10.05 p.m. Just came back from teaching and wanted to watch the Giller Prize. But the CBC has relegated it to some obscure channel – tried and tried, couldn’t get it. BUT – I finally picked up a live stream on the computer, just in time to see Esi Edugyan win against the formidable Michael Ondaatje. A young woman of Ghanian background, with a new baby, wrested this huge prize from one of the giants of Canadian literature – thrilling. She spoke with humility and sweetness about her editors, her publisher, and her family, calling a greeting to her father, who emigrated from Ghana in the 70’s and who was watching the program.
Glad glad glad. I guess I’ll have to read the book.
Wayson came to speak to my Advanced class at Ryerson tonight; students from all my other classes came as well. He was his usual eloquent, moving, inspiring self. “Think of your ideal reader,” he told us. “The ideal reader is … you.”
“Pay attention,” he said. “Look for detail. You’re a writer. Writers, artists, are witnesses to the human drama.”
“Your family has secrets,” he said. “Your family is an epic. Find it out.”
And he told us about his great luck as a writer, how everything fell into place for him. As everything fell into place, tonight, for Esi Edugyan.
At midday I played hookey and had a wonderful treat – wrote my bike down to TIFF to meet dear friend Ken, who rode his bike down to TIFF, only he is in his late 70’s and in Birkenstocks. We saw “Le Havre,” a beautiful Finnish/French film, a kind of fantasy and yet a powerful, real story about immigrants, poverty and love. About dignity and generosity … and love. Wonderful.
I salute you, writers, Wayson, Esi, Aki Kaurismaki the writer/director of the film. Thank you for witnessing the human drama, and working so hard to bring us your version of truth.
