November 1, 2020
Toronto, ON

Happy Samhain, my witches.

Hope you all had a marvellous Halloween, whether or not you spent it at home alone like me. This was the first year in eons I didn’t dress up, but I definitely got well into the spirit with some serious pumpkin carving and subsequent toasting of delicious seeds. Now that winter is coming and the veil is thin I’ve begun to turn myself inwards in preparation for hibernation and artistic creation. On my to-do list is Part 3 of my instrumental Trilogies series which I hope to release sometime in the early New Year. As well, I’ve been preparing for an Adventures In Sweetland 25th anniversary photographic exhibition and performance, more details tba. Beyond that, I have dreams of a few new video projects, multiple writing inspirations and a couple fun collaborations in the works. Watch this space.

I must say, it’s been a surprisingly long while since I formally updated you all on my adventures — the time has just flown. Summer was a blur of highway drives, woodsy walks and dirty dog paws. Although I never travelled too far from home, I definitely enjoyed many a glorious day trip. This year I was smart and bought myself an Ontario Parks pass, which led to me to regularly forgo my afternoon tasks and make a run for the beach. I don’t expect this trend to end anytime soon just because summer is over. Dark and gloomy beaches are actually my favourite.

Speaking of dark and gloomy, I’ve been doing a lot of reading in the Nordic Noir genre lately. I find it strangely soothing. For some reason as soon I finish one book I want to start another, even if I think the last one I read was crap. What’s this all about? For example, Jo Nesbo’s Harry Hole series offers some page-turning plot lines but also pushes my feminist buttons in ways which make me wonder if I’m even supposed to be enjoying it at all. Henning Mankell’s iconic Kurt Wallander books from the 90’s challenge me somewhat less, but I admit I don’t find the writing quite as juicy. Still I love them. I also love lying awake at night with my iPad searching Google Maps for street views of all the exotic locations from the books I’m reading. Of late, this had led me everywhere from the dodgy back alleys of east Oslo to the wide open savannahs of South Africa. All these adventures down virtual roads get into my sleepy head and before I know it I’m soaring somewhere over a shadowy Swedish strand… in dreamland.

Perhaps all these bleak, moody mysteries serve as a balm for my real-world anxieties simply for the fact that they represent fictional tragedies. As eternally disturbing as a serial killer series may be, I admit I find it much more terrifying just to turn on the news these days. It’s hard not to feel incredibly invested in all that’s been happening around the world, both politically and pandemically (which is often the same thing.) Real life has become the true nightmare, it seems. Fingers crossed for our neighbours and friends down South this week in the advent of the U.S. election. As my brilliant friend, colleague and mentor writer/academic Yvonne Owens is wont to remind me, whatever the outcome on November 3rd we can find some degree of relief in knowing we have done all we possibly can. It will be time at last to rest and dream of better days to come. (May they get here soon.)

Till then, see you in my dreams,

xoxo
Kristin

P.S. For all the latest photos from my new Adventures In Sweetland series “Beastmistress” have a peek at my photo gallery. You can also find new Instagram shots from my personal account, Sweetlandish Productions and of course the dog here.

Beastmistress, 2020