David Adams Richards of the Miramichi : A Biographical Introduction to His Work

In __David Adams Richards of the Miramichi__, Tony Tremblay sheds light not only on Richards' art and achievements, but also on Canadian literary criticism in general. Widely considered to be one of Canada's most important authors, David Adams Richards has been honoured with a Giller Prize and two Governor General's Literary Awards. Despite this, there has been a dearth of critical appraisal of his life and works. In David Adams Richards of the Miramichi, Tony Tremblay sheds light not only on Richards' art and achievements, but also on Canadian literary criticism in general. Tremblay maps out the early influences on Richards' thinking and writing by drawing on interviews, archival records, and cultural studies of New Brunswick. He argues that the author is a more sophisticated craftsman than his critical reception has assumed and makes the case for a more nuanced analysis of his works. Equal parts literary biography, literary criticism, and cultural study of New Brunswick, David Adams Richards of the Miramichi provides a rare glimpse into the struggles and triumphs of a New Brunswick artist in a national and provincial milieu. Tony Tremblay is a professor and Canada Research Chair in the Department of English at St. Thomas University. Publisher's note

Widely considered to be one of Canada's most important authors, David Adams Richards has been honoured with a Giller Prize and two Governor General's Literary Awards. Despite this, there has been a dearth of critical appraisal of his life and works. In David Adams Richards of the Miramichi, Tony Tremblay sheds light not only on Richards' art and achievements, but also on Canadian literary criticism in general.

Tremblay maps out the early influences on Richards' thinking and writing by drawing on interviews, archival records, and cultural studies of New Brunswick. He argues that the author is a more sophisticated craftsman than his critical reception has assumed and makes the case for a more nuanced analysis of his works. Equal parts literary biography, literary criticism, and cultural study of New Brunswick, David Adams Richards of the Miramichi provides a rare glimpse into the struggles and triumphs of a New Brunswick artist in a national and provincial milieu.

Contents 7 Preface 9 Acknowledgments 15 Abbreviations 17 Introduction: Cultural Life on the Miramichi 19 1. Richards’s Ancestry 36 2. Richards’s Birth and Early Years 57 3. Oliver Twist and the 1960s 80 4. Stepping Outside and In: St Thomas University to Small Heroics 120 5. Alden Nowlan and The Coming of Winter 155 6. Ties of Friendship and of Blood 195 7. ‘The great unwholesome anonymity of North America’: Lives to AA 228 8. Rebuilding the Base: Fredericton, Stilt House, and the First GG Nomination 274 Conclusion: Nights Below and Stars Above 317 Bibliography 345 Illustration Credits 363 Index 365 Tony Tremblay. Includes Bibliographical References: P. [327]-344 And Index.