Our Hero disappeared from this space over the holidays. Fortunately, nobody noticed. And here he is, back on Day Two of the New Year, with comings and goings to proclaim. First up: I spent the morning working on an online course I teach through the University of Toronto. The title says it all: The Art of Fact: An Introduction to Writing Nonfiction. A detailed syllabus is now available online to those who have registered.  In the past, participants have surfaced from as far away as Japan and Uganda. The ten-week course starts Monday, January 20, so you can still get involved. With that course launched, Our Hero will turn to Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns. On January 31, he'll give The Immortal Memory, a keynote address, at the Burns Supper at Hart House. Rumor has it that he will sport a new kilt on that occasion. You'll want to keep an eye out for that. One week later, on February 8, I will don Arctic gear to give a presentation at the annual Wilderness and Canoe Symposium. It happens this year in Toronto at Monarch Park Collegiate, and usually attracts 500 to 600 participants. I'll talk about Fatal Passage and revisiting Rae Strait . . . which explains the singular book-signing in the above photo (taken by Sheena Fraser McGoogan).