Sunday, February 20, 2011

Reprint: The Next Chapter

I was so tickled, back in November, to be asked to do an in-person interview with Shelagh Rogers for CBC's The Next Chapter, which focuses on Canadian writers/songwriters.

Shelagh was in town to host the Canadian Folk Music Awards and so was doing as many 'Winnipeg-writer' interviews as she could fit into her schedule.

One of which was with my boss, bookstore owner Kelly Hughes. His interview aired almost right away, which given its timeliness made sense, but ever since, Monday mornings have included a certain amount of breathless web-searching:

"The Next Chapter website! The NEXT CHAPTER WEBSITE...oh. I'm not on the schedule this week. Okay, on to my fav. webcomics for consolation..."

But this week, specifically today, I'm on The Next Chapter! Which is SUCH GREAT FUN.

Here is the line-up:
* Richard Van Camp on The Moon of Letting Go
* Royal Wood on The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy
* Ariel Gordon on Hump
* Timothy Taylor on his day job as a banker
* Cathy Gildiner reviews Superdad: A Memoir of Rebellion, Drugs and Fatherhood by Christopher Shulgan

But back to the interview itself for a moment.

I'd trundled over to the CBC studios on Portage Avenue, trying not to think too much about what she might ask or what I might answer. And was greeted and taken into the studio right away.

Once I'd plunked myself down, it was exciting, seeing the copy of Hump that Shelagh Rogers had marked up (or had marked up for her, I don't much care...). Just sitting there at her elbow.

Most exciting, however, was how gracefully she introduced me and my book.

It sort of made me want to weep, which of course doesn't help when you're trying to present yourself as being both thinking AND feeling.

Weepiness is, apparently, my reaction to any lit kindness meted out to me.

Sigh...but also: FUN!

4 comments:

Jeope said...

You softie!

Congrats, from up the street.

Ariel Gordon said...

You take that back! (Thanks, Jeope...)

Debbie Strange said...

Congratulations on your entertaining interview on CBC. I enjoyed it thoroughly. I aspire to sound as self-assured and interesting as you do when you are speaking about your words. I'm also relieved to learn that I'm not the only one who gets the "weepies"...

Ariel Gordon said...

Thanks ever so much, Debbie!