Get to Know Christine Bode of Bodacious Copy

Copy editor Christine Bode

Well, it’s time for me to toot my own horn for just one blog so that you can get to know a bit about me.

Born and raised in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, I have lived here for most of my life, minus the two years I spent in college in Belleville, where I took Television Broadcasting at Loyalist College of Applied Arts & Technology (1982-1984), one year in Vancouver (1994-1995), and ten years in Toronto (1985-89 and 1998-2004) where I worked primarily in medium and large-sized law firms as a legal assistant. I have also worked as a secretary and administrative assistant in a variety of industries, including advertising, television, architecture and engineering, city government, and medicine, among others.

At the peak of my legal career, I was a legal assistant for Michael A. Levine, Canada’s leading entertainment lawyer and a celebrity in his own right, at Goodmans LLP in Toronto. I enjoyed working for the force of nature that was Mr. Levine (he is now retired from the law), but because of a two-year run of unfortunate personal circumstances—I resigned from my position with Mr. Levine in 2004.

Blessed with a wide variety of creative experiences, including being the Vice-President of Student Programming while attending Loyalist College and booking all the talent for special events and pub evenings, I have also been a photo model for a print ad, worked as an extra while living in Vancouver (my first job was as an extra on The X-Files in The Red Museum episode in Season 2), volunteered as a theatre usher, promoted musicians and actors, and even co-produced a play. I had a website called The Celtic Poet (2001-2004), where I wrote reviews and posted my photographs, as well as a photography business called Celtic Poet Photography for a couple of years, exhibiting and selling my work in Artisan’s Alley in Kingston in the summer of 2006.

In March 2008, I manifested a lifelong dream of working with musicians and authors when I founded Scully Love Promo, a digital promotions business offering social media marketing and virtual assistance. It was successful until December 2020, when due to the pandemic, musicians could no longer tour.

I have written about and posted photographs I took of Bob Geldof at www.boomtownrats.co.uk—one of the biggest thrills of my life was meeting him in Toronto at the Palais Royale on September 20, 2002! I was a Senior Entertainment Editor/Writer for a local entertainment website called PartyinKingston.com (*Note: no longer in existence), and for many years I wrote book reviews for Simon & Schuster Canada and HarperCollins Canada, as well as reviews and articles for online entertainment magazines. 

Since I was a teenager, I have been writing poetry and song lyrics because I am a huge music fan. My first poem, about Shaun Cassidy, was published by Scholastic Book Services in Rock’s Biggest Ten and 16 Magazine in 1978. Encouraged by a personal letter received from Bob Geldof in 1987 and mentored in the early 2000s by Canada’s legendary broadcasting icon, author, actor, and Renaissance man, Patrick Watson, I continue to write and almost understand the meaning of metre. Some of my work has been published in local newspapers, various American anthologies, and on the Internet.

In June 2007, I self-published my first book of poetry and lyrics entitled Eden Refugee, which is available for preview and purchase on Lulu.com.

Many of the original versions of the poems and lyrics in Eden Refugee have been edited.

EDEN REFUGEE viscerally reflects the experiences of a young woman consumed by sex, drugs, rock’n’roll, unrequited love, and a constant quest for spiritual enlightenment.

Eden Refugee
Eden Refugee ~ Poems & Lyrics by Christine Bode