Canadiana | Silver Magazine

Longevity

Canadian Fiction: Theo Waits

Unless you are talking about things I can plant in my stories like the wooden bridge that went sideways during winter storms or the sound of night hockey or the sharp rocks you placed in the corners of your tent so you wouldn’t fly away, I am not listening. I am making people up instead. I use my father’s blue eyes to feel a flash of him and for my mother it’s flowers, just a hint, and then somebody like Theo lands on the page and we’re off. He blew in over night. I saw the lights whir around my bedroom, just a second of a blueredbluered and then only whitefor a long time which was perfect because I had maybe four pages to go and my flashlight was barely a ghost. I heard car doors and voices, there was a final whir of colour, and if I thought about

Sherry Cassells December 16, 2021

Longevity

Living in a bubble: Deborah Grover

Deborah Grover, who plays “TV Jann’s” mother Nora in the show, has learned to pace herself in a challenging acting career. All this while playing her own family roles as wife and mother. Grover can relate to the character of Nora, who is based on Jann Arden’s real mother, the late Joan Richards. Like Richards, Grover also made career sacrifices to look after her children when they were growing up. In season 3 of JANN, Nora experiences early-stage dementia. “Playing her is an unbelievable experience,” says Grover. “This is a wonderful challenge from an actress’s point of view. Nora’s experience has an impact on the entire family. Everybody is learning. There is fear of the unknown, but it is not all dark. There is crazy laughter. It is a tricky dance. We try to find the truth and the humor.” Grover is also inspired by working with Jann Arden. “She

David Holt November 19, 2021

Longevity

Fiction Short: Trixie

Aunt Trixie borrowed me on Saturdays. She could have asked for Helen who was prettier, Mary who was nicer, or even Carol who everybody said was a hoot. But she picked me. You are going out with your Aunt Trixie today June, my mother said that first time, she will pick you up at noon. I couldn’t eat any more. I passed my toast to Carol who dipped its edges in ketchup while I watched not exactly in horror but in something new. It was only ten after nine. I tried reading but my eyes kept going through the window. I tried corking but same thing. I took a bath but couldn’t linger. Finally I started dusting and tidying and sweeping and then before I knew it I was washing the floors and then the stairs and the bedrooms and the bathroom and all the glass and mirrors. I took the

Sherry Cassells November 14, 2021

Longevity

Meet Marvins, my protagonist

These are a series of fictional stories by Canadian writer, Sherry Cassells featured exclusively on Silver. I took an online writing course which I tried to cancel but it was too late. Our first assignment was to tell one truth and one lie and our fellow writers had to determine which was which. I said I am purple and I am looking forward to this course… They all got it wrong. Give your characters something to want, create conflict, show don’t tell, write what you know. Say hello to Marvins, my protagonist who wants for nothing. He is not based on my father or my teacher or a dead uncle or anyone else. His name is because his mother named him thrice, once for him, and once for each identical brother who didn’t make it. Another important thing when writing fiction is plausibility. Marvins is an old man. His veins are squished

Sherry Cassells November 5, 2021