A year in review
Dec. 30th, 2005 09:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
blue_lotus13This was a fantastic year. I was happier than I've been in a long time and had many great experiences, most of which I chronicled in my Vancouversary post .
Since then I-
1. Published my first cover story
2. Took a trip to Boston and New York City
3. Attended a same sex wedding
4. Took an online marketing class
5. Went to a retreat on a reserve and met some fabulous people
6. Volunteered at the Vancouver International Writers Festival and the Vancouver Film festival
7. Worked at a publisher
8. Started a major writing project
9. Attended my first editing workshop
I didn't see a lot of concerts this year, but I did manage to attend a bunch of good ones.
Performances I saw included- Metric, Stars, Hot Hot Heat, Lucinda Williams, Rilo Kiley, Weezer and Antony and the Johnsons.
This was a great year for celebrity sightings.
I saw: Gabrielle Miller (Corner Gas), Kate Beckinsale, Bruce Greenwood, Harris Allan (Hunter from Queer as Folk), Jason Biggs, Shirley Manson, Clancy Brown (Preacher Justin from Carnivale), Claire Forlani (walking down the street), Robin Williams, Jared Padalecki, Frances Conroy, and Tommy Chong.
Authors I interviewed, met, corresponded with, saw or stalked included- Carellin Brooks, Paul Yee, Fred Wah, Evelyn Lau, Janice Wong, Velma Demerson, Joy Kogawa, Colleen Curran, Neil Gaiman Douglas Coupland, Daphne Marlatt, Wayde Compton, Brian Brett, Ruth Ozeki, Richard Van Camp, Jim Lynch, Audrey Thomas,Sheridan Prasso, Shani Mootoo, and Lisa Moore.
There were a lot of good books read this year. I read over 100 books, averaging about 4 books a week/10 days. I didn't note everything I read on my blog, as poetry books and some generic books (such as Marketing for Dummies) were not mentioned. I read a lot of non-fiction and a lot of children's and YA lit this year.
Pics for 2005
1.The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier- stayed up late reading this classic, which I adored.
2. The Truth about stories by Thomas King- A great, insightful little book about First Nations.
3. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini- Learned so much about Afghanistan, and cried.
4. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson- A short story master that compelled me like no other.
5. Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg- One of the most disturbing and haunting books I read, about a transgender person. I still think about it.
6. Fruit- by Brian Francis- A great book about a gay boy and his quest for identity.
7. Incorrigible by Velma Demerson- A creepy piece of history about ethnic relations
8. The Silverwing Series by Kenneth Oppel- a compelling kids' series about the secret lives of bats
9. A complicated Kindness- by Miriam Toews- The first book to talk about Mennonites. Funnier and more interesting if you have Mennonite friends, like I do.
10. The Rape of Nanking- Iris Chang- A kick in the stomach and an intriguing piece of history
11. What was she thinking? Notes on a Scandal- Zoe Landale- A psychological study about a student/teacher affair
12. Ten thousand roses/MEaning of Wife/Grassroots- The feminist triumvirate of this year for me
13. Earth, my butt and other big round things- by Carolyn Mackler- A good story about identity and coming to terms with family politics
14. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman- Funny, witty, Neil.
15. Joy of Writing by Pierre Berton- A literary memoir and writing book
Strangely, I didn't go to a lot of movies in the theatre this year. I chalk this up to
1. working and my strange hours
2. dismal summer movies
3. The Oscar project
Some of my pics-
1. Season of the Horse- A Mongolian movie which had me bawling harder than I've cried in a theatre before. An accurate depiction of Mongolian life.
2. Crash- I know a lot of you hated it, but I was compelled by this depiction of racism.
3. Samsara- A film about the depiction of the wheel of Samsara. A good Buddhist film.
4. Rebecca- My first Hitchcock! Wonderfully creepy.
5. Hotel Rwanda- Wonderful performances. Don Cheadle should have won best actor.
6. The Station Agent- Loved this film, and the character drama.
7. Super Size Me- The only film that I've watched twice back to back- once with the director's dialogue. Creative, inventive and disturbing.
8. Party Monster- Um, I love both Seth Green and James St. James. Worth watching for the costumes alone.
9. Brokeback Mountain- Wonderful and that's all I will say.
Since then I-
1. Published my first cover story
2. Took a trip to Boston and New York City
3. Attended a same sex wedding
4. Took an online marketing class
5. Went to a retreat on a reserve and met some fabulous people
6. Volunteered at the Vancouver International Writers Festival and the Vancouver Film festival
7. Worked at a publisher
8. Started a major writing project
9. Attended my first editing workshop
I didn't see a lot of concerts this year, but I did manage to attend a bunch of good ones.
Performances I saw included- Metric, Stars, Hot Hot Heat, Lucinda Williams, Rilo Kiley, Weezer and Antony and the Johnsons.
This was a great year for celebrity sightings.
I saw: Gabrielle Miller (Corner Gas), Kate Beckinsale, Bruce Greenwood, Harris Allan (Hunter from Queer as Folk), Jason Biggs, Shirley Manson, Clancy Brown (Preacher Justin from Carnivale), Claire Forlani (walking down the street), Robin Williams, Jared Padalecki, Frances Conroy, and Tommy Chong.
Authors I interviewed, met, corresponded with, saw or stalked included- Carellin Brooks, Paul Yee, Fred Wah, Evelyn Lau, Janice Wong, Velma Demerson, Joy Kogawa, Colleen Curran, Neil Gaiman Douglas Coupland, Daphne Marlatt, Wayde Compton, Brian Brett, Ruth Ozeki, Richard Van Camp, Jim Lynch, Audrey Thomas,Sheridan Prasso, Shani Mootoo, and Lisa Moore.
There were a lot of good books read this year. I read over 100 books, averaging about 4 books a week/10 days. I didn't note everything I read on my blog, as poetry books and some generic books (such as Marketing for Dummies) were not mentioned. I read a lot of non-fiction and a lot of children's and YA lit this year.
Pics for 2005
1.The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier- stayed up late reading this classic, which I adored.
2. The Truth about stories by Thomas King- A great, insightful little book about First Nations.
3. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini- Learned so much about Afghanistan, and cried.
4. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson- A short story master that compelled me like no other.
5. Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg- One of the most disturbing and haunting books I read, about a transgender person. I still think about it.
6. Fruit- by Brian Francis- A great book about a gay boy and his quest for identity.
7. Incorrigible by Velma Demerson- A creepy piece of history about ethnic relations
8. The Silverwing Series by Kenneth Oppel- a compelling kids' series about the secret lives of bats
9. A complicated Kindness- by Miriam Toews- The first book to talk about Mennonites. Funnier and more interesting if you have Mennonite friends, like I do.
10. The Rape of Nanking- Iris Chang- A kick in the stomach and an intriguing piece of history
11. What was she thinking? Notes on a Scandal- Zoe Landale- A psychological study about a student/teacher affair
12. Ten thousand roses/MEaning of Wife/Grassroots- The feminist triumvirate of this year for me
13. Earth, my butt and other big round things- by Carolyn Mackler- A good story about identity and coming to terms with family politics
14. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman- Funny, witty, Neil.
15. Joy of Writing by Pierre Berton- A literary memoir and writing book
Strangely, I didn't go to a lot of movies in the theatre this year. I chalk this up to
1. working and my strange hours
2. dismal summer movies
3. The Oscar project
Some of my pics-
1. Season of the Horse- A Mongolian movie which had me bawling harder than I've cried in a theatre before. An accurate depiction of Mongolian life.
2. Crash- I know a lot of you hated it, but I was compelled by this depiction of racism.
3. Samsara- A film about the depiction of the wheel of Samsara. A good Buddhist film.
4. Rebecca- My first Hitchcock! Wonderfully creepy.
5. Hotel Rwanda- Wonderful performances. Don Cheadle should have won best actor.
6. The Station Agent- Loved this film, and the character drama.
7. Super Size Me- The only film that I've watched twice back to back- once with the director's dialogue. Creative, inventive and disturbing.
8. Party Monster- Um, I love both Seth Green and James St. James. Worth watching for the costumes alone.
9. Brokeback Mountain- Wonderful and that's all I will say.
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no subject
Date: 2005-12-30 09:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-30 10:40 pm (UTC)Also, are you doing anything special for your b-day?
no subject
Date: 2005-12-31 01:09 am (UTC)Did you not get the e-mail? I thought I sent it to you...I think Erin is coming!!! I will re/send you the invite!
no subject
Date: 2006-01-16 08:32 pm (UTC)