An online home where I write, teach, publish, and explore
We left for our big 2025 Canadian Trip on July 1: Canada Day. We prepped the van and left Union City, headed north, up Route 89 to Interstate 90. From there a short drive into Buffalo and across the Peace Bridge. Customs went without a hitch and we wrapped around the tight right turn, out... Continue Reading →
By Michael Downingwith Reilly Fitzgerald "Ferryland Lighthouse" (2024) by Reilly Fitzgerald. 18"X24" acrylic on canvas. Many who see Reilly Fitzgerald's art and learn of his long-term physical challenges note the juxtaposition between a life of pain and a painting style that consists of bright and colourful images. In other words, you might never know his... Continue Reading →
By Michael Downingwith Reilly Fitzgerald “I remember taking a trip as a young adult, in the late 1980s, to the Health Sciences Centre in St. John's,” Reilly told me one morning in an email. The HSC is the main medical facility in the province and where Memorial University of Newfoundland’s faculty of medicine is located.... Continue Reading →
By Michael Downingwith Reilly Fitzgerald Reilly Fitzgerald was born September 13, 1967 in St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada. His mother had been staying with her parents in Cupid's Crossing for the latter part of her pregnancy, and his father was in Wabush working at Wabush Mines to establish the family’s future home. When the... Continue Reading →
By Michael Downingwith Reilly FitzgeraldSometimes, certain things are just meant to happen. In late 2024, I deleted my Threads account. But just before I left, I was lucky enough to bump into the colorful and truly magnificent art of Reilly Fitzgerald, of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. I was struck by his work right away: Color... Continue Reading →
By Michael Downing As we drove south on York Boulevard into Hamilton, we couldn't help but notice the magnificent Hamilton Cemetery, which runs along the right side of the road, directly across from Dundurn Castle. Neither of these sites were on my scouting radar, but it was nearing dinner time, so we made a mental... Continue Reading →
By Michael Downing Marie: Part One We had been waiting outside the apartments that morning for our Uber to arrive when a young woman who I'll call Marie stepped through the security doors and said to us, directly, "You're trespassing." "Huh?" I thought. Jackie and I looked at each other. "No they're not...no they're not,"... Continue Reading →
By Michael Downing Toronto's Chinatown We stepped out of the subway, onto Dundas Street, turned left and walked straight into Chinatown. It was impressive: Clothing, jewelry, grocery, restaurants. They have it all. We stopped at a little souvenir place and bought some keychains and magnets for next to nothing and walked through several grocery stores,... Continue Reading →
By Michael Downing Raised Canadian For the record, I am not a Canadian citizen. I was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, which is along the south shore of Lake Erie, making me a citizen of the United States. However, I began to learn something about myself when I moved north of Philly 2007: I have a... Continue Reading →
By Michael Downing When we travel, we tend to visit book stores, music shops, and art galleries. We're both avid readers, so the pull of new titles is strong. As for music, we met in a band called Evolution Circus back in 2003--Jackie as the lead singer and me on percussion and backup vocals--so we're... Continue Reading →
