I’ve never really thought of writing as something separate from the rest of my life. Usually, I write because something gets into my head and refuses to leave until I’ve worked my way through it.
Sometimes it’s Canada. Sometimes it’s politics or business. Sometimes it’s a person I met thirty years ago, a restaurant that disappeared, something that went spectacularly wrong, or an experience that seemed completely ordinary at the time and became much more interesting years later.
That’s probably why my books don’t stay in one lane.
I’ve written about Canada in books like Canadianism and Democracy Renewed, trying to understand the country we have, how we got here and what we might do differently. Other books come from a completely different place. The Dumbest Genius in the World looks back at a life spent chasing experiences more often than money, while Marzitelli comes from the restaurant world and everything that happens when people, food, business and ambition collide.
There are more coming.
I’m working on a memoir that pulls together some of the stories I’ve accumulated along the way. Radio, business, restaurants, people I’ve known, things I’ve built, things I’ve watched fall apart, places I’ve lived and some decisions that seemed perfectly reasonable at the time.
That last category may require several chapters.
This section is also where I’ll share shorter pieces, excerpts, works in progress and occasionally something that doesn’t have an obvious home anywhere else.
I don’t write because I believe I’ve figured everything out. Quite the opposite. Writing is often how I figure out what I actually think about something.
Sometimes that becomes a book.
Sometimes it’s a thousand words.
Sometimes it’s just a story worth telling.
And I’ve still got quite a few of those left.