Times to meet to discuss Next Episode

I'm happy to meet with those of you who didn't get a copy of Next Episode in time for our discussions of the novel. If you did have the book, but would still like to meet to discuss the book, that's great, too.

Here are two slots where I'm available in the next few days. Please let me know if you intend to come, as I might make other plans for this time if I don't hear from anyone. If neither of these times works for you, let me know and we can set something else up. I don't expect we'll need more than one hour, but I'm making these spots 90 minutes in case we need more than that.

Thursday, Nov. 8: 1 - 2:30 pm

Friday, Nov. 9: 9:30 - 11 AM

Friday, Nov. 9: 2:00 - 3:30 pm

In the Skin of a Lion resources

It is important to know that the places and a number of the characters described in the book were real (Ondaatje did meticulous research into the history of Toronto and its immigrant populations while writing the novel). You can find some helpful background information about these places online. One of the most fascinating webpages you'll find on the novel is this one from the City of Toronto Archives. Here you can see some of the actual photographs described in the novel, including the picture of two men shaking hands in the tunnel underneath Lake Ontario and the one of the cyclist darting across the Bloor Street Viaduct on the day it was christened and opened to the public.

You'll see a period photo of the Harris Filtration plant, the "Palace of Purification" on the City of Toronto Archives site, but this plant still exists and it has its own website where you can actually do a virtual tour of the complex. There's also an aerial shot here.