Susan Johnston
@joycuriosity.bsky.social
Creativity | Dialogue and civic engagement | Community resilience | Arts and coffee Friday mornings @ CKCUFM.com
I first heard the amazing #NitaProse discuss The Maid in Iceland, but she’ll be here, in #Ottawa, tomorrow, @writersfest.bsky.social. Highly recommended!
May 13, 2025 at 6:24 PM
I first heard the amazing #NitaProse discuss The Maid in Iceland, but she’ll be here, in #Ottawa, tomorrow, @writersfest.bsky.social. Highly recommended!
Café Wim was one of my favourite places when I first moved to Ottawa, so I was delighted to find references in works by Colin McAdam and Andre Alexis. Join me next weekend @janeswalk.bsky.social #Ottawa to find out more #WriteOttwa
April 26, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Café Wim was one of my favourite places when I first moved to Ottawa, so I was delighted to find references in works by Colin McAdam and Andre Alexis. Join me next weekend @janeswalk.bsky.social #Ottawa to find out more #WriteOttwa
Here, Cameron Anstee reflects on some of his early work, on and about Frank Street: “the building’s foundation, slowly / giving way to one hundred years and more / I will never be older than this room / large enough to hold our books…” #WriteOttawa @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social
April 20, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Here, Cameron Anstee reflects on some of his early work, on and about Frank Street: “the building’s foundation, slowly / giving way to one hundred years and more / I will never be older than this room / large enough to hold our books…” #WriteOttawa @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social
Writer and #Ottawa Poet Laureate David O’Meara on Elgin St. yesterday: “sub-zero, / overnight, a brocade of frost / on storefront glass. He died in / a doorway, his home a thin / sleeping bag in a city of rooms.” Thank you David for this. @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social #WriteOttawa
April 20, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Writer and #Ottawa Poet Laureate David O’Meara on Elgin St. yesterday: “sub-zero, / overnight, a brocade of frost / on storefront glass. He died in / a doorway, his home a thin / sleeping bag in a city of rooms.” Thank you David for this. @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social #WriteOttawa
elegy for a friend, by @amandaearl.bsky.social: ~ how do we reflect on that which we hold dear, and grief, and loss. Thank you Amanda for sharing this on what turned out to be such a timely day. @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social #WriteOttawa
April 20, 2025 at 2:40 AM
elegy for a friend, by @amandaearl.bsky.social: ~ how do we reflect on that which we hold dear, and grief, and loss. Thank you Amanda for sharing this on what turned out to be such a timely day. @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social #WriteOttawa
Jean Van Loon took us into the mind of JR Booth via her book #BuildingOnRiver (@cormorantbooks.bsky.social) while we stood on Parliament Hill, imagined it before there were buildings, and dreaming big dreams. Thanks to @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social and everyone who joined us today! #WriteOttawa
April 20, 2025 at 2:29 AM
Jean Van Loon took us into the mind of JR Booth via her book #BuildingOnRiver (@cormorantbooks.bsky.social) while we stood on Parliament Hill, imagined it before there were buildings, and dreaming big dreams. Thanks to @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social and everyone who joined us today! #WriteOttawa
Next, Sneha Madhavan-Reese read from #ElementaryParticles and shared her very moving piece, Nathan Cirillo. We paused, stood in silence. @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social #WriteOttawa
April 20, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Next, Sneha Madhavan-Reese read from #ElementaryParticles and shared her very moving piece, Nathan Cirillo. We paused, stood in silence. @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social #WriteOttawa
From today’s adventure —“there are some in every crowd” (Natalie Hanna, in lisan al’asfour, ARP Books 2022) - thank you to @battleaxepress.bsky.social for joining us today to explore #Ottawa in Verse, with many thanks also to @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social; #AwesomeOttawa; #WriteOttawa
April 20, 2025 at 2:11 AM
From today’s adventure —“there are some in every crowd” (Natalie Hanna, in lisan al’asfour, ARP Books 2022) - thank you to @battleaxepress.bsky.social for joining us today to explore #Ottawa in Verse, with many thanks also to @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social; #AwesomeOttawa; #WriteOttawa
I’d rather it look like spring outside, and be eating tacos in St. Luke’s Park, but we can dream — here’s an excerpt from #Ottawa poet laureate David O’Meara’s The Tennis Courts in Winter #WriteOttawa
March 30, 2025 at 10:14 AM
I’d rather it look like spring outside, and be eating tacos in St. Luke’s Park, but we can dream — here’s an excerpt from #Ottawa poet laureate David O’Meara’s The Tennis Courts in Winter #WriteOttawa
Vivian Vavassis’ Friday Poem (after @robmclennan.bsky.social) (in @arcpoetry.bsky.social)
“so, you see, i have to believe
there are saints in #ottawa walking
along #elgin or bank among
the guitar players & bums
& busy entrepreneurs;
their heads down and hurried hoping not to be outed….” #writeottawa
“so, you see, i have to believe
there are saints in #ottawa walking
along #elgin or bank among
the guitar players & bums
& busy entrepreneurs;
their heads down and hurried hoping not to be outed….” #writeottawa
March 30, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Vivian Vavassis’ Friday Poem (after @robmclennan.bsky.social) (in @arcpoetry.bsky.social)
“so, you see, i have to believe
there are saints in #ottawa walking
along #elgin or bank among
the guitar players & bums
& busy entrepreneurs;
their heads down and hurried hoping not to be outed….” #writeottawa
“so, you see, i have to believe
there are saints in #ottawa walking
along #elgin or bank among
the guitar players & bums
& busy entrepreneurs;
their heads down and hurried hoping not to be outed….” #writeottawa
elegy for a friend by @amandaearl.bsky.social
“I’d been wandering the Farm Boy
at Metcalfe and Lisgar
holding a bunch of golden beets
by the stems, conjuring up recipes
with sweet potatoes and red onions,
thinking of the salads I could make…” #writeottawa
“I’d been wandering the Farm Boy
at Metcalfe and Lisgar
holding a bunch of golden beets
by the stems, conjuring up recipes
with sweet potatoes and red onions,
thinking of the salads I could make…” #writeottawa
March 29, 2025 at 6:58 PM
elegy for a friend by @amandaearl.bsky.social
“I’d been wandering the Farm Boy
at Metcalfe and Lisgar
holding a bunch of golden beets
by the stems, conjuring up recipes
with sweet potatoes and red onions,
thinking of the salads I could make…” #writeottawa
“I’d been wandering the Farm Boy
at Metcalfe and Lisgar
holding a bunch of golden beets
by the stems, conjuring up recipes
with sweet potatoes and red onions,
thinking of the salads I could make…” #writeottawa
I wish I could time travel to visit (among other things) gathering spots of #Ottawa past. Murray’s at the #LordElgin served up gossip and intrigue before my time. Here’s some spice from #HughHood in The Motor Boys in Ottawa. #WriteOttawa
March 17, 2025 at 1:36 AM
I wish I could time travel to visit (among other things) gathering spots of #Ottawa past. Murray’s at the #LordElgin served up gossip and intrigue before my time. Here’s some spice from #HughHood in The Motor Boys in Ottawa. #WriteOttawa
Thinking back to the construction of the #Chinatown arch and the vibrancy it offers the neighbourhood. Appreciating @jcyliew.bsky.social’s visceral characterizations of it, and some of my favourite hangouts in #Dandelion @arsenalpulp.bsky.social. #WriteOttawa.
March 17, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Thinking back to the construction of the #Chinatown arch and the vibrancy it offers the neighbourhood. Appreciating @jcyliew.bsky.social’s visceral characterizations of it, and some of my favourite hangouts in #Dandelion @arsenalpulp.bsky.social. #WriteOttawa.
Misty-eyed in the Library of Parliament with #TerryFallis in The Best Laid Plans… #WriteOttawa
March 14, 2025 at 1:50 AM
Misty-eyed in the Library of Parliament with #TerryFallis in The Best Laid Plans… #WriteOttawa
Around the #RideauCanal locks near Parliament Hill with #AlanCumyn in Burridge Unbound #WriteOttawa.
March 14, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Around the #RideauCanal locks near Parliament Hill with #AlanCumyn in Burridge Unbound #WriteOttawa.
March 14, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Druids! And druids running around downtown Ottawa. J. McCurdy’s #fantasy The Serpent’s Egg features some great chase scenes #WriteOttawa.
March 10, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Druids! And druids running around downtown Ottawa. J. McCurdy’s #fantasy The Serpent’s Egg features some great chase scenes #WriteOttawa.
Colin McAdam’s Fall makes reference to boarding school kids drinking at the former Earl of Sussex pub #WriteOttawa.
March 10, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Colin McAdam’s Fall makes reference to boarding school kids drinking at the former Earl of Sussex pub #WriteOttawa.
There’s a small #spoileralert here, in this second of two pieces about the Alexandra Bridge from #TerryFallis’ The High Road. #WriteOttawa.
March 10, 2025 at 12:00 AM
There’s a small #spoileralert here, in this second of two pieces about the Alexandra Bridge from #TerryFallis’ The High Road. #WriteOttawa.
Next up, two pieces of spice about the Alexandria Bridge, starting with Mary Jane Maffini’s mystery around #Bluesfest. #WriteOttawa
March 9, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Next up, two pieces of spice about the Alexandria Bridge, starting with Mary Jane Maffini’s mystery around #Bluesfest. #WriteOttawa
Gwen Tuinman takes us back to when the #RideauCanal was brand new in her 2024 novel Unrest… #WriteOttawa
March 9, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Gwen Tuinman takes us back to when the #RideauCanal was brand new in her 2024 novel Unrest… #WriteOttawa
I’ll never know if I took a cab that William Hawkins was driving, but glad to finally work through his poems. Here’s a take on the canal #WriteOttawa
March 9, 2025 at 11:50 PM
I’ll never know if I took a cab that William Hawkins was driving, but glad to finally work through his poems. Here’s a take on the canal #WriteOttawa
Anita Lahey’s work references many #Ottawa settings… here’s a piece about what later became the William Commanda bridge #WriteOttawa. Looking forward to biking across it again soon.
March 9, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Anita Lahey’s work references many #Ottawa settings… here’s a piece about what later became the William Commanda bridge #WriteOttawa. Looking forward to biking across it again soon.
Here’s a piece from #KatieTallo’s Poison Lillies, partially set at the Ambassador Court in the #Glebe. #WriteOttawa.
March 9, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Here’s a piece from #KatieTallo’s Poison Lillies, partially set at the Ambassador Court in the #Glebe. #WriteOttawa.
Starting off today’s #WriteOttawa collection with some romantic action at the #LordElginHotel, with thanks to the late Elisabeth Harvor.
March 9, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Starting off today’s #WriteOttawa collection with some romantic action at the #LordElginHotel, with thanks to the late Elisabeth Harvor.