Flying planes long distances across the North Atlantic had not been done before outside of the summer season, with its lighter skies and kinder winds. Ferry Command pilots like Walter needed to be resourceful, skilled, and very brave. What memories Walter shared for my documentary series! Flying with one hand attempting to scrape ice off the outside (yes!) of the cockpit windows. Taking off from Gander, seeing the dark cliffs of Newfoundland fade into the background and wondering what perils lay ahead on his long journey…hostile aircraft, ferocious weather, equipment failure. He risked his life for people he would never meet because it was what was needed, because it was the right thing to do.

Certainly, I think the planet could use some brave, heroic leaders right now.
Which brings me back to the questions that occupy so much of The Invisible Woman trilogy.
What is a hero? What is bravery? How do heroes…become heroes?
The Invisible Woman Marcie Blanchard is my answer to those questions.

My dictionary labels c--- as “vulgar slang” and says it refers to either “a woman’s genitals” or, “an unpleasant or stupid person”. I think c--- is part of the same plot line of laws, stereotypes, religious edicts, social norms etcetera devised throughout history and up to the present day to keep women and girls in their place, to shame and silence them. It connotes a view of women and girls as lesser than, and we have all seen the outcomes of that.

CTV and its parent company Bell Media have been giving a master class in my inspiration for writing How the Invisible Woman Learned to Fly. My main character Marcie Blanchard is not me, but she faces a version of the challenges I know so well. As a working journalist, I experienced sexism, and, as I got older, ageism as well. As a journalism professor, I and other women experience sexism and ageism in my current workplace.