08/24/2026
RIP Carl Dow, 1933-2026
August 24, 2026, OTTAWA - It's been a helluva summer for a papa, a publisher, and a son. Rachel A. Rosen received multiple nominations for this year's Prix Aurora Awards, and her novel, *Blight*, came in a close second in the best novel category.
My daughter Baobao and I spent eight days tenting this month, which culminated in our scattering my father's ashes.
Yes, as some of you already know, my father, Carl Dow, and the author of Black Grass, and The Old Man's Last Sauna, died on May 20th, 2026. The subsequent month was a whirlwind of cleaning out his apartment and doing my best to sort through his papers.
In other words, it's been both a busy, and an emotional, summer, during which time I have of necessity let some things slide.
I have finally managed to post an obituary, which you can read at https://bppress.ca/rip-carl-dow/.
And a friend (who asked for anonymity) videotaped my elegy, which I delivered during a very small ceremony when my daughter Baobao and I scattered his ashes, on the 9th of this month. You can watch that, or read the script, at https://bppress.ca/the-cremation-of-carl-dow/.
I'll have more on the publishing side of things anon, as my life returns to a semblance of normality.
