Joy conquered? No. She is not vincible. Crush her as fruit-in-fist clenched: juice pours out. Pin her to a shame-wrought tree: forests rise To bear the glory, adorned with festive light. Death and Sorrow met in the fouling place And schemed how best to catch Joy on her way. “Suppose we trick and trap her in a tomb?” And so they sought, inviting Joy to dwell First in a womb, but she found it spacious And hospitable. Then Sorrow fixed a trough As Joy’s first bed to make a meal of her, But Joy laughed and shared herself with all As bread and wine transposed from hand to hand. Then Death, impatient, led Joy to his house And sealed the stony door. A gracious guest, Joy tasted full the meal and company, But as the hour grew late, politely bid Her host “good morn” and lightly turned the key, Greeting the gardener with a brighter smile, Since Dawn was rising mirthful in the east.
Todd Anderson (Stuff of the Rind, Sand and Sail, The Reluctant Prophet) writes the newsletter Mirth to share a behind-the-scenes look at his writing process as well as to offer readers the first fruits of his poetry and reflections. He grew up in the forests of small-town Ontario, contending against nature in all its beauty and harshness. His training as a literary scholar of Latin and English literature inflects his love of poignant turns of phrase, but it is the influence of his family and their myriad adventures together that infuses his story-telling and poetry with its substance and power. Todd lives and writes in Ottawa with his wife and six children. If you are interested in supporting Todd’s work, please follow the links below to donate or buy his books.
I am excited to announce the official launch of the Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice Audio Book!
Buy it today on the website or find it on a wide variety of Audio Book publishers, including Google, Audible, Libro.FM, Downpour, Kobo, Apple, and Spotify.
I’m currently recording audio for additional titles to add to the Audio Book catalogue, with the next release scheduled for January 2026. Stay tuned for more!
Todd Anderson (Stuff of the Rind, Sand and Sail, The Reluctant Prophet) writes the newsletter Mirth to share a behind-the-scenes look at his writing process as well as to offer readers the first fruits of his poetry and reflections. He grew up in the forests of small-town Ontario, contending against nature in all its beauty and harshness. His training as a literary scholar of Latin and English literature inflects his love of poignant turns of phrase, but it is the influence of his family and their myriad adventures together that infuses his story-telling and poetry with its substance and power. Todd lives and writes in Ottawa with his wife and six children. If you are interested in supporting Todd’s work, please follow the links below to donate or buy his books.
For my 40th birthday, Heather and I decided to host three parties to help launch a very special book and to gather friends in Peterborough, Ottawa, and Cambridge to laugh, celebrate, and share in a fruitful season of writing.
This past summer, I dove into a pile of manuscripts that lay patiently on the back shelf, dusted them off, edited feverishly and published a number of exciting works – pieces that deserved a better fate than wistful dreams languishing unfinished. Heather (and my children) helped bring these dreams to life. Not only by coordinating invitations, booking venues, designing layouts, preparing food, or hosting friends and family, but also by reading and listening faithfully to early drafts of prose and poetry while spurring me on to complete each book.
Many of you also made these dreams reality. You showed up and laughed and listened (or sent your very generous and heartfelt regrets). You joined together as a community of readers, and your love and support are worth musing about for a few moments.
I love reading readers. At each party, I listened for the moments that made you snort or sigh. Some of you snorted at the same moment that others sighed! I leaned in when many of you said, “You know, I really liked the part when…” or “was X a reference to…” Young and old alike had something to say – something to contribute to a conversation that was worth having because it sparked moments of insight or delight.
I enjoyed the chorus of poems I received as many of you echoed back your own skillful weaving of words. It is a wonder to me. Readers create a sense of community through this type of participation. When we step out and join the fun, it binds us together. My poem prompted your poem in response, which begat a third…and on it goes. You did something. And now, you are quite possibly in danger of making it a habit! As Whitman, answering his own question, wrote in his poem “O Me! O Life”: the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.
Like Whitman, I have been questioning life – plodding I think – and the questions articulated in I’ll Be Here testify to this state of mind. What is eternal life? What is it like in Heaven? What will we do or see or say? Whitman’s answer doesn’t go far enough for my taste. Yes, we can participate here and now; yes, each one has something unique to contribute. But I don’t want to miss the reality that there is a Playwright crafting our scene, both here on Earth, and in the life to come. And while circumstances here below do not always prompt joy and celebration, I think the main point of I’ll Be Here is to suggest that the scene goes on above – that we can trust Him.
Our reading parties have been a small taste of those eternal vignettes. I hope you are inspired with fresh longing for literature and discussion that pushes back against so much of the banal, rude, crude, brutal, unsavoury chaff floating around in our everyday experience. I wanted to gather friends and family around God-given imagination once more and urge everyone to toss a log on the fire – to rekindle a sacred flame so often doused by futile speech.
I’m not quite finished dusting off these manuscripts, so look out for more to come. But while you are waiting, why not dust off your own, or take out a pencil and send me a line of verse! Thank you for all the love and support!
Todd Anderson (Stuff of the Rind, Sand and Sail, Collected Poems) writes the newsletter Mirth to share a behind-the-scenes look at his writing process as well as to offer readers the first fruits of his poetry and reflections. He grew up in the forests of small-town Ontario, contending against nature in all its beauty and harshness. His training as a literary scholar of Latin and English literature inflects his love of poignant turns of phrase, but it is the influence of his family and their myriad adventures together that infuses his story-telling and poetry with its substance and power. Todd lives and writes in Ottawa with his wife and six children. If you are interested in supporting Todd’s work, please follow the links below to donate or buy his books.
What Winter says, she says to all, Proud or small. She loves to see On cloud or hill Glistening snow in playful hands, Where wind or bands Of young ones know What snow is for And how to throw With fit of joy or tempest wild The chilly stuff At man and child. Sometimes she rushes in the door With ample store But finds us cold To strangers bold And so resolves to stay away. Thus youth must pay For grumpy hearts. Or, when her step is slow, And wandering here or there ‘Midst idle flakes laden with care, She tastes our wonder Sweet as cream Or sugared dream. Then she smiles and lays at night Her blanket full of fresh delight.
Todd Anderson (Stuff of the Rind, Sand and Sail, The Reluctant Prophet) writes the newsletter Mirth to share a behind-the-scenes look at his writing process as well as to offer readers the first fruits of his poetry and reflections. He grew up in the forests of small-town Ontario, contending against nature in all its beauty and harshness. His training as a literary scholar of Latin and English literature inflects his love of poignant turns of phrase, but it is the influence of his family and their myriad adventures together that infuses his story-telling and poetry with its substance and power. Todd lives and writes in Ottawa with his wife and six children. If you are interested in supporting Todd’s work, please follow the links below to donate or buy his books.
“Look sir! The line, the line in fog arrayed Shivers and breaks as waves upon a beach! The lads will flee, sir, ere the order falls.” Turning then, as a lion turns, quiet With power self-assured and nobly won, The major took his steps toward the front, Chin steady as a mountain braced against Calamity. Then calling as he marched: “Men of the West, rise now and join with me, Since I am bound for that low hill alone, And willing the while to march the way myself, Would much prefer the company of those Who’ve bled and fully drank my cup to dregs. Share now my joy – to run with heart unburdened By a tarnished past; to douse tyrannic Flames that heat the hellish pride of our foe; To say, when all is done, we crossed the land No man may cross, not gripped by servile fear But united in our charge, with one cry Triumphant filling up our common lungs; To feel full well brotherhood’s noblest end, That we lay down our life here for our friend.” So saying, with such force that ev’ry son Heard true and thought the speech with tenderness Was whispered in his ear, though shell and drum And shot rang out ‘midst smoke and ghastly fog, The major surged toward the twisted breach And each lad’s heart, cleared now of dross, as gold Fired in a common kiln, surged forth as one.
Todd Anderson (Stuff of the Rind, Sand and Sail, The Reluctant Prophet) writes the newsletter Mirth to share a behind-the-scenes look at his writing process as well as to offer readers the first fruits of his poetry and reflections. He grew up in the forests of small-town Ontario, contending against nature in all its beauty and harshness. His training as a literary scholar of Latin and English literature inflects his love of poignant turns of phrase, but it is the influence of his family and their myriad adventures together that infuses his story-telling and poetry with its substance and power. Todd lives and writes in Ottawa with his wife and six children. If you are interested in supporting Todd’s work, please follow the links below to donate or buy his books.
