Stuart Mclean is known as one of Canada's best story tellers, most well known for his tales in the Vinyl Cafe Collection about a family of four: Dave, the often awkward but good hearted owner of a small record store in Toronto, his understanding wife Morley and their two children Sam and Stephanie. But before that time, McLean spent years at CBC Radio, first as a researcher for the show "Cross Country Checkup" and later working on documentaries for the program "Sunday Morning".
During the eighties and nineties he was a frequent contributor and sometimes a guest host for Peter Gzowski's popular radio program "Morningside". When he and Peter Gzowski first began working together, Gzowski was uncertain whether the pairing would work, but the two soon found their footing and Gzowski gradually came to enjoy Mclean and respect his work. They had a regular spot together on Monday mornings during which they discussed whatever came up and Stuart would read one of his essays about the every day world, pieces Gzowski later described as small "exquisitely crafted pieces of journalism".
Mclean chose subjects that focused on every day people and their experiences, ordinary things that people could relate to, were often part of their own experience and presented a positive view of life. They were meant for people to enjoy rather than to raise questions, controversy or to present a particular point of view, so there was never anything about religion or politics. They were funny often nostalgic and people enjoyed listing to them.
Stuart credits this time on CBC with Gzowski as a time that helped him hone his craft as a writer.
Eventually McLean compiled a selection of this work in this, his first book, which quickly became a best seller and was chosen as a finalist for the 1990 Toronto Book Award.
There are a number of stories here on a wide variety of subjects, most of them about every day life and the world as a kind and decent place with good people just making their way through life. Some are very funny and make you laugh out loud, a few are a little sad and pull at your heart strings.
This collection includes essays on the virtues of the wooden pencil, the sad tale of Anne the street lady, the story of Ernie the hot dog street vendor, the miracle of the Stanley Street Tavern, the shocking truth about household dust and an ode to the popsicle, what Mclean deemed one of the most perfect foods.
What I enjoyed most was his stories about growing up in Montreal and summers at Lac Marois where my family rented a cottage not far from his own. His memories are the same as many of mine -- of the tuck shop on the lake and Friday night dances. He talks of growing up in the West End of Montreal, what the area was like and notes the well known Elizbeth Ballantyne School.
It reminded me of so many times from my own past as he was writing about living through his.
This is a lovely book, his stories charming and so well written. For those who enjoy so much of his later work, it is good to go back to this time and read his early stories when he was just beginning to live his dream of becoming a successful writer.