Oui, on est tous Charlie

This news has been so terribly depressing. We are very busy in the office today and this week generally but it's still all we can talk about when we're not talking about work.

One reason it strikes so close to home is that we know people in that office. Not well, but we've exchanged emails in the past and one writer in particular we are worried about. We hear that someone we know there was shot but not killed but I can't see much from the list of victims about non-fatal injuries.

I guess information will become clearer over the next few days but let this not lead France into a right-wing hysterical reaction. Normal and human but it would be so unfortunate.

Rebroadcast of Episode One of Montreal by Words (and off to Europe!)

We are rebroadcasting Episode One of Montreal by Words which looks at the historical novel, The Goodtime Girl, by Montreal writer, Tess Fragoulis. We also talk to Vancouver writer, Peter Tupper about his piece from the spring 2012 edition of Maisonneuve Magazine. The piece considers the life of Maria Monk and the shocking tale she told about the depraved life behind the walls of a 19th century Montreal convent.

In the meantime, I am off to Europe for 10 days, visiting Paris, Munich and ending~up in Berlin to see events and meet with people at the International Literary Festival in Berlin. I will try blogging from the road so stay tuned.