Enjoying a lovely fall day here as I reenter this blog after a long absence. Since last writing have completed my back-to-the-land novel begun some four years ago (its sixth draft, anyhow) and am starting to look for an agent or publisher. Don't hold out much hope for an agent. As for finding a publisher? There I have a some little hope, though I gather it's getting harder and harder for even published writers, well known as well as obscure (yours truly among the latter), to locate one these days, even among the smaller houses. Self-publishing, though becoming more prevalent and no longer lumped as "vanity," isn't an option for me. Not yet. Don't have the money, for one thing.

I was, since my last posting, shortlisted for the 2011 Journey Prize (one of several given by the Writers' Trust of Canada), for a story published the year before in The New Orphic Review, a Canadian literary magazine. That won me an all-expense-paid trip to Toronto for the awards ceremony (it was a little like Oscar night in Hollywood, without the glitz) and $1,000. The big prize of $10,000 eluded me, but I'm not complaining. Being one of three finalists for the prize was an encouragement, along with my story being included in the 2011 Journey Prize anthology.

I'm sort of working now on putting together a collection of my stories and continuing to fuss with the text of my novel. I intend to write more stories and possibly start working on another book-length project while in Mexico this winter.

I turn 78 at the end of this year. That serves as a goad.