Not sure if you’ve noticed this, but we certainly have seen an uptick in interest in certain types books of the dystopian, mysterious, science fictional, and occult variety. What happened? Could this be subconscious preparation for the return of the aliens who built the pyramids? Perhaps it is simply a reaction to living in a world where you can’t escape bad news and be technologically connected at the same time. While Google Docs is a dang life-saver and a dream for working with your editor, how do you use it without getting sucked into the void of online communications around it? You open a window to research the rituals of Midsommar and find yourself taking a quiz on which Johnny Depp character you’re most like. While on Buzzfeed, you see an article about another school shooting and soon your writing project is a knife-wielding, shadow-drenched dystopian noir epic.
Our current solution to this dilemma is two-fold. Firstly, read books written before the world ended in 2012 (all of this is really a dream in an alternate dimension and those are the only books not secretly written by a CIA algorithm), and secondly, watch the new George Carlin documentary by Judd Apatow. We have found this documentary to be both inspiring and comforting. There’s a strange coziness in knowing that the world has always been burning. Carlin’s prescient perspective is a reminder that critical thinking and good humour are the only ways to survive in this bizarre world full of bizarre people. I mean really, who is this Jim Karahalios character? Oh, and put down your goddamned phone. You don’t need anymore bad news. Pet something furry and have some gin.
You might also want to take part in some of the real life, not at all virtual events we have coming up at the store. If you like new wave, synth, goth, industrial music, our last minute concert tomorrow night is just for you. As members, you can get a discount on your ticket or a free drink (or two depending on how many Vanessa has had). The summer is quickly booking up with live music, author visits, book clubs, and more. We will notify you of every event you can attend, and we encourage you to join us. It’s the perfect way to get out of your head and into community.
In this vein is the upcoming class: “Make It Happen: An Immersive Writing Seminar.” Vanessa will be leading this workshop, which will include 8 bi-weekly in-person lectures on various writing topics at the shop, along with homework assignments, mentor support, and peer review via the magic of Google Classrooms (we see the irony here). If you have a manuscript, or the idea for a manuscript, that you’d like to put some fire under, this is the class for you. Spots are limited to 10 people, and members get 20% off the $300 fee. Some of these spots are already taken, and not just with the old regular multi-general Can Lit novel aspirational works. We’re talking non-fiction! True Crime! Graphic novels! But we will not turn you away if you want to write a romance set in Nazi-occupied France or the story of three generations in Nova Scotia. All are welcome!
We hope you have a wonderful weekend. Do something tangible. Talk to a real person. Read a real book. Walk in nature. Feed your eternally damned soul.
Much love,
Jason and Vanessa
