Author’s Voice: The authoring journey
An author’s voice blooms suddenly, unbidden, active within the writer’s unconscious, until it clamours to be released.
Writing tips
It is always worthwhile to attend presentations by another author who speaks about their writing practice and their publishing experience.
On Wednesday, May 15, Anne Raina came to CCWG and inspired us with her references to her written works (Clara’s Rib: A True Story of a Young Girl Growing Up in a Tuberculosis Hospital, a number of children’s books, and more), her authoring journey, and her stories of experiences along the way.
Thank you, Anne. anneraina.ca
Featured Carp Creative Writers’ Group / Local Writer: Philip O’Brien
Biography: Philip is enjoying life amazed at how enjoyable retirement is. He travels in winter, loves his cottage in summer and enjoys the Carp writing group. Having concluded a journal of his walk along the Camino de Compestella, he is compiling a series of memoirs of family events.
Misery Whips and Corduroy Roads (Exerpts)
by Philip O’Brien
The misery whip hangs rusting. This two handed cross cut serves no purpose in a time of large chainsaws …
In the thirties work was scarce and labour cheap. My father, age fifteen headed north with his father to cut timber. A distraught mother was unable to discourage a boy. He was a topper. He would climb to the highest part of the white pine that soared to a height of eighty feet. He would take twenty feet off the top so that when the tree fell it wouldn’t break. He loved the thrill of the vista from above. The dizzying height held no fear…
To enter into the camp the crew had to build a corduroy road, felling timber and laying them in rows over earth sodden in the autumn rains. This labour completed, the worker could get to the forest to earn a wage. Entertainment was sparse, it was wrassling. Not wrestling but wrassling in the bush. Competitions were held and though fifteen Dad worked his way to champion. To win, one picked up the challenger and threw him onto the ground. Easier in early winter as most were skin and bone. As the winter progressed they gained weight and throwing them was tiring…
The ability of the cook was essential for camp harmony, besides cooking, he was the camp medic. He taped wounds, set shoulders, fingers and pulled teeth. Sedation was large amounts of alcohol until the patient was incoherent. Usually effective, one man with a troublesome tooth was unfortunate. No amount of alcohol deadened his pain. The next resort was to knock the man unconscious. This resulted in a broken jaw and the tooth refusing to budge. In the dead of winter, he walked to town to an actual dentist. He walked all day and had the fused tooth removed and then walked in the dark to the camp. He needed to complete the winter to receive his pay…
CCWG events
May and June: CCWG will be preparing their work for this year’s Anthology.
June 2019 Carp Creative Writers’ Group Anthology 2019 coming to Carp Branch shelves, and possibly available for purchase. Details: melbamcgee23@gmail.com
CCWG (Carp Creative Writers’ Group) Wednesdays 6:45 – 8pm, Carp Branch – Ottawa Public Library. All writers invited.
