Picking up where I left off: On Tuesday night, the 27th of November, after a public book signing at the Chapters/Indigo Rideau Centre, it was off to my dinner with some serious literary heavyweights. Linda Spalding was there with her husband Michael Ondaatje; Ross King brought his date Charlotte Gray, and her husband George. Ellen Seligman (well-known editor) was there, as were Kristin Cochrane from Random House and Alison Morgan, publisher at Tundra.
I was quite nervous, especially when I was seated across from Charlotte and Michael and beside George, but everyone was so, so lovely. What did I learn? I learned that …
-Charlotte Gray adores Susan Juby, and that the lovefest is mutual. Charlotte loves Susan’s “Writers Life” videos on youtube and wants to star in one; she also shared a hot tub with Susan in Moose Jaw. 🙂 Susan, thank you for letting me know you knew her, it helped ease me in! Charlotte was very generous, asking me a lot of questions about myself. She also knew Robert Fowler, author of “A Season In Hell” and the brother of my dear friend Robin Fowler.
-Michael O once rented a cottage very very close to where my grandparents’ farm was, and knew the area well. He also confessed to the table that when he was seventeen he had a love affair with tripe. For six months he only wanted to eat tripe. He hasn’t eaten it since and hates it. Also, he thought Lindsay Lohan was great in “Freaky Friday” (I told him he should check out “Mean Girls” as well. 🙂 He also loved “Fearless” with Jeff Bridges as much as I did).
-Ross King is a master forger. I’ve attached proof. Can you guess which signature is really mine? He made one slip-up. I have come to adore Ross over the past 24 hours – he is a kind, lovely man.
-Linda continues to be a rocking, rollicking presence. I got to know her a bit in Montreal as well. We weren’t sitting too close together last night so I didn’t get any juicy tidbits.
-Dinners like that are boozy affairs and I realized in the middle of the night that I had had far too much wine to drink. I would pay for it the next day.
I didn’t take any pictures because no one else ever brought out a camera and I was too embarrassed!
OK, lastly, here is a sneak preview of my shoes (Chie Mihara) which I would wear, along with my spectacular dress, to Rideau Hall the following night. And for THAT extravaganza, you will have to wait …
