Ottawa Citizen front page article on Von Allan

Well, this is pretty neat! Reporter Blair Crawford along with photographer Julie Oliver from the Ottawa Citizen did a feature story on yours truly. The story explores my childhood, my mom's struggle with mental illness (specifically schizophrenia), my graphic novel the road to god knows..., and the documentary film I'm involved in titled I AM STILL YOUR CHILD.


The full article can be found online at the Ottawa Citizen's website at http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/a-child-of-schizophrenia-graphic-novelist-von-allan-on-growing-up-with-a-mentally-ill-mother


I should add that the online article also contains a short two minute video interview with me. Plus the great and mysterious Corbin makes a surprise guest appearance! I've embedded the video below:

Scans from the Ottawa Citizen are below:

And the interior page (the scan is a bit hard to read, but the full article can be found online here):

Update!

As it turns out, the Citizen's sister paper the Ottawa Sun also ran a story. This is pretty much the same thing, though there are a few minor differences. I'm not crazy about the headline, but pretty neat all the same.

Maintaining a Relationship with the Ill Parent - Documentary Short

In conjunction with the documentary I AM STILL YOUR CHILD, the filmmakers have released a number of short supporting videos. The entire series can be viewed on their Youtube site and add up to over 30 minutes of bonus content. While the documentary is only available for streaming inside Canada right now, the short videos should be watchable anywhere in the world.

I embedded one of these shorts below. Titled "Maintaining a Relationship with the Ill Parent," it showcases all three subjects of the film. For my part, I talk about my mom and her sensitivity and compassion. And, as a special bonus, Corbin makes an appearance!

Corbin

Well, it's been about 2 and 1/2 months since the death of Rowen, my Siberian husky.  It's been a tough loss to deal with.  While the "sharpness" of her death has faded, there is still heartache.

But, my wife and I decided that it was time to move on and get a new dog.  Not as a replacement (because Rowen will never be replaced), but as a successor.  And after looking around for a bit, we found Corbin, a rescue husky from Iqaluit.  He's pretty wonderful; a mix of joy and "joie de vivre" and damn bright, too.  We knew we wanted to help another dog and a rescue husky is about the best way we could honour Rowen's memory. 

It's a profound mix of joy and sadness that's very difficult to put into words.  My wife and I still miss Rowen terribly and a new dog doesn't change that.  In some ways it brings her death back to the forefront and I'm not ashamed to say that I've cried a lot over the past three days.  We both missed having a dog but we both missed the unique qualities that made Rowen Rowen.  Her personality was very unique and that loss will be something that we'll carry for the rest of our lives.

Corbin's personality is unique, too.  And though we've only been with him a short time, it's very clear.  Already we're seeing the differences; he doesn't like to "flatten the grass."  Rowen always went around and around before lying down.  Corbin just "plunks" right down.  He's very inquisitive about the world around him; Rowen, being an older dog, was far less nosey.  He's very keen on burying toys, something Rowen had no interest in at all.  And he's fascinated by his reflection in mirrored surfaces, something Rowen never cared about.  Some of those differences hurt a bit, because they're a reminder of what's been lost.  But, at the same time, they are a wonderful reminder of what we've gained, too.  Corbin is a gentle dog, about 11 months old, and full of love.  He's a good fit for us and it'll be fun, though poignant, to see him grow up.

Physically, he has one "droopy" ear that gives him a lot of character when he looks around.  And one heckuva bushy tail that curls right to his back.  Rowen had a "husky" tail, of course, but not like this.

And the one big physical difference?  It's weird to rub a doggie's belly and touch a penis!  I've had "girl dogs" all of my life, so that's definitely new!