Simone Blais editing, services, Uncategorized, writing

Where in the world has Simone been? Mystery solved

It’s been so long since I have provided an update, I half-expected library cop Lieutenant Joe Bookman to show up at my doorstep, seconded to a literary search and rescue crew of sorts.

“Maybe we can live without libraries, people like you and me. Maybe. Sure, we’re too old to change the world, but what about that kid, sitting down, opening a book, right now, in a branch at the local library and finding drawings of pee-pees and wee-wees on the Cat in the Hat and the Five Chinese Brothers? Doesn’t HE deserve better? Look. If you think this is about overdue fines and missing books, you’d better think again,” he’d pronounce, spittle flying from his mouth.

“What’s my problem? Punks like you, that’s my problem. And you better not screw up again Blais, because if you do, I’ll be all over you like a pit bull on a poodle.”

That would just be a bad scene.

So here is an info-dump on all the things I have been working on over the last while.

Grad school

I enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction, which is a joint program between the University of King’s College and Dalhousie University. It’s a low-residency program, which meant I studied throughout the year at home, but travelled to Halifax once during the summer for a 10-day intensive session.

My first mentor, Wanda Taylor, warned us the two-year program would fly by us. Holy donut-holes, did she nail it. Just as you think a term was coming to an end, the communication and deadlines for the next term would start pouring into my inbox. It was a never-ending treadmill of reading, writing, researching and rewriting.

Wanda was incredible and just what I needed. She wrote The Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children: The Hurt, The Hope and The Healing, so she knows all about researching historical events and unearthing difficult truths. She’s an uber-smart writer and former acquisitions editor, so our conversations would usually involve her easily shifting from pointers on craft to the business side of writing.

When I started, I thought I would only have one mentor throughout the duration of the program. We had to switch for second year because Wanda shifted over to the fiction side of the program.

That’s when I met Lezlie Lowe. She was the mentor during our in-person summer residency, and she blew my mind with her patient guidance on structure and theme. She had this innate way of distilling down the issues you were facing with a project into digestible chunks, so that you could piece the puzzle together again. It was with her I was able to “get it,” finally see what this messy manuscript could look like if I kept at it. She wrote The Volunteers: How Halifax Women Won the Second World War, which provided several clues into what kinds of records I could search for at Library and Archives Canada.

I could have worked with Lezlie for a thousand more years, truly. But by the end of the term, I had learned so much from her, I wanted another challenge. I knew I wanted to explore my identity through writing, and needed someone who understood the difficult task of writing about one’s self. Ayelet Tsabari had a reputation in the program for being a tough cookie in the mentorship category, but I was undeterred. I was going to dive into the deep end of the vulnerability pool and paddle like hell to prove I could survive. Ayelet wrote The Art of Leaving, this exquisite memoir about how travelling around the world served as an escape from the grief she felt about her father. She bared so many raw moments in her life—the good, the bad, the downright ugly—onto the page. Her bravery helped me see how honesty moves a reader. (She was prepping for the launch of Songs for the Brokenhearted as we wrapped up the term, and I’m just starting it now! So excited to dig in.)

I crossed the stage in June to receive the official parchment, which has since been framed but still sits on my office floor. One of the biggest rewards from the program has been meeting writers from across the country. The original mentor group who met with Wanda on the first day still meets up weekly to talk life, writing and everything in between. They are women who I will treasure always.

Research

I had to take a solid couple of months off before returning to my book project, just to gain my footing again. When I did, I submitted a research request to BC Archives. After some back-and-forth negotiations of what’s available, I made the trip to Victoria, B.C. to spend the day in the archives. About a quarter of the records I sought are restricted: Attorney-General correspondence during the Second World War often covers individuals suspected of criminal activity. Since that visit, I have been in negotiations with them over entering into a research agreement to gain access to the files. Fingers crossed I’ll know in a month whether or not the full container I’ve requested will be made available. Next up: reaching out to Library and Archives Canada.

Writing community

In spring 2023, some writing friends in town told me they needed some help with their event, the Wine Country Writers’ Festival. I joined the Board of Directors, offering my experience with website editing, marketing and PR promotion pro bono. At one point I was writing grant applications, too. It was a ridiculous amount of fun. Creatives are lovely weirdos, and Okanagan writers being a close community, the festival served as an annual hangout for funky folks who loved writing. We celebrated successes collectively and honed  our skills individually. Being on the board gave me a lot of insights into non-profits—a master class in board governance, financial management, and sponsorship development. I was able to help out for a few years, and now the board is looking for new blood, so feeling good about where the festival society stands.

Newsletter

To help share the word about my work-in-progress, I started a newsletter called Storia. The newsletter is devoted to stories about history—my family’s history, photos and research. Working on historical non-fiction is a labour of love: there are days when you emerge from the archives with tons of material, and others when you uncover sweet fart-all. Being able to repurpose archival material motivates me through those low points in the research and writing process. Feel free to subscribe to the newsletter; it’s on Substack, but I’ll keep it free for the foreseeable future.

Freelance work

I dialed back client work for the last two years to give myself the headspace needed for graduate studies. But now that I’m back in the saddle, I will be taking on select clients for editing work. Contact me if you’re interested in finding out more.

Simone Blais editing, writing

Halifax to the max: a master’s residency experience

Oh goodness, I am lost for words. This doesn’t happen often folks!

I have just come back from a ten-day trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia. I have never been to the East Coast of Canada before, and the scenery, history, and welcome from Haligonians was astounding. I’m smitten.

The trip was prompted by the summer residency of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction program at University of King’s College. The program is offered in partnership with Dalhousie University, which means it benefits from a whole whack of different amenities but also retains the charms of a small institution. King’s is the oldest chartered university in Canada. Established in 1789, it is the oldest English-speaking Commonwealth university outside of the United Kingdom. It was originally based in Windsor, but after a fire ripped through all the buildings, it was relocated to Dalhousie campus at the corner of Oxford Street and Coburg Road.

I could write and write and write about this all day long, but likely best to just show you some photos from the experience.

Woman stands in front of old stone building with sign in background saying "University of King's College"

Arrived! Yes, I look a bit bedraggled after a red-eye flight from Vancouver to Halifax, but happy I managed to navigate the bus system with ease to arrive on campus.

Stone building at Dalhousie campus with beautiful boxwood hedges out front.

Dalhousie and King’s campus did not disappoint. Tons of history preserved so well.

Dorm room with a bed, desk and small bureau for clothes.

My first dorm room ever. I never lived in student housing through undergraduate studies, either at home with my parents or in my own place. It was fantastic being on campus throughout the residency as classes were just exhausting (they crammed a lot into my brain in those ten days!), but let’s just say shared accommodations are probably best experienced in your 20s.

Bound book featuring student signatures and names as part of King's Matriculation tradition.

Being an old institution, there are several traditions at King’s that I have never experienced as a student before. One is called “Matriculation,” where students sign a book in the Library. If you are an undergrad, I believe they do a whole ceremony around signing and officially matriculating at King’s — a bookend companion to the convocation ceremony, I guess. There was no pomp or circumstance when I arrived, though, but I got to sign the book all the same. Once things fill up a bit more, they hire a professional calligrapher to write out everyone’s names. Super formal and fancy.

Wall of small paintings at the Halifax Public Library

One of our last nights we visited the Halifax Public Library for a reading. They had a wall filled with art. The public library in a town says so much about its people, and Halifax’s new building was stunning. Very modern but actually cozy.

Simone Blais in a pub holding an aperol spritz

What writing workshop would be complete without a beverage? End of day libations were much needed after all that learning and creativity.

Simone Blais editing, writing

Under the surface

Yes, this space has been a little quiet. Please don’t take the radio silence for stillness. Things have been moving at break-neck speed behind the scenes!

I am currently working on my master’s degree – a joint program from University of King’s College and Dalhousie University! So far, it has been incredibly challenging and yet wildly rewarding. I can see growth in my writing and the lens through which I see words and the world.

It has meant scaling back on client work, unfortunately, but I know I will offer just so much more value to my clients once this journey of exploration and learning is complete.

Stay tuned as I announce new projects and my own writing in the coming months.

Simone Blais awards, writing

BIG is an IPPY medal winner

Great news on the publishing front. BIG: Stories About Life in Plus-Sized Bodies has earned international recognition from the publishing industry.

The Independent Publisher Book Awards awarded BIG a silver medal in the anthology category. Read the listing of quality publications on the IPPY Awards website.

This was a really phenomenal project to be part of, and it’s great to see it is still getting traction amongst various groups.

Simone Blais portfolio, writing

From the vault: Olympic fever hits Tri-Cities

This article was originally published on the front page of the Coquitlam Now on Feb. 12, 2010.

It starts with a rumble, a muted clamour in the distance.

The air becomes electric, animating all those around.

It’s coming. It’s coming.

Necks crane and hands stuff down into pockets to fish out cameras.

Those lined up by the red tape in Port Coquitlam’s Leigh Square shift their weight, make room for more children at the front who look back at their parents for confirmation.

It’s just after 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, and Shaughnessy Street is jam-packed with a jovial crowd that grows denser the closer you get toward City Hall.

The throngs of young and old look like they’ve been doused in red, and many carry flags. Despite the rain, they are all wearing smiles.

Thousands showed up in downtown Port Coquitlam Thursday morning to watch the Olympic torchbearer stride through town, meet his fellow torchbearer under the bandshell and pass the flame on.

Nancy Tremblay’s six-year-old son, Cameron, stared wide-eyed at the Leigh Square crowd.

Her son has been waiting for this moment for months, and the anticipation has only grown as his school does art projects like making crafty torches and Olympic rings or devoting days to the red and white.

Tremblay says there was no way Cameron and his sisters, nine-year-old Mackenzie and 13-year-old Destiny, would have missed watching the torch come to town.

“They had to come. They were very excited. We got up really early for this,” Tremblay says, chuckling. The Olympics have come to hold deep meaning in their PoCo household. “It means a great sense of pride for our country and the athletes. It’s something my children will remember for the rest of their lives.”

The roar grows and suddenly, hands are thrown in the air as a helicopter hovers nearby, the occupants looking down to see a sea of waving mittens and flags as the likes of Doug Alward, Terry Fox’s longtime friend, run the torch into the city.

Decked out in the now-famous white tracksuit and red mittens, Mark Stoklosa jogs the final 300 metres past school children and Olympic fans to where city councillors and staff cheer.

Stoklosa and Port Coquitlam’s David Kam come together, their torches meet and the flame ignites to the delight of everyone at Leigh Square, to thunderous applause and screams. And just as quickly as the flame arrived, it departs Leigh Square, Kam hoisting his torch through more streets lined with child and adult fans.

They see local athletes like Chris Rinke, a wrestler who competed at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and Brit Townsend, Simon Fraser University’s cross-country track and field coach, raise the torch aloft and move the Olympic dream along.

Commuters along Lougheed Highway witness preparations at Mackin Park beginning early, with stage and booth setup taking place long before daylight.

Rain falls gently on the heart of Maillardville, where scads of people dressed in red congregate for the Tri-Cities’ only community cauldron celebration.

Local politicians, fresh from the completion of early morning torch relays through Belcarra, Anmore and Port Moody, arrive at the park and jockey for position to watch entertainment on the stage. Port Moody-Coquitlam MLA Iain Black says 2,000 people showed up to watch the torch run through Anmore, dwarfing the number of visitors recorded on even the busiest summer day.

Black is dancing beside the stage, and he is not alone. More than 10,000 people are moving to the beat of music blaring from the sound system and the palpable buzz in the air.

It’s coming. It’s coming.

As the clock comes closer to 9 a.m., dignitaries make their way to the stage.

Chris Wilson appears at the edge of the park an holds the torch aloft, beaming as he walks down the middle of the crowd toward the stage.

He pauses on stage to drink the moment in, and then tilts the torch to his left, where the community cauldron ignites, causing loud waves of sound to run through the crowd.

It’s here. It’s here.

“It’s amazing. I have never thought that I would ever see something like this,” he says, thanking the community for its support and enthusiasm.

The former wrestler, who competed at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, now chairs KidSport Tri-Cities, which helps youths take part in organized sports.

“I think it’s really important for kids to find that thing they’re passionate about, that they love doing. And then they should work their butt off for it,” Wilson says, adding that kids should be encouraged to try everything from sports to arts and pastimes in between. “Everyone’s got a talent for something.”

Wilson steps down off the stage and makes a beeline to his family nearby, one daughter with a sign saying “Go Dad Go.”

“It’s an amazing morning,” Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart says. “This is the biggest crowd ever assembled in Coquitlam, and I tip my hat to you.”

Dancers take to the stage, delighting the crowd with Scottish highland, Korean, Chinese and Russian dance, before assembling together for a multicultural encore.

They make way for 19 Grade 10 students from Dr. Charles Best Secondary, all clad in white tracksuits. Led by school counsellor Kristi Blakeway, the Best Buddies group is to carry the torch on so other communities can share in the dream.

The VANOC announcer declares Coquitlam an Olympic community as Blakeway’s torch is lit, and members of the school troupe descend the stairs and high-five the crowd as they wend their way out of Mackin Park.

The crowd, after offering its final hurrah, lets out a collective breath.

It’s gone. It’s gone.

And yet, it’s only the beginning.

Simone Blais writing

BIG featured in BC Bookworld

Well hello there! I don’t know about you, but I blinked and missed spring, summer and most of September. It’s proper fall now with chillier mornings – although there’s been no indulging in pumpkin spice everything… yet.

It feels like decades ago that BIG: Stories about Life in Plus-Sized Bodies was released by Caitlin Press. An essay I wrote was published in that book, and it has been a pleasure to see it create waves in the publishing industry.

It has now been featured by BC Bookworld, one of the most venerable periodicals to profile and review books in the province. Editor Christina Myers makes for a stunning cover model, don’t you think?

Cover of BC BookWorld with Christina Myers on the cover

Simone Blais writing

Creativity under attack: surviving quarantine as an artist

I see you.

The creative soul who usually spends days head down in a journal. Maybe elbow deep in paint or fingers dusty with smudged charcoal. Perhaps you prefer quick shutter speeds and wide lenses. The resonance of a guitar string strummed softly. Or rhythm moving through your body expressing pain past and present, like a warm song crying out in a cold night.

I see you.

This bizarre and tumultuous moment in history is supposedly ours, when artists have the time and space to create. The world has slowed to a crawl and actually begs us to stay in, be in our homes and keep each other safe. Remove distraction from the outside world and there should be ample room for art.

But I see you struggling. You feel this too intensely. The fear has snuck in so close you feel it like knotted twine wrapped around your chest.

You know at the heart of this threat is a microscopic enemy, a small viral protein packed with enough power to take away the things you treasure most: your parents, spouse, children, family and friends.

You may have already lost a job, or a business. Maybe even a home. But you barter with this invisible enemy that you would give up all those things three times over if only it would spare the ones you love.

You watched civilization fold like a musty army tent ordered to clear out. As the tent poles fell, you felt the air being sucked out of you, too.

This, all of this is the price one pays for seeing the world through artist’s eyes.

The creatives are trapped in the dark with monsters under our beds, even if they all are dressed differently. If the thread of human existence has taught us anything, it is that life will press on — the monsters will make way for artistry when daylight breaks.

So don’t worry about the dusty manuscript on your desk, the overdue rehearsal, the canvas devoid of colour. Your creative spark has not snuffed out – it’s merely waiting for dawn to reignite.

For now, feel as you must: lost, scared, anxious, timid, bewildered and discouraged.

But please promise me you will never feel alone.

Because I see you – and I’m there, too.

Resources if you need help

Simone Blais portfolio, writing

BIG hits the shelves in Canada

What a whirlwind week! I arrived home on Wednesday to find my pre-order copies of BIG: Stories About Life in Plus-Sized Bodies had arrived.

Even the Table of Contents is pretty!

Opening the box was surreal. Packs of five books were each plastic-wrapped together, preserving that fresh book smell. The cover is silky smooth and the vibrant colours pop off the page. It is simply a thing o’ beauty.

Caitlin Press Editor Christina Myers has amassed some incredible essays that lay bare the experience of living large in a society obsessed with small.

These stories offer a closer look at what it means to navigate a world designed to fit bodies of a certain size (sometimes literally) and, in turn, invite readers to ask questions about — and ultimately reconsider — our collective and individual obsession with women’s bodies.

There’s promotions planned in the near future, and I know I have more to say on this topic, but let’s cut to the chase on what really matters.

Get your copy now

My husband was just as excited as I was to see this on Page 16.

Today is the official release date for the anthology. Purchase a copy from one of the Okanagan’s best independent bookstores, Mosaic Books.

I’m also a fan of Wendel’s in Langley. They have some copies and you can also order online.

Or you can order it directly from Caitlin Press themselves.

Do you live in the U.S.? Order a copy from Powell’s. Have you ever been? If you’re ever in Portland, GO. It was a spiritual experience.

I’m a fan of supporting independents, but I get that sometimes you gotta go big to get BIG. Here’s some links to pave the way:

Have questions or wondering about readings? Feel free to hit me up.

Simone Blais portfolio, writing

Finding Your Cape released and now a bestseller

Happy crowd of Mareathoners at Saturday’s book launch celebration.

All that work, reading, revising, mental energy, worry, tears, contemplation just emerged into the world as an incredible book that people are buying and reading.

Mare McHale is the best-selling author of Finding Your Cape.
Me and best-selling author, Mare McHale.

It was an honour to help Mare McHale edit Finding Your Cape: How to Course Correct and Achieve Greatness When Things Don’t Go As Planned. I know the book will help so many people – it features honesty that we don’t see much of in the world. But this makes such a strong argument for being authentic and staying true to yourself.

I’m still amazed at Mare’s strength, resiliency and vulnerability, enduring so much and also recognizing how her struggles can, and will, help others.

The book launch was packed – and the vibe in the room was so positive and celebratory. The early reviews are in (from media like News 1130, AM 1150, Castanet and Penticton Herald), and her publication was also ranked #1 in new releases, grief, mental health, happiness and textbooks on Amazon over the weekend.

There is a lot more to come from Mare on this topic and more. Looking forward to seeing this newly minted author fly to incredible heights.

If you would like to purchase a copy (and highly recommend you do!), visit the link on Amazon.

Simone Blais writing

In print: essay chosen for BIG anthology

Thrilled to share that my essay “Easy Out” has been selected for publication in BIG: Stories about Life in Plus-Sized Bodies – an anthology to be published next year.

Editor Christina Myers has curated a collection of essays and poetry that plumb the depths of size, and the experience “of being large in a a culture obsessed with thinness.”

The second I read the call for submissions, I knew what experience I would share. Talk about getting vulnerable: this essay touches on my past identity as an athlete, and how it ran up against the health-care system in a difficult moment that I struggled to even disclose to friends and family. It was a devastating and isolating experience. Having worked with Christina in the past, and read her brave and bold words in previously published work, I knew my story would be safe in her hands. There is work from 26 other writers in this anthology, and I cannot wait to read each and every piece, to shed the isolation and share in the experience of so many others.

BIG: Stories about Life in Plus-Size Bodies will be published by Caitlin Press in early 2020. Check out the catalogue online.