Peter Alexander completed a PhD in musicology at Indiana University. He is a retired staff member and adjunct assistant professor of music at the University of Iowa, where he was director of media relations for all the arts organizations on campus for 23 years. He has also worked as a music critic and church choir director. In 2009 he retired and moved to Colorado, where he plays clarinet in two community bands and writes classical music stories for Boulder Weekly and his own blog: sharpsandflatirons.com

John Kevin Allen is an author and hospital chaplain living near St. Louis, Missouri with his wife Carole. His work can be found in Broadview, the magazine of the United Church of Canada, and in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. He is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and a ministry partner with the United Church of Canada.

Jacqueline L. (Jackie) Amable was born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, raised in Northern Ontario, and in later years settled in Toronto. At 23 years of age, she drove transport from Edmonton, Alberta to Yellowknife, North West Territories, the only woman team driving the North at that time. For 30 years she was an Employment Standards Officer with the Ontario Ministry of Labour, investigating and resolving complaints under the Employment Standards Act, beginning in Northern Ontario and then in later years in Mississauga, Ontario, where she now resides. She retired to care for her elderly brother and mother, now both deceased, and is currently a Forex and Crypto trader.

Sally Arsove was born and raised in the U.S.A (mostly) and ended up in Ottawa in 1975, after a year of volunteer teaching in Ethiopia followed by a year studying at the London School of Economics. Sally is a citizen of both Canada and the U.S.A., and her two adult children now both live and work on the U.S. side of the border. Sally worked for many years as an Economist for the Government of Canada in the field of international development and finance. After retiring in 2007, she earned a bookkeeping certificate and now works part-time helping young companies get their businesses going. Sally enjoys the beauty of nature, gardening and outdoor exercise (especially swimming, biking, and cross-country skiing), sewing, and connecting with friends and family. Sally has continued to volunteer in the health care sector and for local poverty reduction organizations.

Robert Barclay was born in London, England in 1946. He received a Certificate in Science Laboratory Technology from the City and Guilds of London Institute (1968). After graduating from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts (1975), he went on to earn an inter-disciplinary PhD at the Open University in the U.K. (1999). He has worked as a museum object restorer and musical instrument maker, and conducts trumpet-making workshops in Europe and the United States. He has published extensively in the fields of museum conservation, musical instru-ment making, music history and fiction. He runs a small publishing company, Loose Cannon Press, assisting first-time authors in preparing their works for publication.

Elizabeth Barnes has been writing for as long as she has been reading. She is mother to nine and grandmother to four, with another on the way. In addition to running Grandma School, Elizabeth enjoys her job at a learning centre, reading, cooking, baking, and dragon boating.

Taiya Barss immigrated to Nova Scotia in 1973 and lived in Cape Breton for 25 years. Since 1998, she has lived in Halifax. She was born in Boston, so she will always be a Come-From-Away, despite the fact that her grandfather was from Dartmouth, and one of her two sons was born in Cape Breton. Her favourite ancestor is her grandfather’s great-grandfather, the notorious privateer, Captain Joseph Barss. He sailed out of Liverpool and during the War of 1812 captured Yankee ships in Boston Harbour and brought them back to Halifax as war prizes. Taiya attended Antioch College in Ohio, but after too many classes in algebra, trigonometry, chemistry and biology, she decided a career in science wasn’t what she wanted. She transferred to the School of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, where she majored in print-making. After graduation, she turned to painting, and has been pursuing that ever since, working in oil, acrylic, and water colour.

Debra Bertrand was raised on a dairy farm in Carleton Township, living in the surrounding area for most of her life, but has settled in the town of Arnprior, Ontario for the past 20-plus years. She raised four beautiful children with her husband John, and worked as an Administrative Assistant in Arnprior for 40 years. Debra has been retired for the past four years, enjoying being part of her grandchildren’s lives, and living life to the fullest by keeping healthy and active.

Valerie Buko is a teacher and writer in Ottawa. She is the author of a number of children’s picture books, such as Ella Learns English, Summer Olympic Athletes and Hockey for All of My Life. She is currently focusing on writing adult fiction. Valerie is a board member of Ottawa Independent Writers (OIW).

Elena Calvo is a teacher, psychologist, writer, poet and amateur photographer who lives in Gatineau, Quebec. She started journaling and writing poetry at a very young age in her native Spain. Her writing consists mostly of Japanese poetic forms (tanka, haiku and senryu) and also includes lyric and micro-poetry, aphorisms, essays and inner sketches. Her main interest and influence is mystic writing. She enjoys languages, has collabor-ated in public/collective readings in Ottawa, and has done occasional articles, editing, translations and book reviews in both English and Spanish. Her work has appeared in print and online in different anthologies in Canada, England and the US, among others: AHG-A Hundred Gourds, GUSTS-Tanka Canada, HC-Haiku Canada, In-Between Two Worlds, Inkstone, KaDo Ottawa, MB-Moonbathing, NeverEndingStory, OCWG-Ottawa Creative Writers’ Group, OIW-Ottawa Independent Writers, Wah Journal; and the following anthology books: Gift of Silence, Harvest, Painting Sunlight, The Sea Replied and Sage.

Rodney Clough lives in Sawyer, Michigan where with his wife, interior decorator, Linda Jo Clough, he owns and operates a vacation property rental. Both also maintain a residence in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. Previously, Rodney was Adjunct Professor at Columbia College in Chicago. He is a frequent contributor to Medium, the online journal, where he writes on political discourse, climate justice and the media: https://link.medium.com/HwQJKhVrifb

Brent P. D. Coates was raised in rural and smalltown settings and was first introduced to urban living in his late 20s; he now lives in the Bells Corners community of Ottawa. His academic studies in forestry, agriculture and physical geography were ideal for his career with the Canadian Federal National Parks Agency. One of Brent’s passions has been the Royal Oaks tree project, which was initiated and funded by the United Nations in the late 1990s. Brent continues to support the principles of this project by planting and nurturing the tri-centennial giants of the Great Lakes forest. A number of these magnificent Red and White Oak tree species, planted by Brent, are located along the Trans-Canada Trail. Some of Brent’s most pleasurable pastimes are exploring the urban, rural and woodland areas of the country. He has investigated all the Ghost towns, abandoned rail lines and navigable water routes within a 150 km radius of Ottawa. Contact him at: brentpdcoates@gmail.com

Dianna Davison-Veber is a lifelong learner, mother of two, and retired executive administrative assistant who has a jest for life. She is a lover of music, a teller of jokes and a renowned punster.  Above all, she’s a perceptive observer of life, and someone who takes her own path, while caring for those around her. She is highly valued for her subtle, behind-the-scenes contrib-utions to her local Seniors’ College.

Sasha Dominique is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, in the French Interpretation section. Since 1992, she has been seen in various theatre productions, mostly in French, produced in Ottawa, Gatineau and Montreal, some of which have toured across the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. She won the award Prix d’excellence artistique de Théâtre Action in 2004, as well as the Prix Rideau Award Interprète féminine de l’année in 2010. She translated and performed the solo play The Syringa Tree written by the South-African author Pamela Gien (Le lilas africain) in 2016. The play was produced by Le Théâtre de Dehors at La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins in Ottawa 2016 and 2019, and also went to Nunavut the same year. She performed at the Gladstone in the play The Ugly One presented by Plosive Productions, in October 2019.

      Sasha has written and performed four solo shows, for both adult and juvenile audiences. During the pandemic, she has written a children’s story, La cachette de Marie-Lune, which can be found on YouTube, and which she aims to adapt into a comic book in 2021. She is also the Artistic Director of the Théâtre AROBAS, a theatre company for elders. In addition, she is an animator, teacher, director, singer, poet, and coach for students seeking to enter specialized theatre school.

Claude Ethier, the creator of our frontpage art, is a former Canadian diplomat who now resides in North Bay, where he dabbles in art and photography.

Kathy Figueroa is a Canadian poet, photographer, freelance writer and indie publisher who resides in the beautiful town of Bancroft, in the northern part of Hastings County, Ontario. The Internet reaches all parts of the globe and, as a result, so do Kathy’s often funny and irreverent poems, though some have a more serious tone. Her versified views of the world can also be found in numerous hard-copy publications, such as newspapers, magazines, dozens of anthologies, and her five published collections: Paudash Poems, Flowertopia, The Cathedral of the Eternal Blue Sky, The Ballad of the PoeTrain Poeteer: Winnipeg to Vancouver, and The Renaissance of Rhyme. (These books include her poems that have been published well over 100 times in the Bancroft newspapers.)  In addition, Kathy’s short play, Conflicted About the Wolf, was staged in Bancroft in 2012. To date, Kathy has created six literary events, including four The Word Is Wild Literary Festivals, and many open mic evenings. She founded the Poets’ Society of Hastings County North in 2010, which met regularly prior to the pandemic, and continues to share poetry-related information via Facebook. For many years, Kathy was also involved with various aspects of film production, and, for two years, was Poetry Editor of the Quinte Arts Council publication, Umbrella. In 2018, she registered a small press, Flowertopia Studio, which publishes the work of Canadian poets.

Julie Fortin a étudié en Travail social à Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. Elle s’établit à Gatineau en 2019. Elle déploie ses efforts auprès de la clientèle aînée du secteur Hull avec les Logements de l’Outaouais. En tant qu’intervenante de milieu du programme ITMAV, elle tente de rejoindre les personnes âgées ayant besoin d’aide et désirant être accompagnées dans leurs démarches et soutenues pour trouver les ressources répondant à leurs besoins.

Julie Fortin is a Social Work graduate from Université du Québec in Chicoutimi. In 2019 she moved to Gatineau where she found employment as a community intervention worker for the ITMAV program (acronym of a Québec government initiative to improve the quality of life of senior citizens). Her attention and efforts are centered on providing advice and support to seniors living in the Hull sector of Gatineau, including the residents of Logements de l’Outaouais where her office is located, in their attempts to find resources and services they are in need of.

Denise Giroux is a lawyer with more than 32 years’ experience as a champion for underdogs, having practiced in the areas of poverty law, family and general litigation, and labour law, with a strong focus on human rights. She recently retired from working for a federal public service union in Ottawa, and is now trying to make plans for the rest of her life in this second summer of pandemic-living. She resides in the Gatineau hills in Cantley, Québec.

Jeanette Grant was born in Nova Scotia in 1942, and now lives in Arnprior. She married in 1966 and is the mother of two and grandmother of three. Jeanette was a teacher by trade and taught in five provinces. She went back to school and graduated with her MA in 1993 from the University of Guelph. An early breast cancer survivor, Jeanette was one of the core group that initiated the Breast Cancer Survivor Dragon Boat Team, the Prior Chest Nuts. Now living with ALS, Jeanette has been thankful to contribute.

Bill Hartman retired after an extensive career in financial services. He engaged in corporate finance, investment banking, and investor relations principally at Merrill Lynch, J.P. Morgan, and Citibank where he focused on financial services companies. Years ago, he self-published The Link, a novel about a financial consultant saving the world. Hartman served in the United States Marine Corps and graduated from Yale University with a degree in economics. He and his wife Marilyn live in Austin, Texas. They have two sons and enjoy art.

Ruth Hawkins is a Registered Psychotherapist based in Ottawa, Ontario. Prior to starting her private practice, Ruth was a dedicated senior-level civil servant for the federal government of Canada for 33 years, retiring in 2016. As a mother and grandmother herself, Ruth approaches each client with compassion, honesty, and humour. She believes that by making sense of our past, we can all find peace in our future.

Elizabeth (Betsy) Hoffman is a professor of economics at Iowa State University, where she previously served as Executive Vice President and Provost. From 2000 to 2005, she was President of the University of Colorado System, where she is President Emerita. Her published research is in the areas of Experimental Economics, Cliometrics, and Behavioral Economics. Hoffman was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania in 1946, the maternal granddaughter of Andre Kalpaschnikoff, who had escaped the Russian Revolution. She was raised in Wayne, Pennsylvania and in nearby Berwyn, graduating from Conestoga High School in 1964. She then attended Smith College, intending to become a music teacher, but a very low grade in music theory convinced her she would do better in another field. She wound up receiving a BA in history in 1968. An astronomy course she took at Smith had a happier out-come; it led to a lifelong passion for the subject. After graduating from Smith, Hoffman received an MA in history from the University of Pennsylvania in 1969, a PhD in history from the University of Pennsylvania in 1972, and a PhD in social science (economics) from the California Institute of Tech-nology in 1979. While finishing her PhD at Penn, she taught history and economics at St Olaf College, Carleton College, and Macalester College. After completing her PhD in history, she was an assistant professor of history at the University of Florida, but was recruited for one of the first classes of economics PhD students at the California Institute of Technology. She then became assistant professor of economics at Northwestern University, assistant and associate professor of economics at Purdue University, and professor of economics at the University of Wyoming and professor of economics and law at the University of Arizona.

      Hoffman has been a member of numerous boards, including the board of trustees of her alma mater, Smith College, the National Science Board, and a number of international astronomy boards. She is married to fellow economist Brian R. Binger and lives in Ames, Iowa.

Bill Horne was born in Windsor, Ontario and attended University of Windsor for both undergrad and grad study in Political Science and Econ-omics. He worked for Bell Canada, Nortel, and Foreign Affairs for some 49 years. His love of English started early in life, when he was asked by his public-school principal to teach a Chinese newcomer to Canada ‘Everything you know about English.’ He eventually became a member of Ottawa Independent Writers, where he met Jon Peirce, succeeding him as President. For a few years he was a freelance writer and editor. He is now happily retired in London, Ontario and enjoys volunteer editing for organizations such as the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario and Turtle Guardians. Bill and his partner Elizabeth volunteer at Fanshawe Pioneer Village. Two memorable moments were establishing the Terry Fox Run in Bogota, Colombia, and travelling the world with Dr Theresa Tam of the Public Health Agency of Canada in the fight against the H1N1 pandemic. A former marathon runner, Bill now derives great pleasure from serving on the Terry Fox Run London committee and from finding typos in The Economist magazine.

Neven Humphrey is a Gatineau-based writer specializing in furry literature, i.e., stories where the characters are animals that walk and talk like humans. But he has other interests, too: indeed, he has written two books of editorials (with a third on the way), and is also writing a book on Canada’s 100 deadliest disasters of the 20^th century. And when he’s not writing, he’s reading, watching movies and taking long walks in Gatineau Park.

Georgia Johnson was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She worked as a secretary and eventually married Art Johnson, who was a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force. His career included lots of travel in Canada and a four-year posting in Germany. During their posting in Comox, British Columbia, Georgia obtained an honours certificate in Early Childhood Education and worked in that field until her retirement in 1999. After Art’s retirement in 2006, they moved back to Nova Scotia, where she continues to live today. A lady of faith, she devotes herself to her church and family.

Ian Johnson retired in 2015 from the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union after serving 20 years as a policy analyst/ researcher/communications coordinator. He has also worked with the Nova Scotia Provincial Health Council, the Nova Scotia NDP Caucus, and the City of Halifax’s Social Planning Department. Outside of work, Ian served as a director with two Nova Scotia pension boards. He has also been active with the Seniors’ College Association of Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Health Coalition, and the Nova Scotia Office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. He is married, lives in Halifax, and has a stepdaughter and two sons.

Lee Keener was born in 1945 and received a BA from Amherst College in 1967 and a doctoral degree in mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1972. He has held academic appointments at Dalhousie University, Indiana University at South Bend, and the University of Northern British Columbia, and has also taught at the University of Waterloo, the University of Oregon and the University of Alberta. He is now retired and lives with his wife and daughter on Nukko Lake, outside Prince George, British Columbia.

Marcia Brumit Kropf, PhD, is retired after a long career in the non-profit sector as an educator, researcher, and senior executive, working to change the world for women and girls. Currently, she serves on the board of directors of the Children’s Art Guild, a non-profit organization working with educators, students, and parents to create transformative learning environ-ments where every child is able to embrace the value of their own experiences. She lives with her husband, Roger, in New York City, not far from her two adult children and their families, including four amazing and delightful grandchildren.

Jany Lavoie, native de l’Outaouais, au Québec, elle a aussi vécu à Montréal, La Pocatière et Vancouver. Elle a gagne sa vie avec les mots, comme professeure de français et correctrice d’épreuves, pour se retrouver maintenant en République démocratique du Congé, c’est-à-dire à la retraite ! Depuis le bacc. en arts visuels, Jany a toujours maintenu une pratique artistique, que ce soit en danse, en musique, en écriture, en multi média ou en peinture. En cette année de COVID, elle a trouvé beaucoup d’apaisement à fréquenter la nature, lors de randonnées qui lui permettaient aussi de voir ses ami-e-s.

Jany Lavoie is a native of the Outaouais region of Quebec, who has also lived in Montreal, La Pocatière, and Vancouver. She earned her living with words, as a French teacher and proof-reader, and is presently enjoying retirement. Since graduating with a Visual Arts degree, Jany has maintained an artistic practice, including dance, music, writing, multimedia and painting. During this pandemic year, she found peace in nature, taking long walks that have also allowed her to connect with friends.

Paul Lenarczyk is a proud Polish-Canadian teacher, writer, performer and arts advocate. Growing up in Fredericton, New Brunswick, he fell in love with musical theatre, Celtic music, and the performing arts in general. Since obtaining three degrees from the city’s two universities, including one of the first ever Fine Arts Minors in Creative Writing awarded by the University of New Brunswick, he has continued to write, teach, and perform. After a 14-year teaching career in public schools in New Brunswick, he moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia with his wife Karen and daughter Daniella in 2016. Paul is an active member of the Polish community in Nova Scotia and avid performer in online kitchen parties for now, but hopefully will soon be performing live with friends and extended family around the country.

Alan Lennon is a retired trade union representative and activist. After stints teaching philosophy and then working as an immigration officer, he joined the Canada Employment and Immigration Union (PSAC) where he was on staff for about 25 years. In that role, he wrote for a variety of magazines and journals as well as developing and delivering labour education courses. In his retirement, he divides his time between Toronto and Gatineau and pursues interests in labour history and social theory. He looks forward to being able to travel and photograph the world again.

Catherine A. (Cathy) MacKenzie’s writings have been published in numerous print and online publications. She has also published several short story collections, books of poetry, and children’s picture books. She published her first novel, Wolves Don’t Knock, in 2018. Mister Wolfe (the second in the series) appeared in 2020. My Brother, the Wolf, the final volume, will be available in 2022. She lives in West Porters Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada. Reach out to her, check her website and follow her on Facebook at: writingwicket@gmail.com, www.writingwicket.wordpress.com, https://www.facebook.com/cathy.mackenzie.790

Suha (Su) Mardelli is an emerging writer from Ottawa who traded her well-trodden corporate high-heels to spend a year writing in Birkenstocks. She spent twenty-two years living in Dubai, surrounded by accents in English, and draws on her experiences as an entrepreneur, an award-winning business executive, and ‘love of listening to people’ to produce thought-provoking stories. She is currently photographing food for her new cook-book and writing her first novel. At one point she wrote stories about food, recipes included, on her blog: www.papergrape.com

Christopher Millard is principal bassoonist with Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra. He has enjoyed a long and varied musical career as a performer and educator in both Canada and the U.S.A. He created the NAC’s first classical musical podcast, writing and producing over 60 hours of eclectic programs. He is currently completing a book on woodwind acoustics. Although he can produce good sourdough bread and a reasonable demi-glace, his lifelong interest in physics is currently stalled by the confusing implications of quantum loop gravity theory.

Susan Mills lives in Arnprior and is a policy analyst in real life. She loves analyzing the pros and cons of various issues. Being an essential caregiver to her mom led her into becoming an outspoken critic of long-term care policies which separate loved ones from their support systems. Susan loves dragon boating and cannot wait for the day she is back on the water. You can follow Susan and read her views on: twitter @Priorhockey

Gavin Murphy is an Ottawa lawyer and legal editor of the Commonwealth Law Bulletin in London. He is also a member of the Rockcliffe Lawn Tennis Club and is always looking for games.

Colleen Naomi has been involved in theatre for 30 years. Her early start at the age of seven launched a life-long love of the performing arts. Over the years she has been involved as actor, director, and script writer, and has toured two of her original shows. In 2010 her focus became offering theatre camps for children and youth. Colleen has been Artistic Director for South Shore Players since 2016 and now teaches regular online theatre workshop for adults. She lives in Nova Scotia with her children, her partner, his children, and seven adorable pets. You can read more about Colleen and her theatre projects at: PlaysOnStage.ca

Bill Newmann as a child liked to take splinters out of his family members’ fingers, so naturally he wound up pursuing a career in family medicine. However, this route was a crooked one in that his college experience directed him more toward the liberal arts, given the competitive nature of those grinding away with pre-med courses. So, he joined the Peace Corps serving in Côte d’Ivoire (during the late 60s) on a mobile health education team, hoping someday to return as a ‘real doctor.’ Then, when his brother’s kidneys failed, gritting his teeth, he took pre-med courses, intending at first to become a dialysis technician, but then got his medical training at an enlightened university in Ohio that valued his work experience and became a ‘womb to tomb’ family doctor. After 40-plus years practicing in Olympia, Washington, he ‘retired’ and now assists the terminally ill who wish to have the choice of medical aid in dying under that state’s Death with Dignity Act. He maintains his interest in the French language and his friends and family, from North America to Europe and Africa.

Fran Ota is an ordained minister with The United Church of Canada. Born in Canora, Saskatchewan in 1946 into a minister’s family, she grew up in the church, and in many parts of Canada. In 1970 she received a Bachelor of Music Performance from the University of Manitoba, and went to Japan as Overseas Personnel with The United Church of Canada. In 1971 she married her language teacher, Norio Ota. Together they travelled and worked in Viêt Nam, New Jersey, Australia and Michigan, and in 1984 settled in Toronto. Fran has worked in refugee services, medical research, administration, and as a church musician. In 1995 she received a Master of Divinity from the University of Toronto, and has served in various churches in Ontario, as well as in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. She is currently taking a joint Master’s Degree at the University of Iceland and University of Oslo, in Viking and Medieval Norse Studies. Fran and Norio have four grown children and four grandchildren, and love looking after their homes in Toronto and in Kamakura, Japan as well as partial retirement in Portugal.

Donald Oluf Peirce, an identical twin, was born in 1939 in Boulder, Colorado. His parents moved to the Philadelphia area in 1945, residing in Wayne, Pennsylvania for his growing-up years. He graduated from Radnor High School in 1958, and in 1960 attended Drexel Institute of Technology. After a stint in the Marine Corps from 1963 to 1968, Mr Peirce matriculated at Temple University and graduated with a BS in Elementary Education. In 1978 he received his MEd in Elementary Education as well as certification as a Reading Specialist to teach K-12. After teaching at Bartram High School from 1975 to 1980, he obtained a job at Locke Elementary School as Reading/English Language Arts teacher, remaining there from 1980 through his retirement in 2001.

      On his retirement, Mr Peirce entered the Bryn Mawr Music Conservatory to pursue studies in composition, theory, and performance. During his seven years there, he was able to compose 20 classical music compositions and have two of them performed locally. A CD was made of other live performances at the Conservatory. Now in his 80s, he is pursuing various writing projects, one of which is a memoir of his teaching career. He hopes to have the 300 page-plus book completed this year.

Jim Pellegrin is a retired family practice doctor who lives in Point Reyes Station, California with his wife, Sally Jones, and five chickens, a lucky rooster and four hens. Dr Pellegrin has turned to quackery in recent years, and doles out idiotic advice to gullible hypochondriacs under the appropriate nom de plume of Dr Quackinthebush.

Camille Pellerin-Forget est physiothérapeute en réadaptation pédiatrique au CISSS de l’Outaouais, Gatineau. Elle a été délestée en zone chaude d’une ressource intermédiaire pour aînés en mai-juin 2020, afin de prêter main forte l’au moment d’une éclosion massive.

Camille Pellerin-Forget is a pediatric physiotherapist at CISSS Outaouais, in Gatineau. In May to June 2020, she was sent to an intermediate resource for seniors, in the red zone, where there was a massive COVID outbreak.

Jim Petrie is a versatile, soon-to-be 63-year-old who follows his passions. Lately he has been dabbling in Stand-Up Comedy at the Comedy Cove in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and he absolutely loves to hear people laugh at what he says. He is part of a growing demographic, the working retired, by driving an Access a Bus, delivering challenged adults to their jobs. He lives with his beautiful wife Cheryl and their golden retriever Lily, in Middle Sackville, Nova Scotia.

Teresa Patterson is an adult graduate of the Theatre Studies Program at Acadia University and has been involved with live theatre for many years and has worn all the hats. Most recently, Teresa started taking part in on-line courses conducted in lieu of being able to partake in live theatre due to COVID. In one of these courses, Playwriting was the topic and Teresa was hooked. She appreciates the opportunity to have contributed in some small way to this anthology and looks forward to seeing it published.

Paul W. Pickering is one of those quiet folks who happen to have great stories. He listens, appreciates and tries to make the world a more compass-sionate place by relating instances where our humanity shines through. Employed by Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia, Paul co-ordinates the Workplace Culture Program, working with employers to attract, retain and promote immigrants while addressing racism and other forms of discrimination. He has worked on filmsets, provided voiceover for documentaries and ads, sung amateur opera in the USSR, lived, worked and traveled through Asia, Europe and North America and ‘performs’ regularly through his online and onsite workshops. He shares his life in South Shore Nova Scotia with his partner (also in this almanac), her children, his children and various mini creatures they call pets. ‘Long-Term Perspective’ in this almanac is his first script.

Yves Rochon lives in Gatineau, Québec. He worked for close to 24 years as a labour relations officer and union educator for federal public service employees’ unions, until his retirement in 2017. In June 2019, he resumed working for a not-for-profit organization, Logements de l’Outaouais, which provides affordable housing to approximately 150 elderly persons. At the time of writing this note, the end of March 2021, he still worked, part-time, for Logements de l’Outaouais, where to that point, none of the residents had been diagnosed with COVID.

      Résident de Gatineau, Yves Rochon a travaillé pendant près de 24 ans à titre d’agent de relations de travail et de formateur pour le compte de syndicats de la fonction publique fédérale jusqu’au moment de sa retraite en 2017. En juin 2019, il a recommencé à travailler cette fois pour un organisme sans but lucratif, Logements de l’Outaouais, qui offre des logements abordables à environ 150 personnes âgées. Au moment d’écrire cette note, aucun-e des résident-e-s n’avait obtenu un diagnostic de COVID.

Jagjeet Sharma, a Kemptville resident, is a freelance journalist, poet and author. She hosts a weekly radio show in Ottawa along with her team of dedicated volunteers on CKCU 93.1fm. She has three collections of poems to her credit, including Nature’s Subtle Seductions (2018) and Fragments (2019). Raindrops, her third collection, was launched in June 2020. The limited edition COVID-19 Chronicles: Reflections on the 2020 pandemic was published in November 2020 and launched the following month. Jagjeet has also con-tributed to several publications, including the Ottawa Independent Writers’ anthology, Short Stories for a Long Year (2020); Broken Keys publishing anthology, Love & Catastrophē Poetrē, (June 2021); The Glebe Report; and Canadian Literature: A Quarterly of Criticism and Review (UBC, June 2021).

David Shaw graduated from the Ontario College of Art in 1969. He worked at McClelland & Stewart as a book designer and illustrator. In 1977, he started his own design company, which continues to this day. In 1985 he designed the first edition of Hurtig Publishers’ Canadian Encyclopedia. He will be getting his second Pfizer shot later this June.

Ralph F. Smith has had a lifelong interest in writing historical literature. He wrote MA and PhD dissertations on Charles Dickens, the latter on Dickens’s representation of epidemics. He also completed a two-year novel-writing certificate program from Stanford University. He has had numerous poems and prose pieces published, including the fantasy novel Bright Deep (2013) and a mystery novel set in 1868, Concession Street Secrets (2019). His current project is a novel about the Trek to Ottawa and the Regina Riot of 1935. He lives in Ottawa with his wife, Dr Fionnuala O’Kelly and family.

Jo-Anne Stead grew up in Thunder Bay, but is now an Ottawa-based writer, who started her career as a newspaper reporter before moving on to explore other career paths in the construction industry and the federal public service. Recently retired, she’s spending more time on writing in a variety of formats, including short stories, memoir and freelance articles. She likes the outdoors (when it’s nice) and enjoys skiing, biking, and kayaking.

Harold Tausch is a professional actor, voice actor, and dancer and an amateur singer/songwriter based in Toronto. He is also a Feldenkrais prac-titioner and maintains a parttime practice, helping people to improve the quality of their movements. You can follow his performing arts adventures here:https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10674878/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 You can find out more about his Feldenkrais practice here: https://www.feldenkraisintoronto.ca

Rowena Torrevillas is a Filipina poet, essayist and fiction writer who lives in Iowa City, Iowa with her husband, Lemuel.

Elizabeth Zimmer writes, mostly about the arts, teaches writing wherever she is invited, and edits manuscripts of all sorts. She practices the Feldenkrais Method, reads voraciously, and works as a standardized patient in hospitals and medical schools. Her ambition is to keep people laughing.

The Profiles of the Contributors for Road to Recovery (Pandemic’s Aftermath) can be found below:

JOHN ALLEN John is an award-winning author of historical fiction and creative non-fiction whose work has been featured in Broadview magazine, Light magazine, and four editions of Chicken Soup for the Soul. His writing is often interrupted by his and his wife’s three male rescue cats, all of whom think they are teenage boys. 

FRED ANDAYI Dr Andayi is a research scientist and public health pract- itioner in communicable disease epidemiology. He has lived and worked with various organizations across Europe, Africa, and North America, including the French IRD, the U.S. CDC, McGill University, UNHCR, and Médecins Sans Frontières. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his expertise and insights from studying the 1918 Spanish flu and the 2004 swine flu pandemics were invaluable in helping protect seniors from infections in long-term care facilities across Quebec, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. In this memoir, ‘Pandemic Stories of Infection Prevention in Long-Term Care,’ he highlights his contributions and lived experiences at that time. Originally from Kenya, Dr Andayi holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Nairobi, a Master of Public Health from EHESP Paris, and a Doctorate in Public Health from the University of Aix- Marseille. He is also a Certified Infection Prevention and Control (CIC®) professional. When he’s not busy saving lives, he enjoys running and has completed three marathons. He also loves nature trails, hiking, and amateur photography, especially street art. Currently, he resides in Gatineau, Quebec, and can be reached at fredandayi@gmail.com 

SALLY ARSOVE Sally was born and raised in the U.S.A. (mostly) and ended up in Ottawa in 1975, after a year of volunteer teaching in Ethiopia followed by a year studying at the London School of Economics. Sally is a citizen of both Canada and the U.S.A., and her two adult children now both live and work on the U.S. side of the border. Sally worked for many years as an Economist for the Government of Canada in the field of international development and finance. After retiring in 2007, she earned a bookkeeping certificate and now works part-time helping young companies get their businesses going. Sally enjoys the beauty of nature, gardening and outdoor exercise (especially swimming, biking, and cross-country skiing), sewing, and connecting with friends and family. Sally has continued to volunteer in the health care sector and for local poverty reduction organizations. 

TERESA BANDROWSKA Teresa has been a scribbler for as long as she can remember, writing plays, poetry and short stories. As a retired midwife, she is now able to dedicate her time to more serious scribbling. She is currently working on a play, and also on translating her father’s memories from World War Two in Poland and Siberia. 

JANET BARCLAY Janet has published two books on travels with an RV across Canada and the US: Points North and East and Points North and West. A third book on a three-month journey around the world, Points East and West was published in 2025. She maintains a blog of world travels, which is heavily illustrated. 

ROBERT BARCLAY Dr Barclay was born in London, England in 1946. He received a Certificate in Science Laboratory Technology from the City and Guilds of London Institute (1968). He emigrated to Toronto in 1970 having heard that The Leafs had recently won the Stanley Cup. After graduating from the University of Toronto with a BA in Fine Arts (1975), he went on to earn an interdisciplinary PhD at the Open University in the UK (1999). He worked as a museum object restorer and musical instrument maker, and conducts trumpet-making workshops in Europe and the United States. He has published extensively in the fields of museum conservation, musical instrument making, music history and fiction. His fictional works include Ask Me About My Bombshells, Jacob the Trumpeter, His Majesty’s Grand Conceit, and Conversations with Sensible People. The latest, Twixt Myth and History, 25 interviews with legendary/mythical/historic/folkloric characters, was published in 2025. 

GUYLAINE BELANGER C’est à ma mère que je dois la magie des mots. À cinq ans, remplacer la lettre ‘e’ du mot bobine par un ‘o’ et découvrir le nom ‘Bobino’ m’a émerveillée. À onze ans, ma ‘maîtresse d’école’, une vieille dame aux cheveux tout blancs, nous a lu des extraits du Journal d’Anne Frank. Si une jeune fille de quatorze ans pouvait le faire, je le pouvais aussi. Depuis, mon journal intime m’est devenu aussi essentiel que l’air que je respire…Je rêve encore d’un roman. Publié ou non. Un jour, peut-être l’écrirai-je. 

YVON BERNIER Yvon est né à Verdun (Montréal) où il a fait ses études primaires et secondaires. Il a obtenu un BSc. en physique de l’Université de Montréal en 1960 et une M.Sc en météorologie de l’Université de Toronto en 1961. Il a ensuite poursuivi une carrière en météorologie opérationnelle, à titre d’analyste, de prévisionniste ou de superviseur à Halifax et à Montréal. En 1981, il a été affecté à Ottawa où il a travaillé au niveau administratif au bureau du sous-ministre adjoint du Service de l’environnement atmosphérique d’Environnement Canada jusqu’à sa retraite en 1994. Depuis, il a développé une passion pour la culture du bonsaï et le bénévolat religieux. Marié depuis 1969 et père d’une fille, il vit aujourd’hui avec son épouse dans une résidence pour retraités. Yvon was born in Verdun (Montreal) where he received his primary and secondary education. He received a bachelor’s degree in physics from the Université de Montréal in 1960 and a master’s degree in meteorology from the University of Toronto in 1961. He then pursued a career in operational meteorology, as an analyst, forecaster or supervisor in Halifax and Montreal. In 1981, he was posted to Ottawa where he worked at the administrative level in the office of the Assistant Deputy Minister of Environment Canada’s Atmospheric Environment Service until his retirement in 1994. Since then, he has developed a passion for bonsai cultivation and religious volunteering. Married since 1969 and father of a daughter, he now lives with his wife in a retirement residence. 

DEBRA BERTRAND Debra was raised on a dairy farm in West Carleton Township, and lived in the surrounding area all her life, but has settled in the town of Arnprior, Ontario for the past twenty plus years. She raised four beautiful children with her husband John, and worked as an administrative assistant in Arnprior for 40 years. Debra has been retired for the past seven years, enjoying being part of her grandchildren’s lives, and living life to the fullest by keeping healthy and active.

DONNA CHATEAUVERT Donna has had two jobs, the first with Scotiabank and the second with Ontario Hydro. She joined the bank after graduation and after her marriage she joined her husband in northern Ontario, where she worked for Ontario Hydro. They returned to Arnprior, and once her children were in school she returned to Scotiabank, where she worked as a financial advisor until she retired. Donna enjoys being with friends, especially on the golf course. 

RODNEY CLOUGH Rodney built, owned and operated Rabbit Run, a 7-bedroom inn and vacation property rental near the sandy shores of Lake Michigan with his partner, Linda Jo. Prior to this venture, Rodney and Linda Jo owned and operated a neighborhood shipping/packing/mailbox store in the Gold Coast, Chicago. Since 2019, Rodney has published over 500 essays on politics, culture (art and cinema), and economics. https://medium.com/@rodneyclough https://substack.com/@rodneyclough rodclough630@gmail.com 

JACK DENNY-BROWN Jack’s story in this collection, ‘The Biochemist,’ provides all the information you could want about his life. He has written countless stories and a number of plays, some of which have been performed though none have been published as yet.  He currently lives with his wife, Ann, on a lake in Central Massachusetts. Jack is a retired fifth-grade teacher. 

JOHN EATON John was born in 1942 in Birmingham UK, but his techni- colour life really began in 1945 (Toronto ’56) with the banana boats and The Wizard of Oz. Despite his almost drowning in 1962, he feared not for himself but for his parents’ ‘possible vision’ of him. John excelled in school, particularly in mathematics, ultimately earning a BSc honours in  ’65 and  a  PhD  in  ’70 both  in physics,  followed by  the requisite publications/post doc’ing until 1973. Marriage in 1965 and his first child in 1972 required a more meaningful vocation: in aerospace. He began as a metallurgist, followed by 25 years in Quality: Engineering and manage- ment (NDT, Laboratory, Inspection and Suppliers and Quality Engineers). Among other things, the work entailed the preparation and approvals of all controlling documents including policy, procedure and work instructions. With two children and two great grandchildren, and after having suffered his father’s (1968) and wife’s (2015) protracted ordeals of dying, John hopes he can now impart the empathy he has gained, which seems lacking for so many in our post-COVID world of potential ‘Extinction.’ 

NANCY GAUTHIER Nancy, résidente et native de Gatineau, n’a déserté que quelques années pour vivre et étudier à Sherbrooke. Toutes les occasions sont bonnes pour exercer sa plume, que ce soit comme gagne-pain à la fonction publique fédérale ou comme passe-temps. Dans l’incertitude et les confinements de la COVID-19, l’écriture a été une source de plaisir et divertissement, et elle lui a offert la liberté de s’évader avec comme seules limites celles de son imagination. 

DENISE GIROUX Denise is a lawyer with more than 32 years’ experience as a champion for underdogs, having practiced in the areas of poverty law, family and general litigation, and labour law, with a strong focus on human rights. She recently retired from working with a federal public service union in Ottawa and is still trying to adjust to turns of events in this phase of her life. She contributed an essay on the effect of the pandemic on work to Plague Take It (‘Zooming our Way into Oblivion’). She lives in the Gatineau Hills in Wakefield, Québec. 

MARTIN GRAVEL Martin, natif de Joliette, est Gatinois depuis une dizaine d’année. Il s’occupe des ressources humaines pour les IGA de la Famille Charles mais il est aussi Sommelier Bière. On peut entendre ses chroniques à Énergie et à UnikFM et on peut aussi lui lire dans différents journaux locaux de la région. De plus, Martin est fondateur d’une nouvelle microbrasserie qui vise à s’établir dans la MRC des Collines de l’Outaouais, Brasseurs des Collines. La bière, la lecture, la musique et l’écriture sont toutes des passions qui lui habitent. 

SHARON HAMILTON Sharon is an Ottawa-based writer whose work has appeared in The Globe and Mail, the Literary Review of Canada, and the Ottawa Citizen, among other publications. She is a member of the Board for the international Ernest Hemingway Society and serves as Chair for the Society for American Baseball Research’s (SABR) Century Research Committee, which celebrates important milestones in baseball history. She posts about baseball, literature and jazz age cocktails: @alifeliterary.bsky.social 

RUTH HAWKINS Ruth, as the daughter of an Air Force officer, spent her childhood in Europe and Labrador before settling back in Ontario. This early exposure to other countries and lifestyles took root and, at 17, Ruth spent a year in Brazil as a Rotary International exchange student, a life- changing experience that continues to influence her way of seeing and being in the world. After 33 years as a federal public servant, Ruth ‘retired’ and began a second career as a psychotherapist. Although writing was a major element of her government work, Ruth turned to more personal writing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Early weekend mornings will find her online, writing in the company of a small group of therapist authors. Her short essay on being a therapist during the pandemic, ‘It’s OK if I’m not OK,’ was published in Plague Take It. Ruth has a daughter, twin sons, two granddaughters, and two dogs. She is an avid traveler, reader and fibre artist. 

ELIZABETH HOFFMAN Elizabeth is Professor Emerita of economics at Iowa State University, where she previously served as Executive Vice President and Provost, and Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences. From 2000 to 2005, she was President of the University of Colorado System, where she is President Emerita. Her published research is in the areas of Experimental Economics, Cliometrics, and Behavioral Economics. Her interest in the Plague goes back to her history A.B. from Smith College in 1968. She can be reached at: bhoffman@iastate.edu.

IAN JOHNSON Ian retired in 2015 from the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union. He served as a policy analyst/communi- cations coordinator with NSGEU for 20 years. He also worked with the Nova Scotia Provincial Health Council, the Nova Scotia NDP Caucus, and the Social Planning Department of the City of Halifax. He later served as a director with two Nova Scotia Pension Boards. He helped to set up the Nova Scotia Health Coalition and the Nova Scotia Office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. He is married, and lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He has a stepdaughter and two sons as well as two grandchildren. He had a stroke in April 2020, from which he has fully recovered. Ian can be reached at: johnsonianfeb@gmail.com 

PEGGY LEHMANN Peggy has themes of human experience and spirituality woven through each of her short stories and poems. Her lifelong love of words and writing led her to become a member of Ottawa Independent Writers to learn more about the craft. She has had a short story published in each of the last eight annual OIW anthologies. ‘Viral Contempt’ is her first published poem. Peggy lives in Ottawa with her family and is currently working on several writing projects. 

CATHERINE MACKENZIE Cathy’s writings are found in numerous print and  online publications.  She writes  all  genres  but  invariably   veers toward the dark—so much so her late mother once asked, ‘Can’t you write anything happy?’ (She can!) She’s published the novels Wolves Don’t Knock, Mister Wolfe, and When Kayaks Fly, along with several books of poetry, short story compilations, and children’s picture books. Cathy divides her time between West Porters Lake and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Check out her website/blog: http://writingwicket.wordpress.com 

SUHA MARDELLI Suha is an Ottawa-based writer whose diverse back- ground enriches her narratives. Her stories are infused with vibrant, evocative scenes—ranging from driving through tornadoes and mingling with celebrities to dancing in Delhi’s slums and escaping with humanoids in a near future—seeking meaning in the everyday and cryptic. Suha’s work explores the intersections of adventure and intimacy, revealing the extraordinary within the seemingly mundane. She has published several short stories in local anthologies, including Entertainment When the Batteries Die, described as ‘a hilariously nostalgic romp through childhood mischief,’ and My Russian Princess, ‘a richly woven narrative blending personal history and nostalgia, where the mystique of Russian royalty meets the warmth of Syrian hospitality.’ Her poem Even Lint Has a Story to Tell won the annual OIW competition for being ‘an evocative stream of consciousness that dances between wit and raw introspection, daring readers to uncover the beauty hidden in life’s overlooked corners.’ Suha has been shortlisted for the NYC Midnight short-story contest in 2021 and 2022. She loves fandom and purple food. Contact her on X: @smsuey. 

SUSAN MILLS Susan lives in Arnprior and is now retired. During COVID, Susan became an outspoken critic of long-term care policies which separated loved ones from their support systems. Susan has had her work published in Plague Take it and Tales from the Boat. She is a twice-diagnosed breast cancer survivor who enjoys dragon-boating and cannot wait for the day she is back on the water. 

WANDA MONUK Wanda was born and raised north of Toronto. In 1978 she moved to the Ottawa area for her first ‘real’ job after university, and ended up staying. She has now been married for over 44 years and has two lovely daughters, two favourite sons-in-law and two beautiful grandchildren. She still lives in the beautiful Ottawa valley. In 2018 Wanda retired after 40 years from her life’s work in market research just as her mother’s dementia was making it increasingly difficult for her to live well on her in her own home. The need for one-on-one care every day became very quickly apparent to her family. A couple of months after her retirement, Wanda was diagnosed with breast cancer. She completed her treatment in 2019, and the family moved her mother to an assisted living care floor in a residence that fall. Then, just as Wanda thought the workload and stress from being her Mum’s primary caregiver would subside, COVID struck. She found the lockdowns and other COVID restrictions even more stressful than the previous two years with her mum’s dementia. She spent many weeks with her mum in her residence so that she would not be alone. Wanda’s mum passed away in early 2022. She feels very fortunate that she is now able to enjoy her retirement. Now as we head to the end of 2024, she has finally regained her rest and peace after all her health issues and her Mum’s dementia though the first four years of her retirement. Her own family deserves huge recognition for their unwavering support and love for her through the dementia and COVID years. 

COLLEEN NAOMI Colleen (she/her) has been writing since childhood, when she published her own ‘zine’ for two years and produced plays in her front yard. Throughout her life her passion has flourished for the written word and performing arts. She has had many of her original plays performed as well as essays published in Plague Take It (2021) and The United Church Observer (2014). She is also a theatre educator for both children and adults. Colleen lives in Nova Scotia with her family. 

FRAN OTA Fran is an ordained minister with The United Church of Canada. Born in 1946 in Canora, Saskatchewan into a minister’s family, she is a ‘child of the pulpit,’ living in Prince Albert and Winnipeg. In 1970 she graduated from University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Music Performance, and went to Japan as United Church Overseas Personnel. She and her husband Norio were married in 1971, and have lived in Vietnam, Australia, New Jersey and Michigan, settling in Toronto in 1984. Fran has worked in refugee services, medical research, and administration and as a church musician. She received a Master of Divinity from University of Toronto in 1995, serving churches in Ontario and Newfoundland. In 2022 she received a MPhil/MA in Viking and Medieval Norse Studies from University of Iceland/University of Oslo. Fran and Norio have four grown sons and six grandchildren, and currently spend their semi-retirement in Japan, Canada and Portugal. 

KATHRYN PAULSEN Kathryn writes poetry, novels, short stories, essays, stage plays, and screenplays. Her work has appeared in publications from Canada to Ireland to Australia, including New Letters, West Branch, The New York Times, The Stinging Fly, Humber Literary Review, Scum, Craft, Big Fiction, and Spillway. Her chapbook ‘The Poetry Habit’ came out earlier this year from Clare Songbirds Publishing, and ‘Catch of the Night’ from Bottlecap Press. Kathryn has been awarded fellow ships at Yaddo, MacDowell, and other retreats. Her latest play, SIX WEEKS IN THE SPRING, is set during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. Kathryn lives  in New York City but, having grown up in an air force family, has roots in many places. Her website is a work in progress, but for now look for her on Facebook. 

LENA SAMSON Lena is a writer, editor and poet living outside of Ottawa. She has published stories in two Ottawa Independent Writers anthologies: Connections (2023) and This Land (2024), as well as poetry in redrosethorns online journal. She graduated from Carleton University, majoring in Russian and English, and many years later, earned her Editing Certificate from Simon Fraser University. In between, she enjoyed a long career in the Canadian federal government. Lena spends her time happily writing and editing, as well as entertaining her delightful granddaughters. 

CHANTAL SEGUIN Chantal a toujours eu un intérêt pour la langue française. Depuis qu’elle est toute jeune, elle s’intéresse aux mots croisés et à la lecture, des passions qui lui ont été transmises par sa maman. Retraitée de la fonction publique fédérale depuis 2014 où elle a travaillé plus de trente ans, ses nombreux emplois ont tous eu trait, de près ou de loin, à la rédaction, à la révision et à la traduction. Sa participation à ce collectif littéraire est sa première expérience de création en écriture. Chantal has always had a serious interest in the French language. Her mom transmitted her interest in crosswords and reading to her daughter at a young age. Chantal has been retired from the federal public service, where she worked for over 30 years, since 2014. While most of her jobs dealt with writing, editing and translation, whether it be in ministerial correspondence or cabinet documents, her participation in this initiative is her first experience of creative writing. 

HENDRIK SIRÉ Hendrik is an aspiring poet. He is preparing his first collection of poetry, tentatively entitled ‘Poetry for Another Day,’ for publication. He has written two previous collections of poetry, ‘The Death of Words’ and ‘Laugh Plums and Other Pluttry,’ both unpublished. He has taken poetry courses with Mark Frutkin and Nicola Vulpe and has had lively conversations with the oral poet and architect H. Masud Taj. He was a participant in a creative writing group from 2017 to 2023. He has submitted his work to the CBC Poetry Prize and has published two articles in the Globe and Mail. He speaks five languages. He has chronic asthma including emphy- sema and pleural effusion, and has had pneumonia seven times. hendriksire@rogers.com 

RALPH SMITH Ralph is an Ottawa writer who grew up on the Canadian prairies. He now lives in Ottawa with his wife and family. He began writing many years ago and has had numerous short stories published. Over the past 10 years Ralph has written four novels that have been published. Their titles are Bright Deep, Twitch: The Foundling’s Quest, Concession Street Secrets, and (the Contributor most recent, published in December 2023), Hawdon: A Prequel to Charles Dickens’s Bleak House. All are available from online book retailers. Ralph has been a Dickens fan ever since he was 13 years old. He wrote Master’s and PhD theses on Dickens. The story in this collection draws upon his experiences as a child. Ralph’s email address is: ralphfrederick2@gmail.com 

JULIE STASHICK Julie was born in small town Arnprior, Ontario, the eldest of 3 children. Her parents came from large families and her paternal and maternal grandparents lived close by. She had 43 cousins, with whom she was very close.  Julie left home at 18 to study behavioural science in Kingston. In 1983 she moved back home and studied dental assisting and office management in Ottawa. She graduated and enjoyed a long career in dental offices in Renfrew, Arnprior and Ottawa.   In 2017 Julie graduated from a Personal Support Worker program and worked in the community in Arnprior. Fairview Manor in Almonte was hiring so she applied and enjoyed her five years working with the residents and staff there. She found this last career the most rewarding of her entire working life. Retirement has been fulfilling for Julie. She has her health and wonderful family and friends. She loves dragon boating in summer and skating and hiking in the winter. Her grandchildren are her joy and keep Julie young! 

ANNE-MARIE VALTON Anne-Marie, née au milieu d’une famille nombreuse à la fin des années ’50s de parents immigrants français pauvres, se faisait déjà taguer de très différentes de par son intelligence précoce et une sensibilité particulière. De par une curiosité naturelle elle fréquentera le milieu de la science. Des problèmes de santé apparaissant tôt dans sa vie, liés aux traumatismes vécus dans son enfance, l’obligera à prendre une longue pause de son travail et à le quitter ultérieurement. Ainsi sa vie deviendra rapidement une véritable quête de vérité, de conscience et de mieux-être. Son chemin de Vie a été parsemé de nombreux défis jugés impossible par ses pairs, Anne-Marie les relèvera tous, grâce à un courage et une résilience exceptionnelle! Tout au long de cette quête elle découvrit ses talents d’artiste-peintre, d’animatrice, de coach en relation d’aide, sa capacité de travailler avec l’énergie subtile, son intuition et sa connexion particulière avec l’énergie du Cœur par le chant de l’Âme! Anne-Marie, born into a large family in the late ’50s to poor French immigrant parents, was already being singled out early on for her precocious intelligence and particular sensitivity. Her natural curiosity led her to become involved in the world of science. Health problems early in life, linked to childhood traumas, forced her to take a long break from her work and later to leave it. Her life quickly became  a quest for truth, awareness and wellbeing. Anne-Marie’s life path was strewn with many challenges deemed impossible by her peers, but she met them all with exceptional courage and resilience! Throughout this quest, she discovered her talents as a painter, facilitator and relationship coach, her ability to work with subtle energy, her intuition and her special connection with the energy of the Heart through the song of the Soul!

ELIZABETH ZIMMER Elizabeth has written about dance, theatre, and books for New York’s Village Voice and other publications since 1983. She covered arts and related subjects for the CBC in Halifax and Vancouver from 1971 until 1979, and has published essays in Plague Take It and in Connections, the 2023 annual collection from Ottawa Independent Writers. She is an editor at Persimmon Tree, a magazine of the arts by women over 60, and also edits books and essays on a variety of topics. She has run writing workshops for students and professionals across North America, studied many forms of dance, and taught for nine years in the Hollins University MFA dance program.