Elaine's Q3 2024 Report š
Hello friends! Weāve reached autumn, my favourite time of year, although itās all too fleeting in Toronto. There are less (fewer?) than 100 days left in the year, and the voice at the back of my head is whispering, āSo what are you going to do with that time?ā Drink tea and bake pumpkin spiced things, at a minimum.
Lately Iāve been mulling over content I could include in this newsletter. Whatās the value prop otherwise? (I worked at a digital marketing agency once upon a time.) But any writer or artist will tell you theyād rather work on their own art than become a content machine. Maybe in the future Iāll write a bit about productivity, but for now Iāll keep these newsletters as trim as possible.
On a more serious note, today in Canada is the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation (a.k.a. Orange Shirt Day), where we acknowledge the traumatic history of residential schools and the effects on Indigenous communities. We were all children once; we should all be able to imagine what it would be like to have been taken from our families and forced into a system where power was often abused. This is a good time to donate to an Indigenous charity, elevate Indigenous voices, or offer support however you can.
Looking back
The kid turned 13 and is now taller than me. (And Iām 5ā8ā!) Rude.
In July we took a trip to Montreal, where we did touristy things like the Biodome and the Science Centre. Sadly, it may be the last big vacation for a while, as kid no longer wants to hang out with Mom (see note about kid turning 13). š
I got to participate in the HWA panel Un-Manoring the Gothic at FanExpo, with Ai Jiang, S.J. Shank, Carolyne Topdjian, and moderated by Suzan Palumbo. It was fun and thought-provoking and 40 minutes felt too short for talking about the gothic, one of my favourite horror subgenres. I hadnāt been to FanExpo for years, and while I was there I also got to see Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel, Kathryn Hahn, and the only celebs I care about, Sharon, Bram, and the Elephant.
I attended the Northern Hearts virtual conference, run by Toronto Romance Writers. Romance writers are some of the savviest in the business, and I attended a particularly good talk on small-town settings with RaeAnn Thayne, and one on taxes with Canadian tax maven Debbie Horovitch. (I also won a business book in a draw, which Iām chuffed about.)
Things I loved
Godzilla Minus One is a stunning historical film set in post-WWII Japan, which just happens to have a little Godzilla in it. (Not literally, Godzilla is still gargantuan.)
My Adventures With Superman. I stumbled upon this animated show on our Montreal hotel room TV, and immediately placed a hold on the season 1 DVD at the Toronto Public Library. Superman gets a fresh new spin, inspired by anime. The visual language and energy are the perfect match for the adventures of earnest young Daily Planet interns Lois, Jimmy, and Clark. Also, Lois is coded Asian (and is voiced by an Asian actor), which wouldāve thrilled me as a kid. (Hell, it thrills me now.) I also appreciate sheās not drawn as some male animatorās fantasy pinup - she has a cute pixie haircut and wears pants all the time! Iām bummed I canāt watch season 2 in Canada without subscribing to yet another streaming service.
Glass Houses by Madeline Ashby. A terrifyingly plausible techno-mystery-thriller, written deftly and savagely. I also enjoy how Ashby understands and articulates the Canadian psyche better than anyone born here. One of our best American imports since William Gibson.Ā
Umbrella Academy S4. Everyoneās favourite dysfunctional superpowered family is back! Iām only partway through, but Iām enjoying it more than previous seasons. I think it helps a lot that this season only has 6 episodes, which means the plotting is tighter. We see more of Justin H. Min, who didnāt have much of a role the first two seasons, and every character is a delicious hot mess, save for cantankerous old-man-in-a-young-personās-body Five. Bonus: Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman (who are married in real life, so they mustāve had a hoot filming) play this seasonās quirky thugs.
Similarly, Agatha All Along is only a few episodes in, but Iām enjoying it a lot. So far the plot is your basic ensemble quest - Agatha assembles her misfit coven and they face various trials while walking the Witchesā Road - but Kathryn Hahn is a bitchy, witchy delight.Ā
Looking forward
Iāll be at a bunch of events the next couple of months! Apologies in advance if you say hi to me in person and I blink at you like a deer in headlights. Combined with going into the office more regularly, this fall is going to require a lot more people-ing than Iām used to.
Iāll be attending the HWA Halloween reading at Little Ghosts Books on October 12.
Iām attending World Fantasy in Niagara Falls, NY. Iām not on any panels and will be lurking about like a lurking thing.
Iāll also be at Can-Con in Ottawa, where Iām on a couple of panels: Living a More Relaxed Creative Life (heh), and Writing What (and Who) You Know.
Thatās it from me. Wishing you all a peaceful next 100ish days and respite from the increasingly distressing news cycle. Happy spoopy season to those who celebrate, and see you at the end of the year! (Where maybe Iāll have some productivity tips? Iām still undecided.)
Elaine