blight & pride

This past weekend my cousin and I made a pilgrimage of sorts to Stark’s Corners, the hamlet founded by our Scottish ancestor Thomas Stark. A few years ago I went to his birthplace, Carnwath, and it was moving to stand before his grave with its engraved thistle above his name. The oak tree behind the row of oldest Stark graves has blight, but it was still amazing to think it might have stood there or been planted by our ancestors when they buried their loved ones—some of whom were infants and children. We searched for a souvenir acorn but couldn’t find any, so after taking lots of photographs, we went to the library and found a couple of books with more information. I just sent an email to the Pontiac Archives in Shawville; I won’t be able to go back before the end of the month—and wouldn’t have reached there without my cousin’s car and expert navigation skills—but they have a digital collection so maybe the volunteer archivists can point me in the right direction. I’d like to understand how someone in Scotland could afford to travel to Canada and name an entire community after himself. One book indicated the land was obtained by grant rather than sale. So the government just took land from the Pontiac and gave it to mostly European migrants for free? Settler history is unsettling, to say the least.

Last week was a bit of a whirl—the launch event in Toronto was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with family members I haven’t seen in over two decades. WordPress still won’t let me upload photos but you can find them on Instagram. On the train, shortly after leaving Montreal that morning, I got an email from the UK Home Office letting me know they had received an endorsement of my credentials from Arts Council England. I was found *not* to be a leader in my field but they chose the other option for emerging writers with “exceptional promise.” I was too happy at the time to feel offended, and had to get through my event in Toronto before returning to Montreal with my cousin. She left Sunday morning and now I’m working on my visa application. My lease is up at the end of this month so I am trying to cross the pond sooner rather than later. I consulted an astrologer in Delhi and she said the chances of me moving to the UK were “favorable,” but that I should stay there six years once I move. Right now that sounds great because living out of a suitcase for nearly 9 months hasn’t always been easy.

On a sad note, I learned this morning that my dear friend Maya Gonzalez passed away. She had been battling cancer for the past couple of years and now she can rest. Her family still needs support so if you’re able to give anything, please use this link. There used to be four of us and we called ourselves the “Rad Women.” I zoomed with Laura this afternoon and we swapped photographs and memories. I probably won’t be able to attend the memorial in San Francisco but will try to make it out for the Social Justice Children’s Book Fair in early December. Love your friends while you can…