It's been a humbling week. In case I needed reminders of my own mediocrity, the Universe brought two old friends to my attention.
Terry Fallis, the husband of my closest childhood friend, won CBC's "Canada Reads" contest with his novel The Best Laid Plans (which, even more impressively, won the Stephen Leacock award for humour a couple of years ago).
And then tonight I had the pleasure of attending a reading and talk by a former Pearson College classmate, Anne Enright, who won the Man Booker prize for her novel, The Gathering, a few years ago.
As authors and people, the two couldn't be more different - but they have things in common too. To begin with, they're both extremely bright and funny (albeit in different ways). They're also both deeply concerned about the state of the world, and able to write about people and how they relate to one another with great compassion and insight. Finally, they share a willingness to speak frankly about their efforts to write books that sell.
It's humbling to compare my own few accomplishments with theirs - but it's also inspiring to know two "real" people who have pursued their dreams with such success.
Congratulations, Anne and Terry!
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