Sunday 16 February 2020

Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo ~ Sandy Day


On this quiet Sunday morning why don't you put the kettle on, make your favourite breakfast and settle down for Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo





I'd delighted to welcome author, Sandy Day


Photo credit : Tony Hicks

☼Good Morning, Sandy. Happy Sunday !


What favourite food are you bringing to Sunday brunch?

For Sunday brunch I’m bring a delicious crustless quiche made with fresh farm eggs, swiss cheese, whipping cream, and bacon. It’s crustless because I’m keto! But that’s a story for another day. I hope you enjoy it.


Would you like a pot of English Breakfast tea, a strong Americano, or a glass of Bucks Fizz?

I know, I’m strange, but in addition to not eating sugar, flour, or grains, I don’t drink caffeine. Who ever heard of a writer who’s not wired on coffee? Well, you have now. I love decaffeinated Earl Grey tea and decaf Americano. What on earth is Bucks Fizz?


Which of your literary heroes are joining us today? And what’s the oldest book on your book shelf?

Joining me today is my literary hero, Alice Munro. Let’s hope she’s not too quiet. The oldest book on my book shelf is a copy of her collection of short stories, Dance of the Happy Shades. I’ve probably read it a dozen times. I feel like everything I’ve ever learned about writing I learned from Alice Munro. Go small, go deep, and say the unspeakable.


What’s the title of the book nearest to you?

The closest book to me is My Brilliant Friend, by Elena Ferrante. I haven’t started reading it yet because I just can’t seem to find the time. My boss gave me the whole set. She always recommends great books, so I am looking forward to getting into this series. As soon as this crazy reality show of American politics is over, I’m going back to reading books instead of Twitter. Does Twitter qualify as a guilty reading pleasure even if it’s a pleasure that’s not very pleasant?



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Do you have a reading/writing playlist on Spotify, or a favourite CD to listen to when reading? And if so will you share with us a favourite song or piece of music that makes you feel happy? 

I created a playlist of classical music for the 2019 NaNoWriMo because I needed to block out the noise of my mother’s non-stop radio tuned to CBC while I wrote. But I only used it for a week or so after which I discovered that I preferred writing at night in my bed. I close myself into my quiet bedroom with my laptop and let my fingers fly. 


Give us four essential items that a writer absolutely needs? 

Thesaurus. Writing implement, either pen & paper or computer of some sort. Wikipedia. Time. 


What can you tell us about your latest novel, or your current work in progress? 

My new novel is called Head on Backwards, Chest Full of Sand. It’s a tender story of love-obsession, chronicling a young woman’s coming of age in Canada during the height of the 1970’s women’s liberation movement. The book took me many years to write, in fact, parts of it were started back in the 1970s when I was a teenager. It’s fiction but it was inspired by a trip I took to visit my aunt on Cape Breton Island when I was seventeen.





A tender story of love-obsession, the second novel from Sandy Day, Head on Backwards, Chest Full of Sand chronicles a young woman’s coming of age during the height of the 1970’s women’s liberation movement.

Teetering on the edge of womanhood, clinging to the first love of her life as if her survival depends on it, 17 year-old Livvy is torn between subjugating herself for love and claiming her identity and independence. 

When Livvy, lovesick and artistic, spends the summer with the aunt she adores, she crosses paths with a cast of memorable characters in the coastal community of Margaree, Cape Breton Island. 

While Livvy’s cousins torment her, house renovations disturb her, an annoying young islander tries to befriend and teach Livvy to disco dance, Livvy prepares for the much anticipated arrival of her boyfriend, Kane. 

With poetic fluidity and breathtaking revelations Sandy Day draws you into Livvy’s obsession. Such a deep dive into the dire and agonizing crannies of a love-obsessed young woman establishes Head on Backwards, Chest Full of Sand as a memorable coming of age story.

For fans of The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing, Lives of Girls and Women, and The Bell Jar, Head on Backwards, Chest Full of Sand promises to immerse you in the world of a troubled but observant young woman coming slowly to terms with love, life, and all its messy relationships.



Sandy Day lives in Georgina, Ontario, Canada. She is the author of Head on Backwards, Chest Full of Sand; Fred's Funeral; Chatterbox Poems; and An Empty Nest. She holds a degree in English Literature from Glendon College in Toronto, where her professors included great Canadian writers, Michael Ondaatje and bp nichol. Sandy is a creative writing workshop facilitator, trained in the AWA method, by the Toronto Writers Collective. She sells dog halters on the side.




Twitter @jaffareadstoo #SundayBrunchwithJaffareadstoo





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