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Newly-Unearthed Stories by Emily Carr
Over 60 stories never before published, by author-artist Emily Carr have been identified and made public for the first time. Over fifty years have passed since a major collection of works by this well-known Canadian has seen publication. The newly-unearthed stories lay hidden in the British Columbia Archives for the past 30 years. Available only to researchers until now, they are mixed in with Carr's manuscripts, letters, journals, books and other materials bequeathed by the artist to her editor and friend Ira Dilworth at her death in 1945.
The new stories, all written during Emily Carr's last two years, draw inspiration from her very full life. They range from her childhood in the young town of Victoria in the 1880's, through her youth, her painting expeditions up North, and observations of old age. Letters to Dilworth, also in the Archives, revealed she conceived these pieces as forming a whole book reflecting on her life and adventures. Two tables-of-contents, a title and a dedication to her trusted Editor, are also among her papers.
The stories add new dimensions to our knowledge of Carr that are not addressed in her other published work. For the first time she reveals feelings about her brother Dick, who died tragically at an early age, a new perspective on her father and her complex relations with her sisters. We see her father walking hand in hand with his little girl, talking about the moon. Emily complains about her birthday being too close to Christmas, but tells us about a tasty birthday tradition she cherished. She discovers her brother Dick's clear blue eyes and his dreams for a future he never got to experience. The little gardens tended by the Carr children are as different as their personalities. The adventures of Emily's trips to Nootka and other places off the beaten track and her reflections about religion, old age and death are all grist for the pen of a woman unique in her time. They illuminate a world that time has passed by.
For most of Emily Carr's life, painting, her first love, took precedence. After a heart attack, when illness curtailed the use of her brush, she worked harder on the writing craft she had already begun to develop. Carr turned out stories and word-sketches at a furious pace, developing a unique, minimalist style with vivid used of language. A second-hand typewriter, mounted for use in bed, helped with her many drafts.
The newly-uncovered stories appear in a new book, titled This and That, published in Victoria, B.C. This and That begins with Emily Carr's own introduction and dedication, followed by an informational essay by Victoria historian and writer Ann-Lee Switzer, who edited the stories.
The new stories, all written during Emily Carr's last two years, draw inspiration from her very full life. They range from her childhood in the young town of Victoria in the 1880's, through her youth, her painting expeditions up North, and observations of old age. Letters to Dilworth, also in the Archives, revealed she conceived these pieces as forming a whole book reflecting on her life and adventures. Two tables-of-contents, a title and a dedication to her trusted Editor, are also among her papers.
The stories add new dimensions to our knowledge of Carr that are not addressed in her other published work. For the first time she reveals feelings about her brother Dick, who died tragically at an early age, a new perspective on her father and her complex relations with her sisters. We see her father walking hand in hand with his little girl, talking about the moon. Emily complains about her birthday being too close to Christmas, but tells us about a tasty birthday tradition she cherished. She discovers her brother Dick's clear blue eyes and his dreams for a future he never got to experience. The little gardens tended by the Carr children are as different as their personalities. The adventures of Emily's trips to Nootka and other places off the beaten track and her reflections about religion, old age and death are all grist for the pen of a woman unique in her time. They illuminate a world that time has passed by.
For most of Emily Carr's life, painting, her first love, took precedence. After a heart attack, when illness curtailed the use of her brush, she worked harder on the writing craft she had already begun to develop. Carr turned out stories and word-sketches at a furious pace, developing a unique, minimalist style with vivid used of language. A second-hand typewriter, mounted for use in bed, helped with her many drafts.
The newly-uncovered stories appear in a new book, titled This and That, published in Victoria, B.C. This and That begins with Emily Carr's own introduction and dedication, followed by an informational essay by Victoria historian and writer Ann-Lee Switzer, who edited the stories.
Submitted on March 17, 2007 in By David.
