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» pamela_saint - Favorite Authors

Hi Paula,

I've always been an admirer of Alice Munro's work. I think I'm attracted to that strain of subtle yearning common in many of her characters. Of course, it's difficult to be female and not like Margaret Atwood, too. Lately, I've been hearing a lot about Alistair MacLeod and hope to pick up his novel or collection of short stories.

I enjoy your column and have been using it to note authors to add to my ever growing "to read" list.

-- posted by pamela_saint

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» saltandlight - Re: Favorite Authors

In response to message posted by pamela_saint:

I had the rare privilege of meeting and working with Carol Shields - " Stone Diaries" and " Orange Fish" and.... I am amazed at her capacity to accept a challenge and then restructure her style to meet the challenge. She told me that she had never read a fictional autobiography that worked so she changed hats from playwright to autobiographer and created "Stone Diaries". It was a most worthy Pulitzer and Governor general and Booker( I think) winner.

-- posted by saltandlight

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» calypso3 - Re: Favorite Authors

Thanks Pamela,
There is so much "good stuff" I want to cover that it almost seems impossible! I'll definitely be re-visiting this topic in the future, along with more current reviews and interviews!

- Paula

-- posted by calypso3

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» calypso3 - Re: Re: Favorite Authors

Carol Shields is indeed a remarkable writer and woman. She is actually a transplanted American, hence why she won a Pulitzer (I think only American citizens are eligible for that award).

- Paula

-- posted by calypso3

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» Bookwrrrm - Re: Re: Re: Favorite Authors

Yes! She's one of the lucky Canadians who are eligible for the Pulitzer!

I just bought "Dressing Up for the Carnival" and can't wait to read it. Of course, there is also a copy of "Larry's Party" waiting to be read.

I think my favourite book by her is "Swann" - I've read it three times already and become more and more enamored of it every time. Shields' capacity for social critique combined with fluid, lyrical, and entertaining! prose is stunning. This book got me totally interested in metafiction.

It took me two reads and a critical analysis to get me liking "The Stone Diaries". I thought the premise was great and Shields attacked the genre well, but the whole tone of the book was so, well, stony. Daisy was a dull dud.

Dena

-- posted by Bookwrrrm

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» calypso3 - Re: Re: Re: Re: Favorite Authors

I am probably the only literary person in Canada who has not read "Stone Diaries." That is definitely on my list of things to do this year.

- Paula

-- posted by calypso3

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