Blog Entries

Quick Hello!

Monique Polak

Today is the last day of classes at Marianopolis College. Boy, did this semester ever fly by! I've got a mountain of correcting, but I hope to be through it by the end of next week. Then I'm going to turn back into a full-time writer. Ahhhhh! (That's the sound of happy anticipation.) Okay then, gotta run to make it to school on time. Likely won't write another blog entry till next week. For those of you who are finishing term papers and writing exams, good luck -- and courage!!

Wisdom from Writer Nancy Huston

Monique Polak

I mentioned in an earlier blog entry that I went to hear an interview with Canadian author Nancy Huston during Blue Met and I thought today, I'd do a blog about some of the wise things she had to say. Her latest novel Fault Lines is narrated by several children. Asked how she was able to imagine these narrators, Huston said: "I had many childhoods." She went on to explain that mostof us tend to tell one story about our childhoods, but that really there were many. That comment ha [...]

Photo Shoot for Cover of "What World Is Left"

Monique Polak

So today, my friend and super-talented photographer Monique Dykstra came over to shoot some pictures for the cover of my fall book, What World Is Left. Many of you who've met me know I often wear a very special necklace -- a simple leather cord with a pendant attached. The pendant is a scene my grandfather painted and gave to my mother for her 15th birthday. It's no bigger than a postagestamp and framed under glass. At the time my mother received this gift, she and her family were liv [...]

Trying to Post a Pic!!

Monique Polak

Oh my goodness!! I think I JUST FIGURED OUT HOW TO DO IT -- AND IT WASN'T EVEN SO HARD!! I've just posted a pic of Wednesday's launch of my latest book, 121 Express. The lady in the middle is me -- the young people are some of my students (past and present). You can tell from the pic, how pleased I was to see them at the launch. Way to go, Monique! (If I may say so myself!!)

(Five minutes later. After checking the website from the front-end.) Rats!!! I take back that complim [...]

Notes from Blue Metropolis

Monique Polak

The last few days have been a bit of a whirlwind. Many thanks to those of you who turned up for the launch of 121 Express on Wednesday afternoon. It meant a lot to me that many of my friends and students turned up to celebrate. Now if only I could post those pictures!! (I SOLEMNLY PROMISE TO LEARN HOW -- but you'll have to wait until I get through the mountain of term papers that arrives nextweek!)

Since we last "spoke," I've worked with two more groups of students at [...]

Blue Metropolis Literary Festival Kicks Off!

Monique Polak

Today is the first day of the 10th Blue Metropolis Montreal International Literary Festival! I'm doing a series of writing workshops today, tomorrow and Friday. Plus, I launch 121 Express later this afternoon; and tomorrow, we're launching Quebec Roots: The Place Where I Live (2008) -- that's the project I participated in along with photographer Monique Dykstra (that was when we workedwith students from St. Willibrord in Chateauguay and with the students up in Wemindji). So, it [...]

Gearing Up for Tomorrow's Book Launch

Monique Polak

So the official launch of my latest book, 121 Express, is coming up tomorrow! If you're in Montreal and looking for something to do, come join us. Here are the details:

The launch takes place at the 10th Blue Metropolis Montreal International Literary Festival, Wednesday, April 30 from 4 to 5:30 p.m., at the Delta Centre-Ville, 777 University Street. (The closest metro station isPlace Victoria).

I'll be doing several sessions this week at Blue Met, so I may not be a [...]

Literary Breakfast in the Gaspe

Monique Polak

I'm back at my own computer in Montreal, but my head's still in the Gaspe! Thought I'd tell you a little about this literary breakfast I went to on Sunday morning in New Richmond. I got to sit at a table with lots of quebecois writers and hear them interviewed for a local radio show. Of course, you know me, I had my trusty writer's notebook on hand -- and I used it to jot down someinteresting comments I heard about writing so that I can pass them on to YOU!

Poet France C [...]

More News from the Gaspe!!

Monique Polak

Hello again! Today I'm writing to you from New Richmond High School. I just fished my last talk and I thought I'd write another blog entry to fill you in on my adventures. It snowed up here eysterday morning, but it's bright and sunny today, so the Gaspe looks even more beautiful!

Yesterday, I spoke at New Carlisle High School.There were also students there from Shigawake PortDaniel School. One student I met was named Chancy. I thought that'd be a cool name to use in a b [...]

Hello from the Gaspe

Monique Polak

My, my, it`s been quite an exciting day. First news: I flew here on a FOUR-seater plane and the PILOT WAS A WOMAN. Her name is Karen Stone, she is 32 and has two small daughters. The co-pilot was a guy named Marian Musil. He told me, ``I am the captain`s slave and secretary!``

I did three talks today at Bonaventure Polyvalent, where I met many young Gaspesians. I thought I`d tell you a littleabout them in today`s blog entry. Agnes McRae told me she loves to read. That`s good news for wr [...]

Hello -- and Good-bye

Monique Polak

...Hello since it's Tuesday morning and I'm checking in with the blog; good-bye because I leave tomorrow morning super-early for the Gaspe! The taxi comes to pick me up at 4:45! YIKES!! My plan is to go to sleep really early tonight, since I'm speaking to three groups of students tomorrow. If I have the energy and I can get to a computer, I'll try to write at least one blog entry fromthere -- otherwise, you'll have to wait till Sunday to find out how things went. Have a good [...]

Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist Shares Some Advice

Monique Polak

I'm supposed to be making supper (it's Melanie's last night in Montreal and it's warm enough for a barbecue!), so I don't have time to tell you all about the dinner party we had where Melanie (my editor on 121 Express) met Andrew Adams (who's actually a character in the book). In short, we had a great time and the party didn't end until nearly one in the morning, whichis late for me, but not for Melanie, who is a far younger woman and a bit of a night owl!

Meet My Editor Melanie Jeffs

Monique Polak

So lucky me, I get to spend the weekend with Melanie Jeffs, who edited my latest book 121 Express. Melanie arrived from Victoria yesterday. This is her first visit to Montreal so she's eager to get a feeling for the city. Today, we went for lunch to Santropol, a restaurant on St. Urbain St., where on a wonderful warm day like today, you get to sit outside. And while we were there -- now I'm coming to the subject of today's blog entry -- I asked Melanie whether she had some tips to [...]

Spring Fever -- Part Two

Monique Polak

Did I tell you that my neighbours on both sides are already busy in their gardens? So, first thing this morning, I gave into temptation and did a little tidying up in the garden, too. My reward? I saw a cardinal and heard his trill!

Melanie Jeffs, the Orca editor who edited my latest book, 121 Express, will be here when I get home from school tonight. I met her when I toured VancouverIsland for Canadian Children's Book Week during the fall of 2006, and I look forward to [...]

This 'n That

Monique Polak

Today's been a this 'n that sort of day. Lots of little things to do -- and not a long enough block of time to really work on the final go-through of What World Is Left. Also, I've been busy with the "business" of writing. Today, I had my photograph taken for a Ville St. Laurent weekly newspaper -- my not-so-imaginary school in 121 Express is located there - - and so, theyare doing a story about the book. The photographer, Martin, came up with the idea of doing the shoot [...]

Workshop on Dialogue

Monique Polak

I'm just home from my final writing workshop at Hebrew Academy. Today, we talked about dialogue and how it can help bring a story to life. We also discussed how dialogue that doesn't work can distract readers from the story you want to tell. Because it was our final workshop, I gave the students a little more time than usual to work on their stories -- and then to share them with the restof the group. Here are some of the neat things the students came up with:

Noah is work [...]

Spring Fever!!

Monique Polak

It's a little hard to concentrate when it's warm and sunny and my clothesline is calling to me! "Monique! Monique! Hang out the sheets on me, please! Think how nice they'll smell when you crawl into bed tonight!"

I'm getting to my computer late today (blame the clothesline), but I need to get cracking on that final read through "What World Is Left."

Tomorrow, I do a workshop on dialogue with the students at Hebrew Academy, so I'll do [...]

Big Day at LaurenHill Academy Junior Campus!!!

Monique Polak

I'm sitting at my computer, but I'm still flying from my big day at LaurenHill Academy's Junior campus in Ville St. Laurent. LaurenHill is a special school for me -- since that's where I got my idea for my newest book, 121 Express. The idea came about in November 2006, on the day I met Andrew Adams, an English teacher at the school. Andrew and I were paired up for a Blue MetropolisLiterary Foundation project called Quebec Roots, in which students write (and take photogra [...]

Visit to College Brebeuf

Monique Polak

Bonjour. I greeted you in French today because I'm just back from a visit to College Brebeuf, where I spoke to Lawrence Szigeti's English as Second Language students. Lawrence invited me in to discuss my short story "Row by Row," which is going to be published later this year in an anthologyedited by Zsolt Alapi, who is co-chair of the English department at Marianopolis College, where I teach.

Of course, I also managed to talk [...]

Today's Workshop on Setting

Monique Polak

So I was at Hebrew Academy again this morning, this time to do a workshop on setting. We spent the first half hour on theory. I explained how setting is a way of taking your reader with you -- transporting your reader to another time and place. I also talked about the importance of selecting sensory details in order to create an overall mood or impression -- and we looked at several YA authors' use of setting in their books.

After that, the students went to work -- producing s [...]