On Tuesday of this week, May 14, 2013, the wonderful Newfoundland Humorist Ray Guy passed away from cancer at the age of 74. It was the very day that I finished reading his 1977 Leacock Medal winning book That Far Greater Bay. I learned about his death after I finished writing my Canus Humorous book review and started googling for trivia about the author.This is the second time this has happened since I started my Leacock Medal reading project, and it is getting eerie as well as sad. Max Ferguson passed away within a couple of weeks of my reading his 1968 medal winner And Now Here’s Max.
This thing of meeting people through their books, getting to know and like them, and then finding out they are no longer with us - all within a matter of days - is an unexpected and very trying part of this book reading adventure. Perhaps, it is the time period I have been reviewing to this point: Leacock Medalists between 1947 and 1977. They are all getting up there in age or already gone. As the year progresses, the authors are more likely to be younger, healthier and with us. I hope. I have enough real life lost loved ones without adding imaginary friends to the mournings.
My normal Canus Humorous routine is to read a book, make notes, write a book review, scan the book cover as is my privilege as a book reviewer and pretend literary critic, draw a copyright free amateurish portrait, and then look for trivia about the author.
After I have assembled all this, I usually save it all in a file for eventual blog posting according to my preordained schedule.
After I have assembled all this, I usually save it all in a file for eventual blog posting according to my preordained schedule.
Against this scheme, Ray Guy might not be appearing on the Canus Humorous blog for a few months.
But I am posting it now semi-officially (no link on the Home Page yet) because of his passing.
Here are some links to Ray Guy Obits
and again ...
