Making A List

No, I’m not making a list, like a grocery list, or a checklist of tiny furniture I need to buy at the Miniatures Fair I’m going to later, or an excel spreadsheet of all my clocks—the list I’m talking about is a very prestigious longlist. The longlist for a humour competition I recently wrote about where my entry was number 69 on THAT list, which I found hilarious but everyone else was too mature to snicker at. Yes, to my absolute shock and delight, my humour book What Any Normal Person Would Do was selected for the Leacock Memorial Medal For Humour longlist! That book, based on this little blog, was found worthy of being long-listed beside well-known Canadian funny people like Rick Mercer! (If you’re not Canadian, you might not know who that is, but trust me, he’s hilarious).

I knew that the longlist was being announced last Tuesday, and I hadn’t heard anything at all. I wasn’t sure if they let people know ahead of time, so I messaged a friend who had been longlisted twice in the past and he assured me that people only found out when the announcement was made. I don’t know if that was REALLY an assurance because then I was like, great, another week before I find out I didn’t make the cut. Then on Tuesday morning, I was getting ready to go shopping, and my email alert went off. The subject line said “2024 Leacock Medal Long List Announced”. I reluctantly opened it, wondering which big names in Canadian humour had gotten this accolade, and I squinted at it because I couldn’t find the several many pairs of reading glasses that I have scattered around the house but can never seem to find in a pinch. Then my squinty eyes widened as I saw what looked like my name. And I say, “looked like my name” because it WAS my name but it was spelled incorrectly—instead of Craig-Whytock, it said “Craig-Whytack”. But the name of my book was alongside it, and with sudden jawdropping surprise, I realized that I was actually ON the longlist. I felt faint. So I did what any normal person would do—I called Ken:

Me: Oh my god oh my god!
Ken: What? Are you okay? What happened?!
Me: I made the longlist for the Leacock!!
Ken: What?! That’s amazing!
Me: I think I’m going to cry!

But it was real. And then my daughter sent me a CBC article where my name was mentioned (spelled correctly, thanks, national broadcaster) and it started to sink in. And when it did, I was faced with another horrifying realization: people were going to read my book, and what if no one else thought it was funny, and everybody was like “Why the hell did they pick this piece of crap?” and “Wow, this lady is superweird” and “She has way too many clocks” and “She used the word f*ck 39 times in one book!” As Yoda would say, “The imposter syndrome is strong with this one.”

But the best part of all this is that I got an email from their director of communications yesterday (and yes, my name was still spelled incorrectly even though I’d told them, and even though they’d apologized, but I said ‘Don’t worry, it’s just an honour to be on the longlist’) offering me STICKERS to put on my book covers. GOLD STICKERS (well, they call them bronze but they look gold to me). Is there anything better than stickers? Even the word is the best: sticker sticker sticker sticker. The finalists, who are announced on May 21, get even nicer stickers and while I know I won’t make the finals, it would be cool if I did because the grand prize is $25 000 and the two runners-up get five grand each, and you can only imagine what I would spend some of that money on (hint: tick tock).

‘Excellence in Canadian humour’–find it here, folks. Sticker sticker sticker sticker…

38 thoughts on “Making A List”

  1. I am so happy for you. As I was reading I burst into tears just as you wrote you were going to cry. Congratulations. And if they do not think that you are funny f**k them I think that you are hilarious. 😦 And I mean my opinion matters the most lol lol lol lol lol

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  2. I extend my sincerest congratulations on the remarkable achievement of your book, and wish to express that your triumph is undoubtedly merited. Your literary creation shines brilliantly, captivating its readers with unparalleled wit and charm. Moreover, as a fellow American unfamiliar with Rick Mercer’s comedic prowess, I am inclined to defer to your discerning judgment. Your continued dedication to excellence is truly commendable, Suzanne. 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • What a wonderful and kind thing to say. I did a newspaper interview yesterday and I gave a special thank you to my friends in the blog world for all their support, and this again is proof of that:-)

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  3. Congratulations on being #69, and you can always politely correct the spelling of your name in person when you win the whole darned thing. And the president of the association’s name is Daphne MAINPRIZE? Now that’s funny…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. Oh hell yeah!!! I’m so happy for you Suzanne, that is such wonderful news and of course hearing your book will now have STICKERS!! I loved your book and that’s why it was chosen for this award!! So it’s not crap! 💖

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Thank you! I’ve already put the virtual sticker on my book cover and it looks so cool–I can’t wait to get the real ones–I’m gonna put them EVERYWHERE!! (well, on the book covers too of course).

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  6. I can’t decide which is better: that you made the list or that you got stickers. Of course making the list is best but the stickers are a tangible sign that you can share along with the book, or even go around to bookstores and slap them on each copy for sale. You could also save one and put it in your wallet to flash like you’re a comedy cop. If you tell a joke and someone doesn’t laugh you can hold it up and say, “Excuse me but I know funny.” I’m also glad that they just misspelled your name and didn’t list your book as Whot Ony Narmol Persan Wauld Da.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  9. Being #69 would have certainly got some laughs or comments around here. 🙂 I was going to make a comment about 69 and getting lucky but I’m sure you made the longlist because of your talent for writing funny stories. Congratulations! Stickers! Stickers! Stickers!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment