Professionally Speaking
Before landing a dream job in publishing, I worked a number of unenthusiastically terrible jobs: Baskin-Robbins ice cream girl, dry cleaning attendant, office girl Friday-slash-receptionist, customer service representative, circulation assistant, marketing coordinator – I thoroughly hated each and every one for various reasons, which made me incredibly happy to have learned a great deal at both Queen’s University and the University of Toronto.
The very first “real” job I had was as a content producer for Alliance Atlantis. I spent days in the library researching fascinating articles about Shakespeare and the Second World War. Writing for a living, even though I’d consider myself a hack, let me hone my grammar (which hasn’t necessarily improved), feel more confident about my sentences and grow a thick skin. All important lessons.
Before my love of books landed me at Random House of Canada, Alliance Atlantis let me run a bunch of websites. Then they terminated my position right after my tragic hip was replaced. Such is the cut-throat world of online. I used my severance to go to Ireland. That was a gift. Currently, my job as Associate Director, Digital Products keeps me on my toes at HarperCollins Canada. It’s an amazing place to work and, for the second time in my life, I can honestly say that I love both what I do and who I do it with. Again, that is a gift.
Personally Speaking
When I was in grade eight, my very-old teacher (she often fell asleep at her desk and talked about taking a law degree once she retired) thought I had a gift for the written word. As such, she let me write ALL THE TIME. Consequently, I almost failed grade nine math because I spent so much time expressing myself the year before. I wrote a novel. It’s terrible.
Books have never taken a backseat in my life. I have been an avid reader ever since I can remember. I’ve spent hours walking and reading, sitting and reading, standing and reading – if I could sleep and read, I would. In my youth, I attended a school for the performing arts where I studied dance. This allows me to deeply critique So You Think You Can Dance. And I can still do an awesome Martha Graham walk when prompted.
Overall, though, my home life consists of reading, blogging, writing, watching movies, watching TV, devouring pop culture, living a virtual life, and raising a small boy who came into this world in October, 2010. My RRHB (rock and roll husband; he’s a Canadian Indie rocker and former member of Dig Circus, Hummer and FemBots; his new band is called Detroit Time Machine) and I spend a lot of time at the cottage with our RRBB (rock and roll baby), who never ceases to amaze either of us. That too is a gift.