3-Day Novel

No, not me -- I don't know if I'll ever have a 3-Day novel in me, but all praise and congratulations to my good friends Gordon and Angie for enduring a grueling three straight days of novel-writing inside a mall on one of the most spectacularly beautiful weekends of the year. Now that's dedication to the craft.

Angie and Gordon wrote back to back in the Station Mall in Sault Ste, Marie, Ontario, battling for concentration and inspiration against curious onlookers, mall muzak and the eerie, soon-the-zombies-will-come atmosphere of a mall after midnight. Yes, they even slept there.

Their stint (stunt?) was all part of the annual Labour Day weekend 3-Day Novel contest that happens all over the world, and has been doing so for 30 years now.

Best of luck to both completed novels, which now enter the judging pool. The contest results will be announced in January, which to me seems a very cruel wait for these brave, and fast, writers.

CBC Interview

Now that I've figured out the audio loading, I'm all about putting up the sound.

Here is the CBC Summer North radio interview I did on August 10th, ahead of my trip north. Thanks so much to Gordon Graham for recording the interview in his kitchen. The interviewer is Gerald Graham -- no relation. As you can see below, you have your choice of listening formats. Whichever works best for you.

The Uninvited Guest on CBC (Quicktime)

The Uninvited Guest on CBC (streaming)

Thessalon reading clip

Please visit the link below to hear a brief clip of me reading, lakeside, about an hour north of Thessalon, Ontario. The reading took place in a beautiful natural setting. Note the sound of waves against the dock and shore that threaten to drown me out at one point. During another section, I was also accosted by a hummingbird buzzing around my head. I apologize for the quality of the audio. I recorded it with a miniature voice recorder on the chair beside me.

Thessalon Reading

Below is a photo of the bass player for the Northern Jazz Trio, who entertained the crowds after the reading.

Highway 17

(image, Thessalon town hall)

I'm just back from my too-brief tour of the near north in Ontario. I did readings and signings in Thessalon, Sault Ste. Marie and some distance away up the Chapleau highway, back in the woods on a deck overlooking a beautiful lake whose name I now forget. It was a delightful trip. I stayed with friends in Thessalon -- writers Gordon Graham and Angie Gallop -- and we dreamed big about creating a regular summer author festival for that region. Considering the media attention and turnout provided for one travelling author, the summer population in and around Sault Ste. Marie can definitely support a literary festival.



There I am, reading to a collection of northern book clubs on a beautiful late-summer afternoon, just before we relaxed into the evening with wine, food and the Northern Jazz Trio out of the Sault. I have a short audio clip of my reading, and will load it as soon as I figure out how to do that.

so much media, so little time

Here's an article about the book, me and my upcoming tour, from The Sault Star. Love that logo.

Also, for the northerners, tune into CBC Radio One this afternoon at 4. I'll be interviewed on Summer North.

Soo Today

The northern tour is gathering steam. Sootoday.com, a what's happening site in Sault Ste. Marie has picked up the press release. Thanks again to Angie for her fabulous work as my northern PR person.

Check out the Sootoday site. Local news is reported using people's first names only in the headlines. I love it.

Northern Tour Press Release

Thanks to Angie Gallop, writer and literature promoter of Thessalon, Ontario for putting together this press release regarding my upcoming long drive north:


(Photo courtesy of the Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University.)

Canada’s First Novel Award Nominee to Tour the North

A 1952 photo of Detroit Red Wings’ Captain Sid Abel and goalie Terry Sawchuk kissing the Stanley Cup placed an idea in author John Degen’s head that lead to his book The Uninvited Guest, one of this year’s nominees for the Amazon.ca/Books in Canada First Novel Award.

“I got to thinking about everyone who might have been standing around those two guys at that moment, but who didn't manage to make it into the photo. The story of Stan and Tony came out of that idea, and the idea of someone who maybe doesn't want to stand at the side of history, but is forced to anyway,” says Degen about the impulse that lead to his novel.

The book is a bizarre and comic tale about a failed hockey player who will never lift the cup in victory but who is instead given the job of escorting it around the world; watching victorious players celebrate; and then cleaning up after the party.

Degen, who works on behalf of writers every day as the executive director of the Professional Writers’ Association of Canada, is traveling north to do a series of readings this summer. He’ll be on hand to sign books and chat at Chapters Sudbury 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday August 15th ; then on to the town library in Thessalon 2-3 p.m. on Friday August 17th ; then that evening at 7 p.m. he’ll be at Sault Ste. Marie’s Uppercase Bookstore for a night of reading and music.