Literary facts

light rain, humid, temps 15

Sticky day, but mild. Looks like it might clear.

Watched The Queen yesterday afternoon...that wonderful film with Helen Mirren as the Queen, over the days of Diana's death. I'd seen it before but decided to rent it again. Really enjoyed it.

Sent interview questions off to Alan Bradley, who wrote, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. I'm doing a feature interview with him for Mystery News. That's a fantastic publication about crime fiction, with really extension reviews and lots of interviews and column. If you don't subscribe, and you love mysteries, I'd highly suggest it. But when Still Life first came out Lynn Kaczmarek, one of the editors, interviewed me as a debut author. It was such a thoughtful, intelligent interview I was impressed. I've since met Lynn many times and see why it was like that...she's thoughtful and intelligent. And kind.

At one stage she asked if I would like to interview a debut author in return. I thought about it, and finally chose Alan. For a few reasons. I really like his book, and I like him (though we've never met - only corresponded). He's Canadian, from Saskatchewan. Wrote for many years but never really got anywhere...then, at the age of 70 he wrote Sweetness...and it took off. Won the Debut Dagger in the UK -is published all over. He persevered, and his dream came true.

Great story...so I'm doing it for Mystery News.

The editor of Canadian Literature got in touch. They'd like to publish part of my speech from Bloody Words...the part where I talk about a Golden Age for Canadian crime writers...but also the annoyance of being asked if, maybe, someday, I'd like to try my hand at literary fiction. As though what I write, and other crime writers create, can't possibly be literary fiction.

I'm happy to contribute to this discussion, especially in a review called Canadian Literature. We'll see.

Off to Knowlton for breakfast. My hero, Michael, finished the page proofs for the US edition of The Brutel Telling. Amazing amount of work!! Lovely man.

Must go...talk later. Be well.