Sept. 24 webinar: Wilma Derksen's experiment in forgivenessMeet Winnipeg author at free CCCA webinar - Thursday, September 24, 2020, noon CT
Wilma Derksen is known across North America for her work addressing the needs of victims and offenders and promoting the issue of restorative justice. She is also known for living an experiment in forgiveness following the 1985 murder of her daughter.
A person of faith, when she was faced with the haunting presence of an overwhelming desire for revenge Wilma dared to choose a counter-intuitive way of dealing with it: Forgive. When her controversial choice hit the headlines, she was forced to defend it, redefine it, explore it, experiment with it, live it, fight with it and eventually accept it.
Wilma has just published a new book about her journey titled Dispelling the Clouds. A Desperate Social Experiment. Join Wilma on Sept. 24, noon CT (1 PM ET) to hear her talk about her new book, her journey of forgiveness, the media response and reaction to her decision, and how communicators can be sensitive when telling the stories of people who have survived trauma.
Zoom Meeting: https://theefc.zoom.us/j/93424670907?pwd=MUhKdFRLQ3p6MWdoSVRZN05iaWZvQT09
Meeting ID: 934 2467 0907
Passcode: 02499

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    After the murder of our daughter, we both encountered 15 stalking shapeshifting trauma clouds, but he is only going to display 6 of his sculptures, which we are calling the King David series. While I studied psychology – Cliff studied theology, so it should come as no surprise that he worked out his emotional trauma through one of the greatest heroes in the Bible.
      The first sculpture Cliff made was of David stalking Bathsheba bathing in the privacy of her own courtyard. This sculpture was created during the trial when he realized Candace was being stalked. With horror, Cliff realized that his hero – the man after God’s own heart – had also stalked a woman and even killed her husband. Except that the sculpture doesn’t look at all like a king, it is a man’s body with a fox head, entitled Foxy David, with a telescope - a sly, dirty, stalking David.
      And when Cliff started to understand the evil intentions exhibited during the trial, – out came King Saul – David’s mortal enemy. But this King Saul appears as a stalking Werewolf, right next to his Throne of Swords. The fierceness of the two sculptures is a little surprising when one realizes that the sculptor is truly a peace-loving Mennonite at heart.
     I write about all of this in my book. The story in my book tells of how a film crew came from Ottawa wanting to interview me about my fifteen elements and see Cliff’s 15 sculptures. Having no place to show his sculptures, we took the crew around the city – in a kind of one day pop up art show. The pictures of this tour are amazing. So we just kind of took those pictures and compiled a gallery booklet that will also be available at the book launch on Monday.
     Why are we doing this?
     I don’t know.
​      Perhaps in hindsight, we are just fascinated with our shapeshifting lives….   

"Something was on our bed….We didn’t have words for it.
It was moving, writhing – defying us.
Cliff saw a reptilian image with a circling tail. The eyes were hooded – a lazy serpent stare…lifeless.
I saw it more as a voracious, wolf-like dog – snarling, fierce and otherworldly. I have a latent fear of dogs and this resembled my worst nightmare.
        The presence was shapeshifting before our very eyes….
      We both knew it was a figment of our imaginations. It was as if our fears were appearing before our very eyes in this mysterious form, glaring at us from our own bed – a ghostly omen from the dark side.
        It wasn’t real.
     Yet, it was real. We both saw something on our bed – a black mirage, a cloud of something that hovered like a dark presence, with magical abilities to change into the shape of whatever we feared the most."

What is this book about?
        It’s about the thing on our bed.
      Actually, there are four themes in the book – the cloud, a notorious criminal, restorative justice and the murder of Candace that led to the Candace House.  
      The main conflict is my relationship with this cloud that plays itself out in my relationship with a notorious criminal.
      The underlying stories are the birth story of restorative justice, the birth story of Candace House, and the birth story of my work with victims of serious crime and eventually with the justice system.
        In reality it is just a story of my life – displayed – without any intention but to tell my truth.
Why did I write it?
      If I had been given a life choice, I wouldn’t have written four of the six books I have written. I wrote these four because my daughter was murdered and I was reluctantly put on the stage of life - and my audience keeps asking me these questions. When I was a little girl, I was taught that if people ask you questions about your life, "we need to let our light shine and answer them."  I’m not sure about the light – but I do try to answer the questions I am asked – and that’s why the books.
        Yet no one asks about the other two books that I have written that were such a delight.  They came to me – easily. They are the AVA series, about my grandmother. (sigh)
        But given the circumstances of my life, I’m glad I chose very early to develop my writing skills because the actual writing of the books has been therapeutic!
        Writing is a way of drilling down into my emotional pain and find healing.
My next book?
          Something about my emerging passion – to inspire everyone to write their life story and discover the healing.
  

“Write what disturbs you, what you fear, what you have not been willing to speak about. Be willing to be split open.” — Natalie Goldberg
 

 All day - Open House - Come and Go.

• First Reading 10:00 am
• Second Reading 3:00 pm
• Third Reading 7:00 pm

Address: 26 Grimston Road
                                               Garden Art Gallery by sculptor: Cliff Derksen
                                                      Price of book $10.00
Masks are highly recommended and we will be practicing social distancing!  Masks will be provided.
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       Why have a book launch?
       It’s a question I’m asking myself.
     Most would think it's to sell books. It’s certainly not to make money – at $10.00 I’m practically giving the books away. And why go through with it now – when COVID has made launches socially unacceptable -  at least according to the local bookstores?
      So why am I doing this?  
     I think it is because I need a deadline. Most writers need deadlines – especially with books that take years to write. This one took me about four years which can feel like an eternity at times. Not only to me, but those around me who want to remain supportive.
       I have a few dedicated supporters in my life who follow the process carefully. I will tell them with great satisfaction, “I’m finished. It’s out of my head and I’m taking a break.”
        “Oh good, can I read it?” they ask politely.
        At which point, I recoil in horror. “Oh no, I've only finished the first draft.”
        By the time I’m into the 15th draft, they become skeptical it will ever be finished.
       A book launch signals the “final finish!” They can now read it! So mainly this book launch is to prove that there truly was a book in the making,
      It’s also a time to thank everyone who was part of the writing process. It actually takes a community to write a book.  There are many unseen listeners, editors, and encouragers. Oh those dear encouragers who say the right thing.  They are invaluable!
         Oh yes – we also need the critics, the editors, and those who are part of the process and don’t even know it.   When writing a book everyone is a potential source of a new angle, a new insight, a new tension, a new thought, or a memory -  all of which are so important.
        Finally, It also serves as a beginning – of the next book. I once heard a writer describe this transition from the end of one book to the next. He said, “When I want to talk about the book I’m writing, no one is interested. When it comes out – everyone else wants to talk about it, and I’m on to my next book.”
          A book launch – can serve as a convergence of these two conversations. 
​          Actually - It's all in search of the conversation!
           And I'm hoping this book will lead us into yet another - much needed - conversation.