Across Canada by Story: A Coast-to-Coast Literary Adventure

by Douglas Gibson

More adventures from one of Canada’s premier editors and storytellers Canada is a country rich in stories, and few take as much joy as Douglas Gibson in discovering them. As one of the country’s leading editors and publishers for 40 years, he coaxed modern classics out of some of Canada’s finest minds, and then took to telling his own stories in his first memoir, Stories About Storytellers. Gibson turned his memoir into a one-man stage show that eventually played almost 100 times, in all ten provinces, from coast to coast. As a literary tourist, he discovered even more about the land and its writers and harvested many more stories, from distant past and recent memory, to share. Now in Across Canada by Story, Gibson brings new stories about Robertson Davies, Jack Hodgins, W.O. Mitchell, Alistair MacLeod, and Alice Munro, and adds lively portraits of Al Purdy, Marshall McLuhan, Margaret Laurence, Guy Vanderhaeghe, Margaret Atwood, Wayne Johnston, Linwood Barclay, Michael Ondaatje, and many, many others. Whether fly fishing in Haida Gwaii or sailing off Labrador, Douglas Gibson is a first-rate ambassador for Canada and the power of great stories.

Genres: Canada, Short Stories, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography

336 pages, Paperback

First published September 8, 2015

About the author

Douglas Gibson worked as an editor and publisher from 1968 until he retired from McClelland & Stewart in 2007. His Douglas Gibson Books was Canada’s first editorial imprint, and lives on. He published his first memoir, Stories About Storytellers, in 2011. He travels widely from his Toronto base, and this book will produce a new show.

Reviews

[Joann · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a fan of Canadian literature, this is a great book for you. It's a light read that takes you across Canada, 'hearing' about many Canadian authors and their roots along the way.

My mother is an avid reader of Canadian literature and I can't wait to pass this one on to her.

Thank you Douglas Gibson and Goodreads for providing me with an ARC.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a book only for people interested in Canadian literature or at least about Canada. As such it's a bit dense in places but provided you're interested in the general subject, it's an interesting view of Canada itself told via the stories of the authors who write about it. The author of the book, a publisher who seems to personally know most of Canadian literature's greatest talents, groups the book into regions and then tells stories of authors and book tours region by region. Mostly the book has made me wish to see more of Canada, and think I should read more Canadian literature.

[Doriana Bisegna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Doug Gibson's latest foray into the literary festivals of Canada was a sublime treat! I learnt so much about our great country and discovered all kinds of hidden towns, cities and villages that harbour our greatest Canadian authors. I honestly could not tear myself away from this delicious compilation of stories about a variety of happenings during Doug Gibson's travels. We are a country that is so rich in literary talent and this book shows that in spades.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Douglas Gibson loves Canadian writing and Canadian writers. This book is a deliciously gossipy collection of profiles of writers and their communities.

[Nutkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

While outside of what I normally enjoy reading, this book introduced me to many Canadian authors & locations that were previously unknown to me through engaging and often funny anecdotes.

[Elaine Cougler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Across Canada by Story has as its theme a marvelous thought. The author has spent his life surrounded by writers, readers, Canadians and big names in Canada's literary world. This is mostly why I decided to read Doug Gibson's latest book. The book takes the reader on a long and interesting journey across our beautiful country, pointing out some of its traditionally published writers all along the way.
I thoroughly enjoyed the travels and getting to know some famous names through Doug's personal notations. It didn't hurt that we had had this author as our guest speaker at the London Writers Society May event as he was interviewed by the revered Terry Fallis.
Thanks for a good read, Doug, and for a great evening.

[Gemington · Rating 4 out of 5]

CW: privilege, public narratives

Gibson shares with delight and reverence stories about authors he knows and sometimes has edited or published. He clearly loves CanLit and this whole book is a giant name drop about the fun he had while promoting his previous book. He is definitely interested in the ongoing canonization of literary figures including Alice Munro, Robertson Davies and Allistair McLeod. Some of these narratives have been significantly contested since the book’s publication.

[Birgit · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book for lovers of Canadian literature. Many interesting details about Canadian authors, places, book festivals, even history. Highly entertaining. I am going to take it with me on my next trip across Canada to compare notes.

[Ian MacIntyre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Travelogue? A Who's Who? Auto-Biography? Yarn? Restaurant Review? ... Yes and more!

Gibson is an amazing story teller. The list of great writing and writers in Canada is immense. Where to begin?

I vow to read at least one Alistair McLeod, Hugh MacLellan, Margaret Laurence, and Silver Donald Cameron in 2022.

[Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't what I had expected

[CAW · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to Douglas Gibson (and editor) read his book about interviewing book writers across Canada. It was long but interesting

[Peter Hunton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of interesting name-dropping and some good stories.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A list now, a BIG list made of Canadian books to read. Also, realized there were more Bandy Papers books to read than I was aware of - and my library has NOT ONE book of Donald Jack. Shameful.

Gibson is one of the few people who can name-drop without it being irksome. My sister highly recommended this book.

[Ellen]

I won this in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway...thank you...looking forward to reading it!