David Sachs's Blog, page 6
July 16, 2015
New article: Ottawa whitewater canoeing
I love whitewater canoeing. Having a chance to contribute to the fantastic Ottawa Outdoors Magazine on my favourite subject was great. Basically, a primer to get readers out onto the plentiful whitewater rivers of our region.
On the Lower Madawaska with friend Geoff
Always a great spring evening planning summer fun
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May 11, 2015
Wakefield Literary Festival
Saturday I had a great opportunity to be at the books table for Wakefield Literary Festival’s discussion with Charlotte Gray and Sean Michaels. I did a post on the event for apt613, Ottawa’s fantastic culture web-zine.
http://apt613.ca/the-second-night-of-the-second-season/
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April 9, 2015
Two short thoughts on Jack: #2) Jack London and the Cutting Edge of History
Jack
You could probably guess that I’m a London fan.
As I said in the last post, I was reading a London short story, Shin-Bones. This is one of the South Seas stories, this about an Oxford-educated, thoroughly modern Hawaiianalii or prince, just returned from the Boer War. He narrates a story to his American or European friend about a thoroughly ancient adventure he had undertaken just years before, involving his ancestors sacred bones.
London’s writings encompass the turn of the last century...
Two short thoughts on Jack: #1) Jack London and the Meaning of Art
There are times I feel disconnected from myself and from my surroundings; pessimistic. When I have difficulty finding cheer. In those times, I sometimes turn to Jack London. Last night, I began a London short story before bed, and finished it with coffee this morning. It worked well. It made me feel better. I wondered at that – it didn’t seem a matter of distraction-entertainment, the way a movie can sweep you away. I was still myself, in my place; I just felt better, more peaceful and optimi...
February 26, 2015
Fathers, Sons and Books
My father, the comic book reading storyteller
Handling Sin: The family book
This year, a miracle has been unfolding before my eyes.
My son is becoming a reader. Yes, Grade One: Where miracles happen! Just a few months ago, we would sit at night and I’dread to him and his little sister. Now each night he takes out his school readers and reads to us. It is a miracle, because the parts of his “training” don’t seem to add up to the whole. Like the flying bumblebee, I don’t understand how the boy...
Why Boyhood Did Not Deserve An Oscar
I haven’t seen Birdman yet, but I still know that Boyhood did not deserve to win, because I DID see Boyhood. Andit wasn’t the deliberate lack of story that made it so, so forgettable.
I didn’t see Boyhood in the theatres. I’m always slow catching up to movies.
But even I started noticing the acclaim, the buzz, around Boyhood. When I started seeing the reviews I remembered hearing about the movie when it was being put together: the gimmick of following the actors over 12 years, so that they c...
December 9, 2014
Short story: My Failed Indoctrination
I remember when I was a kid at Hebrew school, I had one teacher, a young rabbi, who had worked for a few years rescuing kids who had been brainwashed by cults. Kids who would disappear, leaving their family to join some religious sect, these rabbis would answer the call of their parents like the A-Team but with beards and black overcoats. They would track the kids down and kidnap them if they had too, then spend days, or even months if necessary (although I doubt that was really necessary too...
Short story: A Love Song on Plato’s Piano
The thing about Billy Fitzimmons is that he loves music and he loves women. And when I say he loves them, I don’t mean like you love your favourite old shoes, or maybe you love the first cigarette in the morning. I mean he’s crazy about both. I know what you’re thinking; a lot of guys love women in a different way from shoes- but Billy, well he’s already crazy, and then he adds a layer of crazy for women. And for music too. Not that this made him a bad person. Our group that had associated ov...
September 2, 2014
Institutionalized Gang Rape in England: The Worst Story
Despite that, it’s worth reading for a reminder of some general truths about evil, and a new image of normalized, institutionalized evil, but also for the specific and painful immigration questions it raises, especially in light of the recent and not-so-recent immigrant riots in Europe. It’s being mostly ignored by North American medi...
August 29, 2014
Cheer Up, Jews!
Chaverim! Jews! Lantzmen!
Chillax.
I know there’s a lot going in the world today. Sure, there was a war, and most of the world sided with the jihadi death cult over Israel. Now there are anti-Jewish riots across Europe, synagogues attacked, old ladies punched, children threatened.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before!
A Jew reads the NY Times
Look, we’ve been here. In the whole history of the Western world, we’ve never had it so good as Jews as in the last 60 years. What, did you think a thou...
