5-Star Book Review: STICKS and STONES by MLHolton

Thrilled by this first formal book review by the former CEO of the Art Gallery of Burlington of my new short story collection, STICKS and STONES, published in The Bay Observer in Hamilton, a former print and now fully on-line news resource for the Greater Hamilton Area. 

STICKS and STONES will be available as an ebook on Oct 16th via Amazon and non-Amazon platforms. A paperback is coming in the Spring of 2022. 

Here are Mr. Steven's choice words: 

Sticks and Stones, the new collection of previously unpublished short stories by prominent Burlington-born artist/writer/filmmaker Margaret Lindsay Holton, is surprisingly unsettling.

That it would be unsettling is no surprise: the author clearly articulates in the introduction her objective to entice readers away from their settled beliefs and ideological certainties into unfamiliar cognitive spaces in the hope that more empathetic and fluid communication might develop across today’s social and political divides.

The surprise is in just how many different and unexpected ways Holton finds to destabilize the inherent cognitive bias of the reader. Poetic word choices, plot twists, and shifts in perspective are to be expected in the short story format, but Holton combines and recombines these with familiar settings and seemingly familiar characters to the point that even the most ordinary scenes can become hallucinatory experiences.

Holton’s sensibility as a visual artist is evident in the extraordinary number of indelible images that these stories evoke. However, I feel I must refrain from describing in too much detail any of these striking moments lest their impact within the reading be diluted.

The collection includes ten stories, mostly set in the Golden Horseshoe region. Some are simple and touching sketches, some involve fantasy and romance, and some are disturbingly puzzling, while others are puzzlingly disturbing. To reveal more would just spoil the fun.

Although these stories are all newly completed, Holton explains in the introduction how their original drafts were written at various stages over the past forty years, and how the experience of the 2020/21 pandemic inspired her to revisit these works. These reworked stories resonate deeply in this period of isolation and uncertainty. They evolve with a kind of organic accuracy that amplifies an on-going contemplation of the grandeur and significance of the passage of time. (Worth noting, this ability to ‘mark time’ parallels her deft handling of multiple generations throughout her 2019 award-winning novel, TRILLIUM, a 250-year epic saga set in the Niagara Peninsula.)

Sticks and Stones offers the reader an insightful glimpse of the aesthetic voice of Margaret Lindsay Holton. It rewards the reader with several enduring images and provokes profound questions as it subtly reflects on the beauty, horror, heroism, and hubris of our shared experience, especially during this unprecedented pandemic. It is a good read. I highly recommend it.

Ebook, 107 pgs. - Paperback, 126pgs, - via Acorn Press Canada.

Pre-order e-book on Amazon – https://www.amazon.ca/Sticks-Stones-Canadian-Short-Stories-ebook/dp/B09DTRYCGZ   - Paperback coming January, 2022.

--

Robert Steven is former President and CEO of the Art Gallery of Burlington, and the former Executive Director and Curator of the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie.

 

Fantasy Map Done for Historical Fiction: TRILLIUM by Margaret Lindsay Holton

Growing City of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on Southern Shore of Lake Ontario c

It has been my desire for quite some time to DO A MAP that would somehow convey 250 years of evolution on the Niagara peninsula where my third novel TRILLIUM is set - while, at the same time, convincingly convey the fictional aspects of the story about three diverse families who are inescapably intertwined over land, lust and loot ... It was a nagging writerly-type problem ....

Detail from TRILLIUM book MAP

I searched and searched for the Right Person able to undertake this demanding commission, then stumbled, quite fortuitously, on Dutch artist, Chaim Holtjer. 

I was first introduced to Chaim Holtjer's 's inventive work via Twitter. He followed me at @TrillLINDSAY and I followed him back ...

I started to look around his posts and thought "YES .... great fantasy - yet grounded in a believable realism."

We soon connected via FIVERR, and the rest, as they say, is history. Literally.

The fantasy of #HistoricalFiction ... Chaim started with my word premise of what I wanted and needed. (I supplied about 200 words of same, and attached a Google map of the area.)  He responded with a rough sketch that incorporated the basic points as I'd requested.  I responded with a 'mark-up' on that sketch. And then, left him to it ... It took him 2 weeks from start to finish.

(Calligraphy is NOT his strong suit)

Granted, Chaim is not the best calligraphic artist I've ever known ...
But he does SUPER EXCEL  in interpreting landscape, real & imagined. And the price is right.

His FINAL map - uploaded into the paperback and ebook editions of TRILLIUM today - is a wonderful compliment to the story! It will most certainly assist new readers to place those three dynamic fictional families into the ever-evolving region of #Niagara ...

Dive into TRILLIUM !! 

Deepen your understanding of the fascinating history and unique people of the area. Explore the unique times we've lived in. Gain better understanding of the challenging times we live in now. As many readers and critics say:

"It's a wonderful story!"

(And SOON expect an amazing #audiobook rendition, narrated by fab actor > Jens Hansen!)

P.S. If any past readers of TRILLIUM would like a copy of the map, let me know! 

Wonderfully Thought Provoking - The Gilded Beaver, SecondEdition

 A wonderful Amazon Review shout-out! 

Thank you dear readers! 
Plus, a wonderful profile of the title & author - from #Ireland.

 THE GILDED BEAVER - Get it HERE.

     

Author & Fine Furniture Designer, MLHolton

Cover Design - The Gilded Beaver E-book

Rites of Spring, 2020

Lake Ontario, Spring, by MLHolton

For many, early April marks sacred ceremonies that honour ancient rites of renewal & rebirth.

2020 is no different. I have been watching from my window as buds emerge on trees, daffodils pop up and rhubarb patches emerge from the damp soil.

I've ventured out a few times, in solitude, at dusk, when there are no other humans about, to just marvel in the continued resurgence and re-emergence of OTHER Life on this, our amazing home planet. Spring smells are so aromatic, especially down by the lake ...

Over the past few weeks, as we've all been confined to our homes for our own and others health and safety, I have, like you, seen numerous videos of how the near terminal ceasing of human activity has impacted the Earth.  Dolphins are swimming in the canals of Venice for the first time in decades. Los Angelos is smog free, as are many of the major industrial cities throughout China. Cumulatively, it's a vivid reminder, not only of our impact, but of our responsibility to the fundamental health and well-being of this place, our collective home.

Who cannot see the OBVIOUS benefits of fresh air, access to clean water, and the varied fruits of cultivated lands for our own health? 

This connection to the planet, more specifically, to the rich land beneath our feet, is very much a substrate of TRILLIUM,  my third novel. I was delighted when it was recently listed in Hamilton's largest newspaper as a recommended #SPRINGREAD. Damn right: The Time Is Now!

When I started TRILLIUM in the spring of 2018, I had a palpable sense of urgency to 'get the message out' as soon as possible so others could prepare. ... No guff.

Spring Rhubarb, by MLHolton

TRILLIUM is, aside from the surface story of three entangled and entertaining families, a blueprint about the necessity for #localfood harvest and networks. It outlines, through fiction, how generations of neighbours help each other in the planting, gathering and harvesting of needed crops. Agriculture and animal husbandry is an activity as old as humankind itself. TRILLIUM demonstrates how these grassroot alliances establish human bonds thicker than the loftiness of any grander 'national identity'.

Our immediate civil society is built on these links. Families grow when families cross-pollinate and germinate. These deep generational roots are what bind us together in our communal humanity. It is times like this that we truly come to understand and appreciate the recurring and rejuvenating aspect of what makes a #goodneighbour. 

SPRING! - TRILLIUM by MLHolton

To be clear, globalization does not offer this sense of community. In contrast, globalism is an airy scheme that profits jet-setters, bankers, billionaires and rootless tax-avoiding corporations. It does not bind us, the commoners, within the locality of #families.  Globalism does not know your voice or your face. That kind of intimacy only comes from day-to-day interactions at the grassroots level where 'I know you & you know me'.

As we do emerge from the devastation and impact of this horrific and horrifying pandemic, please let us remember our #goodneighbours. Remember what really makes our unique local civil communities work in times of crisis.

If you need a friendly reminder, please do pick up TRILLIUM.  Share it with your #family - your grand-parents, your spouse, your children and your grand-children. Re-establish a deeper understanding of #families, and the tangible blood network of kinfolk.

Work harder at sharing your isolated and alienated Self in real ways with those who stand near you in real life. - Live in the Real World with all your Senses Wide Awake and Active.  The Time is Now! 

Spring Blessings to you All. 
Margaret Lindsay Holton / Canadian Artist & Author

---

Extract from The Spec article ....

5. 'TRILLIUM

By Margaret Lindsay Holton

TRILLIUM, no modest undertaking, is a novel whose action stretches over 250 years of #Niagara peninsula history, as it follows the branching out of three diverse families - the Hartfords, O'Sullivans and Di Angelos. Short-listed for the 2019 Hamilton Literary Awards, the book is divided into nine parts with titles like seed, roots, harvest, second harvest. It covers much changing ground, from the agricultural to the industrial to the computer age in the sweeping way that Holton is known for.' Get it now > TRILLIUM.

The Writer's AIM - by M.L.Holton

'Protect Your Spirit', by MLHolton, 1991

There is a certain inevitability that a writer will have a reading critic who hates your work.

I encountered this last year when I learned that an assigned book reviewer for a local newspaper was intending to publish a disappointing '3-STAR' review of my latest novel.

It would have been the first '3-STAR' review after numerous '4 to 5 STAR' reviews from destinations as far flung as the UK, Germany and California.

Naturally, it was upsetting. It hurt.

I could not understand why the author would bother writing a review if she didn't like the book. So, naturally, I asked her why she did.

She responded quickly saying that it was no reflection on me as the author, but rather, a response to the work. (---huh?) When I queried further, she got defensive and said that she writes reviews for her audience not mine. (---huh?)  That was an odd thing to say. What became apparent was a telling lack of the 'meeting-of-the-minds'. We were not going to 'click', then or ever.

But my writer's mind could not let it go ... I wanted to understand WHY there was no bend in her opinion. Yes, I understand her opinion is her prerogative. But equally, there seemed no desire on her part to understand how and why I had written this work. There seemed no basic interest to empathize  - and this lack of empathy raised more questions than it answered ...

The bigger issue soon became, for me, about a writer's insatiable desire to be liked. Writers want our words to resonate with our readers. We want them to 'get it': to affirm our perspective, to applaud our insights and efforts. At a very primal human level, we want them to 'like', not only our work, but us.  

Well, clearly, Life just doesn't work that way. Critics critique: good or bad.
What's more, I know I have my own prejudices and blind spots too.

I do not, as example, care for 'horror'. - (There's quite enough of that in 'real life' : why would anyone want to amplify that in books or film?) - Because of this dislike, I know I could never write a unbiased review of a work of horror. I know my antipathy would reflect back badly in any review. So, I just wouldn't bother. I also know I am in the minority about the love of this genre. There are far more horror fans than there are historical fiction fans out there now. This fact invariably leads to the notion of 'popularity' and that quickly leads to the question of Why a Writer Writes ...

Am I writing to be popular? No. That's not my aim.
Am I writing to be understood? This is the most likely.

Novel writing, in particular, allows long-form exposition. It allows authors a chance to draw a large picture for readers of a constructed reality where characters act out their vices and virtues within fixed perimeters. The twists and turns of plot make sense within that invented world. As writers, we are offering a 'whole package' to readers of our personal vision, unique to our own experience and times. Our finished works represent our singular voice.

Writers generally aim for a kind of universality as chroniclers of the human condition. - As example, most writers compose with 'a sense of knowing' of familial relationships. They write with first-hand knowledge of the dynamics between mothers, fathers, daughters, brothers, siblings, sons and grand-parents. We expect readers to resonate with these depictions - not only because they are commonplace - (everyone has a mother and father) - but because #families represent the common human framework from which all human life has emerged ... until very recently.

Emotional Empathy Shift - Example

Have you noticed this SHIFT too? 

There seems a growing propensity amongst a certain crowd to identify with fake 'super-humans' and #scifi #dystopian plots filled with #alien and #horrific characters.

They're not as interested in the earth-bound interactions of our common human family as they are in the antics of their own disenfranchised peers. The reasons for this jarring and fanciful Emotional Empathy SHIFT are manifold and not really the point of this post.

Even so, this observation does explain, to some degree, the 'off-reading' between the above noted book reviewer and myself. We will not, and perhaps fundamentally, cannot, see 'eye-to-eye'. We may be from the same typographical region of Southern Ontario in Canada. I know that we drink the same tap water from the Great Lake and breathe the same air - but we, as humans, are not 'like-minded'.

At core, the element that seems to distinguish our preferred 'likes' and 'dislikes' seems to be our age. We are separated by decades of generational 'screen' influence and life perspective. Her current lived 'reality' is not my 'reality', anymore than my current lived 'reality' is hers. Call it #AGEISM if you will.

And yet, this is the point where I start to realize and recognize that perhaps my writing ambition has, indeed, failed. If I have been able to conjure a believable fictional world filled with engaging characters that she could empathize with, then my writing craft would be as universal as I had aimed and hoped.

Or, perhaps it's just a lot simpler than that. - I hate horror and nonsensical alienating tropes and she doesn't like my way of writing. We are who we are - at this time and in this place - and that's that.

On a lighter note, I did just receive another 5-star review for TRILLIUM .... this time from the southeastern shore of Ireland by delightful, family-loving, Irish novelist, Mary Crowley.

So, all's good. Life really does go on - as we like it, or not.

---

Apropos the above, some #writers and #readers may find this link useful ... > https://selfpublishingadvice.org/finding-the-right-readers-for-your-book/

Blast from the Past! The Gilded Beaver by Anonymous, Reviewed by V.Cline Barton

To date, I have written three novels: ECONOMIC SEX in 1985,  The Gilded Beaver by Anonymous in 1999 - and my most recent effort, TRILLIUM, released in 2019.

For a quiet Canadian writer working in the boonies, it is a delightful and slightly unnerving experience when a more prolific and socially active American author reviews - and then extols - one's lesser known work.

When that reviewing author then gives that lesser known work  another FIVE star review  - it is hard not to sigh in relief and immense gratitude.

Could any writer ask for more?!?

The reviewing author of my last two novels, Veronica Cline Barton, is a fertile writer of a charming cozy murder series that has her main protagonist, Gemma, bounce back and forth from the States to the United Kingdom. Integral to Gemma's evolving story is Veronica's on-going interest with FAMILY and FORTUNE - but on a royal scale! We intersect on those two points. As #writers, we are both fascinated by the vicisstitudes of FAMILY and FORTUNE in fiction - and real life ... 

Book Review Header on Veronica's Blog

Since the very beginning of human history, family tribes have plotted to not only secure but expand their territories. Growth, let alone survival, has been achieved through numbers. Adding new members to any family invariably increases that family's material wealth and influence. 

The most common method to enhance status and FORTUNE is to 'marry' into a FAMILY of greater means or status than one's own. If family bonds are very thick, the 'ritual' of marriage becomes a strategic move to enhance both wedding parties material wealth and power.

It is only in relatively recent times that LOVE - as a basis for marriage - has gained ground against the plotting traditions of Powerful Families. (Just ask the British Monarchy.)

In Veronica's recent review of my second novel, The Gilded Beaver, she deftly highlights the slow evolution of the willful and creative protagonist, Iris Burdock, as she attempts to navigate the commercial world of FORTUNE. 

Iris, like so many of her hard-working female contemporaries, operates in the world of commerce without the traditional support of an ambitious or protective FAMILY.

As an independent woman, Iris must evaluate and assess a bachelor who has entered her working realm. 

It is not as straight-forward a business transaction as she initially thinks.

During her on-going assessment of his tastes and his way of life  - and without the wise or interfering counsel of family - Iris must chart her own course. She is eventually forced to ask herself what she really wants: is it FORTUNE? - Or is it really LOVE?

Read Veronica's stellar 5 star review of The Gilded Beaver  > 

https://myamericanalmostroyalcousinseries.com/2020/01/15/veronicas-writersdiary-when-reality-enters-the-fiction-zone/

The Gilded Beaver by Anonymous won the Hamilton Arts Council 'Best Fiction' Award in 1999.
TRILLIUM , my latest novel, was a Finalist for the same award in 2019 ...

Wonderful Read of TRILLIUM by actor Jens Hansen

It's proving very tough to find a good reader to do an audio version of my latest novel, TRILLIUM.
It needs someone with a 'good ear' as well as an expressive & dexterous acting 'voice'.

I thought I'd found the right person after hearing a 5-minute sample by local actor Jens Hansen. But, as so often happens, he's not available to do the entire work. So, back to the audio-drawing board!

In the meantime, enjoy this short clip from the start of the novel. I did the intro and he took it from there ... What do YOU think? - Like it? Loathe it? - Want to hear more? - Thoughts welcome! 

https://soundcloud.com/canadada/trillium-by-mlholton-5-minute-read-by-jens-hansen/s-3ipOQ

Soundcloud - 5 minute read of TRILLIUM - by Jens Hansen 

Consider reading it aloud yourself: TRILLIUM by MLHolton

Double Whammy! Author Interview & Another Solid Book Review of TRILLIUM

... Always fun when the stars align and two bright comets fire over my hemisphere at the same time ...

I have been very fortunate to have two solid writers engage with my latest novel, TRILLIUM, over the past few days. Marian Thorpe, a writer of riveting historical fiction, expressed interest to do a follow-up on her prior 4-STAR book review with an author's interview ... She supplied the questions and I answered with some never-before-revealed details about the writing of TRILLIUM ...

Write YOUR review on Amazon!

You can read it here:
 https://marianlthorpe.com/2019/11/02/trillium-an-author-interview-with-m-l-holton/  

Marian Thorpe Website - filled with novel excerpts, short fiction and poetry 

Likewise, an internationally well-known wine blogger and wine aficionado from beautiful British Colombia, Karl Kliparchuk, (Twitter handle @mywinepal ), left his known sphere of oenology and entered the MLH orbit of fiction ...

Overall, he very much enjoyed TRILLIUM - as a story. He did take me to task, in private, on a few of the finer points of the evolutionary history of icewine ... No fault there. I gently reminded him that this was, first and foremost, a work of #fiction.  

Read his generous 'gift-giving' review directed at the wine-loving book-reading community here:  http://mywinepal.com/2019/11/04/book-review-trillium-by-m-l-holton/

Follow @mywinepal for insight in all things WINE ... 

Plus, MLH UPDATE: I have almost finished the FIRST YEAR OF PROMOTION for TRILLIUM and will soon be heading off into new territory to experience and explore. There are two more reviews coming in this year, then that's it!

31 reviews, interviews & media shout-outs since Jan, 2019! 

Not too shabby for a little #canlit #indie #title - #eh? 

A new 'bi-weekly' MLH column & other freelance writing gigs

NB: My short story, The FROZEN GOOSE, has been made into a short film, watch it online here.  --- Plus, a new sesquicentennial project of spoken word & music, CANADADA: TAKE TWO, was released in the spring of 2017. Give a listen here. 

 

For other MLH published works see my Author's Page on Amazon. 
 ---
Published Stories by MLH
2012 

UPDATE: All former links to MLH stories on 'OurBurlington'
have been redirected to the re-named 'BURLINGTON GAZETTE'  front page.
To locate my following stories at that location, search via
'By Margaret Lindsay Holton' by-line. 

1. What's the Buzz? Tell me Whatsa happenin'

Title rewritten by blog editor.

Published in OurBurlington.org, March 8th, 2012

2. 'Lessons from Pre-Contact Culture: Cootes Paradise Revisited'

Published in Raise the Hammer, June 18^th, 2012

http://www.raisethehammer.org/article/1624/lessons_for_today_from_pre-contact_civilization_at_cootes_paradise

3. 'A Customer Service Connundrum'

Published OurBurlington  August 3rd, 2012

4. 'Men Really are Wonderful, even when Proud, Stubborn & a little bit Pig-Headed'

Published OurBurlington. August, 2012

5. 'Burlington's Forgotten Pier' – Title changed by blog editor

Published OurBurlington:: September 4th

6. 'Help Wanted: Public Art Seeks Burlington  Imagination: Apply Elsewhere.'

Title changed by editor …

Published in OurBurlngton

7. 'In the Age of the Internet, is the Burlington Public Library a Luxury we can No Longer Afford?' – 

Title changed by editor …

Published: September 27th 

8. 'Riding Horses: Chomping at the Bit'  - No title change.

Published: Oct 12th , 2012 - OurBurlington

9. 'Pythons' Pit is Fishing for Your Good Ideas: Rewards Offered

Title changed by editor …  

Published: Oct 26th, 2012, Our Burlington

10. ‘Not all Soup Bowls are Created Equal’

Title changed by editor …

Published, November 13^th, 2012 – OurBurlington

11. ‘Meetups Popping Up All around Burlington. Should City Hall host a‘Meetup?’

Title changed by editor – marginally. Editor failed to add supplied captions to images. sigh. 

… Published, Nov22^nd, 2012 - Our Burlington

12. ‘The RBG hosts the “Mechanical Botanical” Exuberance of Paul Busse. All aboard!’

Editor goofed on placement of photos ... 

Published, Dec 5th  - OurBurlington.org 

13. It certainly is a ‘Merry Christmas!’ on the world wide web … 

Published OurBurlington.org. Dec. 20^th, 2012

14. A quick dip in Lake Ontario at this time of year? Are you NUTS??? But, hey, Congrats!!    

Published OurBurlington.org, Dec 29th, 2012

2013

15.  'Burlington: Talking Turkey. Lots of Turkey. Really. I’m talking turkeys here … '

Title changed marginally ...

Published OurBurlington, Jan 14^th

16. Don't miss the Winter Market @ TERRA Greenhouse in North Burlington

Published OurBurlington, Jan 29th

17. Local artist, Steve Pilcher, in line to win an Academy Award 
with fellow Pixar/Disney artists & animators 
Published, then deleted from OurBurlington, within a week.
(Editor wouldn't make necessary editorial changes as requested by Pixar)  Read it here: 
http://canadadaphotography.blogspot.ca/2013/02/local-artist-steve-pilcher-in-line-to.html  

18. Harold Sikkema - Trickster? or Master in the Making?
Published on CanadadaPhotography, February 2013
-http://canadadaphotography.blogspot.ca/2013/02/harold-sikkema-trickster-or-master-in.html 

19. 'Stephani Vegh: Beating a Dead Horse? Or, Emerging from an Academic Chrysalis?'
Published on CanadadaPHOTOGRAPHY, March 18th, 2013. 
http://canadadaphotography.blogspot.ca/2013/03/stephanie-vegh-beating-dead-horse-or.html

20. 'The Artful Craft of Public Speaking ... '
Published in Raise the Hammer,April 1st
 http://raisethehammer.org/article/1814/the_artful_craft_of_public_speaking
and BurlingtonBeat.ca -March 29th, 2013

21. 'Hamilton Beach Community Cleans Up Its Patch of Our Planet'
Published in Raise the Hammer, April 29th, 2013
 http://raisethehammer.org/article/1838  

22. 'Baranga's on the Beach: this ain't no beach side 'hut' ...
Published in Raise the Hammer, May 16th, 2013
 http://raisethehammer.org/article/1855/  

23. Tall Ships coming into Hamilton Harbour - Black & White Photography
Published in Raise the Hammer, June 28th, 2013
 http://raisethehammer.org/blog/2735
and, in part, in the Burlington Gazette (formerly OurBurlington) 

24. Hamilton's Historical Beacon: A Lighthouse Well Worth Saving
Published in Raise the Hammer, August 26th, 2013
http://raisethehammer.org/article/1938
The Lighthouse Digest of Maine, USA is also running a 
condensed version of this story in their November, print issue. 

25. A Picnic on the High Level Bridge? Do We Dare? 
Published in Raise the Hammer, November 2nd, 2013
http://raisethehammer.org/article/1997

26. Forget Santa. Slam Poetry is Coming to Town!
Published in Raise the Hammer, December 18th, 2013
http://raisethehammer.org/article/2034

2014 

27.   Believe it or not, a well-crafted knot could save your life. 
Published in Raise the Hammer, (with video) February 7th, 2014 

28. Interview with Canadian Illustrator Tara Krebs: A Provocative Batterfly
Published in Raise the Hammer, March 28th, 2014

29. Location, Location, Location: Valley City in Dundas is Back. 
Published in Raise the Hammer, May 1st, 2014 
http://raisethehammer.org/article/2167

and in  The Hamilton Spectator - May 26th, 2014
and in Cambridge Times and Niagara This Week 

30. 'Lets Go Fly a Kite!
Published in Raise the Hammer, June 3rd, 2014 
http://raisethehammer.org/article/2203

31. Harold Dickert's Man Cave: Table Saw, Hand Tools & His Custom Made Guitars
(with VIDEO embed)
Published in Raise the Hammer, (with 14 min video )June 30th, 2014

and in The Hamilton Spectator, July 8/9th, 2014
as well as Cambridge Times, Niagara This Week and InsideHalton

32. A Whale of a Tale: The Scrimshaw Artistry of Dennis Sinclair (with VIDEO embed)
Published in Raise the Hammer, (with 9 min VIDEO), Oct 6th, 2014

33. A few thoughts on the recent municipal election ... 
With Less then 35% Voter Turnout - Did We Get What We Deserved?
Title changed by editor to 'Energy, Art & Cultural Engagement: Barry Lord with 34% voter turnout ... 
Published in Raise the Hammer, Nov. 7th, 2014

2015

34. Freelton Antique Mall: Eclectic, Exquisite & Eccentric 'Canadiana' 
Published in Raise the Hammer, (with 13:10 min VIDEO), Jan 15th, 2015

35. Sugaring Off! at Westfield Heritage Village (with VIDEO embed)
Published in Raise the Hammer, March 10th, 2015.

36. The Boob Tube: 3 Generations Talk TV
Published on Raise the Hammer, May 13th, 2015

37. The Frozen Goose Film Project: The DO's & DON'Ts of CROWDFUNDING 
Published on Raise the Hammer, September 10th, 2015

2016 

38. Words, Photos & Story-Telling: The Extreme Librarian  (with VIDEO embed)
Published on Raise the Hammer, May 20th, 2016 - 

39. Impressions of the Telling Tales Festival 2016  (with VIDEO embed)
Published on Riase the Hammer, October 5th, 2016

40. Studio of Metal-Worker, Doris Treleaven - 12 minute Documentary
Published on Raise the Hammer, October 7th, 2016  

2017 
41. Artist Frida Kahlo's Blood Bath Enshrined at Casa Azul
Published on Raise the Hammer, January 14th, 2017  

42. LAST FOLIO: Yuri Dojc - Exhibition Review at the Art Gallery of Hamilton
Published on Raise the Hammer, February 3rd, 2017

(Sidebar: Editor, Ryan McGreal, of Raise the Hammer, wrote great critical review of my latest musical offering, CANADADA:TAKE TWO - and published it on June 26th.

43. Book Review by M.L. Holton: All's Well by John Lefebvre
Published in Raise the Hammer, July 5th, 2017

44.  Book Review by M.L.Holton of  'CAST: Art & Objects'  
Published in Raise the Hammer, August 18th, 2017 

2020

45. Opinion by MLHolton - Arts Section - We'll Make It!
Published in Burington Gazette, May 5th, 2020 

 

2021

46. Creators Interview - MLHolton

Published on James Strecker Blog

 

 Recent book & CD production -  HERE
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