In pysanka symbolism, the waves represent everlasting life, the star is rebirth, the cross is Christ, but also the four corners of the world. A pysanka, a written egg, is a wish, hope and prayer for the future.
A wish, hope and prayer
Tag: Ukrainian
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.
My hope and prayer for Ukraine
A star in pysanka (written egg) art represents renewal and rebirth. The Trizub is the ancient symbol for Ukraine. This is my hope and prayer for Ukraine.
In my suitcase . . .
This was all I could take with me as I fled my homeland.
Carrots in cake?!
Something that is common here in Canada is not necessarily common for a kid newly arrived. A weird but tasty Canadian food: carrot cake and strawberry jello!
Maple syrup seems exotic when you’re not from Canada!
MYRCA Northern Lights nomination for Winterkill
Fave Qs from Boyd W. Arthurs Middle School (MI)
I had the pleasure of visiting Arthurs MS in person in 2019 and so it was really neat to catch up with them again, albeit virtually. Those kids are now in high school but it was great to see the same wonderful educators and another crop of avid readers, including Alex, who described himself as my biggest fan. Also, they used the same Welcome Marsha sign! How cool is that?
Here are my fave questions from this session:
In Winterkill, Auntie Pawlina’s songbook is destroyed by the shockworkers. In real life, what was the fate of her collected songs?
Why were you banned by Russia?
When you write a novel, do you use an outline?
Why does Russia hate Ukraine?
Favorite questions from Eleanor Van Gelder (NJ) students
I like to leave lots of room for questions when presenting to students and this morning’s questions were superb! The topic was Winterkill, set during the Holodomor. Plus, I always talk about my own struggles as a kid, for example not reading til I was 9, and being bullied. Here are some of my favorite questions of the day:
If the Holodomor was such a huge event, how was it possible to hide it?
How did you deal with the bullying, and were you able to get it to stop?
Did you ever regret writing your first book about the Holodomor (Enough), seeing as you were subjected to so much hate because of it?
The Seeds of Memory
Congratulations to Mateusz Świetlicki on the publication of this groundbreaking work. Ukrainian historical themes have been sadly absent in most popular literature, including literature for young people. This book is a comprehensive and perceptive examination of Canadian works tackling the topic, including my own.
