Writing is rewriting, review, patience, prayers...

This is equally applicable to readers and to writers

What do writers feel about the process of writing – generally most writers describe it as a very lonely thing that they do.

Andrew J. Borkowski, whose Copernicus Avenue won the 2012 Toronto Book Award had a contrary view. In his acceptance speech, he said for him writing wasn’t a lonely process for him at all.

On his website Borkowski says “writing is rewriting”.

I remember Isabel Huggan telling a group of wannabe writers the same thing at the summer program at Humber School of Writers.

My friend Farzana Doctor gave me the same mantra when I met her recently to discuss my manuscript.

Farzana’s second novel – Six Meters of Pavement – was shortlisted for the award that Borkowski’s Copernicus Avenue finally won.

She also told me to be patient when reworking on the manuscript.

I recently met Jaspreet Singh, author of Seventeen Tomatoes: Tales from Kashmir, a collection of short stories and Chef, a novel (and a forthcoming novel Helium) wryly remarked that has a lot of experience in being patient.

I had gone to his reading a couple of years ago at the North York Central Library when I was new in Toronto, and nobody knew me, or took me seriously.

I don’t know too many people even now, and absolutely nobody takes me seriously as a writer.

But that’s not the subject of this blog post.

It’s about the writing process.

Some writers prefer to keep their writing under wraps and prefer not showing it to peers.

I’m sure they’re in a small minority. Most writers prefer to seek peer review and are open to making changes based on feedback.

I’ve got some exceptional feedback to my manuscript from my friends.

I think peer review is vital.

Also vital is feedback from one’s mentor.

At a lively discussion last week Anand Mahadevan and Kristyn Dunnion emphasized the importance of seeking peer and mentor review.

Mahadevan narrated his experience (re)writing his first novel The Strike, based on his mentor MG Vassanji’s feedback , and how finally when he had worked on the manuscript and incorporated nearly all the suggestions that his mentor had made, the manuscript had acquired a reached a completely different realm.

They were at the Impossible Words.

Irfan Ali and Emily Pohl-Weary curate Impossible Words. The Academy of Impossible website describes Impossible Words thus: “Impossible Words is a unique literary salon that presents culturally and stylistically diverse Canadian writers in conversation with young writers from the Toronto Street Writers. It takes place on the second and fourth Saturdays.”

I’ve attended two sessions so far, and I’ve liked the raw energy and the in-your-face quality that the young writers from the Toronto Street Writers bring to these sessions.

So, basically, writing is rewriting, review, patience, and then I guess prayers. I’m teaching myself the first three, but as an agnostic, it’s going rather difficult having to pray.

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Cancer, Lal Choona, Saree Stories: South Asian Theatre in Canada

Jawaid Danish

Theatre activist Jawaid Danish works tirelessly to keep South Asian theater alive in Canada. 

He has been organizing the Hindustani Drama Festival annually for over a decade, with a measured success. 

Although a low key affair this year, the festival made up in depth what it couldn't in diversity and variety.

Jawaid read his play Cancer where the protagonist murders his ailing wife who is suffering from cancer and is on her deathbed.

The protagonist is a poor newspaper employee who is not able to afford medicines for his wife, who implores him every day that he either he gives her medicine or murder her. In a fit of desperation, he chooses to murder her.

The play is an imaginary – or rather an anticipatory – situation where the husband’s lawyer walks him through the hearing to coach him to give proper responses on the day of the hearing, which is scheduled the next day.

Cancer is a much lauded play and has had much acclaim across the world; deservedly so, because it is remarkable in being able to bring the reader/member of the audience right to the middle of the debate over euthanasia – which, much like the debate over abortion, divides people into pro and anti groups.

Was the husband justified in murdering his wife? The playwright definitely believes so as much as he believes that the husband didn’t really have a choice because the society didn’t leave him with any.

Pithily, the husband tells the lawyer that the society (the government) that is willing to pay for a lawyer to represent a self-confessed murderer to ensure justice is ill-equipped and unwilling to pay for a sick woman’s treatment.

A lively discussion followed Jawaid’s reading of his play. Munir Saami moderated the discussion and Dr. Khalid Sohail read a critique of the play.

Before the play reading by Jawaid, Dr. Baland Iqbal read his short story – Lal Choona – a heartbreaking story of a poor wall painter’s tragic denouement. Unbeknownst to Dr. Iqbal, the story was made into a short film in Pakistan by a student. The film was also shown at the festival.

And the play reading was followed by a short but charming skit from Saree Stories - Storytelling with sarees where Jasmine Sawant of the Sawitri Theatre Group depicts the significance of the memory of an event that is imprinted on the memory of a woman who remembers meeting her future husband by the sari she wore that day.

The event was held at Open Space – a nice little space created by Nitin Sawant for play readings and other socio-cultural events.

International Festival of Authors, Markham 2012 (IFOA) - Trailer

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Generally About Books is a community partner for IFOA-Markham 2012

Authors, poets, readings

Fall is here and Toronto’s book enthusiasts have returned to doing what they love – reading from their new work, sharing their ideas, and generally gossiping about each other. 

I attended a number of readings and book launches in September, and couldn't attend a few book launches that I wanted to.

Here’s a roundup:

TheUnderdog Poets Academy

An unusual one was The Underdog Poets Academy at the Central (Markham Street) organized by the young Sarah Beaudin. 

Yoko Morgenstern invited me to this event. She always introduces me to great events and people every time she visits Toronto.

Michael Scott (Wateredown)’s reading and Daisuke Takeya painting created a confluence of colours, words and images that was riveting.

Dave Proctor, another young writer, read from Blank State. He read with energy, passion and a sense of drama not often seen in writers. 

The theme of the books is the future Toronto – a city of condos – where artists fight, “and a group of filmmakers are fighting to document the city’s slow decline.” 

BroctonWriters Series

Farzana Doctor’s Brocton Writers Series always features brilliant writers. For the September edition, she had Patricia Westerhof, Leslie Shimotakahara, James Talbot-FitzGerald, and Benjamin Hackman.

The evening belonged to Hackman who read from his The Benjy Poems. You may listen to the poems here: Benjy Poems.

Reading with Katlin

The indefatigable Mary Ellen Koroscil organized Reading with Katlin – “evening of poetry, prose, fun and laughter and refreshments” at Q Space – an absolutely lovely place, ideal for such an event.

The lineup of poets and writers included Albert Moritz, the Griffen Poetry Prize winning poet, Jasmine D’Costa, Leo Paradela, Luciano Icaobelli, Jim Bartley, and John Calabro.

The evening belonged to Katlin Kaldmaa, the poet from Estonia, who read her poems in both Estonian and in English. 

And it was a full house. Many writer friends were in the audience.


Image: http://www.theartoftoadkissing.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Poetry-Reading.jpg