Out of the mouths of Margarets
“You need a certain amount of nerve to be a writer”~Margaret Atwood
“When I say “work” I only mean writing. Everything else is just odd jobs”~Margaret Laurence
Two of my favourite Canadian authors, along with Alice Munro (who wasn’t a Margaret, so no quotes from her today!) I can, and have, learned so much from these authors; as women and as Canadians of which I am both. Is it harder to get published here? I’m not too sure, as I haven’t gone that route myself yet. Recognition may be harder in Canada, though perhaps not in Canada itself, if anyone is paying attention. The main populace, though, is paying attention to the U.S. as our main media import. Hell, even the curriculum in my province hardly supports teaching the Canadian authors (we squeeze in The Handmaid’s Tale by Atwood into grade 12 for the advanced student, and I teach Atwood in my poetry unit for grade 10. We are still advocating for The Stone Angel).
At least, some of our finer literature finds its way to the theatre, crossing art forms as it does. Away From Her based on the Munro short story (of which format she has perfected) The Bear Came Over the Mountain gained some recognition (rightly so!) recently.
I believe I shall go pick up Atwood’s Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing again and give it another read. I could use a little inspiration from the Margaret who I wish I could write one-tenth as well as.
Tags: classics, reading, teaching, writing
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June 12, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Excellent site! Post more short storis by Alice Munro please.