Author Life—A Thank You / May 29, 2023 by Lena Scholman

Years ago, when I was drafting “Between Silk & Wool”, people would ask me why I wanted to write about WWII. Hadn’t everything about the war been excavated already? Was there anything new to say?

The question was posed sincerely, with genuine curiosity. WWII literature is a canon unto itself, and the challenge of telling a familiar story from a different angle wasn’t lost on me. Did I have something different to reveal to the reader? My research had surprised and intrigued me. Would my characters be strong enough to surprise and intrigue readers?

These were my hopes a year ago when “Between Silk and Wool” was released. Since then, what a whirlwind it has been to meet readers and hear their insights about what the story meant to them. I had hoped the novel would touch readers; I never imagined the degree to which I would be on the receiving end of so many letters and personal stories.

It Began With a Story About a Groundhog / November 23, 2022 by Lena Scholman

Growing up on a farm, with many cousins and brothers, sometimes an aspiring writer just needs an escape to the city.

Ha ha.

I write this as a city woman now, escaping to the country, so that I can write. Life is funny.

Will They Like Me & Other Back to School Adult Anxiety / September 8, 2021 by Lena Scholman

The first day of school has always been so full of emotion for me. As a teacher, the night before meeting my new students, my stomach would be in knots that would not release until the last person filed out of the classroom and I could lay my head on the desk for a moment and breathe. Thank you God, we all survived. I was never a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants teacher. Extreme preparedness was my armour, because somehow in the back of my mind I must have believed the classroom was some kind of battleground. In the evening after the first day, I’d always crave KFC; fried food is good for an unsettled stomach, right? It was an unapologetic indulgence I’d earned having survived that first day of teenagers, whom, to my knowledge, didn’t hate me. And, as much as it is embarrassing to admit, no matter what lofty ambitions I might have had about what I was going to teach, I was still very much like a child who just wanted to live through the day, hoping to make a connection and not an enemy. I wanted to be liked.

Years later, without a classroom of my own, the first day of school is still kind of painful.

Dear B – Ten Things I’ve Learned About Writing / December 14, 2020 by Lena Scholman

Dear B,

Yesterday we went for a long walk together through your neighbourhood, admiring the panoramic view of the city below, moving swiftly to keep warm and talking even faster – we had nine months of news to catch up on.

And then you told me a secret.

All these months of hibernation and contemplation had germinated a seed within you. A whole world took shape in your imagination. At first, you didn’t know what it was or what to do with this flickering flame of an idea. You had imagined a world wherein an epic series of stories unfolded in layers that would roll out over many years. I listened quietly, envious of that giddy feeling one gets when the muse visits and ideas are fresh, unblemished by editing or writer’s block, nebulous and not yet fully formed, like a tightly furled dandelion, something pure, unadulterated by doubt, despair or the unsolicited opinions of others; not yet a threat to your energy, your soul or your relationships. Ah, the sweetness of a new idea!

I wanted to share with you right then and there everything I’ve learned in almost ten years of writing, but our bodies were freezing and darkness was descending. So, in case we don’t have the chance to walk again anytime soon, here’s everything I know about writing so far, in a top ten list my friend Cat and I compiled last winter for a speech we gave to the Niagara-on-the-Lake Writer’s Circle. I hope it gives you a bit of encouragement for the adventure ahead.

Stumbling to Remember / November 11, 2020 by Lena Scholman

In the late 1930’s, the Dutch government built Camp Westerbork to house thousands of German Jews fleeing National Socialism in Germany. When the Nazis occupied Holland in May 1940, they took over the camp, enlisting Dutch police servicemen as guards. Rients Dijkstra was one of such police officers, and when he reported for duty, he couldn’t do what the Nazis demanded. He lasted one day and never returned to Westerbork. Like thousands of other Dutch citizens, he went underground, hiding in the chicken coop of his girlfriend’s parents’ home, where for a time he was safe. However, as supplies dwindled, it became difficult for citizens to feed the thousands of onderduikers, those who had gone underground. Meanwhile, the Germans paid informants fifty guilders to track down runaways. Rients’ luck ran out when someone took the money. Though the house was searched, they skipped the chicken coop. Frustrated, the Germans grabbed Rients’ girlfriend’s father instead.

North of Us / April 27, 2019 by Lena Scholman

Today’s the day the Toronto Star publishes my story, “North of Us”, in the Insight section. You can also read it here or listen to it by clicking on the link below.

Hugs from Strangers / April 17, 2019 by Lena Scholman

Yesterday morning I woke up wishing I had been born a Buddhist. I practiced yoga (release!) and went for a run in the woods, trying to let go of a desire that was occupying way too much space in my mind. A week or so earlier, I’d been packing up at work, when my cellphone rang. The students wanted to answer it.

“It’s just the dentist,” I said. (Who else calls during the day?)

“Let us say hi,” they chirped.

Hmmm. That would be kind of funny, but no, I was there so they would get an education! No phones in the classroom! I checked the message later that afternoon, only to start shaking.

“Hello, Lena. This is the Toronto Star calling. You’ve placed in the top three finalists for the Short Story Contest.”