Have been rooted to my favourite kitchen chair for days now, or to my office chair upstairs. But at last, I think the manuscript is done. I'm hoping for one last Zoom with my editor Ellie today, to check a few things, but then it goes off to Mosaic Press, and my life can start again.
It's the strangest relationship, that of a writer with a nearly-ready manuscript, like the bond one has with nearly-adult children — great love, desire to protect and nurture them, and yet also the overwhelming need for them to get the @#$ out of the house and on with their own lives. Of course, both with children and books, the work never ends. The marketing of this book has to start now, my least favourite part of the process, but one of the most necessary.
Sigh.
Luckily, the weather has mostly been terrible, which helps a lot when the work is inside.
On Friday, neighbour John arranged an event for a bunch of us in his garden to meet Olivia Chow, leading progressive candidate for mayor. I went as an undecided and left 100% sold. She's terrific, extremely canny yet idealistic, knows the game which she has played both municipally and federally for many years. She has my vote.
Saturday the Crosbies came to visit - Heather who lives locally and her brother Max visiting from Ottawa, who was also in the drama club at Carleton University in the late sixties and whom I've not seen since. I directed him and Peter Blais in Pinter's The Dumbwaiter, which won an award, and later he and I were both in Pinter's The Homecoming. Even very young, Max was skilled at playing crabby old men. We got caught up on more than fifty years.
Last night, the Tony Awards, always a pleasure, and what an incredibly diverse list of winners. Not surprised Leopoldstadt and Tom Stoppard won, or Jodie Comer. It's strange, I was in NYC last fall and did not go to the theatre once. Not like me, and I regret it now, will not make that mistake again.
It's dark and rainy, hooray, because I don't have to go anywhere. Today I will send MIDLIFE SOLO: Writing through chaos to a new place in the world out into the world (though I'm still unsure about the subtitle) and CLEAN OFF MY DESK!
Brava, Beth. And now we all wait to read your book!
ReplyDeleteCleaning off my desk has been on my agenda for 20 years now - let me know how it goes. Like the new subtitle
ReplyDeleteThanks, friends. I have not started the clearing yet, Trevor. It's too daunting, and there's a ton of other stuff that's been piling up on my computer. But I will try soon. I'll let you know.
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