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’ wamwocrmuuz-mmnmu-zi l . II I ‘ ' Waterloo poet 8 new book captures the character and charms of the island of Malta Br notiVIiwuc ent than during her time on Malta. . at. m Chronicle Staff “It was the first year i was divorced from : worhandwesaidwewantedtogothereto » , 13 f anybody can understand how getting read. to walk. to write and take photographs, 7 m f . Iaway from it all can recharge the batteries and that's what we did.“ said hoeffler. “We t is . _ 1's; and put a new perspective on things it's came away with thousands of photographs. t... . ‘ 11": ’ ' 7, J ,. Waterloo poet, photographer and writer scores of poems and hundreds of journal , -* r? - » i? , a ' " .r .. S ‘ fl Sheryl loefller. entries” . l’ ’ . :1' ’ ‘7}- ~ : 7 § .fi About a decade ago, she and her husband But what to do with that outburst of cre- ._‘ ’ :3" g 3: f" ‘ I _ "J “ 3‘ Douglas took a yearlong sabbatical to the ativity? loeffier said she got into a friendly % E Q ; on. T: : s3. :61. island of Malta in the bean of the Mediter» argument with a poet friend who said no .65? _ ~ " 1» a. _ E‘ "i *5 ,. ’ if“; “ ranean Sea between Europe and Africa. one would want to read stories about Malta I“ , ' fig 1* ‘ j “g ' ”1‘ , it's an exotic place with an even more in Canada. _:_" A’ ' «l {7 , ‘ ' ‘ z; . 5'39 interesting history. From the time a ship- “I said story is story and it doesn‘t matter 11‘" I ~ g r . . ‘17 { wrecked apostle Paul landed on its shore to where it's from.” said locifler. I ,1" g" the base the Knights Hospitaller turned it That pushed her to find a Maltese pub- ' . .L . ‘63.; into as bulwark against the Ottoman Empire. lisher for her collection. She found it in ' " “‘1 many have prized it including Napoleon FARAXA Publishing. based in Rabat. Malta. , -‘ who captured it in 1798. _ which published the colour~ It was also hotly contested “I said story 15 ful collection of photographs. ‘ during the Second World War t "d '[ evocative poetry and vivid for its close proximity to Axis 5 CW a l ioumal Vignettes. ~‘ shipping lanes and the sec doesn’t matter “I decided to look into .. . ond siege of Malta. which - I u publishing there and it included support from (‘ana where ltSfi'Om. turned into a good thing to than airmen, added to its “MM“ dq'saidloeffler. romantic and independent loadpoeronhtr Her new book is called A cultural allure. "(windwan [and in the Storytelling Sea: llit’fnt’f was charmed by ,2,an in Mam; A North American in Malta. that mix of heritage. history it provides an insight into and illi‘ romantic appeal of looking out the the culture and character ofthe country that Wlntlliw of her rented apartment and seeing most people have never experienced before. tlit- world travel by in the open sea. and it has drawn rave reviews from the ll inspired the already published poet and denizens of the island nation including in \s‘rllt'r in wrilt' about her experiences of the the Malta Sunday Times. llll‘y island nation and the ways that it 'The poems have a shape. it's a shape of mow-ti lit-r an arch." said Loeffler. ‘lt's about getting I Ilt’lflt'l’ had been a lifelong poet and there. forgetting (knadian life almost entire- nritvr, but her pursuit of a Phd in theatre ly and the realization that you have to go had put off her more literary interests until backâ€"thebooktakesthatshape" about 1998. She found her muse W and Muffler. who is director of philanthropy had her first poem publlshed in 2002 just as at YWCA Kitchener-Woo and director of Ilit' opportunity to find a bit of rest and music at Waterloo: om lutheran (mulch. reprieve in Malta came up is now bringing that work to a Canadian ”There‘s nothing like research to make audience hoping it provides a glimpse of the creative juices shrivel and die.’ said [Defâ€" Malta that will also move them. fler about shaking ofl‘ that trademic rigneur. ‘lt's a freeing place.“ said Loeffler. who ”Getting back into writing came during a continues to return to the island annually. “It really happy time in my life. and the creative is a place that makes me happy.‘ Juices exploded and allofasuddenlfeltfree For more information about the book wmbopoetmmhammhammobookbmedmmmof toexperimentandbemyself.” and its upcoming launch, visit Mani-calledALandinmeStorytellingSeo:ANorthAmerianinMoluthatmugetCawian No when; did that become [new gm. mahoryflogflkncom, distribution after fim being published overseas. mm wiMint m was ‘3? 3:35;. ,,' . _, 4' . . 4:. . ’ , . . “filed Pith s tt't'r'nrth _ “ “ ' u » .;, .9 3' mmmm . fr» 5 if f. 'mmwfi‘ ' 15.. .33. - . gar _ r ’ ,_ “ . ., . 5 _ i‘w‘b ;- ~ . ,. h,“ ,,..M,.." , , . .. .me _ mm 1 M J_ '