On a plane, heading to Sage Hill for 10 days of writing, editing and working on my fiction, book launch behind me.  Everything came together to form a fabulous, momentous occasion. Good crowd. I sold a swack of books!  At W2 Storyeum we were provided with a lovely, spacious room replete with giant, fantastic mural on one wall. “Word wizard” Kedrick James is decidedly the host with the most, providing much mirth and mischief throughout. Shannon Rayne in her adorable pixie cut kicked things off. Shannon makes a distinction between poems for performance and poems for the page. I think she said her closing piece about cunnilingus was written for the page. I must write them for voice. Hey, whatever it takes. Then we darkened the room for the world premiere of Bushwhack. I was a little concerned because it was being projected onto a big drop cloth, seams and all. I would have brought a screen had I known. I had a meeting with Will the techie the day before, didn’t think to ask. Oh well, the piece is enchanting and people got caught up in it anyway. I like to worry. Then the glammed up Jenn Farrell in her gorgeous, black sequined dress–we’d been goading each other about wardrobe, she bought her A game—read from her new collection of short stories, hot off the presses, The Devil You Know which brought to mind more than one friend. Jenn is one of my favourite Vancouver writers and humans, charming, witty, droll, her piece about waiting for a pregnancy test result poignant and funny.  Then we took an intermission while the musicians set up. My buddy Chris Coon performed tracks from his new CD, License to Depart, which he forgot to bring! He was joined on electric cello by Shanto Bhattacharya  of Fond of Tigers. Turns out Shanto had been in a band with our oh-so-capable and helpful tech director, Will. Kedrick gave Chris a hard time about being in a band called Impatient Youth while Chris got his digs in a little later by dedicating Odysseus Gates to him.  Chris’s music is pretty out-there and just as compelling. He has a good voice and he and Shanto played to the pre-recorded tracks well. I know how hairy that is. Then we screened How To Remain. I had to run to the bathroom for a nervous, pre-show pee but I heard people laughing and Josef said it went over well. A wonderful feeling of goodwill pervaded the entire event! Of course, Josef helped out enormously, as usual though he abandoned the merch table more than once to go smoke, our friend Carol Ann covering for him. Sean Cranbury manned the bar which meant he didn’t get to see much of the show. Warren Dean Fulton kindly manned the cameras. He just moved in across the street, showed us his balcony. Now that’s urban living which I have to admit I miss at times. No wonder he uses the Woodwards sign W as his FB profile pic. It’s doubly appropriate.

Here now, at the Sage Hill Writing Experience just outside Lumsden, discombobulated after settling in without chores, routine. Surrounded by religious iconography that is strange and familiar at the same time. Listening to the Thermal’s apocalyptic Here’s Your Future while ruminating in a Franciscan monk’s room is more than a little surreal. As one of the program directors pointed out though, it’s appropriate in a way, because the Franciscan’s traditionally welcome travelers.