Published in The Sudbury Star today!
They include works by Linda and Chuc Willson, from Manitoulin’s Ice Lake
Author of the article: Bonnie Kogos Columnist
Publishing date: Apr 18, 2022
Over the years, busy respected authors Linda and Chuc Willson, from Manitoulin’s Ice Lake,
have been involved with words, creativity, books, and community.
Copy:
“Books constantly unite, divide, attract and repel people. Books are like pheromones,” says author Margo Jefferson. I laugh because I do not count books as guilty pleasures, simply amazing gifts when written well, and here are a few for you to consider. I’ve been getting through the pandemic with these amazing books to share with you.
Over the years, Ice Lake’s charming author, Chuc Willson, has had stories published everywhere in this region. His new book, titled The Longest Night of the People: a Story of the first Winter Solstice, is a winner. “Imagine the first people to come to Earth, experiencing spring, winter, and fall, and as the hours of light diminish each day, and it gets colder, they look at each other with fear,” Chuc said. “And then an event occurs, where one person demonstrates that we all have light within ourselves. Bonnie, this story is to remind us of the light and strength each of us has within.” This book, beautifully illustrated by Sudbury artist Andrea Fechner, helped my mood greatly this past pandemic winter. Written in rich, lyrical prose, Chuc’s book offers beautiful hope in these times.
And I get to talk to the lovely author, Linda Willson, about her delightful books. “It began innocently as I stared out my window at a partridge dining on crab apples in our backyard,” Linda told me. “From this flowed a cascade of poetry about nature at my doorstep on Manitoulin Island. Together with my husband, Chuc, we created Window Publishing, a company to transform my whimsical writing and Chuc’s lyrical writing into books.” In Linda’s collection of four books, the Winter Window and the Spring Window are already published, and the Autumn and Winter books are in the works. For each book, Linda has created a variety of poetry forms that open children up to the rhythm and joy of poetry, as well as providing adult readers with her delightful patterning techniques. Visit www.windowpublishing.company.site.
– Filling The Ark: A well-known Manitoulin summer resident for 33 years, author Ann Elizabeth Carson authored her sixth book, Filling The Ark, published by Nomad Press. This book offers a cargo of delightful stories, essays, meditations, and poetry about the gifts and hazards of growing old. “Best of all, Bonnie, it gives the lie to the notion that with age comes diminishment,” Ann told me, laughing. She’s working on her seventh book, titled Loose Ends. Stay tuned.
– The Woman in The Attic: On the coast of rural Newfoundland, the prize-winning, terrifying mystery, titled The Woman in The Attic, by Emily Hepditch, published by Flanker Press, had me nuts and turning pages for days. This is Emily’s debut novel, writing about how Hannah’s mother has lived her life in near isolation. Hannah must return to the lonely saltbox house on a cliff overlooking the water to prepare her mother for transition into assisted living. Packing her mom’s things, Hannah discovers a trap door to the house’s attic. Blinded by curiosity, she finds a mysterious bedroom riddled with dark secrets. As she scrambles for answers, a new truth emerges. I was thrilled that I couldn’t put it down. Now I’m afraid to pick up her second thriller, Alone on the Trail, also a best-seller.
– Mobilize!!! Dancing in the World, by Chauncey Bell, describes that we are being confronted by our greatest challenges in times of extraordinary change, bringing on dramatic shifts in government, living, and working conditions. “Each of us is called upon to build new skills, in ways of listening, observing our worlds, and taking action,” Chauncey said, “Great ideas and practices to keep our ship stable and afloat in the midst of so much change.” Find it on Amazon.
– Finders Keepers!: A well-written psychological tale, Finders Keepers! by Arlynn K. Freedman, tells of a New York psychologist who must make a critical decision with her heart after learning the true identity of her young teenage patient. The consequences are threatening the happiness of everyone she loves and possibly destroying her own life. Unable to face the prospect of abandoning the young girl, Rachel decides to keep her discovery a secret. Her deception compounds when a crisis threatens all she holds dear. Another jewel of a story.
– Digital Dreams: Another startling new book challenges what we’ve learned about the internet and how may we live better. Getting terrific reviews, Digital Dreams Have Become Nightmares: What We Must Do, is conceived and written by Ronald Baecker, Professor Emeritus of the University of Toronto. “This is a significant contribution to the ongoing discussion of practical techniques, useful techniques, as well as a cogent analysis of how we got here, where we are, and where we’re going. This book can help guide our way through the technological nightmares we experience daily,” notes Aaron Marcus, a user-experience design pioneer, author, and teacher. “Each chapter of the book is written in a lucid, engaging style, with case studies to be used for discussion. The organization of Dr. Baecker’s opinions and observations makes it valuable for us to learn about computer ethics in our society,” writes C. Dianne Martin, an instructor at George Washington University and the University of North Carolina. Visit compsocietytexts.com. We may learn from this timely book. And so we read, dream, learn, and share.
XOXOX
Our Bonnie keeps learning, reading and loving. Find her at BonnieKogos@gmail.com.