Every summer, the Writers’ Community of York Region (WYRC) holds a book
fair (The Bookshelf) at the
Newmarket Community Centre & Lions Hall. The fair showcases over 40 local
authors, publishers and artisans through readings, discussions and a tradeshow
that features writers’ works in a variety of genres from science fiction and
fantasy to mystery, inspiration, science, history, self-help and children’s
literature. I participated in this year’s festival on July 7, 2018.
Reading from “Water Is…The Meaning
of Water”
At the Reading Lounge onstage
in the adjoining Farmers’ Market, I read from my Amazon-bestselling “science-for-lay
public” book Water Is…The Meaning of Water. As children and their
parents played in the main water feature behind me, I introduced the term
“limnology” (someone who studies freshwater) and talked briefly about the
meaning of water with an audience eager to learn.
“We can’t live without it, so maybe we should start respecting it; this beautifully designed book by a limnologist looks at water from 12 different angles, from life and motion and vibration to beauty and prayer,” said Canadian author Margaret Atwood when she selected Water Is… as her first pick in the New York Times ‘Year in Reading.’
Each of the 12 chapters completes the phrase “Water is…” with terms that
evolve from science into philosophy and spirituality; terms such as “magic”,
“life”, “motion”, “communication”, “memory”, “rhythm”, “vibration”, “beauty”,
“story”, “wisdom”, “prayer”, and finally “joy”.
The book is, after all, a celebration of water.
I first shared some history on the making of the book. I shared that the
pursuit of this book was oddly serendipitous and “entangled.”
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| The "Alien Next Door" with water... |
“Early
on, during the research and writing of this book, I discovered that this
project on water had become a gestalt watershed for all the important moments
in my life. Places I’ve been. Things I’ve learned. People I’ve met and with
whom I’d had surprising discussions and realizations. All spanning many years.
And many of them totally unrelated. And yet, now, with a sudden flood of
context, their significance has transcended into a new fabric of meaning
through surprising connection. Like puzzle pieces cooperatively arranging
themselves into a symbiotic pattern of synchronicity.”
Writer
and philosopher Jake Kotze suggests that, “Synchronicity happens when we notice
the bleed-through from one seemingly separate thing into another—or when we for
a brief moment move beyond the mind’s divisions of the world.” Synchronicity
and serendipitous discovery, like metaphor, appear when we change the way we
look at things.
“Serendipitous
discovery comes to us through peripheral vision. Like our muse, it doesn’t
happen by chasing after it; it sneaks up on us when we’re not looking. It comes
to us when we focus outward and embrace our wonder for this world. When we
quiet our minds and nurture our souls with beauty. It is then that what we had
been seeking naturally comes to us. Like a gift.”
For
my reading, I chose several summary quotes that appear at the end of each
chapter of the book. These quotes were also featured earlier this year in “Morphology”, an art exhibit in Mississauga that honored the creation of a marsh park as part of Jim Tovey’s vision
for the Lakeview Site and the Waterfront Connection:
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| Quote from "Water Is..." at the Mississauga Civic Centre Gallery |
Wonder Woman Respects Water
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| Wonder Woman (Jes Tongio) |
“Respect water!” says Wonder Woman (aka cosplayer Jes Tongio). Wonder Woman was
careful to point out with her wise Amazonian sword of Athena (goddess of
wisdom)—forged by Hephaestus—that “Water Is…” provides a doorway to wonder and
responsible action.
Other Authors at The Bookshelf
I met and visited with other fellow writers, including Clair McIntyre,
author of YA/fantasy, and crime writer Joan O’Callaghan. Fellow authors who
read at Reading Lounge included Douglas Smith, award-winning author of “Wolf at the End of the World”; and A.A.
Jankewicz, fantasy author
of Q16, and who’s short story appears
in the Water Anthology I edited for Reality Skimming Press; and Gabriela Casineanu read from her bestselling book Introverts: Leverage Your Strengths for an Effective Job Search. Claudiu Murgan
read from Decadence of the Soul; he
is launching his recent science fiction novel Water Entanglement next month.
The IWA was also represented, along with
member-writers Gabriela Casineanu, Andreea Munteanu, Claudiu Murgan and Andreea Demirgian.
The Immigrant Writers Association provides programs, activities, and services that empower and support immigrant writers in their journeys. According to their website, the goal of the IWA is to "encourage immigrants to express themselves through writing, to bring more awareness, compassion, and peace into the world."
As a second-generation immigrant daughter to German and Romanian parents, I recently joined the IWA. I look forward to mentoring new writers and providing workshops and lectures to share my experience as a writer, editor, and teacher of fiction and non-fiction.
The Immigrant Writers Association provides programs,
activities, and services that empower and support immigrant writers in their journeys.
According to their website, the goal of the IWA is to “encourage immigrants to express themselves
through writing, to bring more awareness, compassion, and peace into the world.”
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| M.J. Moores, the organizer of the book fair |
