Carol was a very fine writer and a remarkable human being, a wonderful
person whose work I closely followed for more than 20 years. I
interviewed her frequently over those years, with virtually every work
she produced --novel, radio drama, play, book of stories. So I had a
good sense of the span of her work and also her evolution as a stylist.
But the key reason I wanted to make a book focusing on her life and work
is that we were friends.
--Eleanor Wachtel
This book strikes the right balance between intimate accounts and
literary analysis. It opens with reminiscences by close friend Eleanor
Wachtel, which are followed by a study of Shields' poetry by her
daughter and grandson, then by various aspects of her fiction, including
a detailed examination of her plays. It closes with reminiscences by
four close friends: Jane Urquhart, Joan Clark, Wayson Choy and Martin
Levin.
The 23 contributors offer new insights, new theories, and new
perspectives about Shields' illuminating career. Only one piece--her
obituary written by Margaret Atwood--has been previously published.