The Moniques Are Back From the Gaspé!

The Moniques?

Are you wondering whether there is more than one of me?!

Well there is! I'm  just back from a teaching about writing project in the Gaspé. I was there with my pal, photographer Monique Dykstra. We were working with Rose Roussy's class of Grade Eight girls at New Carlisle High School. We are helping the girls produce a chapter for the 2012 edition of Quebec Roots: The Place Where I Live. This project is part of the educational outreach division of the Blue Metropolis Literary Foundation here in Montreal.

Our job this week was to help the students come up with a subject for their chapter. Like most girls their age, the students in Miss Roussy's class are interested in romance. Like all of us, they long for love. They're also at the age where they've begun to figure out that romantic love can get complicated. Some of them already know what it feels like to be disappointed or hurt. Of course, if you know me, you'll be able to imagine me rubbing my hands together and telling the girls how LUCKY they are to have GREAT MATERIAL for their chapter, which will combine words and images.

I always love listening to Monique D's photography lessons -- and I always manage to learn something new from her. Yesterday, she told the students," Shoot from the heart." She was talking about shooting photos, of course... but I was thinking how the same is true for our writing. If it comes from someplace deep inside of us, it's bound to be good. Just don't forget the re-writing and editing that need to come in between.

You can learn more about this year's Quebec Roots project by visiting their website. In fact, I'm headed there now myself to write another blog entry... but it won't get posted till Monique D loads up some photos to go with it.

And guess what? We're off to the James Bay community of Nemaska on Monday morning. Stay tuned as the Moniques continue their adventures!!