On Wednesday I heard Karolyn Smardz-Frost and Lawrence Hill read from their novels about fugitive slaves and their relationship to Canada. Smardz-Frost, by trade an archeologist, explained how her book, I've Got a Home in Glory Land: A Lost Tale of the Underground Railroad
, came into being. She never set out to be a writer, but found stumbled upon a story that had to be told. In 1985 she was leading school students in an archeological dig in Toronto. To facilitate the day (bathrooms, cafeteria, etc...nearby) she focussed on schoolyards that may have an interesting past. She found that the oldest school in Toronto had been owned by a Mr. Thorton Blackburn in the 1830s. On the census he was listed as "coloured," leading her to suspect he had been a fugitive slave. Her research confirmed her suspicions and led her to the miraculous story of the Blackburns' escape from slavery in Kentucky. In fact, the schoolyard had housed the last stop along the Underground Railroad, as Thorton and his wife Lucie aided escaped slaves to integrate into Canadian society. Read a summary of their lives here.Then Lawrence Hill read from his novel, The Book of Negroes, which won the 2009 edition of Canada Reads. It recounts the true tale of fugitive slaves who fought for the British during the Revolutionary War. Even though the British were defeated, they kept their promise to these ex-slaves to take them out of the United States. Most of these families moved to Nova Scotia. They remained there several years, but many felt badly received by the Nova Scotians, so the British government agreed to send those that met certain requirements back to Africa. So Africans that had been born in Africa, captured, sent to the Americas, became slaves, escaped from slavery, fought in the Revolutionary War, were then relocated to Nova Scotia, finally returned to their native continent! What a story! And it's true! I loved hearing Hill read from his novel. He became the old woman that was speaking. I could see her before me.
On Thursday I heard Neil Bissoondath, a creative writing professor from Université Laval, speak about his writing process. For him, writing is character-driven, not plot-driven. He has a flash about a character and starts writing not knowing what will occur throughout the pages. While writing the first page, the second page is still a mystery. He advised us to trust the characters to unveil themselves.
Last, I attended Alistair MacLeod’s presentation of his novel No Great Mischief: A Novel
, for which he received the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1999. Because the novel is based on several narrative levels of history, as well as the immediate story, MacLeod explained the historical background so that the audience would better understand the passages he read. It was very interesting to hear about the Highland Scots, their involvement in battles for Scottish independence from Britain, their immigration to Eastern Canada and their participation in the Battle of the Plaines d’Abraham. Throughout the narrative MacLeod refers to music, especially as an integral part of Gaelic culture. One of the highlights of the evening was to hear Gaelic songs performed by artists. The similarity between French-Canadian airs and Gaelic airs could be heard, a comparison that is made in the novel to show that there are many resemblances between the two seemingly disparate cultures.The three evenings that I attended the writers’ series were enriching. I understood No Great Mischief to a much deeper degree and Alistair MacLeod’s presentation has given me the desire to read the entire novel. I am also looking forward to reading Karolyn Smardz-Frost’s and Lawrence Hill’s novels during the summer. Although I may not seek out Neil Bissoondath’s novels or short stories, his advice to aspiring writers will continue to guide my creative writing process. I am already looking forward to next year’s writing series and wish that I could have attended all of the events this year.
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