Gil Adamson, “Woman… running like hell” by Sheri Astorino  

The University Partnership Centre’s THINK series at Georgian College’s Barrie Campus includes free films, art gallery openings, author readings and performances. One such author reading was given recently by Gil Adamson from her new novel The Outlander. Gil (short for Gillian) has a refreshing presence at the podium. She is someone you might like to sit down with and have a cup of tea, she seems that friendly, and has a real comedic flare. She starts off her talk by introducing the theme of the novel as “a young woman, dressed in black, running like hell.” She goes on to emphasize that of course she is running because she killed a man, her husband. Adamson’s novel started out as poetry and eventually some ten years later evolved, and was picked up by Anansi Press as her first novel.

The Outlander is set at the beginning of the 20^th century and follows Mary Boulton, mostly referred to as “The Widow.” Mary is chased deep into the wilderness of British Columbia by two large red headed men on a mission – to seek revenge. She eventually lands in a mining town called Frank that actually exists. In the novel Frank is riddled with an assortment of eccentric characters and Mary arrives just in time for the Turtle Mountain landslide, an actual historical event.

  Astorino 2

Adamson has a penchant for Canadian history and pioneer life. She and her husband, poet Kevin Connolly, enjoy hiking around various areas and visiting towns that are relatively untouched by modern civilization. On one such trip she gathered source material for The Outlander, and also uses the name of one of her relatives for the character Angus Lorne Bonnycastle, who was a circuit court judge from Manitoba’s Red River.

After her reading of The Outlander, Adamson entertained questions from the audience and was very open to our queries and thoughts. In her honest and almost folksy kind of way she said that it is difficult to be a disciplined writer, but sometimes it is essential to get the work done. She said is was tough to finish the last line of her novel but that was often the case with authors. Consequently to send it to the publisher can be even more difficult, “it’s like putting your child on the bus for the first time” she said.  Adamson may seem tentative and even shy at times, but after experiencing her reading it is clear she is a “woman… running like hell” into a successful and long literary career.

I am here aren’t I?

Be still and know that “I am”

When the pain hits

the sorrow

confusion

be still

be still

breathe.

See, the darkness parts

hand outstretched

word on paper like poetry

it says

be

still 

Thats what tomorrow brings

If you read this out loud as a poem (that’s what I like to do) – believe it or not. It sounds like a poem. Does that sound weird? What I mean is – read it as a poem and feel the rhythm. It is a beautiful song but it is also a poem. And it’s a tragic beautiful poem. Most likely because we know its history – the authentic story behind the poem. Man I love this stuff! I really do. Artistic expression, creative energy, poetry. I believe we need it to survive. And I think there are many ways of realizing your needs. Maybe you can even find poetry in Tv commercials or music videos – I don’t know. That’s not my scene, but maybe it’s yours. Anita said to me “there is value in everything” when we we talking about different film genres. Well there must be value in all types of poetry as well. What’s your scene? What inspires you? What makes you laugh, or cry? Do you dare open up? Find your inner poet man!