IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME The saying, “If you build it they will come,” originated in Field of Dreams, the baseball movie starring Kevin Costner. The film was Iowa farmer who hears a mysterious voice one night in his cornfield saying those words to him, and feels the need to act. Though others think he has looped the loop, he builds a baseball diamond on his land, with his wife's encouragement, and the ghosts of great players appear on the field. Some years ago a fellow-writer said that authors who intend to self-publish their books believe too much in “If you build it, they will come.” A writer should have a marketing plan, instead of taking the attitude that once the book is written, fate or luck will help them sell copies. Of course she was right. And yet... Sometimes the universe unfolds as it should. I haven’t been posting on my blog for a while because I’ve been researching and writing a novel set in 1940s Montreal about a woman wh...
My new novel, Forty Mermaids , to be published in 2026, is about a fictional Montreal artist’s development as a painter during the first half of the 20th century. My central character, Merle, faces obstacles to her work. Like many “women artists,” she struggles to carve out time from homemaking to pursue her painting. Her work is misinterpreted by art critics. Friends advise her to concentrate on domestic life. Like many innovators, she runs into conventional notions about what art is. As well, the Great Depression of the 1930s was not a good time for those in the arts. While the administration of U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt provided opportunities and funding for American artists through the Works Progress Administration, Canada had no such program. During World War II, however, the Canadian government funded artists to work on pictures about the war effort. I have always li...
A couple of years ago, a neighbour introduces us to Valerie and Peter Limmer, who are missionaries in Japan with MissionGo Canada, and send out a bi-monthly newsletter, “Land of the Risen Son.” In Issue 92, June 2025, Valerie wrote an article, “Fun Times in English Class” which I like very much. She has given me permission to publish an excerpt from it: We’ve been having some exciting conversations in English class! It all started last month when one of our older students, a grandmother whom I’ll call ‘Zephyr,’came up to me. “Is Trump a Christian?” She peered into my face anxiously. Hmm. It might be best to give her more information and let her draw her own conclusions “Christians are people who love and follow Jesus. In time, we naturally become more like him. Jesus is someone who is loving. During His time on earth, HE stood up for the helpless and oppressed. He got angry at people who took advantage of foreigners; He pointed to a poor widow as having more gene...
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