Raymond Fraser
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Raymond Fraser Template:Post-nominals (May 8, 1941 – October 22, 2018) was a Canadian biographer, editor, essayist, memoirist, novelist, poet and short story writer. Fraser published fourteen books of fiction, three of non-fiction, and eight poetry collections. Fraser's writings received positive comments from literary figures Farley Mowat, Irving Layton, Louis Dudek, Alden Nowlan, Sheila Watson, Leonard Cohen, Hugh Garner, and Michael Cook.Template:Citation needed
Biography
Born in Chatham, New Brunswick, Raymond Fraser attended St. Thomas University where in his freshman year he played on the varsity hockey and football teams, and served as co-editor with John Brebner of the student literary magazine Tom-Tom in his junior year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His 20-year correspondence and friendship with the poet Alden Nowlan date from this period.Template:Citation needed
During the sixties Fraser worked as a lab technician, a high school teacher, and as editor and freelance writer for a number of tabloid newspapers.Template:Citation needed
While living in Montreal in 1966, Fraser and poet Leroy Johnson founded the literary magazine Intercourse: Contemporary Canadian Writing.Template:Citation needed In 1971 he cofounded Montreal Story Tellers Fiction Performance Group and the Rank Outsiders Poetry Extravaganza.Template:Citation needed His first book of fiction, The Black Horse Tavern (1973), was published in Montreal by Ingluvin Publications.
Fraser died in Fredericton, New Brunswick, on October 22, 2018, at the age of 77.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Awards and recognition
His novel, The Bannonbridge Musicians (Ingluvin Publications) was a finalist for the 1978 Governor General's Award.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2009, following publication of his novel In Another Life (Lion's Head Press), Fraser received the inaugural Lieutenant-Governor's Award for High Achievement in the Arts for English Language Literary Arts.<ref name=artsnb>Template:Cite web</ref>
Five of Fraser's books were listed in Atlantic Canada's 100 Greatest Books (Nimbus Publishing, 2009), a title also shared by three other authors.Template:Citation needed
In 2012. he was made a member of the Order of New Brunswick, the province's highest honour, for his contributions to literature and New Brunswick's cultural life.Template:Citation needed
In May 2016, he received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from his alma mater, St Thomas University.Template:Citation needed In 2017, he received the Canadian Senate Sesquicentennial Medal in recognition of valuable service to the nation.Template:Citation needed
Over the years he received four Canada Council Grants, six New Brunswick Arts Board Grants, and the Canadian Writers' Trust Woodcock Grant.Template:Citation needed
Bibliography
Fiction
- The Black Horse Tavern – 1973. Revised definitive edition with an Introduction by the author – 2014 (novella & stories)
- The Struggle Outside – 1975. Revised definitive edition with an Afterword by the author – 2013 (novel)
- The Bannonbridge Musicians – 1978. Revised definitive edition – 2014 (novel)
- Rum River – 1997. Revised definitive edition – 2016 (novel)
- Costa Blanca – 2001, 2013 (novella & stories)
- In a Cloud of Dust and Smoke – 2003, 2013 (novel)
- The Grumpy Man – 2008, 2013 (novella & stories)
- In Another Life – 2009, 2013 (novel)
- The Trials Of Brother Bell – 2010 (two novels, Repentance Vale & The Struggle Outside)
- The Madness Of Youth – 2011, 2013 (novel)
- Repentance Vale – 2011, 2013 (novel)
- Bliss – 2013 (stories)
- Seasons of Discontent – 2015 (novel)
- Through Sunlight and Shadows – 2018 (novel)
Biography
- The Fighting Fisherman: The Life of Yvon Durelle – 1981, 1983, 2005
- Todd Matchett: Confessions of a Young Criminal – 1994
Memoirs and essays
- When The Earth Was Flat – 2007, 2013
Poetry
- For the Miramichi – 1966
- Waiting for God's Angel – 1967
- I've Laughed and Sung – 1969
- The More I Live – 1971
- Stop The Highway... 4 Montreal Poets: Raymond Fraser, Clifford Gaston, Bob Higgins & Bryan McCarthy – 1972
- Macbride Poems – 1992
- Before You're A Stranger – 2000
- As I See it – 2017
eBooks
- The Black Horse Tavern
- Bliss
- Costa Blanca
- When The Earth Was Flat
- The Grumpy Man
- Repentance Vale
Anthology edited
- East of Canada: An Atlantic Anthology – 1977 (Eds.: Raymond Fraser, Clyde Rose and Jim Stewart)
Literary magazines edited
- Tom-Tom (St. Thomas University) Raymond Fraser and John Brebner, eds. 1962.
- Intercourse: Contemporary Canadian Writing Raymond Fraser et al., eds. 1966–1971.
- The Pottersfield Portfolio Raymond Fraser et al., eds. 1990–1992.
- Lion's Head Magazine (online) Raymond Fraser and Bernell MacDonald, eds. 2014– .
References
In-text citations
Bibliography
External links
- 1941 births
- 2018 deaths
- Canadian male novelists
- Canadian male poets
- Canadian male short story writers
- Canadian people of Scottish descent
- Canadian male biographers
- Members of the Order of New Brunswick
- People from Miramichi, New Brunswick
- People from Northumberland County, New Brunswick
- St. Thomas University (New Brunswick) alumni
- 20th-century Canadian biographers
- 20th-century Canadian male writers
- 20th-century Canadian poets
- 20th-century Canadian novelists
- 20th-century Canadian short story writers
- 21st-century Canadian biographers
- 21st-century Canadian male writers
- 21st-century Canadian novelists
- 21st-century Canadian poets
- 21st-century Canadian short story writers
- Poets from New Brunswick
- Novelists from New Brunswick