I Love Canadian Authors discussion
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Renee
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Jun 19, 2010 12:06PM
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Hi Everyone! I would like to thank Renee for inviting me to join. I have several reasons to want to belong to an all Canadian book club. Foremost is that I am one whom resides in the small city of Timmins,Ontario. Secondly, from reading posts in other groups, I feel that Canadian authors do not receive the credit they deserve. One of the first great Canadian authors I had the pleasure of reading is Robert Frost in Grade 8. His poem "The Road Not Taken" is my all time favorite. I also read a fair amount of Robert Service and my favorite fantasy writer is Steve Erickson (a Canadian author that is underrated for his brilliance). I was hoping that someone could suggest a modern writer. I am also trying to find an author I only know as Greg whom writes books for young adults with a very much needed anti-bullying theme.
Mod
Welcome to the group. Please check out the varous threads as we have discussed several books and authors. There certainly are many very good Canadian authors to read.
I am going to suggest tha tyou are looking for Greg Seeley. If you explore the author interviews you will find him there and Big Bobby Boom! and the Marble Mayhem. Not sure if that is the book you are looking for or not...
Hi Brian, I adore Robert Frost, but I always considered him American!!! I know he is born in the UD. Did he later move to Canada? Is that why you consider him Canadian???? I am confused! I absolutely adore the poem "A Road Not Taken" and the one about a crumbing stone wall. I cannot read poetry , except for Frost's. I don't recall anyone mentioning the Canadian author Robertson Davies. I particularly like the The Deptford Trilogy.
Hi Chrissie; Wow! You can teach an old dog new tricks. All this time I thought Robert Frost was Canadian most likely because he was introduced in Grade 8 in the same year as Robert Service. You are correct he was born in San Francisco. Back in the early 80's the school curriculum was not as mandated as today and enjoyed a diverse cross section of famous authors. What is "The Deptford Trilogy" like? Probably the most read Canadian author by me was Fairly Mowat.
Thanks very much Shannon! Greg Seeley is an author I have been trying to find for awhile after I asked him a number of questions when he first appeared on The James Mason Group.
Brian, I guess I will have to push forward a book by Farley Mowat. Davies writing is great - he throws in wonderful tidbits of knowledge, the characters are multidimensional and quirky. I suggest you read the Fifth Business which is the first of the trilogy, to see if you like it. They do not have to be read all together.
I want to echo Fifth Business as a good choice. It has been many years since I read it, but it is unforgettable. And how about W.O. Mitchell? Some of his less famous books deserve more attention . . . like The Vanishing Point, or The Kite which really made me laugh. Farley Mowat's wife Claire also wrote an interesting account of their life together. I DO love Canadian Authors, and I enjoy being one, lesser known than these fine writers, but how good to be in such good company!
Thanks Chrissie and Sheila for those suggestions. I will have to rearrange my very overcrowded TRL to add some of those books mentioned.
Brian, this is exactly what GR is all about - everyone helping others find good books!
I also enjoyed The Deptford Trilogy, especially Fifth Business and The Manticore. World of Wonders was okay, too. I guess I was so looking forward to Paul's story that it came up a bit short, for me.
I read mostly Canadian non-fiction and recently have been reading a lot of the classics of England, France, and Russia. I'm now turning my attention to Canadian fiction.
I think living next door to USA, who does not feel threatened by foreign culture, is a problem for Canadian writers but also an advantage. You may not get the help from the Canadian corporate establishment,but you have the opportunity to have exposure in the most important market in the world.
I don't see Canada supporting the non fiction writers of Canada any better and it's a tougher sell. The number of American's who read about the American civil war is immense. The number of non Amercians reading about the civil war is large. Canadians who read a great deal about the conquest of Quebec and it's consequences is how many? Like it or not, the nationalism or pride or ? our own citizens is somewhat questionable. That impacts on what we read. We have little of that Canada first attitude.
I found that a lot of the famous classics I read were about the English, Russian, or French experience. The Canadian fiction that I have enjoyed the most, were related to the Canadian experience but those books are less likely to become well known outside of Canada. There are exceptions like Anne of Green Gables which I only read a short tine ago, although I've seen the play and been to PEI three times.
I just finished reading "The Golden Mean" which I thought was a well written and thought provoking book. But it's appeal is to an international market. That's great, but the number of Canadian readers interested in that subject is quite limited. Hard to get them to read it because it is a Canadian author.
In my view, there is no short term solution to the problem. I've usually been hitting my head against a wall trying to interest other readers in Canadian history, but it is the only way I can see to help the cause. No public audience, little effective pressure. Canadian fiction readers have to encourage their friends to read more Canadian authors.
I also would like to thank all the authors for sticking in there when you're not getting the support you should from various sources. I think some of your novels are just as worthwhile as some of the international classics but unfortunately we're still the "Unknown Country" to many people and to some extent, ourselves.
To make a point. How many of you have read "Memoirs of a Less Travelled Road - A Historians Life" by Order of Canada recipient, Marcel Trudel? It was the winner of the Governor General's Literary Award. He was born in 1917. His heading in Chapter one is "Born in the Eighteenth Century". He has a dry sense of humour. I learned quite a bit about Quebec.
I think living next door to USA, who does not feel threatened by foreign culture, is a problem for Canadian writers but also an advantage. You may not get the help from the Canadian corporate establishment,but you have the opportunity to have exposure in the most important market in the world.
I don't see Canada supporting the non fiction writers of Canada any better and it's a tougher sell. The number of American's who read about the American civil war is immense. The number of non Amercians reading about the civil war is large. Canadians who read a great deal about the conquest of Quebec and it's consequences is how many? Like it or not, the nationalism or pride or ? our own citizens is somewhat questionable. That impacts on what we read. We have little of that Canada first attitude.
I found that a lot of the famous classics I read were about the English, Russian, or French experience. The Canadian fiction that I have enjoyed the most, were related to the Canadian experience but those books are less likely to become well known outside of Canada. There are exceptions like Anne of Green Gables which I only read a short tine ago, although I've seen the play and been to PEI three times.
I just finished reading "The Golden Mean" which I thought was a well written and thought provoking book. But it's appeal is to an international market. That's great, but the number of Canadian readers interested in that subject is quite limited. Hard to get them to read it because it is a Canadian author.
In my view, there is no short term solution to the problem. I've usually been hitting my head against a wall trying to interest other readers in Canadian history, but it is the only way I can see to help the cause. No public audience, little effective pressure. Canadian fiction readers have to encourage their friends to read more Canadian authors.
I also would like to thank all the authors for sticking in there when you're not getting the support you should from various sources. I think some of your novels are just as worthwhile as some of the international classics but unfortunately we're still the "Unknown Country" to many people and to some extent, ourselves.
To make a point. How many of you have read "Memoirs of a Less Travelled Road - A Historians Life" by Order of Canada recipient, Marcel Trudel? It was the winner of the Governor General's Literary Award. He was born in 1917. His heading in Chapter one is "Born in the Eighteenth Century". He has a dry sense of humour. I learned quite a bit about Quebec.
Hello Everyone!I am a former comedy writer and now an author of comic paranormal fantasy/romance/time travel/whatever you want to call it...I seem to be having genre issues.
I am also the General Manager of Crime Writers of Canada, and was SO glad to see this discussion group here!
Hope it's still active...MelodieRowena Through the Wall
Mod
Welcome Melodie! I am an infrequent visitor to the group but always interested in what people read/ say!
Mod
I am a former comedy writer and now an author of comic paranormal fantasy/romance/time travel/whatever you want to call it...I seem to be having genre issues.
I am also the General..."
OMG! Your book sounds hilarious! I will have to check it out.
Mod
Hi my name is Jackleen and I am a nurse form Ottawa. I love reading. I make an effort to read Canadian authors. We have a lot talent in this country, and some really good writers. Unfortunately, I believe they are not promoted sufficiently and they can be easily missed. I just discovered a Canadian writer who has been writing books in my favourite genre since the early 90s. So I am here to find new Canadian books that I might otherwise miss.
Mod
Who is the author that you just discovered and what is your favourite genre?
That's a great idea, Stan. The difficulty is that there is no way to contact Amazon.ca with a complaint. deleted user wrote: "Waheed wrote: "Hi Renee and Everyone;
Sorry. Although I joined a few days ago, I didn't see this message thread, till now, asking us to introduce ourselves. I'm a Canadian writer, originally from I..."
deleted user wrote: "Hi, I'm Stan Law, and I have a question, which might well effect all Canadian writers.
For some time now, I enjoy free shipping privileges on Amazon.com, of having single books delivered to diffe..."
I am a writer of Canadian historical fiction from a gay perspactive.The type of history I refer to is seldom found in textbooks, and yet it is very much part of the Canadian experience. I call it "pioneer social history" because it deals with the lives and times of ordinary citizens. However, since these stories usually went to the grave with them it is necessary to reconstruct their lives from journals and fist-hand accounts.
This, then, is the function of historical fiction: ‘historical,’ because it is a reasonably accurate reconstruction from existing records; and ‘fiction,’ because it is a composite of the lives and attitudes of the times--both the good and the bad. It also serves to mark a lifestyle that might otherwise be forgotten.
All these elements are certainly true of gay pioneers because, quite understandably, there are few published diaries or first-hand accounts of them. Not only was it an extremely dangerous thing to do, but most GLBT men and women were not ‘out’ to their families or friends. Moreover, they were even loathe to reveal a lifetime of secrets after death--often directing that their personal papers be destroyed by a trusted friend.
Without historical fiction, therefore, this very real and important aspect of pioneer life might be overlooked and forgotten, and along with it many of the contributions these individuals made--including the recognition of homosexuality as a fact of life.
Mod
I say I hate research, but the more I have to do it, the more I'm hooked. So, this fascinates me. Anything I've had to read up on has been readily available.
Hi ReneeSadly, I have not been able to find any personal journals, letters, etc., of any GLBT Canadian—well-known or otherwise. Ironically, about the only records that exist are the court records of people like John Damien, a racing stewart who, in 1975, was summarily fired by the Jockey Club of Canada for being homosexual, and Everett George Klippert, the last person sentenced to a “life” term of imprisonment as an “incurable homosexual” (1965).
However, generally speaking, the experiences of most GLBT persons have much in common—the will to love against difficult odds—and so, together with my own 75 years of experience, it is possible to construct a credible view of life as it must have been.
Thank you for your interest.
Gerry B.
Mod
Good Afternoon! I just happened to find this gem of a group today :) My name is Julianne Snow and I am indeed a Canadian. I'm also a published author in the horror/science fiction/speculative fiction realm. (I sometimes have a bit of an identity crisis when trying to figure out which genre my current works fit in to...) I recently published my first book Days with the Undead: Book One - if I knew how to link it to this post, I certainly would but some things escape me (why can't all of the sites use the same processes?).I grew up reading many Canadian authors - Margaret Laurence, Timothy Findley, Farley Mowat and have come to love Kelley Armstrong, Gemma Files, and Douglas E. Wright along with a few others whose names seem to escape me at the moment.
My main loves for reading are horror and science fiction, though I can never turn down an engaging read in other genres.
I look forward to reading what the group has to share and to connecting with those that want to connect :)
Julie
Mod
There you go, and welcome. :) Like you, I have a bit of an identity crisis when it comes to genre. At least you're sticking to speculative fiction, it's kind of like a genre of its own.
Thanks Renee! Much appreciated :) I will learn at some point how it's all done LOLI used to live in Ottawa for a period of time as I also have family in Carlton Place. Every once in a while, I take Highway 37 to commute between Highway 7 and the 401. Such a pretty place :)
Julie
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You know that's what I thought it was for but there was a part of me that wasn't sure so I never checked LOL Thanks :)
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You've got me on that one... No idea!
And yes, I have been through Tweed a few times - one of my exes had family that lived there for a short period of time. I love small town Ontario - nothing beats the landscape and the charm that small towns have :)
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They lived there for a couple of years and to be honest, I think they lived in a winterized cottage. That was over 10 years ago now (I met him while I was in University). Trying to remember his last name - how awful is that?? LOL Obviously he didn't leave a very good impression on me...
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We just had a news report about 35 stolen sheep. Apparently they were under quarantine. I'm just amazed that someone managed to steel that many sheep without being noticed.
Julianne wrote: "Good Afternoon! I just happened to find this gem of a group today :) My name is Julianne Snow and I am indeed a Canadian. I'm also a published author in the horror/science fiction/speculative ficti..."Hurah! Another Canadian writer of speculative fiction. I was beginning to feel a bit lonesome in here.
I Love Canadian Authors
Books mentioned in this topic
Days with the Undead: Book One (other topics)Rowena Through the Wall (other topics)
Fifth Business (other topics)
The Deptford Trilogy (other topics)
Big Bobby Boom! and the Marble Mayhem (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Farley Mowat (other topics)David Adams Richards (other topics)
Dennis Lee (other topics)
