A J B Johnston, Writer

I learned today that the book about the Lincolns (and 1960s Nova Scotia) is now available in e-book format on Amazon.ca, Amazon.com and Chapters Indigo. A few people had asked me about that availability in months gone by. Now, it is available in that format, as well of course as a paperback.

Here is the micro-doc about The Lincolns I have talked about. It's a little under five minutes long and is the result of several months of fun toil by lots of peoplethough mostly by me, Costas Halavrezos and Tom Ryan. Thanks to Barry Ryan for access to early Lincolns recordings. Full credits are at the end of the video. The production showcases film footage almost no one has ever seen before. Hope you enjoy, and share as widely as you like.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZC7SU4gT24

This is something an author likes to see. Of all the books I've written, I think this one has generated more affection from readers than the rest. As regards the micro-doc (a video production) I have written about in this spacesummarizing the story of The Lincolnsthat production is soon to be posted for everyone to enjoy. There has been a delay getting some footage from CBC, but once that has arrived, I'll post a link here to the micro-doc.

Throughout my time working at the Fortress 1977 - 2000 I was unaware of the existence of these photos of my mother and me, taken while visiting Louisbourg. My father took the photos in 1959, as slides. And as far as I know, they remained in one of those little yellow Kodak boxes for more than half a century after they were taken. Then in 2013, prior to me coming to the Fortress to take part in a French film project marking the tricentenary of the 1713 founding of the plac...e, the film's director asked me if I had any images of me visiting Louisbourg as a kid. I knew I had been there because I had vivid memories, but photos? To the basement and a large box full of little yellow boxes I went. And inside the first one I picked up were these two slides, and others. I worked for Parks Canada before I came to Louisbourg; first in Newfoundland and then in Halifax. And when in 1977 the opportunity presented itself for me to move to Cape Breton and become one of the Fortress historians thanks to Terry MacLean for that offer I did not hesitate. And Mary Topshee gladly agreed. I am always moved to see the images, mostly because of my mother being there with me, but also because they hint at the affection I have had for the Fortress for a very long time, beginning before the reconstruction even began. And I find it intriguing to see me in front of the plaque to the 1758 siege which in 1959 was on a slab in the King's Garden in light of the book (Endgame 1758) I would later write. Sometimes, the world unfolds in mysterious ways.

Thanks to Don Muir and Pam Marsh, I obtained several photos of Soma. Of the bunch of images, this one is likely to have the most resonance with people who visit this site. It features the three former Lincolns who left the Truro-based band to join Soma: Frank MacKay (whose name is spelled wrong), Layne Francis and Don Muir.

There is not a lot of good news these days, but one encouraging story is how Italy is doing relatively well on the COVID front compared to the rest of Europe. The horrors of last spring have made Italians very attentive to following public health guidelines. One year ago this month, Mary and I were in Italy. This short video makes me wistful.

With so much in the news about treaties and Indigenous rights and with Treaty Day coming up in the Maritimes on October 1 you might be interested in this short video just released by the Mi'kmaq of PEI. It packs a lot into a little over a minute. I encourage you to check it out. https://lnuey.ca/treatyday/

It’s fun to have the large version of the Kings of Friday Night book cover. Thanks, Nimbus Publishing. One day I’ll get to bring it to an in-person event where I will offer a visual and audio presentation on the legendary 1960s Truro-based band.

Ace reporter Eleanor Tucker informs me that the Truro building that was a longtime dance hall for The Lincolns burned last night. Over the years, the building housed many different businesses, but near and dear to many were the moments back in the early 1960s when The Lincolns played there. Here is one photo from that era.

Scenes from today’s Nimbus outdoor book event.

Tomorrow (September 12) is a special day for authors and past, present and future readers of books released by Nimbus Publishing. After the lockdown of so many months, authors are starting to come out into the fresh air. At its Strawberry Hill location, a tent will be erected in front of the Open Book coffee shop beside the Nimbus offices and there will be short presentations by a range of authors beginning at 10 am. I'm up first talking about "Kings of Friday Night: The Lin...colns." Social distancing protocols will be followed. (Rumor has it, one of The Lincolns will be in attendance so it could be an opportunity for an autograph.) I've posted the schedule for the day. Hope to see some of you there. There will also be a sale of some of Nimbus's backlist books along with the brand-new ones.

Coming Saturday, September 12. Lots of authors will be there talking about their new books. My time slot is 10 am, and I'll be talking about "Kings of Friday Night: The Lincolns."

The last time I posted anything here I mentioned that there was a project in the works to take the story of The Lincolns (and of Nova Scotia in the 1960s) to as wide an audience as possible. That project is now well under way. I am collaborating with video producer and author Tom Ryan and renowned narrator Costas Halavrezos to create a micro-documentary about the band. We are seeing the micro-doc as being about five minutes long. The finished production will feature photos, f...ilm footage, and of course some trademark Lincoln music. The script is more or less final, and the candidate photos and film footage are being assembled and assessed. Now we just have to make the whole thing work! That will be our challenge over the next few weeks. In the meantime, here are three shots of the early days of The Lincolns, when they were a five-man band. These were taken at the Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition in Truro. In the second photo you can make out the band among the dancers up on stage in a twist contest. The third photo presents the huge crowd that had come to catch the band.

Thanks to Barry Ryan for producing the CD of some of the highlights of the September 2018 reunion of The Lincolns. With the passing of singer Frank MacKay in March 2019, the CD has become a tribute to him. I am more than a little pleased to see that Barry included the cover of my book as a graphic element on the CD cover. In another few weeks I expect to have some exciting news about a brand-new project to capture some of the excitement of The Lincolns back in the 1960s. Stay tuned to this spot: I'll have more to say in another few weeks.

Entrevue ce matin avec Stephanie Blanchet de Radio-Canada. Pour les nouvelles ce soir a 17h00. Subject: the report on Cornwallis and Indigenous Commemoration. Tonight on Radio-Canada TV news that begins at 5 pm.

I don't know where or when, but I am eager to give illustrated talks (with audio highlights of course) about The Lincolns when it is safe to do so. I have lots of images that were not used in the book, and some sound and video recordings, so it should be a fun talk. I have begun to organize the images I want. Please let me know if you are part of a group that might be interested. As the COVID 19 situation seem to be unfolding in NS, it might be safe in the fall to hold indoor talks, with everyone sitting 2 meters apart.

Today was my first time in a bookstore in lots of monthsat Coles in the Halifax Shopping Centre. It was extra fun to see the book on The Lincolns displayed at the front of the store as one of the Top Picks.

A 10-second glimpse of how The Lincolns looked and sounded in September 2018.