Writing the Sea

by Cassie Brown

Cassie Brown is one of Canada's best-known writers of sea tragedies. Her three classic tales were published by Doubleday Canada in the 1970s. However, before this, she was prolific as a journalist, scriptwriter, and publisher of her own monthly magazine. Writing the Sea includes an autobiographical essay on Ms. Brown's formative years in a remote coastal Newfoundland village. In "Rose Blanche and Me" she describes her hometown and the adventures that influenced the writings in her adult life. Also included in this volume are a dozen stories she wrote as a journalist for The Daily News, including the seminal story she was assigned to write, "Death March," to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the most famous sealing disaster in Canada's history. This tragic tale motivated her to leave the security of a salaried job as a journalist and to conduct further research. This resulted in the classic book Death on the Ice. Other sea stories describe the sinking of the SS Caribou by enemy action in World War II, the wreck of the SS Florizel, mutiny on the SS Diana, and "Tragedy at St. Jacques Island." Upon publication of her three non-fiction bestsellers in the 1970s, the author became much in demand by schools to visit and discuss her books, which were used in the classroom. Included here is a question-and-answer interview Cassie Brown held with a high-school class in Newfoundland, in which she reflects on her path to full-time writing, her influences, her methodology, her favourites, and advice for would-be writers.

164 pages, Paperback

First published June 23, 2005

About the author

Cassie Eileen Brown (1919–1986) was a Newfoundland and Labrador journalist, author, publisher and editor. Brown is most distinguished for her books Death on the Ice which was featured in Reader's Digest and the Wreck of the Florizel.

Reviews

[JuliannaM · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't what I was expecting, but if I'd cracked the cover at all, I would have realized that my expectations weren't realistic. I am genuinely happy that Cassie Brown had such a fulfilling career in journalism after such an awful childhood. I also found this way too "folksy" and problematically hero-worshipping for my taste.

[Chad3006 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing the Sea was written by Newfoundland native Cassie Brown. The short little book was part memoir, part odds and ends. She shared some humorous stories of her childhood in Newfoundland, as well as some tragedies that took place in the area. It was an entertaining read.