Notes on the doc, A Flash of Beauty: Bigfoot Revealed

Almost embarrassingly enjoyable, the doc, A Flash of Beauty: Bigfoot Revealed. 

Interesting seemingly heartfelt accounts of sightings. Requisite expert talking-heads. Sweeping landscale cinemtography. Great use and mining of established Sasquatch lore.  Almost ... spiritual, really. In short—great fun.

Hallowe'en 2025: Assorted Random Shots

Alas, last Friday night we saw the worst All Hallows' Eve turnout in years last Friday night, due to a combination of rainy and clammy weather for the trick-or-treaters and the Blue Jays' World Series game six airing at eight. Only 19 kids rang our gnarly-eyeball doorbell. 

Alleyway, downtown Ottawa. Approx. 5:10pm, Hallowe'en, 2025.

Last year, we had about 80 kids, finally recovering from the pandemic and the early canceled lockdown Halloween and seeing an upswing of young families on our block. 

I like a cteepy face in the tree of of our frontyard to greet trick-or treaters. We coninue, though, to be one of only a handful of houses that observes with a lit jack-o'-lantern.

The Tubular Bells vinyl I just scored from a goodhearted DJ colleague.

Some of my handiwork.

What I viddied later after some episodes of Mike Flanagan's The Haunting of Bly Manor.

Fab seasonal pic of Ottawa writer AJ Dolman.

That's our 17 year old carving his first pumpkin. It's the jack-o'-lantern on the right. Tradition passed along! Pretty proud of him.

Captain James, or...Captain Moran.

Reading with Amanda Earl & AJ Dolman at the Pump

Had a terrific reading with co-pilot AJ Dolman and Amanda Earl at the the Lieutenant's Pump in Ottawa this Sunday. Monsters abounded in our work—vampires, transphobic parents and shapeshifters, including my  longtime pal John Newman, whom I have had the pleasure to know since high school.

In "John Newman, you'll not catch me", he is pitted against a vile shapeshifter in a race through the forest to save the dreams of the residents of a sleepy small-town suburb. 

What an honour that Amanda made this happen.

Made possible by the Canada Council for the Arts and the Writers' Union of Canada.

September 28 Ottawa reading with AJ Dolman & Amanda Earl

Very excited to share this forthcoming Sunday, Sept. 28 event in Ottawa with the magnificent AJ Dolman and Amanda Earl at the Lieutenant's Pump, 361 Elgin. Doors 1:30pm. 2pm reading.

You can order drinks and food and be merry while taking in poetry and spec fic. The Pump carries three ambers, which I support. The Ashton Brewing Company's amber remains one of top five in Ottawa.

(The Pump also does a mean Sunday roast that I have enjoyed in the past.)

Amanda says it's going to be a beautiful event, the second in her Throuple tour, and I believe her. I owe her a thanks for organizing the whole enchilada.

Bios!

AJ Dolman’s (they/she) debut poetry collection is Crazy / Mad (Gordon Hill Press, 2024). They previously authored Lost Enough: A collection of short stories (MRP, 2017), and three poetry chapbooks, and co-edited Motherhood in Precarious Times (Demeter Press, 2018). Dolman’s poetry, fiction and essays have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies. A bi/pan+ rights advocate and founder of Bi+ Canada, they live on unceded, unsurrendered Anishinaabe Algonquin territory.

Amanda Earl (she/her) writes, reviews, edits, publishes, facilitates workshops, organizes literary events on the unceded lands of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Peoples. Earl is managing editor of Bywords.ca, editor of Judith: Women Making Visual Poetry and your editor if you’ll have her. Her poetry books include Beast Body Epic, Genesis, Trouble, and Kiki. Her creative missions are whimsy, exploration and connection with kindred misfits. She writes so that fellow misfits don’t feel alone. More info: AmandaEarl.com.

James K. Moran’s fiction collection Fear Itself and horror novel Town & Train were published by Lethe Press. Moran’s poetry and speculative fiction have appeared in Another Dysfunctional Cancer Poem Anthology, Burly Tales: Fairy Tales for the Hirsute and Hefty Gay Man, Bywords, Glitterwolf, On Spec, and elsewhere. He writes across the genres about grief, love, nomadic superheroes and drag-queen warlocks. Moran’s reviews appear in Arc Poetry Magazine, Plenitude and Strange Horizons.

Summer of the Event wraps up

So, that's a wrap on a phenomenal  Ottawa Capital Pride, and on our Summer of the Event for AJ n' me.

We made the rounds. Im late June, I read at the pre-Ottawa Small Press Fair. And in good company! Mahaila Smith, Manahil Bandukwala, Jay Millar, Pearl Pirie, yours truly and MA|DE (Jade Wallace and Mark Laliberte). It was a Ottawa pre-small press fair reading on Friday to a packed Anina's Café, organized by pal rob mcLennan. The next day, with Christian Baines, we sold books at the Ottawa Small Press Fair. 

We also boothed at Pride Toronto with Christian Baines, me, organizer-writer Dorianne Emerton, AJ, and JM Freeman, and sold Stevie Mikayne's books in absentia. I read with the same fine bunch at Super Bargain Cocktail Bar.

And, lest this modicum of fame should go to my head, I grappled with insomnia at both events.

A few weeks later, I shared a fine July 24 reading at Winnipeg's fine Raven's End: The Horror Book Shop, a fine new business that opened last fall.

That's me, SM Beiko, Keith Cadieux, and fab thoughtful host Susie Moloney talking writing craft—new projects; pandemic fiction ideas, parental fear and having writin' ideas. I said some stuff, which was hopefully coherent and thought-provoking, being off my game at the outset from the uber dropping me at bookstore owner Chelsea's place instead of the readong venue and pulked away wotj my side bag.

SM's a terrifically prolific writer, Keith has a bunch of dishes on the stove and Susie treated us to.a scene from her horror novel-in-progress. Trigger warnings abounded (or should have?) regarding teeth and even moths.

Luckily, though, my co-pilot AJ Dolman lent me reading glasses, answered the returning uber driver's fall for me, and got the bag back. The full audience was terrific, also bought books. My colleagues are very talented and superb readers. As I said, I bet  on winning horses.

On August 21, we held our first Queer Indy Authors reading at T's All Welcoming Pub, hosted by Eden Moore. It featured AJ Dolman, Natalie Hanna, Chris Johnson, Stevie Mikayne and yours truly. 

For the Pride Street Festival, we had the first Bi+ Canada booth, Canada's national, not-for-profit first bi-rights organization, having incorporated a month ago. A stunning 110 folks signed up for the bi-monthly newsletter.

With Pride's end, we have reached the end of our summer road. 

Here are pics from Capital Pride. That's AJ Dolman talking to her first peep for the brand-new B Canada booth.

There I am with Pride pals Emilie and Wanda. 

Here are pics from Capital Pride, including before shots of Bank Street. 

The Queers for Palestine march forced the parade to cancel. Pride continues to be a feisty ground of protest and free expression, where its roots run deep.

Our first demonstrations were in 1971. Too many police raids on Toronto bathhouses in the early eighties also became the tipping point for many Canadian queers who had enough persecution.

Now that is September, I have dteams, and writing projects, to attend to and need time to reflect and set to work.

Queer Indie Authors at T's Pub

Queer Indie Authors at T's Pub
Featuring:
AJ Dolman
Natalie Hanna
Chris Johnson
Stevie Mikayne
James K. Moran
 
T's Pub or tspub.ca
Ottawa, Ontario.
Thurs., Aug. 21. 
Doors "open", 5:30. 
6:00pm start.
Free event.
Y'all are invited.

That's how the pros do it, true believers. We've got it all—poetry, horror and other speculative fiction, mystery and fab host Eden Moore, to boot! 

AJ Dolman’s (they/she) debut poetry collection is Crazy / Mad (Gordon Hill Press, 2024). They previously authored Lost Enough: A collection of short stories (MRP, 2017), and three poetry chapbooks, and co-edited Motherhood in Precarious Times (Demeter Press, 2018). Dolman’s poetry, fiction and essays have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies. A bi/pan+ rights advocate and founder of Bi+ Canada, they live on unceded, unsurrendered Anishinaabe Algonquin territory.

Chris Johnson (he/him) was born in Scarborough, ON, and currently lives on unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation. He is the Managing Editor for Arc Poetry Magazine and Editorial Assistant at Nightwood Editions. Chris' latest chapbook is 320 lines of poetry (counting blank lines) (Anstruther Press, 2023).

natalie hanna is a queer Ottawa lawyer of Middle-Eastern descent, working with low income populations. She runs battleaxe press, and her poem “light conversation” received Honourable Mention for the 2019 Diana Brebner Prize. She is the author of thirteen poetry chapbooks, including titles with above/ground press and Baseline Press. Her 2021 chapbook, machine dreams (Collusion Books), co-authored with Liam Burke, was nominated for the 2022 bpNichol Chapbook Award. Her first full-length collection, lisan al'asfour (ARP Books, 2022), was a finalist for the 2023 Ottawa Book Awards.

Stevie Mikayne is a queer writer of romantic mysteries. Her work is inspired by that time she was allowed to crash a Private Investigator School, coupled with her natural resistance to being told that she can't blend genres. She is a two-time Lambda Literary Award Finalist as well as a Golden Crown Literary Award Finalist. In her real life, she is a professor of creative writing at the University of Ottawa and a mum to a fabulous almost-teenager.

James K. Moran, a writer of many bi lines, has published speculative fiction and poetry in Burly Tales: Finally Fairy Tales for the Hirsute and Hefty Gay Man, Bywords, Glitterwolf, On Spec, and elsewhere. Moran’s collection Fear Itself and small-town Canada horror novel Town & Train were published by Lethe Press. For over 15 years, he was a freelance contributor for Xtra Magazine (née Capital Xtra!). He reviews for Arc Poetry Magazine, Plenitude: your queer literary magazine and Strange Horizons. Findable at jamestheballadeer.

Queer Indie Authors at Toronto Pride

Front row: JM Freeman.
Second row: Host/organizer Dorianne Emmerton, Antonio Robledo, AJ Dolman.
Back row: Our pal Christian Baines, and yours truly.

I was part of this lovely rogues gallery of writers from last night's pre-Toronto Pride Queer Indie Authors  reading at Super Bargain Cocktail Bar. Check out the wallpaper that Oscar Wilde would have snarked about.

Photo: Antonio Robledo. Thanks, Antonio!

Everyone but Dorianne will be at our Toronto Pride booth all weekend. 

We're a delight! Come say hello and chat. Mebbe bring coffee or water?

On Church between Gerrard and McGill. Nearest subway station: College.

Friday, 7:00pm to 11:00pm.
Saturday, Sunday: Noon to 11:00pm.

J. Marshall Freeman is a writer of fiction and poetry. He is the author of two queer-hero young adult novels, The Dubious Gift of Dragon Blood and Barnabas Bopwright Saves the City. His latest book is the short story collection, To Wrap Yourself in Light, which includes two award-winning stories from the Saints+Sinners Fiction Contest. A poet, he has featured at many Toronto poetry nights and m released two poetry chapbooks. Jonathan is currently writing a middle-grade science fiction novel about evil trillionaires and brave dogs. He lives in Toronto with his husband and brave dog.

Dorianne Emmerton writes queer speculative fiction. She curates the Brockton Writers Series, and helps run the Bi+ Arts Festival. She grew up in small town Northern Ontario amidst rock outcrops, jack pines, and pigeon-sized mosquitoes but now calls Toronto home. Her stories have been published in places including Luna Station Quarterly, Eavesdrop Magazine, Room Magazine, The Audient Void, The Fantasist, Daily Science Fiction, and in the anthologies Nevertheless (Tesseracts Twenty-One) and Ink Stains Volume Seven: Decay.

Antonio Robledo, aka A. Renegade, is a mental health and addiction professional, with a background in social work whose significant contributions to Canada were recognized with the King Charles III’s Coronation Medal in 2025. Mexican by birth and Canadian by choice, he divides his time between supporting others through therapy and practicing his passion for rock climbing. Robleo’s Love (Man to Man), is a bilingual collection of poems exploring love that defies convention and the deeply personal journey of one man’s love for another. 

AJ Dolman’s (they/she) debut poetry collection is Crazy / Mad (Gordon Hill Press, 2024). They previously authored Lost Enough: A collection of short stories (MRP, 2017), and three poetry chapbooks, and co-edited Motherhood in Precarious Times (Demeter Press, 2018). Dolman’s poetry, fiction and essays have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies. A bi/pan+ rights advocate and founder of Bi+ Canada, they live on unceded, unsurrendered Anishinaabe Algonquin territory.

Christian Baines Raised on dark humour and motivated by horror movies and New Zealand wine, Christian Baines is the author of eight novels including gay paranormal series The Arcadia Trust, Puppet Boy, Skin, and My Cat’s Guide to Online Dating. Born in Australia, he now travels the world whenever possible, living and writing in Toronto, Canada between trips

James K. Moran is a writer of many bi lines with speculative fiction and poetry appearing in Burly Tales: Finally Fairy Tales for the Hirsute and Hefty Gay Man, Bywords, Glitterwolf, On Spec, and elsewhere. Moran’s collection Fear Itself and small-town Canada horror novel Town & Train were published by Lethe Press. For over 15 years, he freelanced for Xtra Magazine (née Capital Xtra!). Moran agonizes—or, rather, writes—across the genres about grief, love, nomadic superheroes and drag-queen warlocks. His reviews appear in Arc Poetry Magazine, Plenitude: your queer literary magazine and Strange Horizons. Findable at jamestheballadeer.bsky.social and jamestheballadeer on Instagram. Moran lives in Ottawa.

Cornwall book launch a smash success: Fear Itself and Queers Like Me with Michael V. Smith

Photo: Francis Langevin

Had a brilliant October 29 Cornwall launch for my Lethe Press collection Fear Itself with Michael V. Smith launching his new Book*hug Press poetry book Queers Like Me. It was a double-threat book launch, two local queer boys who made good. 

This one was a milestone—

Photo: Francis Langevin

my first reading from one of my books in in my home-town. While I have promoted my books at CAPE (Cornwall & Area Pop Event) on and off for years, I have never done an event for my writing there. It was a doubly pleasant reading as Michael and me have never done an event together before. While we have supported each other throughout the years as our writing vocations have taken on unexpected trajectories (he is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC, for example), this was our first opportunity to perform together. 

But the timing was right. Fear Itself my first horror, sci-fi and fantasy collection, came out last year. In Queers Like Me, published October 24 this year, Smith examines growing up queer in Cornwall. Luckily, with the tight publication, Book*hug provided him with advance copies for the intercity tour he is doing while on sabbatical.  Michael was also in town October 28 to attend a gala to be inducted into the Cornwall and Area Hall of Fame for the Arts. In short, Michael was in town and I was not far away. Years back, we also attended Saint Lawrence High School and the original Central Public School together. While Michael is a few years ahead of me, our history and friendship run deep. Small-town roots deep.

Photo: AJ Dolman

I liked Smith's 2002 novel Cumberland from Cormorant Books so much that I asked him permission to use two of his characters in walk-on cameos in my first novel Town & Train. Cumberland features Earnest, a closeted mill worker navigating the small-town milieu as much as his own sexual identity and awakening. Like myself, Michael also used a fictionalized Cornwall in his novel (Cumberland), whereas I called it Brandon in my horror novel Town & Train. He touched on some of the same local landmarks as settings, the gay cruising area down by the waterfront, the international bridge and even an RCAF jet in Lamoureux Park. Michael graciously granted me permission to use two of his characters (one of whom I name), and continually encouraged me to get the book published instead of leaving it in a drawer, as he said (back when we kept manuscripts in drawers and not on hard drives or ethereal clouds).

On top of the significance of getting together to read from our books with our shared history, we had a strong crowd of about 25 attendees at the fine venue of Carrots N' Dates and sold a stack of books each. You can't really ask for more at any reading, much less one at 2pm on a Sunday in grey, leafy late October in the Seaway Valley. One of my friends, who I was in Beavers with as a kid, was there on a first date with a young woman who made the hour drive from Montreal. In signing a book for her, I thanked her for making my launch her hot date.

Often, at a well-attended reading, you  might only sell a few books. Alternatively, sometimes with only a few in the audience, you might just sell quite a lot. Here, we were lucky enough with seats filled and phenomenal sales. I'm grateful, but even more thankful with all the hometown connections such as Councillor Elaine MacDonald, who saw the baby second draft of my novel-to-be Town & Train in grade 13, and even my high-school drama teacher (now retired) Barb Mallette and several friendly faces I knew from grade school, and high school.

Thank you, everyone who showed up, friends of many years; high-school peers and best pals. Thank you, Carrots N' Dates, for the Hallloween-errific space.

Thanks, all!

To find more about Queers Like Me, or buy a copy, here's a link to publisher Book*hug press. 

For more about my new book Fear Itself, purchase it, go here, the Lethe Press site.  

Both books are available through the amazons and independent bookstores.

Photo: Francis Langevin