Swirl & Swing: A Writing Blog

by Ruth Zaryski Jackson, Guest Blogger In my family, no one ever talked about my maternal grandfather. I always thought...

If you want to remember more of your past, slow down in the present. Maybe this seems more easily said than done in the course of our hectic, BlackBerry-driven lives, but if ever there’s a time when we should be able to do it, that time is summer. The sun and heat leave us relaxed and thoughtful, the evenings are perfect for leisurely strolls, and even when we aren’t on vacation, others are, which means we all have to move to a more gentle rhythm. Summer is the one season that outright gives us permission to slow down—so why are you still racing about? You want to know my philosophy when it comes to summer? It ain’t over till it’s over. I don’t care that the stores windows are showing off their fall fashions or that parents around me (I’m a parent too) have been obsessing for weeks, it seems, about back-to-school. One of my personal heroes was a young mom named Lisa in my old neighbourhood, the Beach area of Toronto, who was known for being the first in spring to don shorts and the last in September to hang ʼem up. Summer officially ends on September 21st and around here the weather guys and gals are predicting at least a week and a half of sunshine starting this Friday, so I’m still in summer mode. You could be too.

Join writing instructor Allyson Latta for this unique one-week retreat open to travel-loving writers of all ages. At Sabino Springs you’ll enjoy a series of entertaining and stimulating workshops and the opportunity to explore your own creative writing, while taking in sunshine, desert and mountain scenery, and irresistible Arizona culture.

Escape from Russia, a dramatic and inspirational memoir-based novel by Jane Boruszewski of Syracuse, New York, has been published by...