Donna Morrissey

This evening we headed up to the North River Community Hall, over in St. Ann's Bay, for the Gala evening of the 4th annual Cabot Trail Writers Festival. There was the promise of wine and delicious appetizers so Terry, Richard and I skipped dinner! Half way there we found ourselves stuck behind the guy with the stop sign on the road, there was construction! Damn it, we thought...we're going to miss the food!!! There was also a car in front of us with their emergency lights on.....a well dressed woman emerged from the car and was coming towards our car....i recognised her immediately....it was Donna Morrissey, a well known Canadian writer from Newfoundland!

Now picture this....dark and a bit chilly, back roads of Cape Breton, construction all around....and this woman, dressed likes she's off to a party...is standing next to our car!

I said: "you're Donna Morrissey....aren't you?"

She said: "I am, and am fuck'n lost!"

A very funny conversation ensued, peppered with many 'fucks', she was particularly concerned that she'd be able to find somewhere to plug in her curling iron, gotta love us women eh!!! they were on their way to the Gala event, like us....and they had been driving around trying to find their bed and breakfast.....long story short, they followed us to the event, it was awesome. She was actually replacing another writer that had cancelled at the last moment....hence her rather scattered state! she had only been invited this morning!

I'm heading up there again tomorrow for one of her workshops. She is not only an amazing writer, i've read 2-3 of her books....but she is so animated and passionate about giving a reading. It's more like witnessing a dramatic performance!