It's getting to be a problem...

I found myself drinking in a bar last night. Again. The second time in as many nights. Last night it was a pint of raspberry Ale at the "Hose and Hound" after attending a book launch by a member of my old writing group. I have never been to the Hose and the Hound and I must say it was "interesting" to say the least. Some pictures forthcoming.

I reconnected with my writing group about a month ago when I went to a literary magazine launch where some of them were doing a public reading as winners of a writing contest that served as the material for the first issue. I haven't been involved with the group since I got hurt but am still on the emailing list and occasionally touch base with some of them. 3.5 years ago they were just a group of people meeting in the basement of the downtown branch of the public library once a week and bashing each others writing for sport. Besides the guy who leads the group, only one or two had been published in small, unknown publications.

Fast forward to now and 3 of them have since published books, 1 more has a section in an anthology coming out, 1 has quit his teaching job because he is making enough money writing, and there have been a plethora of publications in journals, magazines, etc. Also several have won some serious writing prizes. I am more than a little amazed and actually very intimidated in their presence. I may rejoin the group if the logistics can be worked out. They have moved from the library (very accessible for me but not very conducive to writing) to their very own room in the Alexandra Writing Centre--something that won't mean much to anybody not connected with the Calgary writing scene but is actually a very big move up. However the writing centre is housed in 1903 building that is not at all accessible and not required to be as it falls under the "heritage building" exemption. Which brings out mixed feelings in me as I understand the desire to protect these historically significant buildings. But part of me wonders if it would be so hard to run a ramp off of one door.

The person who runs the group, a former creative writing prof of mine, is looking into what he can arrange to help me rejoin the group. I am not fully sold on rejoining yet but looking at the amazing work this group has done over the past few years, part of me wonders if I can afford to give up this opportunity. We'll see...