one extraordinary moment among many

marie annharte baker laughing mischievously. she was talking about the murders of downtown eastside women. i’m amazed by her ability to laugh in the face of the most horrific events and situations. it’s laughter that draws us in, forces us to see, doesn’t let us off the hook, pushes us to do something. it is a joyful refusal of the horror and a seeing and condemning of the horror at the same time.
heartfelt thanks to roy miki, sophie mccall, steve collis, david chariandy and jeff derksen for organizing the colloquium and the whole sfu writer-in-residence program. it’s been an amazing experience meeting writers, students and member of the public through a variety of events– classroom visits, public talks and one-on-one meetings. there is amazing work happening here and i’m happy and grateful to have had a chance to take part.