Howard Blue's

Canada and Mexico

My apologies for this and other somewhat odd groupings of topics on this site. These decisions are also influenced by the number of titles in each category. Years ago I read Family Chronicle by S. Aksakov, a classic of Russian literature, which describes the opening of Russia's eastern frontier. The author's beautiful descriptions of natural scenes and of fishing in local ponds inspired me to take up the latter for a while. From the following list, influenced by my reading of Aksakov's book, I am first of all tempted to take a look at Claude Arbour's Choosing Wilderness: My Life Among the Ospreys.

To read reviews about a book or order it, click on its title. To quickly reach one of the subtopics immediately below, click on it.

Canada

Agnew, Vijay. Where I Come From. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press, 2003. A professor, an immigrant from India, examines the labels have been applied to her throughout life and how she has been affected.

Arbour, Claude. Choosing Wilderness My Life Among the Ospreys. Greystone Books, 2008. An ornithologist on his unusual life in the wilds of northern Quebec.

Buss, Helen M. Memoirs from Away: A New Found Land Girlhood. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press, 1999. Author uses her pseudonym (Margaret Clarke) to tell her Canadian childhood story from a dualistic perspective.

Carley, Glenn. Polenta at Midnight: Tales of Gusto and Enchantment at North York. Vehicule Press, 2007. Englishman from Canada marries into Italian family.

Carney, Pat. Trade Secrets: A Memoir. Key Porter Books, 2002. Author, a member of Parliament, a businesswoman and a mother, discusses her busy life.

Coles, Don. A Dropped Glove in Regent Street: An Autobiography by Other Means. Signal Editions, 2007. Canadian literary critic reflects on reading, traveling and those who influenced his writing.

Gordon, Walter. Walter Gordon: A Political Memoir. Goodread Biographies, 1983.

Grafftey, Heward. Portraits from a Life. Vehicule, 1996. Member of the Canadian Parliament discusses influences on his life.

Lane, Patrick. What the Stones Remember: A Life Rediscovered. Trumpeta, 2005. Canadian poet battles drug and alcohol addiction for 45 years.

Lecker, Robert. Dr. Delicious: Memoirs of a Life in CanLit. Vehicule, 2006. On the Canadian publishing industry.

Moodie, Susana and Michael Peterman. Roughing It in the Bush. W.W. Norton & Co., Inc., 2007. A British family relocates to backwoods Canada.

Norquay, Margaret. Broad Is the Way: Stories from Mayerthorpe. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press, 2008. Author and minister husband move to small northern Alberta community in the early 1950s.

Podbrey, Maurice. Half Man, Half Beast: Making a Life in Canadian Theater. Vehicule, 1997. By the founding artistic director of Montreal's Centaur Theatre.

Roberts, Joan. Joan & Goodridge: My Life with Goodridge Roberts. Vehicule Press, 2010. Reflections on life with Canadian artist.

Whitson, Audrey J. Teaching Places. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press, 2003. Author’s spiritual journey across the Canadian wilderness.

Mexico

Bornemann, Alberto Ulloa. Surviving Mexico's Dirty War: A Political Prisoner's Memoir . Temple University Press, 2007.

Carey, Jeana. Mexico Sketches: An Illustrated Travel Memoir, Or, Suburban Matron as Gringa . CPO Ink, 2008.

Campbell, Howard. Mexican Memoir: A Personal Account of Anthropology and Radical Politics in Oaxaca . Praeger, 2001. American anthropologist marries Zapotec woman from Oaxaca, Mexico, and embarks on study of radical Mexican politics.

Robertson, Merle Greene. Never in Fear: The Memoirs of Merle Greene Robertson . Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute, 2006. Renowned expert on Mayan culture and founder of Palenque Round Table.

Treviño, Jesús Salvador. Eyewitness: A Filmmaker's Memoir of the Chicano Movement Hispanic Civil Rights . Arte Publico Press, 2001.

Schmidt, Carol and Hair, Norma. Falling ... in Love with San Miguel: Retiring to Mexico on Social Security . Salsa Verde Press, 2006. Two Americans retire to Mexico.

Sklar, David P. La Clinica: A Doctor’s Journey Across Borders . University of New Mexico Press, 2008. Experiences volunteering at community clinic in rural Mexico shape author’s skills as emergency physician.

Stuart, David E. The Guaymas Chronicles: La Mandadera . University of New Mexico Press, 2006. Author settles in Mexican port town, befriends orphaned street girl who becomes his messenger (mandadera).