So as I was sick, I missed a lot of the things that I was supposed to do at the Vancouver Writers festival. I spent most of the week trying not to think about it, as I knew that it would only frustrate me and piss me off. On SUnday, I felt well enough to go volunteer. I ended up selling books at an event called "West Coast writing." Brian Brett, Jim Lynch and Audrey Thomas were speaking about living on the West Coast and how it affects their work.
Jim Lynch is a first time author from Oregon. His book is about a thirteen year old who is obsessed with marine life and who becomes known as a genius because he is the first to pay attention. There's also a lot about Rachel Carson and sex. Sounds like my kind of book.
Brian Brett lives on Galiano island and has quite an impressive c.v. I hadn't read any of his books, but I had read an article about him. As a teen, he had a rare genetic condition that made him androgynous. You can see pics of what he looked like on the website. I find the pics fascinating, but then I'm completely fascinated by androgyny. He had to take hormones to become masculine, even though he had all the right bits. I don't know all the details, but I plan to read his book. I also loved his presence and his speaking voice. He's the kind of man I'd like to have coffee and shoot the shit with. Reminds me of a cool uncle.
Audrey Thomas is an American transplant, and the only writer whose work I think I'd read. (I think I've read Mrs. Blood, but can't remember). She's won a ton of awards.
All the writers were extremely nice and personable. The discussion was moderated by Hal Wake, the incoming executive director of the Writers Festival. I had never seen him interview before, and I like his style.
As a person from the prairies, I can't relate to the need to weave the West Coast and the sea into my writing, but I can relate to the love of a landscape and its effect on a person's writing. I am a prairie person, and my work is shaped by the prairies and my love of them. I feel great under a huge prairie sky, in the middle of an ocean of space.
However, I did learn a lot about marine life in the session.
1. Octopi change colour when they have sex. When this point came up, Audrey Thomas said, "Doesn't everyone?" which cracked the audience up.
2. Octopi can have "conversations" by changing colour. They can actually have two conversations at once, by changing colours in different parts of their body.
3. Barnacles have sex by unfurling a long penis, which they use to tap on the shells of other barnacles to see if they're interested. Then they go in...
Discussion also centered around our lack of appreciation and understanding of nature. I have always loved animals and the natural world, so I was riveted by this. Brian Brett pointed out that while we have more access to information that ever before, we actually have less experience with the natural world and our place in it. Jim Lynch talked about "nature deficit" which I'd read about at work. "Nature deficit" is a belief that children today are growing up without any experience or knowledge of the natural world, and this is quite harmful to them and their development and development of respect and understanding of the world.
A fine event, and I've got some new things to add to my reading list.
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