New Chalk Drawings

Now at the Mansion House

Ottawa, here I come

I bought train tickets today. I leave St. Catharines at 7 am on July 25, (the day after my birthday), and arrive in Ottawa 13:59. I leave Ottawa on July 28 at 12:30, and will be back in St. Catharines at 19:19. The plan is to crash at Brad's.
I hope to see the National Gallery, and maybe the Museum of Civilization. I'd also like to just wander around Hull and Ottawa to see where the good bookstores are. Any hints would be appreciated.

Summer camp

Cartoon Capers was perfect. The kids love their quills - I let the student helper hand them out. Every quill was taped to the wall next to the kids' cartoons on the walls, so when the parents came to see the show, they could tell what the kids used to make their images. That was the kids' idea. The kids were so obviously cherishing them. It was like they were holding teddy bears.

I got a treasure as a parting gift from one young lady, a drinking glass she had etched herself, with my name, and the date in Chinese. Not my real name, but Elbows. I am still thrilled.

All the comic books went home with them. We came up with a few new ideas which worked well, and I will be integrating them into future classes. The kids and parents got tips for maintaining and repairing their quills. I even made them copy a diagram into their folders so they wouldn't forget.

I'm getting a lot of gifts lately.

Kim gave me a CD today - "Kerouac - kicks joy darkness" a compilation from 1997 I never knew existed. I haven't listened to it yet, but it looks like Kerouac's words performed by the likes of Warren Zevon, Lydia Lunch, Michael Stipe, Hunter S. Thompson, Joe Strummer, Allen Ginsberg, Steven Tyler, Johnny Depp, patti Smith, Jeff Buckley, Eddie Vedder, Juliana Hatfield and John Cale, and more. Yumpin' Yiminy! What a collection of people. Lots of points for Kim!

We were at the Merchant Ale House to meet Pascal just before the Grey Borders Poetry night (and $5 dinner). Kim left to pick up a daughter, and Pascal left to go see "Sicko" - very worthy endeavors, of course. However, I got to see Max Middle perform some soundscape poetry. They're a trio from Ottawa that compose poetry both as individuals as well as for group performance. The three read some works simultaneously. I hadn't seen anything like it until now. And I am also proud to say I have seen my first performance of 3:44 - they did it right there beside the beer vats. My John Cage cherry is busted. I'd go see Max Middle again. I'll look for them in Ottawa when I get there in 2 weeks.

I've just realized that I can listen to my new CD while I type.

The insert contains a pile of Kerouac's actual texts, as well as a few images. The 1st track is a tribute to Jack Kerouac, by a band called Morphine. There's unpublished stuff here too by J. K.

The kids in my class at Rodman Hall today were working hardest and happiest with the goose quill pens I made for them. I am so happy about that, I'll be making pens like that every year.

Niagara Magazine

I'm in an article by Niagara Magazine that includes people like Richard B. Wright and Walter Ostanek! That's a picture of me at the Strega with some pictures I drew for the Colouring Books for Seniors, for Bill Liddell.