Blasted Book Tour

 

Here is an somewhat sketchy photo journal of the reading/music tour undertaken by Derek Bell, Curtis Driedger, Barbara Ratz, and myself between August 26 and September 16. The first week we visited Toronto and had our big launch in Peterborough. Then we hit the road in my trusty car – first stop, Montreal – on our way to the official Killick Press launch in St. John’s.

1. And we’re off! – Our first event took place in Toronto’s wonderful bar The Central on Markham Street. Masterful host David Bateman read several passages from the novel, all as if lesbian porn.

2. Three poets opened the evening: wonderful work by writers Shannon Maguire, Rod Weatherbie, and Jessica Westhead. They were tough acts to follow – but the packed-out audience was very enthusiastic about our performance and I sold lotsa books! A very special thanks to the beautiful and talented Cathy Petch for putting the evening together for us.

3. Pre-show at Artspace. You can see the interesting and labour-intensive work by artist Immony Men on the walls – yes, those are post-it notes. Many thanks to Iga Janik (Artspace) and Esther Vincent (Cooked and Eaten) for putting this evening together. Also to Em Glasspool for a fabulous introduction I do not deserve.

4. I was overwhelmed by the number of people who came to the Peterborough launch, and the warm response. People were actually lining up to get a copy of Blasted – it was incredible. And I got given a bottle of champagne.

5. Next stop, Montreal! We read at the beautiful Atwater Library and Computer Centre, hosted by the lovely Lynn Verge (also, by the way, a Newfoundlander).

6. I spoke with many wonderful people before and after the reading. I was delighted to meet writer Kathleen Winter (in the background) and many others. Here, I am talking to the animated Ruby sisters, who grew up on the Southside Road in St. John’s and remember some of the same sorts of stories as I do, stories that in part inspired the novel.

7. There is actually a stage at Atwater! – we felt like royalty.

8. Me, feeling happy after the performance, and trying to lure people in to buy books…

9. And we’re on our way to Fredericton. Isn’t Quebec horrible? I don’t know how people can stand to live there by that hideous Fleuve Saint-Laurent.

10. Curtis and Barbara, who lead double lives as gardener-musicians, looking at plants (a theme that was to recur during our tour).

11. Signing books in Fredericton, post-performance at Molly’s Coffeehouse, and I’m sweating like a Wall Street trader. Molly’s is a funky little organic cafe with great beer and food. Unfortunately we only have a picture of the back of the lovely host Allison Calvern, and her husband George. She runs a reading series “Odd Sundays at Molly’s” but made a Friday exception for Team Blasted. A terrific group assembled for our performance and books flew out of the box. Allison and George put up with us at their house, and fed us breakfast the next day. Our only regret was not having more time to spend in this wonderful town.

12. Curtis in a pensive moment at Molly’s.

13. The next stop on our tour was Liverpool, Nova Scotia – a truly incredible town. This photo depicts the venue we were supposed to perform in, but last-minute we received the sad news that it was going out of business. Locals were united in their opinion of the owner. We heard phrases like “burning bridges” “he had it coming to him” “he had this lovely wife, he used all her money and then dumped her, and now she’s selling furniture at Leons!” and my favourite, “The power’s been cut off. But we know he’s up there. We’ve seen him, lurking up top. It’s like the Phantom of the Opera.”

14. The gracious owners of The Woodpile Café, Liz and Mike, agreed to let us perform there, despite our last-minute request. Mike cooks, Liz is a woodcarver, and the place is a treasure. We had a wonderful audience and terrific meals.

15. Rather in keeping with the Phantom theme, Liverpool was the only place on the entire tour where we encountered rain. It’s a beautiful town, with…

16. … no less than nine museums. I am not kidding. Nine, in a town with maybe a few hundred residents. Here you see taxidermy from the Rossignol Cultural Centre.

17. And… the Hank Snow Country Music Centre. Here is Curtis returning from an unsuccessful attempt to visit the centre, which had closed for the evening – but we got there the next day.

18. On our way to Broad Cove, NS. Another ugly place. I feel so sorry for everyone who lives in NS.

19. In Broad Cove we performed at the Best Coast Coffee Gallery. Go here! Go to NS to go here!

20. Wendy Michener, who runs Best Coast with her husband Tony, gave us an entire house to stay in. The sun came out immediately.

21. Here is the lovely Wendy, inside the café …

22. And the handsome Tony.

23. We performed and then fabulous folk artist Nick Jeffrey wooed the crowd (and there was a crowd!). A wonderful experience.

24. Okay, this has nothing to do with anything, except that on our way out of Broad Cove we just had to take this photo. Have you ever seen so many patio lanterns? Does anyone else have Kim Mitchell going through their head?

25. Another example of hideous Nova Scotia: Bear River. It’s a magical town on a tidal river, five miles from the Bay of Fundy. Here the tide is, obviously, low – but when it comes in, the stilts are completely covered and sometimes, we were told, during surges the floors of downtown can get a bit sodden. I’ve never encountered so much artistic activity in one small, magical place…

26. …nor such a brightly coloured house. We all fell in love with Bear River.

27. Here is our wonderful host Pamela Barron, in her lush garden. She and George (currently running for the NDP in that area – good luck and happy campaigning, George!) created such a buzz about our event that the place was completely packed.

28. Here’s the place – Oakdene School, which locals have turned into a community centre.

29. People came in droves! Thank you, Bear River.

30. Sad as it was to leave Bear River, we headed on to Halifax. Curtis and Barbara managed to find the very place where they partied down (shortly after tying the knot) almost exactly 21 years earlier!

31. We performed at the Economy Shoe Shop as part of David Rimmington’s Shoestring Reading Series. A boisterous barfly actually bellied up and bought a book (is that enough alliteration?) – “That was gutsy,” he said. By the end of the evening the bartender addressed me as “you little stevedore, you.” H’m…

32. And then began our Ride All Through the Night, to North Sydney. Here I am, filling the tank on almost the most expensive day for gas in the history of humankind. Smiling to keep from… you know.

33. We were a little confused by having to bust through the glass, but the Joseph and Clara Smallwood left Cape Breton at dawn and carried us safely to Newfoundland.

34. Goodbye, mainland Canada.

35. Derek and I, high on Gravol.

36. Here’s the house I was born in, on the Southside Road. It’s an hysteric home, with a plaque and everything. My brother Lachlan lives in the left side, and Aunt Jan lives in the right.

37. The fabulous Donna Francis and Janine Lilly of Killick Press launched the book at Bianca’s Restaurant on Water Street. Here I am talking to my heavy-metal-guitarist cousin Barry, with my dear 99-year-old grandmother Edith sitting in the chair.

38. As in Peterborough, I was overwhelmed with the number of people who attended and the feeling of support and delight in the room. This is the aftermath, as the place emptied out. Most of those remaining are my relatives, at the bar.

39. We had time to do the fun tourist things you never do unless you have visitors (this was a first trip to Newfoundland for Derek, Curtis, and Barbara. They survived being forced to eat seal flipper by my Aunt Jan). We walked out to Fort Amherst (scene of a pivotal flashback scene in Blasted); here’s the view of Signal Hill.

40. Newfoundland, where even the graffiti is literary. We can’t help it; it’s in our bones. All Newfoundlanders are born spouting poetry and playing the accordion, or at least singing ballads and step-dancing.

41. …and some more typical graff, with Barbara on the lookout.

42. Cape Spear, the most eastern point in North America. On clear days you can see Ireland, or something.

43. Derek, the furthest East he’s ever been!

44. Curtis scanning, Barbara looking…

45. … and Curtis looking, with Barbara scanning.

46. A beautiful day at Cape Spear, with Curtis riding high. The weather was uniformly gorgeous, leading the other members of Team Blasted to make allegations that Newfoundlanders lie about the terrible climate to prevent too many people moving there.

47. My brother Simon made us tea in his famous Kelly Kettle.

48. And Lachlan took the rest of Team Blasted (here, Barbara) on a tour of the Botanical Gardens.

49. Meanwhile, I sold fresh, green books at the St. John’s Farmers Market. A wonderful event. I sold lots of books, and talked with many, including an Icelander whom I trapped to trade stories about the huldufólk. (This woman did not buy a book from me.)

50. Our final performance of the tour occurred at Sweet Relic, a fabulous bakery, bookstore, and antique store at the foot of Signal Hill, run by Russell and Patricia Florin. Reading and playing music outside under a dogberry tree, with the wind hissing around us, was the perfect way to end.

51. If you are ever in Corner Brook, visit this store. The owner is a fabulous character, and there’s a resident white cat with David Bowie eyes. He (the owner) also consented to carry Blasted in his store.

 

We encountered so much kindness during our tour. People let us stay in their houses, wined and dined us, and offered their support in myriad ways. I send out a special thanks to Lynn Verge, Allison and George Calvern, Liz and Mike Brown, Wendy and Tony Michener, David Rimmington; and Leigh Kotsilidis, Don Sedgwick, and Leif Helmer for their invaluable help in suggesting connections to organize the tour. And also and always to my family – brothers Lachlan and Simon, and my Aunt Jan, were particularly helpful around this tour.

 

Everywhere on this tour I met wonderful people who seemed genuinely interested in Blasted and captivated by our performance. It was truly an outstanding experience.

 

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