Rob Ford, Toronto’s mayor was caught reading a newspaper while driving on the Gardener Expressway: “On behalf of all the citizens of Toronto that value road safety, Mr. Mayor … please get a driver…no amount of money you are saving by not having one is worth the life of one
Continue readingAuthor: Lilian Nattel
A Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Sea Turtles Swim to Freedom
Sea Turtles Swim to Freedom – YouTube. Filed under: Beautiful, Fun Tagged: good news
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese
This is a beautiful, heart-breaking, and ultimately redemptive novel about an Ojibway (Anishnabeg) man’s journey from childhood in the bush to his undoing in residential school, experiences in the Native hockey league and in an NHL farm team, his subsequent alcoholism and recovery. It is a narrative as familiar as
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: More on Walmart
I dashed off yesterday’s post in haste and want to add a few thoughts. I’m not in favour of an economic model in which cheap prices depress wages (and working conditions), which require cheap prices, reinforcing the cycle. But what I am heartened by is that a subject which only
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Bestsellers – in praise of Walmart
Web of Angels is back on the bestseller list! And no small thanks go to…Walmart, which chose this literary novel about a mom with dissociative identity disorder as its featured book for July. In an opportunity to do good and right, Walmart hit it: literature meets mainstream right there. Bestsellers
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Baby Goat Playing
Buttermilk "plays" with her "friends" – YouTube. Filed under: Fun Tagged: cute animals
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: The Breakup Video
We Quit You, Keystone XL (It's Not Us, It's You) – YouTube. Filed under: Concerning, Fun Tagged: oil sands, tar sands
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: ‘Small Damages,’ by Beth Kephart
“Dreamlike” is one word for Beth Kephart’s latest novel, “Small Damages,” in which an American teenager is exiled to Spain after she gets pregnant. Her percolating story emerges through Kephart’s lilting prose in that same hazy way you’d meander through the narrow white streets of Seville in the noontime sun
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Panda Playground
If you need a smile today, here it is: Cute pandas playing on the slide – YouTube. Filed under: Beautiful, Fun Tagged: nature videos
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: My Hawk and Grad
A week ago today, M graduated from middle school (grade 8). I tried hard not to bawl as the class procession walked through the gym and that was quite a task, I can tell you. My eyes tear up thinking of it. The boys were funny, some of them attempting
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Coopers Hawk
Coopers Hawk 3, originally uploaded by colographicalchemy. I didn’t take this photo but I saw its match today. There is a family of Coopers Hawks nesting in the park a block from my house. This morning when I was out for a walk in the early morning, a young one
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Life and Books
I am braving the heat in my sunny and a/c-less work corner (it’s the 3rd day of 34 degree heat) to post because it’s been so long. Last week, before the weather got hot, I went for a walk with A, one of our long walks: 20 km to the
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Project Sanctuary: 27 Children Safe
This is the sort of story I collect, the kind that inspired Web of Angels: Det. Paul Krawczyk and D/Const. Janelle Blackadar of the Sex Crimes Unit Child Exploitation Section could not conceive the impact they would have on young lives across the world and the magnitude of the operation
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Keep Calm Gallery
What's Inside – Multi | Hazel Nicholls | Artists | Keep Calm Gallery. I love this! (Thanks to J who sent me the link!) Filed under: Fun Tagged: fab babushka dolls
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Light and Lively Reading?
My new project, which I’m now about 8,000 words into, is something different from anything I’ve done before. It’s a light (and I hope smart) novel. I won’t say anything more about it for now, but I need some book recommendations. I’ve been reading serious literary fiction and my non-fiction
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Canada Tilts Leftward
The Canadian public is on a distinct tilt to the left, says a new national public opinion poll, suggesting concern over wealth distribution has traction beyond the Occupy tents and protest parades. The nationwide poll suggests the New Democratic Party would form a minority federal government if this were election
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Heat and Skyline
Spring came early to Toronto. Summer arrived early too and I don’t like heat. Thank goodness it’s supposed to break next week. But we’re on the way to the island again. (Correction…I just stepped outside, and it’s too muggy for roller blading–it’s the mall for us. Kids just shouted hurray!)
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Department of Amazing Life
Amazing animals – Mudskipper – YouTube. Filed under: Fun, Interesting Tagged: mudskipper
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: A Brief Encounter with Meaning
Today I walked to the post office to mail a copy of my book to my dear friend J who is currently living in China. I’ve meant to do it for ages, but I was too busy and then I was recovering from being too busy. So this afternoon I
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Simply Reading: Web of Angels | Bookstack
“That must be a heckuva book,” the elderly man said. He stood before me, hand in hand with his lady friend, as they walked the boardwalk on an afternoon constitutional. “It definitely is,” I answered, emerging from my reverie. “I bet it’s a love story,” he said with a smile.
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