Tag: Ukrainian

Trauma through generations

My late father, Marsh Forchuk, who died in November, would have turned 94 tomorrow. This is a photo of him when he was about 12. He’s the one with the glasses, holding onto that bike.

Dad had to quit school at age 12 because his father was no longer able to run their Alberta farm because of injuries he’d sustained while interned as an “enemy alien” in Canada in WWI had caught up to him.

So because of my grandfather’s internment, my father’s future was forever changed.

CBC Ideas interviewed me and other descendants of internees about this. Here’s the link.

Dad, I’m thinking of you

Love, joy, renewal

Writing a pysanka is a time of quiet contemplation akin to prayer. It’s a time to think about hopes and dreams for a better future, for the things that are most important for the world and what our part is in making those happen.

Red symbolizes love and joy. Green is the renewal that comes with spring. Diamond and square shapes represent plowed fields.

A star, a cross, Ukraine’s colours

A star, a cross, Ukraine’s colours. A pysanka is written in hot beeswax with a kistka, which is like a fountain pen, only filled with melted wax rather than ink. The metal tip of the kistka is held over a candle flame, then dipped onto a cake of beeswax. The carbon from the candle darkens the wax so it’s the colour of black ink and it’s easy to see where the wax is applied to the egg. The first step is to cover up everything the artist wishes to remain white, then to soak the egg in the next lightest colour of dye – in this case yellow. Then the artist covers with wax everything that will be yellow, then soaks in the next lightest colour of dye. After all of the colours are applied, the wax is melted off.

St. John’s Kilmarnock school

Today I had the pleasure of revisiting St. John’s Kilmarnock School in Breslau ON. I met librarian Carey Gallagher (middle) two decades ago when she was a teacher and I was the writer-in-residence for a year. Back then, I met with every class at least once but spent much time encouraging aspiring writers. I still keep in touch with some of them. Today’s session was very neat because it was the first time that I met in person with students since the spring of 2020. I’ve done a ton of virtual visits but it’s just not the same. Today’s group were 10th grade History and English classes — could it be more perfect? Discussed writing about victims of atrocities in a respectful way, how to do research on topics that have been ignored and suppressed, and why risking failure is the only way forward. My favourite question was: What do you consider your best book? My answer? Dance of the Banished, which I feel is very much under-rated, but also the story is so very relevant right now. In Turkey there is a monumentally important election going on and Erdogan, who is a Putin-wannabe is finally effectively being challenged by a combined opposition led by Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, whose heritage is Alevi.

And then icing on the cake: Jean Mills, a writer I very much admire, came to sit in on the session. She’s on the right, holding up her newest novel.