Many years ago, I decided to write a story that deliberately incorporated archetypes. It was called, “Woman Menstruating on the Moon,” and it was my first story to be accepted into a literary magazine…in fact, to my shock, it was accepted at two. The experiment worked, and here I am
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A Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: So You Want Me To Get Screened?
I had the privilege of talking about cancer screening with a dozen women who have a history of child abuse. This is what I learned: Filed under: Concerning, Uplifting Tagged: cancer screening, health care and child abuse
Continue readingA Novelist's Eye: Lilian Nattel Online: Real Winter
kitchen window (click to enlarge) I thought that climate change would end winter. Instead it ricochets from one season to another. Everything at hyper-speed, plants, animals, viruses on the move. We’re riding the rapids. Hang on! Filed under: Beautiful, Concerning Tagged: winter photography
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: New Delhi
This morning my younger daughter asked me if I was cross. I said no, then yes, and explained why. She told me to blog about it. This is what I know about New Delhi. There are 20 telemarketing companies devoted to calling Canadian households about duct cleaning. This is what
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Toronto Mayor Reads While Driving
Rob Ford, Toronto’s mayor was caught reading a newspaper while driving on the Gardener Expressway: “On behalf of all the citizens of Toronto that value road safety, Mr. Mayor … please get a driver…no amount of money you are saving by not having one is worth the life of one
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese
This is a beautiful, heart-breaking, and ultimately redemptive novel about an Ojibway (Anishnabeg) man’s journey from childhood in the bush to his undoing in residential school, experiences in the Native hockey league and in an NHL farm team, his subsequent alcoholism and recovery. It is a narrative as familiar as
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: The Breakup Video
We Quit You, Keystone XL (It's Not Us, It's You) – YouTube. Filed under: Concerning, Fun Tagged: oil sands, tar sands
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: My Girls on IWD
There are a lot of posts today about important things: women’s safety, rights, equality or lack thereof all around the world. But this morning, I was talking with my 13 year old, who is just a few months from high school. I spoke about what she’s going to start seeing
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Huff Post: Sex’t Up Kids
Here’s an excerpt from my blog in Huffington Post Canada: Already wise and weary at age 15, the teenagers in Sex’t Up Kids talked about sending private photos to their boyfriends. They were mortified when those photos of themselves in bra and panties or topless were sent all around the
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Canada & Climate Change: the View from Taiwan
Filed under: Concerning Tagged: Kyoto withdrawal
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Church of Lies by Flora Jessop
My reading plan was derailed when Church of Lies by Flora Jessop and Paul T. Brown came in from the library. I put down The Book Thief and picked up Church of Lies, just to have a look at it. My look ended when I finished the book. This is a non-fiction memoir of Flora […]
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Remembrance Day for Kids
Remembrance Day is a happy day for me because it’s A’s birthday and my life is immeasurably better for being shared with him. It is also our skating & cottage friend J’s birthday. Aside from that, though, it’s a day of laying wreaths, remembering battles and honouring those who fought in them. But today I […]
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Jack Layton Was A Good Man
He was a politician I could truly admire: a man of integrity. How rare is that? And now he’s gone. What can I say? OTTAWA – Federal NDP Leader Jack Layton died today, just months after leading his party to unprecedented success in the federal election campaign. He was 61. The party issued a statement […]
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Jack Layton
Jack Layton is a rare politician: a man of dignity, decency, and optimism, respected by all parties. For my non-Canadian friends, this is the man who led the left-leaning NDP party from a handful of seats to form the official opposition in parliament, a man who surprised everyone this election, sweeping the province of Quebec […]
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Norway
I won’t give the right-wing murderer a platform and I won’t satisfy his zest for notoriety by naming him. Instead I want to send my heart-felt thoughts and sympathies to the people of Norway and to the families who are mourning. I stand with them for love, tolerance, and openness. That is what needs voice […]
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