The U.S. no-fly list has curtailed a number of Canadians' travel plans. This July, Maher Arar was treated as a suspicious passenger on a flight between Montreal and Edmonton because he is still on the list. Held and tortured for four years in Syria after being sent there by American authorities, he has never been charged and is now home in Canada.

Two years ago, Toronto cartoonist Shahid Mahmood booked a flight between Vancouver and Victoria, but was told he wasn't allowed to fly because he was "designated high profile." The airline refused to give any reason beyond that. His cartoons are strongly critical of U.S. policy; this could harrassment for his political views. Or it could be ethnic screening. Either reason would be cause for alarm. He tells his story here.

The B.C. Civil Liberties Association is trying to convince Ottawa to investigate why a U.S.-generated list that carries no burden of proof is being used by Canadian airlines to screen passengers and in some cases deny them flights. We should be able to travel freely -- especially within our own country.



I will be at the Eden Mills Writers' Festival this year, September 9-10. On Saturday, I'll be at the symposium with the theme, Write the Story - Tell the Story - Illustrate the Story. I'll be joined by author Nicole Brossard, Globe and Mail columnist Leah McLaren and storyteller Dan Yashinsky. There will be a broad discussion among all panelists about their work, then participants can choose to join the individual panelists for smaller workshops to discuss all aspects of the craft. I will bring samples of my roughs and discuss the strange and mysterious process of creating Weltschmerz. On Sunday, I'll be hawking and signing my book, so come by and say hi.



Attack of the Same-Sex Sleeper Cells Retailers:

Toronto:
Pages, 256 Queen Street West (at John). On the graphic novels table.
The Beguiling, 601 Markham Street (near Bloor and Bathurst)
Book City, three locations - 501 Bloor St. West, 348 Danforth Ave., 663 Yonge St.
Hairy Tarantula, 354 Yonge Street (near Dundas).
David Mirvish Books, 596 Markham St.

Guelph:
The Bookshelf, 41 Quebec Street.
Macondo Books, 18 Wilson Street

Waterloo: Words Worth Books, 100 King Street South

Kitchener: KW Bookstore, 308 King Street West

Hamilton: Bryan Prince Bookseller, 1060 King Street West

Ottawa: Collected Works, 1242 Wellington Street West (at Holland)