I feel like I have had to catch up to the art I've made, and learn from the protagonists I have written, especially in relation to gender.

I used singing as a safety measure. I would pay attention to what songs the popular girls liked, learn those songs from the radio or library cassettes, and then "accidentally" sing or hum these songs in class. This would impress the girls, who would then defend me from the boys.

I continue to explore poetry.

I have been and continue to be committed to art as a tool to ignite, comfort, and discomfort.

I especially worry about the ways Canadians can be glib about our supposed difference from the US in our "acceptance" of "diversity."

I don't yet know what style will be required for my next novel, but my sense is that each book will involve a new relationship to language.

As a general rule, I tend to collaborate with artists whose work I admire.