The Word Made Flesh

Appearing to the left is the reason for my long silence and the absence of recent Imagining Toronto updates. Our little daughter, Katherine Aurora, was born five weeks early at the beginning of August. It seems she had not received the memo coordinating her due date with the book deadline (apparently not everything crosses the placenta). Despite spending several days in an oubliette Isolette^tm tethered unnecessarily to electrodes, IVs and a gavage feeding tube in a hospital neo-natal intensive care unit, Katherine emerged vividly alive, and now provides astute critical commentary on my efforts to finish writing the book. She's curious and clear about what she wants, and evidently (see image) enjoys giving the finger to the paparazzi. World be warned.

Katherine's unexpectedly early arrival has necessarily postponed the publication schedule for Imagining Toronto, and as a result the book will now be released (Mansfield Press) in the spring of 2009. Exciting details of the launch schedule will be released as they are finalized.

Speaking of the book, writing proceeds apace. Fortunately by longstanding habit I rise at or before dawn to write in the stillness of early morning,which coincides these days with my care-giving shift. I still try to find time to read in the afternoons, sprawled on the chesterfield with Katherine like a pair of laconic beasts, but for some reason these days there seems to be less time for leisure (or even research) reading. My backlog of unread Toronto novels grows inestimably large.

By pleasant coincidence our little daughter shares a name with several well-known Toronto authors, including Catherine Bush (author of several novels engaging with Toronto, including Minus Time (1993), The Rules of Engagement (2000) and Claire's Head (2004); Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer (novelist and literary editor at Bookninja) and Katherine Govier (whose Fables of Brunswick Avenue, 1985, who has also engaged extensively with Toronto in Going Through the Motions (1982) and Hearts of Flame (1991).