Raymond Fraser: Atlantic Canada’s Man of the Month?

“A highly original voice.” – The Vancouver Sun
“One of the most gifted writers I know.” – Alden Nowlan
“The best literary voice to come belling out of the Maritimes in decades.” – Farley Mowatt

New Brunswick’s Raymond Fraser got started early. In his Jr. year at St. Thomas university he was co-editor for the student literary magazine Tom-Tom.  At 25, living in Montreal, he and Leroy Johnson founded the literary magazine: Intercourse: Contemporary Canadian Writing. And this ambition and talent led to one of the most remarkable careers of any Atlantic Canadian author, and resulted in, just this month, in his being awarded the inaugural Lieutenant-Governor’s Award for High Achievement in English Literary Arts, a 20,000$ award “designed to recognize the outstanding contribution of individuals to the arts.”

Here is a chunk of text from the press release for the award: ”

“’I felt it in my bones quite early, the desire to be a writer. At 14 I decided maybe it would too dull. Thought I’d live an exciting life for a while, and then write when I was older.’  However by the time the Chatham boy turned 17, Fraser’s mind was made up, and New Brunswick’s cultural life is the richer for it.”

Moreover, in the recently released gem, Atlantic Canada’s Top 100 Books, Fraser ties with the likes of literary icons David Adams Richards and Wayne Johnston for the author with the most titles in the list. Five. That’s quite an honour. Fraser has written 7 works of poetry, 2 biographies, a memoir, and compiled the anthology East of Canada. He has just released his eighth novel, In Another Life. You can buy it here: http://fraserbooks.blogspot.com/

“Wily Fredericton scribe Raymond Fraser proves again why he is one of Atlantic Canada’s finest writers with the beautiful and haunting tragic-comedy of one boy’s rise to prominence in his community and his slow descent into the throes of alcoholism. In Another Life is a powerful and poignant story that will capture the minds and hearts of readers. Think Catcher in the Rye meets Hemingway and Bukowski.” — Leap Magazine

“A beautifully wrought story, tragic, poignant and full of rich detail. It’s just masterful.” — Robert Lecker

“In Another Life is heart-warming and heart-wrenching all at once. It’s the real deal, a genuine masterpiece of storytelling, sadly beautiful, and perhaps Fraser’s finest work to date.” — Stephen Clare, The Book Club

Two Quick Questions for Raymond Fraser

I don’t think it’s the highlights that were important in my writing years so far but the lowlights, the near-darknesses, and making it through those times and being the better for it. Getting off the booze in 1982 which gave me a second go at life and writing when I thought both were finished, and then going through a lot of frustrations and self-doubts and finally getting things sorted out through assorted revelations.