Windspeaker Confidential - Eden Robinson

Page 17

Eden Robinson, the award-winning author of Traplines and Monkey Beach, has a number of projects on the go. Robinson, who spent a year as Markin-Flanagan writer-in-residence at the University of Calgary during the 2001-2002 school year, is currently working on a screenplay for a movie adaptation of Monkey Beach, and has a new book, Blood Sports, due out in 2005.

Windspeaker: What one quality do you most value in a friend?

Eden Robinson:

A sense of humor.

W: What is it that really makes you mad?

E.R.: It's terrible. People who have more than 12 items in the 12 item line. It just drives me insane. I get really mad. Some people have road rage, I have grocery rage.

W: When are you at your happiest?

E.R.: When I'm writing.

W: What one word best describes you when you are at your worst?

E.R.: Ornery.

W: What one person do you most admire and why?

E.R.: My sister. Why? She's just one of the most together people I know.

W: What is the most difficult thing you've ever had to do?

E.R.: That would probably be drive in a city. I'm terrified of driving in cities. I can drive in Kitimat. I can't drive in Vancouver.

W: What is your greatest accomplishment?

E.R.: Actually finishing a book. They're really easy to start. They're really hard to finish. I think I've started like 23 of them. Only two of them actually got done. We're hoping for a third.

W: What one goal remains out of reach?

E.R.: There's lots of them. Where to start? The only goal that remains out of reach, always, is to be organized. To have a place for everything and everything in it's place. Never happen.

W: If you couldn't do what you're doing today, what would you be doing?

E.R.: I would own a stationery shop. I love stationery. I love books. I love paper. I love pens. I love all the little organizers that you use to organize your paper. Yes, I've spent a small fortune in Staples. And there's a place in Vancouver called Paper-Ya. It's just evil.

W: What is the best piece of advice you've ever received?

E.R.: Well, it won't make sense to anybody else but: 'Your city boots are on fire.' Which translated means always wear the appropriate equipment when going to different climates.

W: Did you take it?

E.R.: No. I liked my pretty parka a lot more than the real parka. It was black with silver leafing. It didn't work in minus 40. But it was so pretty.

W: How do you hope to be remembered?

E.R.: As someone with a sense of humor, I guess.