Reading at Novel Idea – April 21st
I’ll be reading at Novel Idea on April 21st, from 6PM to 8PM, with my friend Bruce Geddes. He’ll read from his newly launched novel, The Higher The Monkey Climbs. I’ll talk about my work in progress, a follow up to Bottle and Glass, and read an excerpt or two, to prove I’m still plugging away and haven’t given up.https://www.facebook.com/events/570655446640528/
Join us for wine, cheese, desserts, and a bit of new fiction!
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Beware of false news!
I’ve been reading about the events leading up to the Glorious Revolution and the overthrow of James II from the throne. What’s great is that you can read issues of the London Gazette from that time and follow the events as they happened (some digital versions are easier to read than others). In the October 29, 1688 issue I came across this interesting warning against fake news. The preoccupations of would-be tyrants 350 years ago seem no different than those of today. In the words of David Byrne, same as it ever was.
Godwin’s Law, myth-making, and the Republic
According to Godwin’s Law, the probability of “Hitler” being deployed in any online discussion approaches 1 the longer it continues. There is a reason why this law holds and that is because the Second World War is the cataclysm that is closest to our own generation. Many of us have grandparents that fought, and struggled, and died in that conflict. The memory of it is still fresh in our collective consciousness and we dread a repetition of it (at least, we ought to). For some, it is the worst thing we can imagine, and Hitler the worst person, and so he is inevitably employed as a rhetorical weapon.
I just finished reading Hugh Trevor-Roper’s book The Last Days of Hitler. It’s a fascinating, and chilling, account of Hitler’s death and the end of the Nazi regime. It’s well worth the read for its own sake. But I was struck by elements of Trevor-Roper’s epilogue and how relevant they are to the situation we face today with “echo chambers”, “fake news”, “alternative facts”, etc.. His words read like a warning from a not so distant past and they bear repeating:
The original purpose of the inquiry which caused this book to be written was to establish the facts of Hitler’s end, and thereby to prevent the growth of a myth; and certainly Hitler’s own exploitation of mythology in politics has been sufficiently disastrous for the world to apprehend a repetition. The facts are now clear, and if myths, like the truth, depend on evidence, we are safe. But myths are not like truths; they are the triumph of credulity over evidence. The form of a myth is indeed externally conditioned by facts; there is a minimum of evidence with which it must comply, if it is to live; but once lip-service has been paid to that undeniable minimum, the human mind is free to indulge its infinite capacity for self-deception. When we consider upon what ludicrous evidence the most preposterous beliefs have been easily, and by millions, entertained, we may well hesitate before pronouncing anything incredible.
———-
Gradually success bred confidence; the propaganda of Goebbels, the sycophancy of Keitel, nourished the self-delusions of unchallenged power; no mind, no fact was allowed to contest the dogmas of strategic genius; and at the end, how different had the conference table become! Hitler was still there, still the central figure, still the ultimate authority; but a Chinese wall separated him from the outer world of reality. He listened not to other voices, but to echoes of his own; for none of the surviving courtiers dared speak, or even know the truth.
Skeptics and republicans, be ever vigilant.
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Author Interview with Wayne Turmel
An author interview I had with writer and speaker Wayne Turmel is now online:
http://wayneturmel.com/2017/03/booze-bars-and-battles-with-morgan-wade/
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To the cast and crew of Bottle and Glass
,
I know we already said lots of thank-yous Saturday night at the Brew Pub, but I just wanted to send a quick note to again express my heartfelt gratitude for your remarkable achievement of these last few weeks.
It has been a privilege for me to work with such a fabulous group. I’ve been so impressed with the level of dedication, hard work, courage, seriousness, and good spirits that you all brought to the project. Quite apart from the thrill of the artistic creation, which has been exceptional, it has been an absolute pleasure meeting you all and working together on this common goal.
One of my primary objectives with the novel was to make Kingston’s rich history come alive, to allow, figuratively, the reader to walk a mile in the shoes of the men and women who came before us, who made their way through much more perilous times, and who laid the foundation for the beautiful city and country that we’re so fortunate to call home. And I hope I have achieved that. But you all took that undertaking to the next level, times 10. Audience members literally followed in the footsteps of multi-dimensioned characters who leapt fully realized from the page, full-blooded and lusty, re-animating the streets with their hopes, fears, and desires.
It truly was a unique experience. So, once again, thank you so much for making it happen.
And a special thank-you to Adam for composing the music for the Queen’s Inn, and Krista, Huw, and Rob for their charming rendition – it added so much to that great scene. And Liam Karry for all of his invaluable insights and expertise into this new frontier of theatre. And, of course, to the incomparable Brett Christopher, without whom none of this would have been possible. It was his vision and verve that brought the idea from an idle “what if” to a thrilling reality. Kingston is lucky to have him.
I already want to see it again. What am I going to do this weekend? Downtown is going to seem so sleepy and sedate without an intinerant troupe of adventurous thespians roaming its streets.
Nothing to do but to get started on day-dreaming about 2.0. 😉
Read MoreCast and Crew
Cast and crew of Bottle and Glass – The Play. Click to see the full-sized image.
The wonderful cast and crew of Bottle and Glass – The Play
Back row (l to r): Nikola Bennet, Alysse Szatkowski, Colby Currie, Jeremy Settle, Liam Collins, Dave Hudson, Clayton Garrett, John Geddes, Adam Davidson-Harden, Cassel Miles, Dan Walmsely, Rob Smith, Tim Duncan, Huw Davis
Front row (l to r): Brett Christopher, Callum Lurie, Nicole Garrett, Krista Garrett
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Morgan Wade
Morgan Wade is a fiction writer living in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. His short stories and poems have been published in Canadian literary journals and anthologies, including, The New Quarterly and The Nashwaak Review. His debut novel, The Last Stoic was long listed for the ReLit Award for Fiction.
Contact Morgan
Full biography