On Sunday I went up to Guelph to dine with friends and hear a Salman Rushdie reading from his new book, The Enchantress of Florence.
After reading a section he was interviewed by Guelph professor and former CBC star of “The Dead Dog Cafe”, Tom King. King, who is of native descent, made jokes about Columbus searching for India and finding (American) Indians. To King’s question about what is most noble Rushdie talked about thinking and the importance of learning how to think and having the time to think. In answer to a question from the audience on the effects of the fatwa on his writing, Rushdie talked about how at first he wanted to keep on as if it hadn’t happened, but that instead he learned about power which has seeped into his writings. In meeting politicians around the world to get support to lift the fatwa Rushdie learned about how they think about and use power. This, in turn, has influenced his work – for example, the machiavellian side of The Enchantress of Florence.
The reading, one of two in Canada, was partly in support of the Bookshelf a Guelph bookstore + cafe + cinema that is celebrating its 35th year.
Monday we had convocation (and I took pictures.) I was right behind the Chancellor’s chair. Deepa Mehta was the speaker and she talked about multiculturalism in Canada. She talked mostly about how she is treated by customs and immigration every time she comes back to Canada (she gets pulled aside and questioned). 
So I’m at the