Grant Patterson
Bio
Grant is a retired law enforcement officer and native of Vancouver, BC. He has also lived in Brazil. He has written fifteen books.
Stories (85/0)
Postcards from a Pandemic, Part Three:
Call me crazy, but in the middle of a disaster, I’ve been distracting myself with…disaster. I can’t help it. I’m an Armageddon junkie. As a writer, I’m naturally interested in contrasting and comparing fictional depictions of mass casualty, civilization-threatening events with the nearest analogue in recent history: this here big ol’ pandemic. It interests me, sometimes in comforting, sometimes in disturbing ways.
By Grant Patterson4 years ago in Geeks
Postcards From a Pandemic, Part Two: The Case for Borders
It’s been quite a week, thanks to the Great Plague of 2020. Today marked another milestone reversal, in a week of shocking turnarounds. Canada is finally locking down its borders, in the face of COVID-19. It’s not a total closure, per se. But it’s as close as anyone can remember since 9/11. Entry to Canada will be barred for all non-citizens and non-residents of the US and Canada. Foreign flights will be restricted to just four airports, and non-essential air travel is prohibited.
By Grant Patterson4 years ago in Longevity
Self-Publishing: A Writer's Odyssey of Confusion
A writer’s life can be a very confusing one. If you’d told me eight years ago, when I started writing my first novel, that the easiest thing about being a writer was writing the books, I’d have never believed you.
By Grant Patterson4 years ago in Journal
Government: When Reach Exceeds Grasp
It rained last night in Greater Vancouver. It rained a lot. Not exactly headline news for this time of year, but it got me thinking about, of all things, the proper role of government in our lives. This is a subject of much debate now, as it was 2500 years ago. My thinking on the subject has evolved, particularly after spending seventeen years working for the federal government. I got a front row seat, not only for what governments can and should do, but also for what they are terrible at.
By Grant Patterson4 years ago in The Swamp
An Abdication of Responsibility
The curious case of the Peace Arch Park recently came to national prominence as a result of the prosecution of Michael Kong and his son, Matthew. Kong Senior and Junior are accused of facilitating the illegal entry of numerous foreign nationals over a number of years, through the park into Canada. I know all about this case, and not just vicariously. I’ve been directly involved in it, and many other cases like it.
By Grant Patterson4 years ago in Criminal
Well, He Did Warn You
I’m not sure what I enjoyed more. The monologue, or the whining and crying about it the next day? I’m talking, of course, about British comedian and actor Ricky Gervais’ savaging of the smug artistes, settled in front of their vegan dinners to receive their annual pats on the back from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. This is Ricky’s fifth time hosting the Golden Globes, so you’d think the glitterati would be used to his lashing wit by now.
By Grant Patterson4 years ago in Geeks