The blog of Ron Schafrick
Fantastic news! I just learned today that my story "Stunts" was accepted for publication in The New Quarterly! Thanks to the people at Moosemeat, my writing group, for all the insightful feedback I got, and in particular to Isabel Matwawana who was especially assiduous about going over the story several times with a fine-tooth comb. The story will come out in either the Winter or Spring issue. Very excited!
Just in time for Pride, my Pride-related story "Two Friends" is out now in Plenitude Magazine. Thanks to the people at Moosemeat, my writing group, for their valuable feedback when the story was first workshopped, and big thanks to Kathleen Fraser, Managing Editor at Plenitude, for accepting this story.
I teach an introductory fiction course, and like many such courses the focus is on short fiction. Recently, at the start of this summer semester, after my usual enthusiastic welcome, one of my students asked me a question after class that part of me has always secretly hoped to be asked: “What’s your favourite short story?”
May is apparently short story month (who knew?), and so this seems about as good a time as any to post a list of short story collections that have been especially influential for me. So in alphabetical order by author here goes:
Just a reminder that I'll be reading Monday, May 1st, at Words at the Wise reading series. Fellow readers include: Zak Jones and Andrew Simpson. Wise Bar is located at 1007 Bloor St. West in Toronto, and the event kicks off at 8 pm. For more details, check out the Facebook page here or Andrew Simpson's website here.
When I first learned that Rachel Cusk’s novel 2014 Outline was about a failed marriage, I didn’t think I would be interested. But then I read the first few paragraphs:
Before the flight I was invited for lunch at a London club with a billionaire I’d been promised had liberal credentials. He talked in his open-necked shirt about the new software he was developing, that could help organisations identify the employees most likely to rob and betray them in the future. We were meant to be discussing a literary magazine he was thinking of starting up: unfortunately I had to leave before we arrived at that subject. He insisted on paying for a taxi to the airport, which was useful since I was late and had a heavy suitcase.
The billionaire had been keen to give me the outline of his life story, which had begun unprepossessingly and ended—obviously—with him being the relaxed, well-heeled man who sat across the table from me today. (3)
I just learned that my story "Two Friends" has been accepted by Plenitude Magazine, Canada's queer literary journal. It will be my second appearance in the magazine; the first time was back in 2014 when my story "Lovely Company" was first published. Thanks to the people at Moosemeat, my writing group, who first read the story and offered their comments and suggestions. The story is to come out in June, just in time for Pride.
Please join me on May 1st, 2017, at Wise Bar on 1007 Bloor St. West, where I'll be reading once again as part of the Words at the Wise reading series. The event kicks off at 8 p.m. I'm not sure who else will be reading, but I'll be sure to keep you posted as the date nears.
I'm excited to announce that my story "Brother" is out now in the latest issue of The Nashwaak Review, Volume 36/37. Thanks to Stewart Donovan at The Nashwaak Review for accepting the story, and also to all the people at Moosemeat, my writing group, for their helpful comments on making the story better. One of those "Moose" happens to be Ele Pawelski whose own story, "Me and Sir Paul," is also in this issue. Check it out!
So I’m finished! At last! I can’t believe I did it. I just finished Time Regained, the last volume of the six (as differentiated by the Modern Library edition) that comprise In Search of Lost Time. Having said that, though, I am a bit embarrassed by how long it’s taken me. I began this project in March 2015, fully intending to complete it in one year. But then a familiar pattern developed: I’d read a volume, move on to other fiction for several months or more, and then the weighing obligation to return to Proust’s world would hit me again. When 2017 neared I realized I had gone far beyond my initial time frame.
