Blog

Introduction

 As I introduce this blog to the website, I don’t know just where I will take it. I had intended to use the Reviews section for occasional blog entries, but for a long period my bloggish entries far outnumbered reviews and discussions of the novel and novelette. So I am setting up this blog on trial for now (I am writing this July 21, 2010, 2½ months after the website went online.)

I might write on a range of topics; alternatively, I might become rather inactive: I’ve been offered two weekly newspaper columns in my career, once in the early ’70s, and again in the middle of this first decade of the 21st century. On both occasions, I wrote only two columns and that was that. If I run into similar motivational problems, I will probably have this blog page done away with.

Assuming I am at least somewhat active (once a week or so), topics might be personal, or involve my writing or the two fiction pieces on this website; what I’ve been reading; and also might stretch to all sorts of oddments, including world events, Canada’s place in the world, and  politics and religion, two subjects of considerable interest to me. I know there is a widely held view that politics and religion ought always to be avoided; and I have seen how politics can inspire flame wars on previously amicable websites. I will deal with this threat by being unfair: I will delete posts I dislike out of hand, without explanation, justification or apology. This goes against my democratic values, but I guess a website isn’t a democracy; and, I want to be free to discuss a range of subjects without inspiring toxic explosions.

I hope you enjoy reading this. You can get a taste of my non-fiction writing approach by sampling some of the blog-like entries in Reviews.

 

Accursed insomnia

A bit over a week ago, I wrote in this space that I planned to start the novel revision a week ago Friday: that is, Aug. 6.

Since that time, I've been afflicted by an attack of acute insomnia that has kept me from coping with all but the bare essentials of life. I'm sick of this miserable lifestyle, and itching to start the revision, but my hands are tied for the time being.

I've experienced insomnia in the past from time to time, and normally it passes after a while. I think what brought it on was a state of hyperactivity: I was too excited and energized by the activities I was involved with. As a result, though I could get to sleep with no difficulty, I'd wake up after three or four hours and be unable to get back to sleep. Pills are of limited usefulness. I just have to wait, I guess, until it goes away.

The good news is that insomnia is a sure sign that I'm feeling good.  When I'm depressed, I sleep like a top -- or more like a zombie, I suppose.

Meanwhile, it's quarter to one in the morning and my sleep routine is so out of whack that I plan to watch Part 2 of the excellent PBS series "The Civil War" before hitting the hay. Cheers.

Comments  

 
#1 true blue 2010-11-21 12:20
Hope you're feeling better, Peter!
 
 
#2 Peter_Riley 2010-11-23 18:44
Thanks for the good wishes, true blue. The insomnia ended a long time ago -- couple months maybe -- when I came down with a virus that lasted for a week or two. The virus brought on an attack of severe depression, which is still with me and has kept me inactive. I was so eager some while ago to get on with a revision of the novel, but those plans are on hold till I'm feeling okay again, and I have no guess about when that might be.