Home Community Ian Williams talks about the lost art of conversation at the GCAC

Ian Williams talks about the lost art of conversation at the GCAC

March 20, 2025

By Angie Sullivan

Ian Williams, Canadian author and professor at the University of Toronto, had tongues wagging at the Georgina Center for Arts and Culture (GCAC) in Sutton on Sunday, March 9. Speaking to a full house of rapt attendees, Williams talked about his book What I Mean to Say, a non-fiction exploration of rehabilitating conversations.

Williams is one of the guests presenting for the GCAC’s A Celebration or Words & Deeds, a series of author talks to promote arts and culture in our community.

What I Mean to Say: Remaking Conversation in Our Time is part of the CBC Massey Lectures from 2024, an annual, five-part series of public lectures broadcast by CBC Radio and published by House of Anansi Press.

Williams opened his visit at the GCAC with a shocking tale of how Albert Einstein created a list of conditions for his first wife, Mileva Maric, setting the tone for a fun and engaging examination of how we communicate with one another.

Here is an excerpt from Einstein’s letter:

You will obey the following points in your relations with me:

1. you will not expect any intimacy from me, nor will you reproach me in any way;
2. you will stop talking to me if I request it;
3. you will leave my bedroom or study immediately without protest if I request it.

Williams said, “I’d like us to talk about conversations –what kinds we have, how they’ve changed, who gets silenced, and why we should keep talking to each other.”

His book is a multi-layered exploration of conversation, filled with excerpts and examples of how we communicate. It’s thought-provoking look at the deterioration of civility in the digital age, and how we can return to a sincere, honest exchange of ideas. There’s even a character within the book named Edna, who comments and interrupts in the side margins.

The talk at the GCAC was guided by questions from Karen Wolfe, Pefferlaw resident and the previous owner of The Georgina Post, Williams took us down the rabbit holes of how technology influences our communication, the need for grace in the world today, and how to develop the skill of listening.

Leslie Bertis from Newmarket said, “It was great to see so many engaged people out for the community.”

Claire Bolton came all the way from Barrie and said, “It was a fascinating conversation about an abstract subject, and I really enjoyed the setting here. The gallery of art is beautiful.”

If you would like to learn more about Ian Williams, visit his website at https://www.ianwilliams.ca.

(Note: Einstein’s first wife did divorce him.)

The next event in A Celebration of Words & Deeds takes place on Sunday, March 23 with guest host Robert Rotenberg, a Canadian criminal defence lawyer and writer.