I started writing as a kid in Hamilton, Ontario. Inspired by Mordecai Richler, I shamelessly ripped off Jacob Two Two and stole his Child Power heroes for my own saga, Kidnapped (not knowing I’d also stolen the title from Robert Louis Stevenson). After that, a succession of adventure tales – building robots in the backyard, axe murderers, ancient demons, street gangs. They were terrible, of course, but they made me love the act of writing.
Eventually I wrote a not-entirely-terrible novel, but put my literary goals on hold to complete an English/Drama degree at McMaster University. I wrote songs instead of novels, with my band five becomes four (no caps, because artsy!). We broke up after five years. There would be no encore. There would, however, be an enduring interest in music and the music business. I volunteered at McMaster’s radio station, 93.3 CFMU FM. I wrote a column about Generation X for the local daily and otherwise dabbled in tour management and unemployment.
Eventually I began writing again – in the back of a tour van, headed for San Diego. I felt inspired after reading Kicking Tomorrow, Richler again, but this time Daniel. I wrote Stumbling in vans and music venues across the country. It was pretty good but remains unpublished.
Eventually I relocated to Toronto and became a full-time publicist and part-time freelance writer for magazines such as View Weekly, Chart, the Toronto Sun and others. My literary career stalled once again when I moved to Japan to work for two years and then returned to Hamilton. I wound up the Program Director at CFMU and continued to write freelance.
Over the years, I have hosted radio programs, co-founded the Hamilton Independent Media Awards, and became engaged in projects such as the 2015 JUNOs, the Polaris Prize (big ups Grand Jury 2013!), and Japan`s Fujirock Festival. In 2009, I was nominated for a National Magazine Award.
Inspiration struck once again, this time in the form of Haruki Murakami, and I began writing the novel that would become my published debut, The Captain of Kinnoull Hill.
As of November 2016, I produce and host a literature program on 93.3 CFMU in Hamilton, ON. On the show I interview authors, poets, booksellers, publishers, event organizers and anyone else who wants to talk books. GET LIT is available on the CFMU site as well as on my blog page.