High Park, Toronto, March 3, 2007 “So practice listening: turn off the radio, turn off the television, and just listen once in awhile. Listen to traffic or work sounds. Listen to your own thoughts. And, of course, listen to others.” “I think this profound kind of listening is the source of all inspiration and…

Succulent, fragrant, fleshy. Blushing. Juicy. I crave them. I stalk them in health food stores. I stroke them and sniff their skin and then secretly take them home. At this time of year, I am obsessed with blood oranges. They tell me about spring. They take foods I eat all the time and infuse…

The thing about writing a memoir is, it gets you thinking about roots. You get to worrying. What will my family think? How will friends and various exes react? And what about the Divas of the Church, those notorious Ukrainian ladies about whom I write with love, but also with humour and irreverence? Will…