Sympathetic, generous ... and tough: one of CanLit's backstage producers revealed.

Sympathetic, generous ... and tough: one of CanLit's backstage producers revealed. Robert Weaver Robert Weaver is the name of: Robert C. Weaver, a 20th century American politician. Robert Weaver (illustrator), an American illustrator. Robert "Wingnut" Weaver, an American professional surfer. : Godfather of Canadian Literature For the quarterly academic journal, see .Canadian literature may be divided into two parts, based on their separate roots: one stems from the culture and literature from France; the other from Britain. Each is written in the language of its originating culture. Elaine Kalman Naves Vehicule 168 pages, softcover ISBN ISBNabbr.International Standard Book NumberISBNInternational Standard Book NumberISBNn abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m9781550652338 It has been customary for some time to refer to the period ofliterary activity that began in this country in the late 1950s, gatheredmomentum in the 1960s and flourished for some twenty years TWENTY YEARS. The lapse of twenty years raises a presumption of certain facts, and after such a time, the party against whom the presumption has been raised, will be required to prove a negative to establish his rights. 2. or so afterthat, as the "Canadian Renaissance." The leading writers whocame to prominence at that time are now well known-at least to those whoare interested in such matters. But we are only gradually coming tounderstand the cultural background to that movement and to recognize thepeople behind the scenes, as it were, who made it possible. Thecontributions of Jack McClelland John Gordon "Jack" McClelland CC (July 30, 1922 - June 14, 2004) was a Canadian publisher.Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, he attended the University of Toronto Schools, St. , publisher extraordinaire ex��tra��or��di��naire?adj.Extraordinary: a jazz singer extraordinaire.[French, from Old French, from Latin extra , and GeorgeWoodcock This article is about the Canadian writer. For the British trade unionist, see George Woodcock (trade unionist). George Woodcock (May 8, 1912 - January 28, 1995) was a prolific Canadian writer of poetry, essays, criticism, biographies and historical works. , tireless commentator and first editor of Canadian Literature,are now acknowledged. That of Malcolm Ross Several notable individuals have been named "Malcolm Ross". These include: Malcolm Ross (anti-Semite) Malcolm Ross (balloonist) Malcolm Ross (courtier) Malcolm Ross (linguist) Malcolm Ross (literary critic) Malcolm Ross (musician) , organizer and first generaleditor of the New Canadian Library The New Canadian Library is a publishing imprint of the Canadian company McClelland and Stewart. The series aims to present classic works of Canadian literature in paperback. , is not so well known, although JanetB. Friskey's book on the subject is scheduled to appear almostsimultaneously with the volume under review. But the crucial role playedby Robert Weaver, even though understood and appreciated by the writersof the period, is barely recognized by the general public. Along withthe connected CBC Radio For the Japanese broadcaster, see Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting.For the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation's radio service, see CBC 900 AM (Barbados).CBC Radio is the English language radio division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Ideas program aired in October 2007, thisadmirable tribute to a "wonderfully talented, energetic, and modestman" who, like Ross, never stepped into the limelight, should nowremedy the situation. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Robert Weaver: Godfather of Canadian Literature is no standardformal biography, however. Elaine Kalman Naves is a journalist (in thebest sense of that rather fluid term), and she has made no attempt todelve deeply into obscure archives. Indeed, her book is the product ofextended interviews: with Weaver himself, with many of the survivingwriters whose careers he nurtured, and with Eric Friesen, the CBC (1) (Cell Broadcast Center) See cell broadcast.(2) (Cipher Block Chaining) In cryptography, a mode of operation that combines the ciphertext of one block with the plaintext of the next block. veteran broadcaster who was Weaver's youthful boss during his lateryears with the corporation. What she offers is a multifaceted collagethat may be unconventional, but that proves highly appropriate for apresentation of this particular man and the many areas in which heworked. The book is divided into three parts. The first, presented in threechapters, is most clearly biographical in emphasis, and comes close toqualifying as a personal memoir. It covers Weaver's early years inNiagara Falls Niagara Falls, waterfall, United States and CanadaNiagara Falls,in the Niagara River, W N.Y. and S Ont., Canada; one of the most famous spectacles in North America. The falls are on the international line between the cities of Niagara Falls, N.Y. and Toronto, his apparently undistinguished un��dis��tin��guished?adj.1. a. Marked by no peculiar quality; not distinguished; ordinary: an undistinguished appearance.b. war service atKingston ("I could never fire a rifle that could harm anybody butpeople standing right beside me") and his university years, whenextracurricular literary activities meant more to him than the academictraining. A quite detailed account follows of his years at CBC Radio,where he organized the Canadian Short Stories and Anthology programs, aswell as the main facts about his activities as chief editor of theTamarack Review For other uses, see Tamarack (disambiguation).The Tamarack Review was a Canadian literary magazine, published from 1956 to 1982. Established and edited by Robert Weaver, other figures associated with the magazine's editorial staff included Anne Wilkinson, William Toye , his subsequent inauguration of the CBC LiteraryCompetition and his extensive achievements as an anthologist. Given hisreserved nature, it is hardly surprising that we hear little about hisdomestic life with his wife and children. This is almost exclusively thebiography of a career-or, more accurately, of a series of careers. The second section presents a composite version of the hithertounused material from the Weaver interviews and is of as much interestfor the people he talks about as for a revelation of his own character.Up to this point Naves, in her own words, "let Weaver speak forhimself as much as possible." The third section, however,reproduces a series of interviews with other writers: Margaret Atwood,Barry Callaghan This article is about the Canadian author and poet, for the Scottish football (soccer) player, see Barry Callaghan (footballer).Barry Morley Joseph Callaghan (born July 5, 1937) is a Canadian author, poet and anthologist. , Robert Fulford Alternate use: see Robert Fulford (croquet player) for the English croquet player.Robert Fulford, O.C., (born February 13, 1932) is a Canadian journalist, sometime editor and essayist. He was born in Ottawa and lives in Toronto. , Alice Munro Alice Ann Munro, n��e Laidlaw (born 10 July 1931) is a Canadian short-story writer who is widely considered one of the world's premier fiction writers. Munro is a three-time winner of Canada's Governor General's Award for fiction. , Alistair MacLeod andJanice Kulyk Keefer Janice Kulyk Keefer (born 2 June, 1952) is a Canadian novelist and poet.Born in Toronto, she studied literature at universities in England and France, and currently teaches literature and theatre in the graduate studies department at the University of Guelph. , as well as Friesen. The book is illustrated by manyevocative photographs (courtesy of the Weavers) and photographicreproductions of letters both to and from Weaver. As a whole the bookconstitutes, you might say, a rich anthology of images and voices. Weaver's achievements can now be seen in clear focus. TheTamarack Review, which ran from 1956 until 1982, was the foremostCanadian literary periodical of its time. Although Naves describes it,accurately, as "a hands-on cottage industry, with everyone allotted al��lot?tr.v. al��lot��ted, al��lot��ting, al��lots1. To parcel out; distribute or apportion: allotting land to homesteaders; allot blame.2. a job," it can reasonably be described as the first such product inthe country to transcend the "little magazine" category. Itwas smartly designed, attractively produced and even paid itscontributors--modestly, to be sure, but as Barry Callaghan remarks,"the professional gesture was made." Above all, its standardswere high, as is evident when one looks over individual issues with thegift of hindsight. The first, for example, included among itscontributors Margaret Avison, Timothy Findley (making his debut as awriter), Jay Macpherson, Brian Moore and Ethel Wilson. The secondpublished George Johnston, Alice Munro, James Reaney, Mordecai Richlerand A.J.M. Smith. Of all these, only Smith and Wilson could be said tobe well established at the time, with Reaney and Richler well on theway. The rest were virtually unknown. At the CBC, Weaver managed to double the length of the CanadianShort Stories feature to half an hour, and went out across Canada tofind and nurture young Canadian talent. For instance, Norman Levine, oneof whose best-known stories is "We All Start in a LittleMagazine," was first encouraged, by Weaver, to submit his work forbroadcasting. Later, when Weaver launched Anthology (which eventuallybecame a program lasting a full hour), the list of participants expandedto such an extent that, as Naves writes, it "reads like a lexiconof Canadian literature." Several of the eminent writers interviewedin the third section wonder if they could ever have succeeded inestablishing themselves if it had not been for "Bob." As Canadian writing developed, Weaver launched out further asanthologist, in print as well as on the air waves, with five series ofshort story collections (always his first love), plus The Oxford Book ofCanadian Short Stories in English (co-edited by Atwood), and alsoco-edited the broader Oxford Anthology of Canadian Literature withWilliam Toye. The CBC Literary Competition, begun in 1979, continued thecrusade--differently, in response to different conditions--into the newmillennium. What Robert Fulford describes here as the "WeaverEffect" had an incalculable and cumulative impact upon theproduction of accomplished literature in this country. As a man, Weaver appears to be a curious and successful combinationof sympathy, generosity and toughness. Everyone interviewed here speaksfondly of the interest he took in them, and he is believed to haveoccasionally bought material that he did not intend to use because heknew that the author in question urgently needed the money. At the sametime, his artistic standards were high, and he was not afraid of beingbluntly critical if he thought it was in the author's bestinterests. Apparently he told Austin Clarke that "you're nopoet," and he certainly declared to the young Alice Munro that oneof the stories she had sent him "failed to rise above somewhatcommonplace and tedious material." Moreover, he could react firmlywhen he felt that a writer was overstepping the mark. Once, after abarrage of verse submissions from Al Purdy, he replied: "Dear Al, /I have enough poems for the moment so lay off and I'll get in touchwith you as soon as I can. / Sincerely..." He firmly believed thathis writers could produce work of the highest quality and would not befobbed off with the second best. But what of Weaver's legacy? Naves asks the question of mostof her interviewees (which means, incidentally, that the book gets alittle repetitious rep��e��ti��tious?adj.Filled with repetition, especially needless or tedious repetition.repe��ti toward the end). The majority seem optimistic,content to reminisce rem��i��nisce?intr.v. rem��i��nisced, rem��i��nisc��ing, rem��i��nisc��esTo recollect and tell of past experiences or events.[Back-formation from reminiscence. about the bad old days before he appeared, implyingthat his torch was being carried on. I am not so sure. By chance, whenthis book arrived for review, I was listening to classical music onCBC's officially commercial-free Radio 2. As I was leafing throughthe book in an endeavour to get a preliminary "feel" of it,the program was interrupted by a plug for one of its later features thatday that ranked with the most nauseating ads on local pop stations. Now,alas, this is a regular occurrence. There was once a time--Weaver's time--when the CBC saw itsfunction to be the education and elevation of public taste. Not anymore; now it seems all too eager to adapt itself to the more vulgarelements in its audience. This trend has gotten decidedly worse sinceits new policies were instituted some nine months ago. Yet of theinterviewees, only Janice Kulyk Keefer addresses the situation when shelaments "what I perceive to be the dumbing down of a lot of radioprograms compared to standards as I remember them when the CBC was soimportant to me." Exactly. Under the new dispensation DISPENSATION. A relaxation of law for the benefit or advantage of an individual. In the United States, no power exists, except in the legislature, to dispense with law, and then it is not so much a dispensation as a change of the law. , it looks asif Weaver's standards and ideals are being increasingly eroded andmay ultimately be betrayed. Still, the files of the Tamarack Review are available in libraries,and most people curious enough to have read this review through to itsclose are likely to have on their shelves a number of books, good books,that would never have been written if Robert Weaver had not producedsome desperately needed cash at a moment of crisis, first printed orbroadcast a story that is a staple of what, in a combination ofaffection and belittlement, we now tend to refer to as CanLit, or justuttered words of genuine encouragement that helped a struggling geniusto keep going. This is an achievement that cannot be gainsaid, and itseffects are still with us. Future improvements could still develop asthe result of his example. Perhaps that is legacy enough. W.J. Keith is a professor emeritus of English at the University ofToronto Research at the University of Toronto has been responsible for the world's first electronic heart pacemaker, artificial larynx, single-lung transplant, nerve transplant, artificial pancreas, chemical laser, G-suit, the first practical electron microscope, the first cloning of T-cells, . His publications include Canadian Literature in English (1985,2006) and Canadian Odyssey: A Reading of Hugh Hood's "The NewAge/Le nouveau siecle" (2002).