July 2026 Newsletter

“Genius is eternal patience.” Michelangelo

I agree with Michelangelo. Who wouldn’t? I’m very aware that I possess neither genius nor patience when it comes to craft. I know that persistence is the only way a story unfolds. I do focus. I do try. With time, the story will present itself. I know this. Still, I pace when words don’t come. I swear a little. Sometimes a lot. And I pace some more. I walk away more times than I like to admit. But thankfully I come back. Time and time again. This is the only way story comes into being. I think I needed that reminder this month more than I thought I did. Thank you for listening/reading.

Happy July 1st. Happy Birthday Canada. The True North Strong and Free.

Writing:

No further edits came forward on,Disruption , my novel, but I remain patient. Well, as patient as I can be. Okay, stop laughing. Now you know why patience was my theme this month. I did continue working on Book 2 of Bouboulina, my graphic novel. As I took a bit of a break to visit family in June, I returned to Bouboulina by rereading my first seven chapters, adding to my outline and then going forward. I haven’t moved very quickly, but every word is a treasure I appreciate at the end of each of my writing days. So, no complaints from this impatient (there’s that theme again) writer. Yet.

Awesome Achievements:

Friend and part-time Whistler resident, Abby Deveney has been doing a PhD in London, England at SOAS, University of London, related to Japan. She has also spent some time at a university in Kyoto earlier this year for language learning. While there, Abby did a workshop with a group of writers in Kyoto, of which she is a member. One of Abby’s poems was published on the Kyoto Writers website. Abby’s poem spoke to me, because as you all know, I feel like I have two homes, Canada and Greece. Abby captured the longing and the essence of what it means to have your heart and soul in two places. Bravo, Abby.

Upcoming Events:

In celebration of the Whistler Writers Festival’s 25th birthday, The Whistler Writing Society has launched a special “25 for 25 Fundraising Campaign.” The goal is to raise $25,000, equalling $1,000 for each year of the festival, to ensure that the festival and all their year-round programming will continue to make an impact in the community. You can donate here. A gift of any amount makes a difference and is greatly appreciated. Thank you to all of you who have supported the “little festival that could” over the last 25 years. We could not have done it without you.

And on another note, did you know the blue hour happens at twilight, when the sun is a few degrees below the horizon and the atmosphere scatters blue light across the sky?

The Hour is Blue is also a place for writing, radio conversations, and ideas, often philosophical in nature, by local author Farha Guerrero. Check out her writing and The Blue Hour podcast hosted on CiTR 101.9 FM. This week features a conversation with Whistler doctor Tom DeMarco.

And look at the wonderful concerts planned at The Point, in Whistler. Hope to see you there.

Book Recommendations:

Here are the books I read in June.

Another graphic novel, this time from the perspective of a young girl working in a busy eatery in Montreal. Cannon is trying to take care of her aging grandfather while coping with an absent mother, various eccentric and out of control workmates, and a lecherous boss as she figures out her relationship with both her best friend and her new love interest. This story moves quickly and at times I had to reread bits to see how they all fit in. Still, it was a wonderful read, and the extensive and varied art shows the reader the anxiety Cannon feels. Here is a review from The Guardian.

An incredible non-fiction book that provides historical context to the Israeli Palestinian conflict through the perspectives of two individuals, one Israeli and one Palestinian who at one time lived in the same house in Ramla. In that house, the original owners had planted a lemon tree. I very much liked how the author, journalist, Sandy Tolan depicts the complex nature of the conflict in this region through the perspective and voices of the two individuals,Dalia Landau and Bashir Al-Khairi . Here is a review from Kirkus.

Words such as Democracy, Freedom and Truth have been distorted and as the book cover notes, “weaponized” by many groups and individuals, including some of our world leaders. In this must-read book, Ms. Off gives us the definitions and historical context of these words and how they have been manipulated by individuals to implement their agenda. Again, as the cover notes: Ms. Off “also shows what happens when we lose our shared political vocabulary: we stop being able to hear each other, let alone speak with each other in meaningful ways. This means we stop being able to reckon with the complexity of the crises we face, leaving us prey to conspiracy theories, autocrats and the machinations of greed.” Again, an excellent must-read for all who are trying to understand the various crisis and illegal wars currently happening in our world today. Here is a review from The Literary Review of Canada.

I told you about Veronique Darwin’s collection of short stories in my previous newsletters and had the pleasure of attending her Vancouver launch last month. Mom Camp is a collection of interconnected short stories and a novella that explores the various roles women take on in their lives. The reader is introduced to several characters through these stories as we follow an unnamed woman, the main protagonist, who decides to retreat from the roles she has taken in her life, namely, sister, friend, server and lover. I very much enjoyed the different voices and situations in this collection, the uniqueness of the storytelling and the humour. Canadian author, Alix Ohlin (We Want What We Want) noted that Mom Camp is “a charming, inventive and funny collection that explores the infinite complexities of motherhood, sisterhood and female identity.”

The novel unfolds in a split-page format. The upper part of the novel’s pages recounts an ancient Greek poem,The Psoad , which outlines the story of Psoas, “son of nobody” who leaves his family to fight at Troy. The lower part of the novel’s pages is set in modern time. The protagonist in this section is Harlow Donne who discovers the ancient poem while on a scholarship at Oxford University. Harlow has also left his wife and daughter to pursue his academic goals. While some of Harlow’s entries are academic in nature, the rest relates several lines of the poem to his own feelings of guilt for leaving his family. I enjoyed the unique format and how the two stories, one ancient and one modern, intertwined and reflected what can be lost when selfish goals are pursued at any cost. Here is a review from The Guardian.

Seven adult children from the various relationships their father, Alekos had during his life come together when he dies. They want to attend his funeral and pay their final respects even though their father was not always there for them. His current wife, Heather tells them that Alekos didn’t want any of his children at his funeral. This revelation initiates action on the part of the children. Sad and funny, this novel captures the complicated nature of grief and how families come together despite their differences. A captivating read from start to finish. Here is an author interview from The Athens Insider.

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Talk to you soon. Take care. Stella