Although they are only breath, words which I command are immortal

- Sappho ~ c. 630-570 B.C. Greece

Immortal yet sometimes silenced out of physical existence, the words of women remain with us in one form or another.

The Words of Women celebrates women authors whose breath has taken the form of the written word, condensed in the icy Canadian climes and fallen, frozen to the page. Birthed from such natural circumstances, they stand as immortal sentinels whose secrets are there for those who dare to hear the whispers of words.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and thus here is my story celebrating these authors. It is but a mild comparison to the hundreds of thousands of words given us by them. The Words of Women lets you join in by welcoming you to look at these paintings and choose the words with which you will tell their stories. They are your breath, and under your command they are immortal.

Top to bottom, they are Adrienne Clarkson, Gwethalyn Graham, Emily Carr, Margaret Atwood, Ann Marie Macdonald and Irshad Manji.  

Top to bottom, they are Linda Griffiths, Jane Rule, Marie de l'Incarnation, Margaret Laurence, Lilly Allen, and Mavis Gallant.

Top to bottom, they are Raheel Raza, Nalo Hopkinson, Trey Anderson, Saleema Nawaz, Rachel Zolf and Anahareo.

19 portraits (including a self-portrait as I too am a writer) of Canadian women writers. The photographs below were taken during the month of September 2009, Pleasantview, TPL, 545 Van Horne Ave., Toronto.