Caught by Lisa Moore and by Newfoundland

No place is more beautiful than Newfoundland when the sun shines. Alas on this trip it did not shine enough.  But today, I am thrilled to stare out at the ocean from our deck and hope the whales who showed up yesterday come by for a farewell visit. The water is so blue, it rivals that of Lake Superior.

I spent a great day at the art gallery in St. John's called The Rooms, where a Mary Pratt show was featured. I felt mesmerized by the huge realistic portraits of kitchen items including the food: a dazzling roast beef, two salmon on a plate, a pudding in a glass bowl. Round and round I went, so dizzy from the strangeness, the beauty and the sheer mystery of her work, that I had to leave and go into the archives for a little dose of history.

The trip was made even more pleasant when I got word from Sandra McIntyre the editor of  the short story collection, EVERYTHING IS SO POLITICAL.  Thanks to you, readers and book buyers, the book is among the top sellers in Ontario.

One of the highlights of the Newfoundland trip was meeting Lisa Moore at the launch of her book, CAUGHT.   CAUGHT  is a good read, just perfect for a summer novel and I recommend it highly. A young Newfoundland man escapes from prison intending to meet up with his former partner in a drug smuggling scheme so that they can try the smuggling idea again.  He has to make his way across country persued by a dedicated cop. The outcome?  No spoiler here.   But suffice to say he has many advantures on the way.

Other wonderful places around St. John's; The whale and iceberg crusie which also gives you a panoramic view of the harbour, the view from Signal Hill, the Commisariate's House renovated back to its 1820 state, the marvelous museaum and art gallery called The Rooms, the fine  restaurants everywhere.  St. John's is clean, prospeous, spiffed up, full of great boutiques and coffee houses, busling with tourists and locals. Every corner is painted, renovated and beautified. Truly  a fun city.