Glossophobia. The fear of speaking in public. Also called "speech anxiety," this is the most common phobia in North America. Three out of four people suffer from it -- and we suspect there's something wrong with that fourth guy. I mean, honestly, what kind of person isn't afraid to stand up and deliver a speech?… Continue reading Who’s Afraid of Public Speaking? (Fearless February Day 2)
Author: Catherine Austen
I'm a Canadian author of books for all ages. My short stories are published in literary journals including The Fiddlehead and The New Quarterly. My books for young readers have won multiple awards, including the Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book Award and the Quebec Writers Federation Prize for Children's Literature. I live with my family in Gatineau, Quebec.
Who’s Afraid of Dogs? (Fearless February Day 1)
Cynophobia. The fear of dogs. It's not quite as common as the fear of snakes or spiders or bees, but Cynophobia comes pretty close, and it's a lot more debilitating for suburban schoolchildren. Your neighbours aren't walking their tarantulas down the street while you're making your way home from school, are they? When you visit… Continue reading Who’s Afraid of Dogs? (Fearless February Day 1)
Fearless February
Dave Davidson, the persuasive hero of my soon-to-be-released middle-grade comedy, 28 Tricks for a Fearless Grade 6, will be taking over this blog for the next month. Dave is a self-proclaimed "fear-slayer" who helps his friends through the scariest moments of grade 6, with sage and not-so-sage advice. Afraid of dancing at the school dance? Dave has tricks to fix… Continue reading Fearless February
Friday Fable: The Ass with the Draft Manuscript
You may know the old story of The Ass in the Lion's Skin: One day, an ass spotted a lion's skin that some hunters had left on the ground. The ass was tired of being treated like an ass, so he draped the lion's skin over his back and pranced through the countryside scaring all… Continue reading Friday Fable: The Ass with the Draft Manuscript
Browsing the Shelves
Here are a couple of my favourite library book displays, made for people like me, who forget titles and authors and have to sing the whole alphabet song to remember whether Philips or Plath comes first. and Thanks to the Carlingwood branch of the Ottawa Public Library. (I took the photos sometime last fall. Not sure… Continue reading Browsing the Shelves
Catherine Austen 