Kait Labatte, Centretown News
Christian McPherson’s new novel Saving Her will be launched on Sept. 26 at Pressed Cafe.Writer’s block is not a problem for local author Christian McPherson. In fact, the Ottawa native says he has the opposite issue.
“I have so many things that I’d like to do, but I just don’t have the time. I could spend my whole day writing over and over again, and be lost in it and be happy to be so.”
The 45 year-old father of two works as a computer programmer, but writing is his passion. “I get into a make believe world and I get to create everything – the scenery, the people. It’s a little like playing God.”
McPherson will launch his seventh book at Pressed Café on Sept. 26. The event, which begins at 7 p.m. at the Gladstone Avenue restaurant, is organized by Octopus Books. A departure from his previous humorous novels about the life of a cubicle-bound civil servant, Saving Her deals with darker themes, reminiscent of many of his poems and short stories.
“I didn’t want to be pigeon-holed as being the guy who writes funny cubicle novels. I wanted to write something different,” says McPherson.
McPherson began writing Saving Her three years ago, after he received a grant from the City of Ottawa and took some time off from his day job.
The novel tells the story of a woman caught in a downward spiral after a devastating event and the subsequent psychotic breakdown that lands her in a psychiatric hospital. Whether she is mentally ill or truly experiencing visions of the future remains unclear.
Saving Her revolves around loss, tragedy and ultimately redemption. The protagonistconfronts mental illness, something McPherson’s father also battled.
McPherson is thankful for the supportive community for local authors he says exists in Ottawa. Pei-Ju Wang, event coordinator for Octopus books, an independent bookstore with locations in Centretown and the Glebe, agrees such a community is important.
“I think it makes sense to support the local economy, especially local authors,” she says. “We promote their books, they promote our store. They also promote literacy, a very important aspect of our society.”
Octopus Books has been organizing book launches for more than a decade. Wang says the shop tries to focus on books related to social justice and human rights.
“We can launch any book,” she says. “There is always space for dialogue, but we want the books to generate social consciousness.”
Jeff Stewart, owner of Pressed Café, says the café hosts a range of cultural events including concerts, poetry slams and literature readings five or six nights a week. He says the events help bring in different audiences who might not normally visit the café.
“I’m always happy to have book launches here and I think the authors have a good time. I think they feel that it’s kind of a bit more fun than a library or their home,” says Stewart.
McPherson says he’s excited about the upcoming launch, where he hopes to see many familiar faces and hopefully a few new ones, too.
“Complete strangers would be nice — that means somebody else besides my friends and family are reading these books,” he says with a laugh.
McPherson has several other projects on the go, including another book of short stories, a completed poetry manuscript, a third installment of the Cube series and a young adult novel.
Although he has long aspired to publish a bestseller that would allow him to quit his job and become a full-time writer, he sees ample free time to devote himself to his craft just a decade away regardless.
“Retirement’s only ten years away, so either way I’m going to get the rightful time eventually,” says McPherson.