All posts by MJS

January Speaker: Karen Stiller — the art and pleasures of memoir writing

This month Karen Stiller will speak to us about The Art and Pleasures of Memoir Writing.

Karen is a teacher of writing and a writing coach. Her work has appeared in publications like The Walrus, Reader’s Digest, Faith Today, and In Trust. For 22 years she was senior editor of Faith Today (Canada’s Christian magazine) and host of the Faith Today Podcast.

She has moderated the annual Religion and Society series at the University of Toronto, a debate series between leading atheists and theologians that seeks to generate critical conversations on matters of faith, society and public interest.

Karen has travelled extensively with her work and has written about life in refugee camps in South Sudan and Uganda, and community development projects in Senegal and Cambodia.

She has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Non-Fiction and she is now working on a doctorate in The Sacred Art of Writing at Western Seminary in Holland Michigan. Her latest book, Holiness, published in 2023 explores how Holiness permeates our everyday messy lives.

Karen lives in Ottawa and has  three adult children.

Thursday night book group: A Shocking and disturbing read!

A Shocking and disturbing read! This was the overall consensus of Thursday book club members who read Killers of The Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann. The Osage Nation of Oklahoma, was the wealthiest per capita in the 1920’s until they were killed off one by one. Little was done to investigate and solve the crimes. The group drew many parallels with other horrific events in indigenous history. Lighter reads ahead!

Guest speaker for November meeting: Dean de St. Croix

Dean de St. Croix introduces the fundamentals of artificial intelligence (AI), clarifying common misconceptions and exploring what AI is—and what it is not. Using familiar comparisons to technologies like Google search and social media algorithms, he explains how AI systems uniquely learn and adapt, setting them apart from the tools we use daily. Beyond the basics, Dean will discuss AI’s broader social and economic impact, highlighting its potential to transform industries and drive growth while addressing key concerns such as privacy, algorithmic bias, and workforce changes. This talk offers an overview at how AI is reshaping our future. (PS – this Bio was created by AI).

Dean de St. Croix is a professional Graphic Design and Brand Director with over 30 years of experience. Throughout that time he has worked with clients around the globe, building brands and selling products that range from Sporting Goods, Spirits, Cruise Lines, Travel and Institutional organizations such as Insurance, Banking and Investing. He has designed for numerous musicians including Loreena McKennitt. His designs have won awards in Canada, and the United States. He was born in Montreal, Quebec and moved to Brantford, Ontario at a young age. He now resides in Paris, Ontario.