Nancy Figueroa Writes

           There are days when I must remind myself of all that is good in Toronto. This is difficult when it's ugly out there and evil lurks in unsuspected places, like The Danforth. All around me I hear cries for tougher gun control and increased funding for mental health, but I don't believe these things will change any time soon. And yet—in some small way—something has changed. Is it just my perception, or since the violence on The Danforth have we become more caring? It's as if someone is sprinkling fairy dust among us. Do you feel it?            I felt it in the gentle hand extended to me yesterday—on James’s moving day— by a woman and her young son who noticed I was carrying way too many things. They quickly stopped what they were doing. The son picked up my mop, the woman picked up my bucket and my bag of groceries and happily brought them to my car. I doubt I'll ever see those two people again, but th...

                      As a young girl my greatest loves were newspapers and books. I dreamed one day I’d be a newspaper reporter, and one day I’d write a book. At  21, I graduated with my degree in journalism and worked at newspapers in Collingwood, Barrie and Oshawa, but the book eluded me. Not any more. Four years ago I made time to follow my dream. In my little downstairs office I’d set my timer for 60 minutes and allow the words, the feelings and the memories to flow. With two 60-minute intervals a day, the words weren’t always pretty, but they were on the page. Today—following memoir writing classes at Ryerson, a graduate certificate in creative Writing from Humber College, working with an amazing editor, and countless hours of pouring my heart on the page—I’m ready to birth my 327-page baby. Seized—A Memoir of Epilepsy, Complications and Love , explores my journey with my son, James, who since birth has suff...

This is where you'll find me, my writing and info on my book. Happy reading!