An amazing night with the CFUW! May 16, 2017

Over the years I have given a large number of presentations on Elsie MacGill and to a wide variety of groups.  Getting the story about Elsie out is something I truly enjoy doing, and having a truly engaged audience makes this endeavour that much more rewarding.  That was the case on May 16th with the Ottawa Canadian Federation of University Women.  In addition to a truly warm welcome, it was a pleasure to spend an evening with a group that was so keen to hear the story.  Moreover, a lively and intelligent question period followed and kept going right throughout the social time after the presentation.  

In a slightly different twist to this presentation, I explored Elsie's life from the concept of her being a banknote-able woman.  And, indeed she is - having made the shortlist for the new $10.  But, what does that mean?  It is relatively straight-forward to reduce any life to a serious of chronological facts - and when exploring historical significance at a surface level this degree of analysis is enough - however - as I argued that night this most interesting part is what happens before the facts, during the creation of the facts and after the facts - that my friends is where living occurs and those nuances contain the true richness of a life.  

There is nothing that warms an author's heart more than to spend time with readers and potential readers who are so excited to discuss a book.  It was a wonderful evening that left me truly energized!  Thank you Ottawa CFUW for a fantastic evening!