I’m in Canada with family for the long weekend. (The Canadian long weekend; Canada Day is July 1.)
CanCon is short for Canadian Content. A rule put in place by the Canadian government in the late Sixties to ward off American culture overtaking us. I’d always heard that in the first months after it was put in place the only popular song by a Canadian was Snowbird by Anne Murray, which got extended play until Canadian culture caught up. I have no idea if this is true.
I contributed to the book’s CanCon this week. Zoomer magazine profiled me. I did a book event at Flying Books on College St. with Allana Harkin that she recorded for her new podcast How Dare You (previous guests currently include Samantha Bee (!!) and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau (!!)). And on Friday morning I was on CTV’s The Social, a nationally syndicated talk show here that is in the old Much Music studio beside the Speaker’s Corner corner. Special shoutout to the ladies in the make-up room for removing evidence of the Smarties and Ketchup chips diet I’ve been on all week
Here are some other Canadian things that have been on my mind this week in no particular order or relevance.
Bear, by Marian Engel (not to be confused with the newly released novel, Bear, by Julia Phillips that I’m hearing great things about). I read this award-winning book during lockdown and it is extremely great and extremely Canadian. Trying to imagine what instagram would do with this cover.
This Place. I’ve only just started this, but a few people have raved about it to me this week. A CBC podcast based on the graphic novel: “This Place is a 10-part journey through one-hundred and fifty years of Indigenous resistance and resilience.”
Book of Negroes, by Lawrence Hill. This was published under a different name in the States, I believe. I think of this novel often. Canada, and New York City to some extent, are often given a pass on the terrible parts of their history. This book allows for neither.
Jane of Lantern Hill. Anne gets all the attention but I return to this just as frequently.
Log Driver’s Waltz. The Other Canadian national anthem. I have vague memories of this playing in the morning before the cartoons started. You're welcome Canadian Readers
Good Decisions:
Marisa Meltzer and I will be at Books Are Magic on Tues. Register here.
Alyssa Mastromonaco and I will be at Oblong Books the following Tues, July 9. Register here.
In Canada they put mayo on hamburgers. Those people are smart : )
I remember licking the red and brown smarties and rubbing them on my lips like lipstick …did anyone else do that?? Early signs perhaps of my current profession: makeup artist. Your mention of ketchup chips…those are my madeleines. Tearing through your book - see you at Books are Magic! Happy Canada Day :)