Author: James McNally

Tinkering

I’ve done a little tinkering under the hood, just some cleaning up the directory structure. If you notice anything odd (broken links, etc.), please let me know. You may have to change some bookmarks for some of the subsections, but nothing serious.

Excerpts From The “Jobless Journal”

5/31 – I’ve found a great way to write. I get out of my place, avoid the TV, the web, the email, the phone. I go to my favourite restaurant, where the only distractions are lunch and the beautiful waitress, and I can actually write. It’s amazing. Now I just have to explain this to the beautiful waitress, lest she think I’m there just to stalk her.

6/5 – In reading Steven Soderbergh’s fascinating book, Getting Away With It, I came across this interesting quote:

“Then I lay down for a few minutes, take a shower, get dressed, get something to eat, then head for a series of coffee shops, where I spread out my stuff and embarass myself into writing with the idea that it would be lame to sit in front of so many people without actually doing something.”

And he’s hit it on the head, entirely.

National Magazine Awards

On Friday night, Brooke and I were at the National Magazine Awards. Brooke gets to go for work and I snuck in after the $110-a-plate dinner. It was inspiring to see all the good work honoured, and to realize that people still read, and write. I’m trying my hand at some magazine writing these days, just reviews and things. We know a fair number of people in the magazine “community” here in Toronto and it’s always fun to get together. We even went to an after party thrown by big winner Saturday Night magazine. Two of Brooke’s friends from journalism school were nominated for awards this year. One won a Silver, the other didn’t win (although he was up against Mordecai Richler and about ten others in his category). It was like the Oscars of magazine journalism!