A Writer's Corner is where I am happiest. You likely have one too--a place where you can go and think and make stuff. I hope you will enjoy what you find here.
There is a fact about life that many of us tend to forget: It is not so very important that what you do is "excellent" by some objective standard. What is important is that it gives you pleasure. Are my writings and drawings "good"? That's not for me to judge.
Oddly, science and fantasy have something in common. They both start from your imagination. And in a sense both are true. Science is true within its world and fantasy is true within its. In A Writer's Corner you will find both.
Arrizzo of Arrezo or the Anything Machine
Most Miserable Monster
Beatrice
Eleanor of Roosevelt Lane
Tiny Life
Hi. Ralph Lake here
I was born and live in Vancouver, Canada. For twenty years I lived in Toronto. I studied English Literature and Philosophy (B.A. 1970) and East Asian Studies (M.A. 1980) both at The University of Toronto.
My wife, son and I lived in China, Taiwan and Malaysia from 1984-1988. In China my wife (Siew 秀) and I taught English and Chinese-English translation.
I taught elementary and intermediate Chinese at Douglas College (New Westminster) from 1988 until my retirement in 2013.
Since retirement, I have turned to translation (from Chinese to English), writing (mostly fiction for children and young adults). My published translations include The Man from a Pedlar's Family in A World of Dreams by Lu Wenfu and Little Lin and Big Lin by Zhang Tianyi.
This photo was taken of me in 2022. Sometimes you will see 胡 (Hu) attached to my drawings. That's my last name in Chinese.
Tiny Life is my latest book for young and adult readers. Its set in two very different worlds. Ours and the world of the very small! You will not run into these guys on the street. Most of them are really quite friendly. And it turns out that many of them are also very helpful when problems arise.
Our story begins with a ten year old boy called Rafe. It's Christmas and Rafe's Christmas present is life changing! To get your copy of this funny, poignant and adventurous tale go to
https://books.friesenpress.com/store/title/119734000328032330
All creative activity is built on an illusion. The writer, for example, writes for the pleasure of writing. To the writer (as for the painter, the musician, the actor) the activity itself is private. However, the writer often forgets that the reader's engagement with that writing is what makes it work. The illusion is that it begins with the writer.
Get advanced teaser copy from new releases!