It seems that most people meet online these days, not just in bars or through family connections or through friends. Norma Hill and I met online, not on a dating site as we are both happily married, though not to each other. One early email exchange is dated November 8, 2023 though our relationship feels... Continue Reading →
[Ken Gray] I have long admired the writing of Barbara Kingsolver. From her debut novels The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven, her early non-fiction essay collection High Tide in Tucson, her novel The Poisonwood Bible, and most recently the epic Pulitzer and Women’s prize winning Demon Copperhead I have enjoyed her intelligent and insightful... Continue Reading →
Photo by Daan Huttinga on Unsplash [Ken Gray] With thanks to Jesse Zink for this book review I thought something completely different from the geopolitics of the past few days was in order. I really enjoyed the book and would love to see the movie if ever produced. Highly recommended. [Jesse Zink] How do you... Continue Reading →
I am so pleased to help my writer colleague, Norma Hill launch her new book A Summerland Stories Scrapbook at a special event on Sunday night, May the 4th at 6 p.m. in the “Stone” Church on Prairie Valley Rd in Summerland. Years in the making, Norma has assembled, transcribed, edited, and arranged literally hundreds... Continue Reading →
PREAMBLE This blog, takenote.ca, features a wide variety of topics. Recently, many daily posts have responded seriously to national and global politics, and rightly so. There is, however, a limit to what we and our readers can tolerate. Sometimes we need a break from politics and the serious matters which swirl around us. So today,... Continue Reading →
Cónal Creedon is a critically acclaimed novelist, playwright and documentary filmmaker. Many readers will already be familiar with him. I was not, until a writer friend, Norma, shared with me a CBC Radio Ideas special event from McGill University in Montreal. Writing in USA Review Of Books, Kate Robinson describes Creedon’s work this way: “Creedon’s... Continue Reading →
A review of Close to Home, by Michael Magee // Guest blog by Norm Sigurdson Now in retirement and living in Calgary, voluminous reader Norm Sigurdson shares book reviews on Facebook which we are pleased to re-publish here, with permission and encouragement, on this blog. Enjoy. I just read Irish writer Michael Magee’s bleak semi-autobiographical... Continue Reading →
Take Note - Reflections on life, music, politics, retirement and more by Ken Gray 