Goals (2) - To Celebrate Canada

Goals (2) - To Celebrate Canada

A second goal for me, for writing this story, is to celebrate Canada. Not specifically to "showcase" this great northern land but simply to highlight the way we love it, our feelings for it, and especially, the connections we have to the places where we have lived, especially those where we grew as children, before "the voices of our accursed human education" came between ourselves and our souls. As with the mouse sleeping with the elephant, no one will realize we are here unless we roar for ourselves. If we as a nation feel invisible, seemingly insignificant, how much greater the risk is that we may fail to recognize and to assert our identity, that which makes us unique, that which adds value to the world by our simple presence. Thus, Part I of EMBERS revolves around Wyn's trip between Vancouver and Sparwood, her solitary musings, her stops along the way. And Part II, although set in Ireland, challenges her to articulate how she would introduce a visitor to her beloved homeland.

What are some of our iconic Canadian images? This one has snow, the Peace Tower on the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, and the Eternal Flame.

This one gets 2 iconic images - the maple leaf flag and the cbc.

Comments

Title

Titles are so important. I'm happy with this one, EMBERS , especially with John O'Donohue's "embers of kinship" phrase, and also because it alludes to the title of a song on Jim Byrnes' Fresh Horses referenced in the story. My first working title was Clara . It is the name of a small town in Ireland. But there are many female characters in CanLit named Clara, and I wanted to avoid any unfortunate crossover. Also, to me, the book is not about Ireland. It is about what a Canadian woman learns about herself and her country while she is on a trip to Ireland. Another title was Accommodations because so many of Wyn's adventures take place in motel rooms and B&Bs. And I like the idea that, all her life, Wyn has attempted to accommodate herself and her life choices to address her often unconscious needs. I also toyed with Claritas , with Shine , and with Turning Into Light (from an Eastern poet, Hafiz). I was serious about this "writing ...

Sex - In EMBERS

Sex - In EMBERS There's a bit of sex in this story, between two mature unattached single adults. There is no adultery or violence or betrayal or exploitation. No dirty old man seducing young girls, or vice versa. And no cops. Yet, because of some of the politics (See Sex - Politics) and some of the cultural implications of two unmarried people having sex (See Sex - Culture Failure), I often anticipate backlash from some readers. Some of my personal tenets about sex include: Everyone is different. Never assume. Every time is different, and may mean different things to different individuals. Sex is part of being a whole adult person. If being fully human means the integration of our physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual being, then the sex act may be one or more or all of the above. Let us pray. PS Rodin to me created some of the sexiest art in the world.

The Fire Within

The Fire Within One of my private passion pastimes is photography. I love the word origin--writing with light. I used to think that I was always trying to "capture the light." As if it is prey and I am the hunter. Or the quester. As if the light is magic. For me, the most obvious hiding place for light (and its brokenness, colour) is in flowers. There is a reason why I was called the "Flower Girl" in my family. Not only because I got to be in Auntie Olive's wedding party. Not only because I always brought bouquets into the house--buds, greenery, blossoms. I just love them. But I also see these "hot flower pics" as connected to the "embers" theme, because for sure, is not the fire here too, seeping out of the light at the flowers' cores? I heard that fire hidden in the seemingly cold cinders once described as "the mothering fire" and that is another subtext in this novel. Mothering. Kindling. Warmth. Love.

Embers - a novel by j.m. bridgeman

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