True to Life in China!
It’s been a busy week in Kaplanland. First, the Monday showing of The Giants was fabulous – 112 tickets sold, a very appreciative audience for this powerful documentary, even more moving on second viewing. I’d see it many more times if I could. Can only hope it inspires those who were there to take action to save a little piece of the planet. If you’re interested, Demand Films is eager to distribute the film wherever there’s a possible audience. All you have to do is pick a time and a cinema and sell a minimum of 35 tickets. A few emails to local environmental groups et voilà! Go for it!
https://ca.demand.film/the-giants/
On Wednesday, I was invited to speak to the Canadian Federation of University Women meeting in Markham, 22 k. north of Toronto. I was going to take the GO train but Ruth very kindly offered to drive me, so we decided to leave at 3 to avoid rush hour traffic on the Don Valley Parkway. No luck — it was wall to wall, crawling, took over an hour and a half. We did eventually get there, and I took Ruth for dinner at a terrific Vietnamese restaurant on Main Street.
The event was wonderful — over 70 women, enthusiastic readers, some in writing groups or book clubs. I spoke for an hour, and afterwards, they crowded around the table where Ruth sat with a few of my books for sale. I’d not brought enough books! You can’t win; often at these things, I go home with nearly the same number I came in with, but this time I could have brought many more. Ah well. Kathy, a former student who’d suggested me to the group, emailed today: “At our writing group the morning after hearing you, I heard the most wonderful comments, such as, ‘Beth was the best speaker we’ve ever had!’ Given that we’ve heard some wonderful speakers, this is truly a compliment. You were praised by the women for so many things including your pacing. And please expect many requests for your latest book!”
Great news. Thanks to them all.
Speaking of great news — I waited until the contract was signed before believing it — True the Life: 50 steps to help you tell your story, the textbook for my courses, has been picked up by a publisher in Beijing. The Chinese edition is expected out in 2026. Writers, you never know where your words will land! I am amazed. Obviously, the fantasy is one billion Chinese people, all writing memoirs with my book in their hot little hands. Yes.
One more thing about Wednesday night: we left Markham in a hurricane-like downpour, terrifying; as we drove down the Parkway in the pitch dark and driving rain, Ruth couldn’t see the white lines on the road and so we both struggled to keep the car on track. 85-year-old Ruth is my hero; clutching the steering wheel in an iron grip, with me giving directional shouts to veer one way or another, she got us home. I stepped out of the car into a lake.
Yesterday, a session with my 21-year-old tech helper Patrick, whom I’m encouraging to set up a business helping older people with tech, as he does for me and 92-year-old Ron, and now also for Monique next door and other friends. He explains the incomprehensible complexities of the machines and apps and is patient as we fumble about. I hope he does make that his business. Then a Zoom editing session with an ambitious young writer, and the home class, five of my favourite people, including Peg by Zoom from B.C.
This morning I woke at 5.45 and got up at 6.30 to write an open letter to the opposition parties in this province, to urge them to consolidate, to select the one most likely candidate in each riding to defeat the Conservative dinosaur. They need to help keep us from the dark ages proposed by this government, which is about to tear out the bike lanes that save cyclist lives, including mine. I could not loathe Doug Ford and his henchmen more. Yes, I know, they could be the kind of ultra-right-wing nut-jobs just selected to tear apart the U.S. government. That would, yes, be even worse.
Why must we choose between the ghastly and the really really ghastly?
Somehow it’s nearly 10 already, on a gloomy day. This afternoon, if it’s not pouring, Monique and I are going downtown to check out the Taylor Swift excitement. There will be sparkles.
Tiggy wonders why I’m wasting time sitting at the desk instead of opening an interesting can of something delicious for a hungry, neglected pussycat.
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