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Dance on the Earth: A Memoir
In this, her final work, Margaret Laurence tells the story of her life, the process of her writing, and the people and emotional journeys which accompanied it. She relates her experiences living in different cultures; the issues and causes she so passionately upheld; her personal battle against censorship. She also pays tribute to the three women from whom she drew important spiritual strength.
Including a selection of her articles, speeches, and letters – many never before published – and photographs selected by Margaret Laurence from her personal family albums, Dance on the Earth is a book in which Margaret Laurence speaks about her place in the world as a woman, a writer, and a concerned human being.
Including a selection of her articles, speeches, and letters – many never before published – and photographs selected by Margaret Laurence from her personal family albums, Dance on the Earth is a book in which Margaret Laurence speaks about her place in the world as a woman, a writer, and a concerned human being.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
3 people are currently reading
234 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Laurence
48 books405 followersCanada's classic authoress was born Jean Margaret Wemyss on July 18, 1926 in the prairie town of Neepawa, Manitoba, Canada. Her Mom, Verna, passed away early. Her Aunt Margaret helped her Father take care of her for a year, then they married and had a Son. Their Father died two years afterwards. Aunt Margaret was a Mother to her, raising the kids in theirr maternal Grandfather's home.
Margaret wrote stories in elementary school. Her professional writing career began in 1943 with a job at the town newspaper and continued in 1944, when she entered the Honours English program at Winnipeg's United College (University Of Winnipeg.) After graduating in 1947, she was hired as a reporter for The Winnipeg Citizen. That year, she married Jack Laurence, a civil engineer.
Jack's profession took the couple to England, Somalia, and eventually Ghana, where Margaret gained an appreciation for Africa and the storytelling traditions of its peoples. It was in Africa that their children, Jocelyn and David, were born, and when Margaret began to work seriously on her writing. Her book of essays about and translations of Somali poetry and prose was published in 1954 as A Tree for Poverty. A collection of short stories, The Tomorrow-Tamer, as well as a novel, This Side Jordan (both focusing on African subjects) were published after Margaret returned home to Canada. Her fiction was thereafter concerned with Canadian subjects, but she maintained her interest in African literature and in 1968 published a critical analysis of Nigerian literature, Long Drums and Cannons: Nigerian Dramatists and Novelists 1952-1966. Present in her African works is a concern with the ethical dilemma of being a white colonialist living in colonial Africa.
In 1957, Margaret and her family moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, for five years. In 1962, Margaret & Jack divorced. She moved to London, England for a year, followed by a cottage in Buckinghamshire for ten years, although she visited Canada often. During this period, Margaret wrote her first works with Canadian subject matter.
"The Stone Angel" was published in 1964, and was the first of her "Manawaka novels", the fictional prairie community modelled after her hometown of Neepawa, Manitoba. It was followed by "A Jest Of God" in 1966 (for which she won her first Governor General's Award,) "The Fire-Dwellers" in 1969, and "A Bird In The House" in 1970. Margaret received critical and commercial acclaim in Canada and in 1971, was honoured by being named a Companion to the Order of Canada.
In the early 1970s, she returned to Canada and settled in Lakefield, Ontario. She continued to write and was writer-in-residence at the University Of Toronto, the University Of Western Ontario, and Trent University. In 1974, Margaret completed her final novel, "The Diviners", for which she received the Governor General's Award and the Molson Prize. It was followed by a book of essays, Heart Of A Stranger" in 1976 and several children's books: "Jason's Quest", "The Olden-Days Coat", "Six Darn Cows", and "The Christmas Birthday Story". Her autobiography "Dance On The Earth" was published in 1987.
Margaret died on January 5, 1987 at her home in Lakefield, after learning her lung cancer diagnosis was terminal. She is buried in Neepawa Cemetery, a few metres from the stone angel which inspired her novel.
Margaret wrote stories in elementary school. Her professional writing career began in 1943 with a job at the town newspaper and continued in 1944, when she entered the Honours English program at Winnipeg's United College (University Of Winnipeg.) After graduating in 1947, she was hired as a reporter for The Winnipeg Citizen. That year, she married Jack Laurence, a civil engineer.
Jack's profession took the couple to England, Somalia, and eventually Ghana, where Margaret gained an appreciation for Africa and the storytelling traditions of its peoples. It was in Africa that their children, Jocelyn and David, were born, and when Margaret began to work seriously on her writing. Her book of essays about and translations of Somali poetry and prose was published in 1954 as A Tree for Poverty. A collection of short stories, The Tomorrow-Tamer, as well as a novel, This Side Jordan (both focusing on African subjects) were published after Margaret returned home to Canada. Her fiction was thereafter concerned with Canadian subjects, but she maintained her interest in African literature and in 1968 published a critical analysis of Nigerian literature, Long Drums and Cannons: Nigerian Dramatists and Novelists 1952-1966. Present in her African works is a concern with the ethical dilemma of being a white colonialist living in colonial Africa.
In 1957, Margaret and her family moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, for five years. In 1962, Margaret & Jack divorced. She moved to London, England for a year, followed by a cottage in Buckinghamshire for ten years, although she visited Canada often. During this period, Margaret wrote her first works with Canadian subject matter.
"The Stone Angel" was published in 1964, and was the first of her "Manawaka novels", the fictional prairie community modelled after her hometown of Neepawa, Manitoba. It was followed by "A Jest Of God" in 1966 (for which she won her first Governor General's Award,) "The Fire-Dwellers" in 1969, and "A Bird In The House" in 1970. Margaret received critical and commercial acclaim in Canada and in 1971, was honoured by being named a Companion to the Order of Canada.
In the early 1970s, she returned to Canada and settled in Lakefield, Ontario. She continued to write and was writer-in-residence at the University Of Toronto, the University Of Western Ontario, and Trent University. In 1974, Margaret completed her final novel, "The Diviners", for which she received the Governor General's Award and the Molson Prize. It was followed by a book of essays, Heart Of A Stranger" in 1976 and several children's books: "Jason's Quest", "The Olden-Days Coat", "Six Darn Cows", and "The Christmas Birthday Story". Her autobiography "Dance On The Earth" was published in 1987.
Margaret died on January 5, 1987 at her home in Lakefield, after learning her lung cancer diagnosis was terminal. She is buried in Neepawa Cemetery, a few metres from the stone angel which inspired her novel.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 29, 2013
I really enjoyed this book.
Laurence approaches the task of telling us about her life through what she describes as the "gifts" of three women she loved dearly and were role models for her during her lifetime: her biological mother who died when she was four, her Aunt Margaret who eventually became her "other mother" when she married her widowed father and her mother-in-law.
This was the last book Laurence wrote and it was published posthumously. She died at the age of sixty with advanced stage four lung cancer. Several years later we learn that she had committed suicide, something that was kept from the public for many years. But it should be no surprise after reading about friends and family who had spent long difficult days at the bedside of their dying relatives and the human toll that took.
Margaret's voice fills this book. You can almost see and hear her sitting at the table with a cigarette and a glass of whiskey, telling you her tale. She shares not only the events of her life, her triumphs and failures, but she also speaks of her loneliness, the incredible joy her children brought her, and the evolution of her writing.
A wonderful book, greatly enhanced by the reader's knowledge of her writing.
The end of the book has some additional poems and prose pieces, some of which have never been published, which also adds to the volume.
Laurence approaches the task of telling us about her life through what she describes as the "gifts" of three women she loved dearly and were role models for her during her lifetime: her biological mother who died when she was four, her Aunt Margaret who eventually became her "other mother" when she married her widowed father and her mother-in-law.
This was the last book Laurence wrote and it was published posthumously. She died at the age of sixty with advanced stage four lung cancer. Several years later we learn that she had committed suicide, something that was kept from the public for many years. But it should be no surprise after reading about friends and family who had spent long difficult days at the bedside of their dying relatives and the human toll that took.
Margaret's voice fills this book. You can almost see and hear her sitting at the table with a cigarette and a glass of whiskey, telling you her tale. She shares not only the events of her life, her triumphs and failures, but she also speaks of her loneliness, the incredible joy her children brought her, and the evolution of her writing.
A wonderful book, greatly enhanced by the reader's knowledge of her writing.
The end of the book has some additional poems and prose pieces, some of which have never been published, which also adds to the volume.
November 17, 2014
Margaret Laurence led a quite conventional life at least as depicted in her autobiography. She was raised by three mothers, one an aunt , one a grandmother and her own mother who died young. She lived through WW, depression and poverty as a child. Her spirit was always strong and independent. She knew early on that she would be a writer and followed her vision. She married in her twenties and spent years following her husband to various work locations, some in Africa. She talks about the creation of her novels and how Stone Angel was pivotal to her. She left her husband to concentrate more fully on writing after it's publication. She says her children always came first, then her writing. I enjoyed her descriptions of the various places they lived in and how dedicated she was to being a mother.
Apparently the local authority's felt that Stone Angel and later the Diviners contained pornographic material. She was very hurt by this and spent quite a bit of energy defending her novels. She also spent much time discussing "The Cold War" and nuclear proliferation. I found this part of the material dated and her stance over blown which is why I only gave this three stars. But a good and honest portrayal of a struggling writer.
Apparently the local authority's felt that Stone Angel and later the Diviners contained pornographic material. She was very hurt by this and spent quite a bit of energy defending her novels. She also spent much time discussing "The Cold War" and nuclear proliferation. I found this part of the material dated and her stance over blown which is why I only gave this three stars. But a good and honest portrayal of a struggling writer.
September 10, 2016
Dance on the Earth: a Memoir by Margaret Laurence. Written as Laurence's last gift to a world she was soon to leave, this remembrance encapsulates the Laurence philosophy which so successfully permeated her books for so many years. The personal references are included to illumine her shining zeal for this good earth, and are never too personal or included at the expense of the privacy of her family or friends. The book ends with a treasury of poems and letters, personal yet of worldly significance, which further light the way to an understanding of this complex yet simple woman. I sincerely wish I had acted on my earlier impulses and written to tell her of my esteem for both her and her books. Now I am too late. Written in February, 1990.
November 5, 2016
I chose to reread this book after a mention of it at a celebration of life this summer. It is probably 20 years since I first read it. It is an excellent memoir written by a outstanding author who happened to be Canadian. She describes many of her influences, challenges and support through family and some friends; and her compulsion to be a writer, as well as a wife and mother, at a time when few women were able to contemplate doing both.
The stories of how her various books came to be are fascinating. I still remember Margaret Lawrence doing a reading/presentation in the late 70's when I was in Moose Jaw, when I had read many of her prairie books. I also remember her smoking on the stage during her presentation, something that would never happen now!
The stories of how her various books came to be are fascinating. I still remember Margaret Lawrence doing a reading/presentation in the late 70's when I was in Moose Jaw, when I had read many of her prairie books. I also remember her smoking on the stage during her presentation, something that would never happen now!
July 2, 2017
I love all Margaret Laurence's novels, so I was very excited to read her memoir. She gives a lot of insight into her life, her career and her thoughts about issues, which is interesting. The one thing I wish she'd gone into more is her emotional life. I think it's a funny relationship we have with writers who touch our inner lives - we almost feel that we have the right to be in touch with theirs.
August 5, 2013
This was a good book. It was very sad that she committed suicide though.
August 16, 2018
Interesting perspectives on being a female Canadian writer.
May 20, 2024
After reading Margaret Laurence's The Stone Angel, I tackled her memoir. It's a bit less compelling than that novel, but interesting. It seems to be entirely linear as the author matures under the care of her natural mother, Mum (her beloved stepmother) and her mother-in-law. However, Laurence is deeply attached to her writing and her homes from childhood to the end of her days. Either of those two elements could have anchored the work, but that was not her choice. Writing the memoir was aided during Laurence's declining year by her daughter editor Jocelyn Laurence. It was published not long after the death of Margaret.
In the final chapters, the description of being the target of book banners is more episodic than linear. Her encounters were in the mid 1970s and mid 1980s, but all too familiar to today's readers. Laurence gently describes the pro-banning folks as "extremely unskilled" readers. Further along in the book, her article "The Greater Evil", first published in Toronto Life, follows lyrics, other short pieces, excerpts of correspondence and poetry. "The Greater Evil" takes on the accusations the book banners made of The Diviners and The Stone Angel and demonstrates how literature is far different than pornography.
As a reader, I'm embarrassed to have learned so much about American and English writers in school but precious little about those of Canada (Mexico, as well). That said, Laurence herself, a woman who lived several years in colonial Africa when her husband had overseas engineering assignments, shows that at least part of her own orientation was shadowed by colonial mentality. She approaches a spouseless move to England as if it would place her in a cohort of writers. She had a very productive decade in Buckinghamshire, but it wasn't with her own Bloomsbury group. When she moved back to Canada in the early 1970s, she becomes more than an academic who writes. She is an activist, a founding member of the Writers' Union of Canada, a woman of letters recognized with national acclaim. She was twice a recipient of the Governor General's Award for fiction and invested as a Companion of the Order of Canada. I look forward to reading a few more of her works.
In the final chapters, the description of being the target of book banners is more episodic than linear. Her encounters were in the mid 1970s and mid 1980s, but all too familiar to today's readers. Laurence gently describes the pro-banning folks as "extremely unskilled" readers. Further along in the book, her article "The Greater Evil", first published in Toronto Life, follows lyrics, other short pieces, excerpts of correspondence and poetry. "The Greater Evil" takes on the accusations the book banners made of The Diviners and The Stone Angel and demonstrates how literature is far different than pornography.
As a reader, I'm embarrassed to have learned so much about American and English writers in school but precious little about those of Canada (Mexico, as well). That said, Laurence herself, a woman who lived several years in colonial Africa when her husband had overseas engineering assignments, shows that at least part of her own orientation was shadowed by colonial mentality. She approaches a spouseless move to England as if it would place her in a cohort of writers. She had a very productive decade in Buckinghamshire, but it wasn't with her own Bloomsbury group. When she moved back to Canada in the early 1970s, she becomes more than an academic who writes. She is an activist, a founding member of the Writers' Union of Canada, a woman of letters recognized with national acclaim. She was twice a recipient of the Governor General's Award for fiction and invested as a Companion of the Order of Canada. I look forward to reading a few more of her works.
July 23, 2022
Laurence wrote an unconventional biography. She focused on the three women who influenced her greatly--her mother, her step-mother, and her mother-in-law. All three women supported her wish t become a writer, support she felt was unusual at the time. Laurence writes in depth about her ambitions and the difficulty of raising a family and devoting time to a career. Her husband's job, which took him to many third-world countries, added to the stress. She writes about the conflicts and the guilt when they decided to separate and she and the children moved to England. What she describes faces many women today. One theme that resonates is the lifelong friendships she made and the the value she placed on them.
August 9, 2021
4.5 stars.. An illuminating memoir/biography of an early feminist, Canadian writer. She acknowledges that she was a privileged white lady with Protestant Christian, colonial, and liberal views who lived in a tumultuous time for women, women writers, and Canadian fiction. She wrote with a high regard to humanism and relationships. Her manipulation of words was masterful. This memoir, while detailing the 'mundane' periods of her life, really the human side of anyone's life, was focussed around the important women - the mothers - in her life.
I don't read a lot of biographical works. However, I found this to be a fairly quick read about a time period I am familiar with and names I know of.
I don't read a lot of biographical works. However, I found this to be a fairly quick read about a time period I am familiar with and names I know of.
January 26, 2017
Laurence's works and words on women's rights and environmental justice ring just as—if not more—true today than they did during her lifetime. This memoir of hers was balm to my bruised soul and I thank her and her children who made the publication of this memoir possible after her untimely death from cancer.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews