back.

i guess i am.  not sure i’ve been anywhere, though, except in my own head; thinking, writing, waiting.  the books almost here.  it’s been printed, and is sitting in a warehouse somewhere.  i’ve seen a copy.  it looks beautiful.

i was at a friend’s house for a barbecue the other day, for earth hour.  we sat around candles, listening to music, making plans and talking about the past.  simon tapped me on the shoulder and said “have you seen my room?”.  i hadn’t, and followed.

“cool,” i said.

“look at the nightstand,” he answered.

two books were on it, both gifted to him by me.  one was “a short history of progress” by ronald wright.  the other was a galley copy “six months in sudan”.

“those are two pretty good books,” i said, and for the first time understood where i’d been.   i did my best with that book, the one that is sitting on a pallet in stacks quietly waiting.  it succeeds, and it fails, but in it is as much truth as i could find.

so i’m back from there, i guess.  that archived place in my mind, from writing in fernie, and northern ontario, in the basement of massey college, in my spare bedroom.  back to here, the interspace between you and me, then and now.  i am going to start blogging again, and see how it fits.

earth hour was almost over as we moved to the porch, and continued talking.  one of the conversations that came up was about surfing, and we took turns planning a rotating list of destinations.  sri lanka, panam, brazil.  we’ll start in three years, we said, two weeks every year, different countries each time.

“that’s if we can continue to fly,” someone said, and we all nodded in agreement.

things have changed since the last time i visited this space.  we know more about the world, perhaps understand it better.  sudan has changed too.  abyei was burned.  msf was forced to withdraw from darfur.  thousands of people are getting hungrier, and accurate news is difficult to find.

i hope, however, that more people can come to know sudan through the book.  time will tell.  i am working on developing a website that will help bring depth to the story, and allow those that are interested to continue their engagement.  it will be at: sixmonthsinsudan.com and hope to launch it on my canadian release date of april 14.

i’m not sure who this is reaching, but whoever it does, you’re welcome to join me for my booklaunch at the gladstone hotel, in toronto.  it’s on april 19 at 5 pm.  there’ll be lots of good people there, one more if you can come.

so this is it?  i just press “publish” and i’m back to it again?  i’m kinda nervous about it.  better get over that.  soon, suddenly, “six months in sudan”.