case with this piece, and I'm glad it was accepted.  My hit rate is well over 0.500 now.

So hope to see you tonight!

Curtains, foiled again!

I have finished the first curtain.  Unfortunately, the cutting was quite uneven, and I may not have measured correctly in taking the edges into account (one has to cut off the raw edges of most fabrics).  I certainly thought I had left a bit extra, but there is almost no room to hem the bottom and certainly not to do a double hem, as I wanted to do.  Worst of all, just to get it to 58 1/2 inches long (rather than the desired 59), I had to cheat at the top again and it might not even go over the curtain rod!  So I'm kind of bummed out.  I suppose it was good practice anyway.

I cut out another two panels, which aside from one cutting slip, look like they will make much better curtains and are reasonably squared off.  I have enough material to cut out three more panels, and really I should only need two at most, and maybe I'll luck out and get by with the first one I finished.  So I probably will be able to make a couple of pillow cases with the remaining material.

At this point, I want to take a break, but I'll pin up the next curtain tomorrow and see if I can finish it in a day.  I'm definitely learning, that's for sure.  The squeaking is a little annoying, but I think I can get through the curtains and probably the pillow cases and then these two stuffed fish.  After that, I'll probably take it in for servicing or set up a house call.  I also need to track down a few more needles for the machine.  I hope it takes standard ones, since I don't even know if the manufacturer (Omega) is still in business.

Library of America dips into genre fiction

I wasn't really sure how to frame this post.  It mostly is about books that I am keeping an eye on that should be published in 2017/18 (like Rezzori's Kain from NYRB Classics), so there is some aspect of this that is about deferred gratification.  (And since I really don't like paying full price for books, usually I have to delay another 6 months to a year before the prices start coming down a bit.)  Along these lines, I am quite tempted by the 2 volume set of Loren Eiseley essays (including The Unexpected Universe, The Night Country and The Star Thrower), but I will hold off for a while to see if the price comes down.  It's hard to justify spending that kind of money (over $50 Can) when the individual books can all be bought for a few cents plus shipping (and indeed one Amazon reviewer says that is definitely the way to go -- at least with the recent LOA edition of A Sand County Almanac you get a number of Aldo Leopold's unpublished writings -- but that isn't the case with the Eiseley volumes or rather there are only a few uncollected pieces in Vol. 1).  I actually have The Night Country already, so I'd just need The Unexpected Universe, The Star Thrower and perhaps The Immense Journey.

But the other aspect is that it is fairly notable how much Library of America has gone in for crime fiction, particularly crime noir novels, and to a lesser extent science fiction.  I've generally held off from getting their noir fiction, aside from the initial offering.  However, I am starting to get more interested in their Ross MacDonald volumes.  The final one (including Black Money and The Underground Man) will be coming out in July 2017.  I'm also somewhat interested in the Elmore Leonard Four Later Novels volume (which is available now incidentally), since 3 of the novels were made into movies (starting with the very clever Get Shorty).  Oddly enough the one that has the most immediate appeal is Tishomingo Blues, since it is partly about Civil War re-enactments, and after I get through Vanity Fair (no mean feat) I will be reading Steven Sherrill's The Minotaur Takes His Own Sweet Time, which also features people dressing up and waging the Civil War over and over again.  (Seems like a fairly apt metaphor for U.S. society...)  In general, I would be willing to just check these novels out individually from the library, though of course for some of the other crime fiction, the LOA volumes might be the only way to get the books.

For the SF, I did get one of the PDK volumes, but the other ones I had a bit too much overlap with books I already owned.  However, I didn't actually own any Kurt Vonnegut (what I did have I gave up several moves ago), so I ended up ordering all 4 volumes!  Just recently, LOA has started putting together an Ursula Le Guin collection.  I'm not likely to order the Complete Orsinia, though I might conceivably read it from the library.  On the other hand, in September, LOA is going to issue Hainish Novels and Stories in 2 volumes.  The first one includes The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed.  The second will include The Word for World is Forest.  Assuming there is a Kindle version for these two, I am reasonably likely to go ahead and order these, since I feel her best novels are well represented here.  In any case, I do have a while to wait, but I have plenty to read in the meantime.