Farley Mowat, acclaimed Canadian author, dead at 92

[Esau.]

Sad news. My all time favourite author & Canadian. Rest well Mr. Mowat.

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/2014/05/07/farley_mowat_acclaimed_canadian_author_dead_at_92.html

Acclaimed Canadian author Farley Mowat, 92, has died. His brother John confirmed the death in a phone call to Mowat’s home in Port Hope, Ont., and requested privacy for the family.

The author, whose books on nature, such as Never Cry Wolf, delighted Canadians for decades, was still active in campaigns to protect his beloved country, recently quoted on CBC’s The Current complaining about a plan to increase wifi service in Canada’s national parks.

“My thoughts can be expressed quite simply. I think it is a disastrous, quite stupid, idiotic concept, and should be eliminated immediately,†he said. “I have very strong feelings that national parks, provincial parks, any kind of parks, that are theoretically set up to provide for the protection of nature, in some form or another, should be respected absolutely and ultimately, and human beings should be kept out of them as much as possible.â€

Mowat has never been one to back away from controversy. A 2012 Toronto Star profile of the author of dozens of books — starting with People of the Deer, published in 1952, to his memoirs Otherwise, published in 2008, and Eastern Passagein 2010 — described him as still rising at 6:30 to walk his dog, and begin his writing after breakfasting with his wife of 55 years, Claire.

“By 8 he’s writing, driven by the passion, the hot blood, the rage, and the awe of the wonders of the natural world that have always enlivened Mowat’s adventure yarns,†the late Star journalist Greg Quill wrote.

“Mowat’s books have sold more than 14 million copies in 52 languages and defined the Canadian wilderness for readers all over the world — the landscape, the isolation, the weather, animal and native life — with a heightened sense of reality no other writer has achieved over the past six decades,†Quill wrote after visiting with Mowat at his Port Hope home, only a short distance from where he was born in Belleville.

His wife Claire is also a novelist and memoirist and author of illustrated children’s books. Mowat had two children, David and Sandy.

[hamilton]

RIP Farley Mowat!

[bouche]

I really only knew of him because of the movie, Never Cry Wolf.

A friend and I played hookie to meet him at a book store back in high school.

I used to have a one dollar bill that I had him sign...since I didn't plan on having him sign anything. Long gone.

My buddy had him write an absentee letter to his teacher for the class he was missing. It was a writing class so that worked out well.

[Esau.]

That's awesome Mike!

I was fortunate enough to meet him once at Vancouver airport in 1997. I was truly taken back how engaging he was. I asked him about a couple of my favourite books (People Of The Deer & Walking on the Land) and the controversy People Of The Deer caused in the House of Commons at the time, as well him being 'blacklisted' by the US. I didn't get his autograph, but he did have a couple words about my tattoos. Kinda disappointed father type stuff but with a non-offensive comedic tone.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

Legend who will be missed.

I vaguely remember him being banned from the US for threatening to fire a shotgun at test missiles or something along those lines

[edger]

What a life. I hope his imprint holds

[Esau.]

Legend who will be missed.

I vaguely remember him being banned from the US for threatening to fire a shotgun at test missiles or something along those lines

Not sure if the true reasons were ever fully disclosed to be honest. I remember in his book My Discovery Of America he talks about a couple different things - his book 'Sea of Slaughter' which was published the year before he was denied entry for the book tour and obviously his quote about shooting down US military aircraft in Canadian airspace with a 22-cal rifle. When I asked about it he mentioned the book and rumors of his being a member of the communist party in the late sixties. He said he was never a member but mentioned that at the time he was a member of the NDP which was less than a decade old then (as NDP that is) and was considered a socialist party so that could have been it too. Either way, I believe the controversy regarding his denial was big enough that Reagan lifted the ban.

[Velvet]

A life worth emulating.

[bouche]

That's awesome Mike!

I was fortunate enough to meet him once at Vancouver airport in 1997. I was truly taken back how engaging he was. I asked him about a couple of my favourite books (People Of The Deer & Walking on the Land) and the controversy People Of The Deer caused in the House of Commons at the time, as well him being 'blacklisted' by the US. I didn't get his autograph, but he did have a couple words about my tattoos. Kinda disappointed father type stuff but with a non-offensive comedic tone.

Loosely remembered as:

Dear Mrs. Walker (i forget the teacher),

Please excuse David for missing class. He was busy meeting me.

Farley Mowat