A few weeks ago, I had several glasses of wine with good friend and great writer Amy Stewart. Together, we made a list of things I really should be working on. Top of the list: web presence.

So here I am now.

Seems to me it would be good form here to link to Amy’s page…but whaddya know, she doesn’t have one either. No matter, she’s about to become big, once that novel of hers comes out…then she’ll HAVE to get a page. And I’ll drink as much wine as I need to with her in order to convince her to get on it, already.

In any event. This is about me, not Amy.

My book, Homing, flapped its wings and flew off to its own life some time ago…My publisher tells me a reprint may soon be necessary, which is lovely news. The book’s reach continues to astonish me, considering it has had exactly one critical review, and an online one at that.

But a couple weekends ago, there it was in the Globe and Mail, just the title, submitted by Skana Gee, whose bookclub is reading it this month. And last week I received by email a copy of a thesis written by Jen Campbell, a student at Saint Mary’s University, who argues that my little book and I are part of the third wave of Atlantic Canadian literature, worthy of being written up in a thesis (which is currently blowing my mind like you can’t believe). And it still sells briskly at Frog Hollow Books, god love their handselling souls.

In fact, tomorrow night, I’ll go hang out with Skana’s bookclub, to talk to them about the book, and more importantly, to listen to them talk about it. I am equally terrified of and thrilled by these meetings. I’ve visited three other bookclubs, and it is always fascinating. They think I am a much better writer than I do. I guess that’s par for the course. But it really brings home to me the reality that a piece of art is never finished until it is received by someone.

Lots of other stuff coming up over the next few weeks and months. I’ll be moderating a panel for first time novelists at Atlantic Book Week in Halifax on April 14th, and then hosting the Atlantic Book Awards the following night.

On April 23, my colleague Tara Thorne and I will launch our brand new night of writers reading. We call it Porkpie, because we love the sound of the word. It’s happening at The Company House at 7pm, and we’re really excited about it. More details on that as they become available.

And then April 30, I am reading with Carla Gunn at the aforementioned Frog Hollow Books.

Lots more coming up in June and through the summer, but more details on those events some other time.

Meanwhile…work continues slowly but surely on Fallsy Downsies. It’s a wonder I manage it at all, frankly.