Chugging Along and New Project

I'm writing (sometimes more reading and note-taking) on dissertation. Trying to write some every day. That is hard!

The Remand Centre here in Edmonton was looking for a couple of people to run a writing workshop - so I am going to do it with my friend Jessica. In some ways I know it's risky, because of having to finish school. But when I heard the call for volunteers via another friend, and realized that others weren't doing it, and that I *really* wanted to do it, I thought: I'm going to.

It's part of this "bootcamp" thing they have going there, which includes military drills / formation and other exercises meant to give some kind of structure to inmates' days and approaches to their days? So we aren't sure what they'll want - maybe help on how to write a cover letter, or how to work on school, or just creative writing. I'm very excited!

The Winter of My Discontent

I'm not really discontented. But I am very tired these days. I am winding down at work, and trying to keep myself rolling with my readings, as I prepare for my comprehensive exams. They start on December 10, and go for either 7 or 10 days, and I'll write 5-6 essays during that time. But it's open book, working at home. My friend Tami, who got her doctorate a couple years ago, said that it was all about information management, rather than memorizing -- so knowing where you can get more information or quotes -- so good note-taking and binder-filling. No binders of women! Just information!

I've done the storybook recordings at the prison three times in the last 2 months, and do it once more at the end of this month. Although when I went on Saturday, I brought two big bags of christmas picture books for inmates, and I had done lots of errands on the way there, and then once I got in, I realized I forgot my laptop for doing the actual recording. ugh.

I've also been cooking a lot. I'm endeavouring to use all the vegetables from my vegetable delivery box, rather than just letting some of them go bad and guiltily putting them in the compost. So I made roasted fennel and eggplant and roasted pumpkin soup. Vegetables I do not normally understand!

Off to jail

Friday afternoon, my friend Tanya & I went to the Edmonton Institution. She knows one of the program officers, and they had heard about the project that librarians do at the women's prison, where they audiorecord inmates reading storybooks to their kids / grandkids. Then the book and recording are packaged up & sent off to the kids. A few EI inmates had heard about this and requested to have this kind of program. So we are going to do it!

It was a really interesting tour -- way more 'jail' looking than the women's institution. Like TV jail. They gave us all kinds of information about the setup, the programs, they showed us the library, we met some of the teachers... we are going to start in April. I think it'll be super interesting.