life rattle show no. 1172

Presented on Sunday, october 2, 2011

Hosted by virginia ashberry

featuring

Kirsti Heitz reading her story:
"Ramses"

and

Marie Margis reading her story:
"Bobby and Pinky"

tonight's Show

Tonight, on Life Rattle #1172, we feature a story from new Life Rattle writer, Kirsti Heitz, and a golden oldie from Marie Margis.

The first story, "Ramses" by Kirsti Heitz, is a starkly emotional and personal account of the loss of a loved pet. A theme many of you will relate to. Heitz writes with honesty, in a raw, emotionally bare style. We taste the tears, and feel her mad distress.

Tonight's second story, "Bobby and Pinky" is written by Marie Margis, one of the original members of the late Arnie Achtman’s Friday Night Writers Group. Arnie loved Marie’s beautiful and vivid accounts of her life as a young girl surrounded by so many brothers in rural Ontario.

Kirsti Heitz was born in 1989 in Mississauga, Ontario. After her parents divorced in early 2000, Heitz and her older brother moved with their mother to Guadalajara, Mexico, where they lived for ten years. In Mexico, she experienced extreme culture shock through which she thrived. By immersing herself in Latin literature, Heitz learned to speak fluent Spanish and discovered her love of writing. At nineteen, she returned to Toronto on her own to pursue a degree in Professional Writing at York University. That same year, she eloped with her boyfriend from Mexico—a professional musician—who was visiting for the Christmas holidays. They have been happily married now for three years. Heitz is currently in her third year of university and after graduation, she plans to tour Europe to write and compose music with her husband.

Marie Margis was born in 1941 in Ottawa, the 10th child in a brood of 22. She and her brothers and grew up on a farm in Marvelville, Ontario. Marie left home for Toronto as soon as she finished high school in 1960 and worked as a secretary over the next 30 years. In 1966, she married her pen pal, Al, and had 3 daughters. Marie has retired from her job at Culture Link and is now a stay-at-home grandma to grandson Kai and granddaughter Aija.