Allan Wilson
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Author Photo:
Sandy Wilson |
With
a Master of Education degree from The University of Lethbridge, teacher and
writer, Allan Wilson, lives, works, and studied in Lethbridge, Alberta. He
has taught all ages—from kindergarten to university students; he has worked for
the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), drove truck, forklift, and an armoured car,
was a Customs Officer, salesman, and then a manager and president of a Toronto
business. Published in
The United Church
Observer (July/August 2000), Reader's Digest, and in
The Canadian Medical Association Journal ("The
continent of cancer", Can. Med. Assoc. J., Dec 2000; 163: 1620 - 1621), as
an author, Allan has read from his writing on the CBC radio, "This Morning"
show.
Early History:
I was born in 1948 in Calgary, the second of a family of five children and
two parents. It was a large, noisy and active family. I lived through the Cold
War scares of the fifties, the assassination of President Kennedy. the
popularity of The Beatles, adult concern over boys with long hair, Bob Dylan,
civil rights, art, literature and anti-Viet Nam war protests. I travelled
alone in Europe, wrote, explored music and Marathon running and performed a wide
variety of jobs and careers until I settled on teaching. In March of 1998,
my son, Josh was diagnosed with bone cancer; on July 14, 1999, the cancer was
diagnosed as terminal; and on Jan. 13, 2000, Josh died. I am left with his
memories, and his story. I am determined that others should know his story, and
know of his courage and I continue to direct my grief towards telling his story
to others.
Age You Began Writing:
I began to write seriously in Mount Royal
Junior College when I took journalism. It sharpened my editorial skills. I later
developed that into the crisis caused by my sensationalistic provocations—the
deeper I got in, the more provocative and cagey my writing became. The novel in
the seventies was in pursuit of poetic fiction, modelled after James Joyce.
Parts of that manuscript succeeded.
My Writing: In the first year after Josh died, I was sustained
by some successes with my writing: an article in the United Church magazine,
the Observer; a grant from the Alberta Arts Foundation; the acquisition of a
Hollywood agent who thought the story could become a film; a second article,
“the Continent of Cancer” published in the Canadian Medical Association
Journal, and that same article read by me on the CBC national radio network.
A customized reprint of the Observer article was published by the
Reader's Digest in October 2002—a gratifying experience. They gave it a new
title, “Joshua's Gifts”, printed it with an excellent photo. The
conversion of Walking Upright Through Fire into a stage play is
promising. I have held readings in Lethbridge and Calgary, and received requests
from twenty-six churches for the script so they could consider putting on a
reading.
Through my work, I feel that part of Joshua's spirit is still with my wife,
Sandy and I.
Awards and Recognitions:
awarded an Alberta Arts
Foundation Writer's Grant for his book, Walking Upright Through Fire.
Future Plans:
I am working on publicity for the play version of
Walking Upright Through Fire. When that is put aside I will start a novel
version of my comedy screenplay, Swearing and Explosions.
Print Author Info (pdf)
Blue Grama Publications Corp. Book/CD Title:
Author contact
information:
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Lethbridge, Alberta Canada
