AFTER THE HORSES

The festival was a huge success. Even I was impressed with the offerings from so many brilliant writers and creators. Now it's time to move on to other things. This fall has brought a plethora of rewards, including After the Horses, fourth in the Dan Sharp mystery series. When I interviewed Shyam Selvadurai at the Naked Heart festival last month, he asked how I enjoyed writing mysteries, both of us having come from purely literary backgrounds. "I love it," I answered truthfully. "Because I can say things I can't say in other types of writing." I mean that in all sincerity. I can write in a way that enables me to be free of the weight and oppressiveness of academia and considerations such as canon and concern for the literary landscape. It's my way of keeping it real.

CAWTHRA PARK AIDS MEMORIAL GARDEN

One of the nicest surprises from the World Pride celebrations last month was the reinvention of Cawthra Park behind the 519 Community Centre. Fronting on Church Street, the park now opens invitingly to the AIDS Memorial it once seemed bent on concealing. At least once a year, I make the journey to those fourteen upright pillars, stopping to read names and recall the passing of so many who crossed my path at some point. Earlier this week, almost serendipitously, distant bells rang as I visited at high noon.