The next best thing after publishing a book is having people who admit to reading it! I’m fortunate that librarians at Hamilton Public Library have invited me to talk with their readers. Tomorrow, Thursday February 3rd I will be speaking about the experience of writing a novel that addresses the joys and frustrations of palliative care. Here’s how it’s billed: Autumn’s…
Back in the 1950’s one of my Canadian heroes, Mel Hurtig, was an Indie bookstore owner and publisher. In his Edmonton stores, authors could stage plays, perform readings and drink coffee with patrons. How cool was that? This lucky author will be reading at one of these locations (10702 Jasper Avenue) on Sunday June 5th at 2:00. The bookstore…
Tuesday February 16, 2016 at the Hamilton Public Library, Westdale Branch – 2:00 -3:00 p.m. Author and nurse, Bonnie Lendrum, could have chosen a lighter topic than palliative care for her first novel, but she didn’t. Instead, she chose to write about something that worried her…how we as a society manage end-of-life care. Lendrum will combine readings…
My godson (a thoughtful, kind and generous young man) has just shared a TED Talk with me. It’s about palliative care and our need to re-think and re-design our approaches to dying …. the systems as well as the bricks and mortar. We need a design that embodies caring, compassion, dignity, and beneficence…a design that celebrates life…
Join me at 10:30 on Saturday June 20, 2015 at the Dundas Branch of the Hamilton Public Library for reflections on writing Autumn’s Grace and a conversation about how we can begin shifting the way we think about end-of-life care. end-of-life carepalliative care,
John Lennon’s observation that “Life is what happens to you when you are busy making other plans,” was an apt mantra for me during the last 4 weeks. Nobody plans a concussion, but life happens. The holiday schedule had included conducting a family Christmas, hosting a post-Christmas gathering of neighbors at the cottage, celebrating a three day family New…
Remember being sixteen, getting your driver’s licence and thinking you were all grown- up? The card in your wallet brought freedom, as long as the gas tank was full when you returned the car to your parents’ garage. That feeling of being grown-up may have lasted until you lost your virginity. In fifteen minutes…
Across the country, Canadians were given a forum to discuss end-of-life care, thanks to the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and Macleans. The Town Hall style meetings were an inspired idea. I attended the meeting in Mississauga and was pleased to see the combination of structure and informality in the program. Participants could come away with a common vocabulary,…
“Forget about planning your funeral; begin planning your end of life!” That was the first response to my question, “What was your ‘takeaway’ from reading Autumn’s Grace?” as a recent discussion with The Neighbours’ Book Club was winding down. There were nods around the room. The speaker continued, “I have started talking with the people…
Once again I find myself in the midst of writing a story about something that incites my passion. This time it is elder care. But before I know it’s happening, I have ranted my way down a rabbit hole, and find myself figuratively peering up, saying, “How do I get out of here?” Writing about…
