An Evening With W.O. Mitchell: A Collection of the Author's Best-Loved Performance Pieces - Hardcover

Mitchell, W. O.; Mitchell, Barbara; Mitchell, Ormond

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0771060882 ISBN 13: 9780771060885

Publisher: McClelland & Stewart Ltd, 1997

Synopsis

If you ever saw one of W.O. Mitchell's public readings you will know why they were described as unforgettable. Unruly white hair flying, fist raised, voice husky or thundering, eyes wide in innocent astonishment at a double entendre raising a laugh, W.O. Mitchell did not give readings from his work; he performed them. In contrast to the lonely life of the writer, he loved "the immediate thrust of a live audience as it responds to story magic," and the audiences loved him, laughing until they were sore.

This wonderful selection of 31 pieces shows his writing at its best, while the in-performance photographs catch some of the charm of the man whose own character was perhaps his finest creation.

Some pieces come from his novels, such as Who Has Seen the Wind and The Vanishing Point. We also hear the distinctive voices of both Jake and the Kid. "Melvin Arbuckle's First Course in Shock Therapy" is here, as are "The Day I Sold Lingerie in a Prairie Whore House" and the sad tale of "Santa Comes to Shelby." Old favourites are mixed with many new pieces, some never before published in book form, such as "Stopping Smoking" and "The Day I Caught Syphilis" (at the age of twelve). There are also serious pieces on censorship, and, finally, his inspiring 1996 speech in Winnipeg to the Writers' Union of Canada that moved his audience to tears. This book is a worthy tribute to a wonderful man.

About this title

About the Author

<b>W.O. Mitchell</b>, the only Canadian author recognizable by initials alone, was born in Weyburn, Saskatchewan in 1914. Educated at the University of Manitoba, he lived most of his life in Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Alberta, where for many years he was the most renowned resident in High River. He and his wife, Merna, subsequently moved to Calgary. <br><br>During a very varied career Bill Mitchell travelled widely and was everything from a Depression hobo to the fiction editor of <i>Maclean</i>’<i>s</i>. A gifted teacher, he was visiting professor at the University of Windsor for several years, and a creative writing instructor at the Banff Centre for many summers.<br><br>His best-loved book is <i>Who Has Seen the Wind</i>. Since its publication in 1947 it has sold over half a million

From the Inside Flap

saw one of W.O. Mitchell's public readings you will know why they were described as unforgettable. Unruly white hair flying, fist raised, voice husky or thundering, eyes wide in innocent astonishment at a <i>double entendre</i> raising a laugh, W.O. Mitchell did not give readings from his work; he performed them. In contrast to the lonely life of the writer, he loved "the immediate thrust of a live audience as it responds to story magic," and the audiences loved him, laughing until they were sore. <br><br>This wonderful selection of 31 pieces shows his writing at its best, while the in-performance photographs catch some of the charm of the man whose own character was perhaps his finest creation.<br><br>Some pieces come from his novels, such as <i>Who Has Seen the Wind </i>and <i>The Vanishing Point.</i> We also hear the distinctive voices of both Jake and the Kid. "Melvin Arbuckle's First Course in Shock Therapy" is here, as are "The Day I Sold Li

Edition details

• Publisher: McClelland & Stewart Ltd
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0771060882
• ISBN 13: 9780771060885
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 261
• Editor: Mitchell Barbara, Mitchell Ormond