FAQs

Q. Are you still married?

A. Yes which is good since it makes a better story. Plus, Charly is great—always has been, always will be. Though he still drives me crazy when we're leaving town. Nothing has changed there.

Q. What if Charly had said no to your question on Lake Winnipeg?

A. Interesting question. I suspect we would have talked until we found some resolution. We're both pretty flexible people. I think I could have gone either way and so could he. It's crazy how much we both like being parents — like what was there ever to talk about?

Q. Do you want to go back?

A. Of course! And we have been back on a smaller scale. We took the kids paddling on the Churchill River this summer and as they get older and can portage our canoe maybe we'll keep going on longer wilderness trips, further north.

Q. How long did it take you to write the book?

A. I started writing essays as part of my graduate program at Antioch University Los Angeles in 2003. At that time I had no intention of writing a book. I couldn't see the story or the importance. But mentors and cohorts asked so many questions that I kept writing and revising. I had so much fun shaping essays that they started to look like chapters and I started to envision what a book would look like. By the time I had graduated, I had a draft of the first half. I worked on it on and off for two years, then spent a long time looking for a publisher and waiting for it to be published (it sat on hold for three years). I then spent another six months revising, editing, copy editing, and revising some more. I'd probably revise forever so it's good it finally went to print.