There’s a historic heat wave in France and other parts of Europe as I write this — this week has brought the country’s hottest day ever — and I feel for residents and visitors as they do their best to endure it.
It’s not easy — I know firsthand. Although the heat wave (called la canicule in French) during my second week in Paris at the end of May did not reach the same levels, it was difficult to stay cool, hydrated, and, well, sane. And I’m usually a self-proclaimed lizard when it comes to hot weather, so my high level of discomfort tells you something.
For six days, there was little to no relief. Somewhere I read that only about five percent of buildings in Paris have air conditioning. So, whether I was grabbing a bite to eat at the café at the end of my street, taking the métro or bus to my next research location, or visiting a museum, reprieves were few and far between. My top-floor apartment in the 11th arrondissement, as lovely as it was, became an oven day and night. After two and a half days of writing, the constant waves of heat rippling through my body triggered an anxiety attack. (Which was as fun as you might imagine.)
So, the order of the day was regularly taking cool showers (I tried to limit them to four per day), re-filling the teapot and sticking it in the fridge to chill, reducing some of my productivity expectations, and finding ways to distract myself. At one point, I did the very Canadian thing of watching a Christmas episode of Murdoch Mysteries. Amazingly, watching the snowy scenes actually helped, temporarily!
To be clear, I do not regret my time in Paris. At all. Yes, the heat wave was a challenge and could have been dangerous. But I also challenged myself in other ways and learned a lot, which was kind of the point from the start, (aside from book research and writing).
Since my return to Victoria, people have been asking me to share my favourite part of the trip. It’s hard to pick only one and I may drop some of them into future posts, but this is a memory that’s been at the forefront of my mind this week:
I had arranged to meet up with my friend/fellow writer/tour guide Lily Heise of Je T’aime, Me Neither. But I was on pace to arrive early, or her previous engagement was running late, and so she invited me to join a sort of apéro on a quiet, open air pavilion or platform near the Eiffel Tower. Someone brought wine, someone else brought chips. Soon, I had a small plastic cup in my hand and was in deep conversation with interesting, welcoming tour guide colleagues of Lily’s. Soon, the sun moved behind the tower, creating a silhouette of the structure. And I stopped. Snapped a quick photo. Wondered how that perfect moment was my life.
For various personal and professional reasons, the month or so since then has been defined by turmoil. But that difficult period is clearing, and the feeling I experienced at the pavilion is the energy I want to carry forward with me. Because, thanks to Paris, I still believe in magical moments.
Change Your Calendars
Due to a variety of factors, the timing of my workshop for the Parksville Museum is changing. But it’s a good thing! This summer, get out and enjoy fun and sun. Come autumn, though, when your mind turns to family history and research, I’ll be ready for you! Watch for a November date.
In the meantime, I’m always available to answer questions about archives and storytelling. Just reach out through my Contact Page.
Poesia
I’m excited to share that three of my poems will appear in the upcoming issue of Gávea-Brown (vol. 51 no. 1).
The mission of the Gávea-Brown: A Bilingual Journal of Portuguese-North American Letters and Studies is to publish works relating to the Portuguese experience in North America. The scope is broad, including editorially reviewed academic articles, documents, interviews, translations, book reviews and creative works (both literary and visual).
The journal is published annually by the Department of Portuguese and Brazilian Studies at Brown University, and made possible with support from the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD).
I’ll post direct links in a future newsletter, once the issue has been published.
Roots, Continued
It’s Portuguese Heritage Month in Canada! A huge thanks to the Canadian Book Library on Instagram for featuring my book recently, in honour of the occasion. I’m so proud of my Portuguese heritage. 🇵🇹 🇨🇦
Taking Flight
There’s no news from Andorinha Press from May and June, because I took a hiatus from, well, my life and spent two weeks in Paris. But now that I’ve returned, I’m ready to reopen submissions for Issue Two on June 30. There are only 12 contributor spots left!
Before sending your work in, please check out the submission guidelines to make sure your piece(s) fit what we’re looking for.
Les Bouquinistes
The Scars Saudade Wrote, by Devin Meireles
I’m so pleased to share Portuguese-Canadian writer Devin Meireles’ new book, The Scars Saudade Wrote. He describes it as, “an anthology of creative nonfiction that has lived quietly inside me for years, waiting for the right moment to surface.”
More from Devin:
This collection brings together interconnected personal essays and narrative-driven stories that explore identity, memory, migration, and inheritance through lived experience. It is rooted in cultural observation and intimate storytelling, tracing how family history, community, and geography leave lasting marks—both visible and unseen—on who we become.
Learn more about the themes, including A Mosaic of Memory and Writing Through Inheritance, as well as why this book matters now, in his blog post.
As always, thanks for reading. Merci!
Sonia
Translated: “Art and love triumph over time.”
Sonia Nicholson 