Author Archives: Barry Pomeroy

About Barry Pomeroy

I had an English teacher in high school many years ago who talked about writing as something that people do, rather than something that died with Shakespeare. I began writing soon after, maudlin poetry followed by short prose pieces, but finally, after years of academic training, I learned something about the magic of the manipulated word.

To Ottawa and Toronto

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Barry Pomeroy

Once I was leaving Montreal I realized the car worked well on the highways. Canada is mostly highway, I told myself, as long as I can manage its idle in the cities, it should be fine. I reverted to the … Continue reading →

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Forcing an Old Car West

Posted on June 3, 2016 by Barry Pomeroy

I spent the spring preparing the car for my western trek. As I related in an earlier post I even had my mechanic friend work on my brakes, which proved to be a mistake. Let that be a lesson to … Continue reading →

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My Growing Distaste for Working on Cars

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Barry Pomeroy

Last week I decided I would deal with the front right brake caliper that was sticking and accordingly went to my friend’s place to work on it. Since he lives about twenty kilometres from the cabin, I tried to use … Continue reading →

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Ancient Science at the Planetarium

Posted on April 30, 2016 by Barry Pomeroy

Whenever we think about our ancestors we are inclined to imagine them as moronic, backward troglodytes, dragging their knuckles through lives as brutal and stunted as themselves. In our rather short-sighted and ungrateful vision, they do not hope to compare … Continue reading →

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Monkeys on the Internet

Posted on April 24, 2016 by Barry Pomeroy

We have all become aware of bad behaviour online, and from that, we have learned that our neighbours, who we always guessed were tolerant, joyful, and open-minded, think quite differently than us. Given cause to reflect on our own public … Continue reading →

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Political Action and Inaction

Posted on April 18, 2016 by Barry Pomeroy

When the phrase political action is bandied around it sends most people running for the television news rather than the dictionary. Most believe they know what political action entails, and they occasionally engage in it themselves, by standing outside buildings … Continue reading →

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Working on the Birth and Death of Planeville

Posted on April 12, 2016 by Barry Pomeroy

I have spent the last few months—when I can spare a moment from teaching and marking—working on my novel about the now extinct village of Planeville. In some ways this project has been more difficult than others, perhaps because although … Continue reading →

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Gaming Grand Theft Auto

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Barry Pomeroy

One of the most popular games of all time is Grand Theft Auto. The game features particular missions, in which the characters, or you—depending on game setting—navigate a fictional world to accomplish a goal. Many people play the game “properly” … Continue reading →

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Waiting for a Bus in Laos

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Barry Pomeroy

When I went to Thailand in 2011 with my girlfriend we also visited Laos. We traveled the Mekong River by boat and upon landing in Luang Prabang we went back upriver to Pakbang, a village along the bank where we’d … Continue reading →

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Toxins on our Food

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Barry Pomeroy

Nearly twenty years ago I was on a cross Canada road trip and I had become accustomed enough to the sight of stacks of jugs near prairie dumps that I no longer remarked on it. On this occasion I was … Continue reading →

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