The verb esperar means to wait. It also means to hope.—“The Past Was a Small Notebook, Much Scribbled-Upon”, Cora Siré
Waiting, that most human of experiences, saturates all of our lives. We spend part of each day waiting—for birth, death, appointments, acceptance, forgiveness, redemption. This collection of thirty-two personal essays is as much about hope as it is about waiting. Featuring literary voices from the renowned to the emerging, this anthology of contemporary creative nonfiction will resonate with anyone who has ever had to wait.
Contributors: Samantha Albert, Rona Altrows, Sharon Butala, Jane Cawthorne, Weyman Chan, Rebecca Danos, Patti Edgar, John Graham-Pole, Leslie Greentree, Edythe Anstey Hanen, Vivian Hansen, Jane Harris, Richard Harrison, Elizabeth Haynes, Lee Kvern, Anne Lévesque, Margaret Macpherson, Alice Major, Wendy McGrath, Stuart Ian McKay, Lorri Neilsen Glenn, Susan Olding, Roberta Rees, Julie Sedivy, Kathy Seifert, Cora Siré, Steven Ross Smith, Anne Sorbie, Glen Sorestad, Kelly S. Thompson, Robin van Eck, Aritha van Herk
Preface
Acknowledgements
Burgeoning
1 | Bill of Fare // Susan Olding
2 | Saturday // Anne Lévesque
3 | Waiting for Now: Four Stories // Steven Ross Smith
4 | The Escape // Edythe Anstey Hanen
5 | Waiting for Alexandra // Glen Sorestad
Scope
6 | The Art Hospital, the Floating Hospital,
and the Burning House // Elizabeth Haynes
7 | The Past Was a Small Notebook,
Much Scribbled-Upon // Cora Siré
8 | Beyond the Horizon // Julie Sedivy
9 | Two Women Waiting // Rebecca Danos
10 | Esperando // Patti Edgar
11 | Currents // Alice Major
Moment
12 | Letter of Intent // Rona Altrows
13 | The Next Minute // Jane Cawthorone
14 | Frozen // Lorri Neilsen Glenn
15 | Harder, But Still Not Painful // Robin Van Eck
16 | Alterations // Wendy Mcgrath
Soul
17 | Who Will Find Me // Weyman Chan
18 | in the event of // Stuart Ian Mckay
19 | Whisper Talk // Anne Sorbie
20 | Waiting for the Impossible // Aritha Van Herk
21 | On the Pleasure of Waiting // Richard Harrison
22 | Storage // Sharon Butala
Irretrievable
23 | Heavy Weight of Silence Lee Kvern
24 | Impressions // Margaret Macpherson
25 | Telling // Vivian Hansen
26 | Tom Petty Just Isn’t There for You: Riffs on Waiting // Leslie Greentree
Guts
27 | Wait Training // Samantha Albert
28 | Waiting for a Hero // Jane Harris
29 | Bones, Honey // Roberta Rees
30 | Undeterred // John Graham-Pole
31 | Sa Ta Na Ma // Kathy Seifert
32 | We Come and We Go // Kelly S. Thompson
Notes
Contributors
