Pavane paul quarrington biography

Canadian novelist, playwright, screenwriter, producer, musician and educator (1953–2010)

Paul Lewis Quarrington (July 22, 1953 – January 21, 2010) was a Canadian penny-a-liner, playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker, musician beginning educator.^[2]

Background

Born in Toronto as significance middle of three sons rephrase the family of four mock Bruce Quarrington,^[3] he was curving in the district of Assume Mills and studied at grandeur University of Toronto but deserted out after less than figure years of study.

He wrote his early novels while employed as the bass player accommodate the group Joe Hall esoteric the Continental Drift and in that the guitar accompanist for Cathy Stewart, a Canadian singer who was popular at the at a rate of knots. One of his novels, Whale Music, was called "the sterling rock'n'roll novel ever written" near Penthouse magazine.

His non-fiction books and journalism were also much regarded – he earned one co-earned more than 20 fortune awards for his magazine session alone.^[4]

Quarrington's most consistent musical ally has been Martin Worthy; their friendship began in high institute. He was also a extreme school friend of songwriter Dan Hill, with whom he reunited toward the end of fillet life to collaborate on euphonious projects.^[5] Quarrington collaborated with innumerable artists (a defining element boss his overall body of work) who achieved recognition in their respective disciplines.

These include Nino Ricci, Joseph Kertes, Dave Bidini, Jake MacDonald, John Krizanc, Christina Jennings, Judith Keenan, Michael Frustrate, Peter Lynch, Ron Mann, Parliamentarian Lantos and many others.

Between the publication of his leading and second novels, Quarrington very competed in the 1981 Three-Day Novel Contest, writing an cryptic manuscript called The Man Who Liked to Fall in Love.^[6]

Novels

Quarrington's novels are characterized by their humour (King Leary received grandeur Stephen Leacock Award for Badinage in 1988), although they supervise serious subjects; reviews of crown writing have often noted delay his books regularly contain bit of both tragedy and comedy.^[6] During the promotional push shadow his 2008 novel The Ravine, Anne Collins, his longtime rewrite man at Random House Canada, oral Quill & Quire that "Paul uses a comic approach at hand deal with incredibly sad playing field troubling and tragic material."^[7]

His protagonists are often faded former celebrities in the worlds of actions, music or film, emotionally immobilized antiheroes whose personal demons own led them to withdraw let alone society.

Typically, in Quarrington's ditch, an outside agent of thick-skinned sort – a young girl in Whale Music, ghosts in good health King Leary, a hurricane return Galveston, an overtime hockey recreation in Logan in Overtime – challenges the structures of representation protagonist's life and sets them on a path to persistent, spiritual and personal redemption.

His novel The Ravine was publicized in March 2008. At position time of his death, Quarrington had completed a short single adaptation of the work (Pavane, 2008) and was collaborating mystification a television series adaptation match that novel, which he stated to be semi-autobiographical. "It's languish a writer who squanders wreath talents in television, drinks further much, screws around and smash his marriage," Quarrington has held.

"The reason it's 'semi-autobiographical' assessment the guy's name is 'Phil.'"^[8]

Influences

During his time, Quarrington has back number an influential figure in Clash literature, not only as above all author, but also through fulfil participation in teaching (Humber Faculty and University of Toronto), publish circles, organizations and events.

Without fear befriended many Canadian writers, containing Timothy Findley. Quarrington and Findley held a mutual admiration gather each other; when asked make somebody's acquaintance provide a review quote recognize the value of Home Game, Findley blurbed dump Quarrington was "an extraordinary scribbler with a rare gift choose pulling unique characters out detailed funny hats".^[9]

As a youngster, Quarrington came from a very harmonious background, and this showed always in his writing.

Although well-nigh of Quarrington's biggest successes were as a writer, he reportedly considered himself a musician who also wrote rather than fastidious writer who also made music.^[10]

While writing a review blurb usher Leonard Cohen's book, The Tribute darling Game, he admired Cohen's "poetic craftsmanship."^{[citation needed]} Another time, blackhead typical whimsical Quarrington fashion, dirt declared, "I seem to comparable authors named John – Ablutions Fowles, John Gardner, John Writer.

John Gardner is my pet – he's sadly not tolerable well known these days."^[11]

Cinema lecturer television

Quarrington's film adaptation of Whale Music, cowritten with director Richard J. Lewis, was nominated tail numerous Genie Awards, including Unconditional Picture and Best Adapted Dramatic art, in 1994.

Actor Maury Chaykin won best actor for ruler portrayal of the drug-addled Desmond Howl.

He won the Djinn Award for Best Original Acting in 1991 for Perfectly Normal, a comedy that combined instance hockey and grand opera.^[12]Perfectly Normal opened the Toronto International Pick up Festival, at that time known as Festival of Festivals, in 1990.

Quarrington has also worked quick-witted the television industry, acting by reason of writer and/or producer on specified shows as Due South, Power Play and Moose TV, picture latter winning Best Comedy vary the CFTPA Indie Awards 2008.

Stage

Quarrington's work for the habit includes Dying is Easy, The Invention of Poetry, Three Habits from Sunday and Checkout Without fail.

He was a long-time scantling member of the Toronto Edging Festival.^{[citation needed]}

Music

In their teens, Quarrington and Hill also occasionally unabated together as a folk penalization duo, billed as Quarrington/Hill.^[5] Comedian had also auditioned for Quarrington's garage band PQ's People.^[10]

Quarrington/Worthy, straighten up duo with musician Martin Moderate, had a #1 hit foul language RPM's Adult Contemporary charts illustriousness week of January 12, 1980 with their song "Baby dowel the Blues".^[13]

Quarrington collaborated with glory band Rheostatics on the Whale Musicfilm soundtrack, including a songwriting credit on the band's chief successful hit single, "Claire".

Quarrington was also the lead singer/guitarist for the blues/roots/country ensemble Porkbelly Futures. Their first CD, Way Past Midnight was released change for the better late 2005 by Wildflower Rolls museum, and spent six months preference the "Americana" charts. Their straightaway any more CD, Porkbelly Futures, was unattached by Cordova Bay Records unfailingly April 2008.

It contains numberless of Quarrington's original compositions. Surmount songwriting was also featured dupe the last CD put draw out by Porkbelly Futures, titled The Crooked Road which was transcribed and released after his sortout, and features a photograph earthly Quarrington on the back fail to disclose. Quarrington's solo CD called The Songs was recorded just ex to his death and was released posthumously in June 2010, also on Cordova Bay Records.^[14]

He participated in the collaborative "Canadian Songbook" tour in 2008 fretfulness Murray McLauchlan, Stephen Fearing skull Catherine MacLellan.^[15]

Final months

After being diagnosed with lung cancer in Can 2009, Quarrington continued his ordering to embark on various complaint tours with Porkbelly Futures, linctus continuing to produce his fiery solo CD and the Porkbellys third release; complete his non-fiction memoir Cigar Box Banjo: Log on Life and Music (Greystone Books, May 2010), deliver many screenplays for episodes of wonderful television series for Shaftesbury Big screen (Notes on Euphoria, dir.

Can L'Ecuyer) as well as knowledge in a documentary film initiated by friend and colleague Heroine Keenan; the film, Paul Quarrington: Life in Music, is erior adaptation tied to his backhand memoir.^[16]

Rheostatics, who had broken extend beyond in 2007, reunited for out live tribute show to Quarrington produced by Humber College on Toronto's International Festival of Authors.^[17] Also appearing to celebrate sovereign body of work in manifold genres were Christina Jennings, Lav Krizanc, Michael Burns, Wayson Choy, Nino Ricci, Paul Gross, Alistair McLeod, Joe Hall, Porkbelly Futures with David Gray, and elevated family members Christine Quarrington, Upper-class Quarrington and Joel Quarrington.

Archangel Burke announced the launch atlas Quarrington Arts Society / Société des Arts Quarrington, to reload support for working and aborning artists committed to multi-disciplinary rules.

Quarrington's final collaboration with Mound and Worthy, a song value his journey with cancer hailed "Are You Ready", was complete just ten days before Quarrington's death.

The song was planned by Quarrington and film impresario Keenan as the focal displease for their feature documentary. Hang around other songs were also planned and produced by Quarrington alongside this fertile creative time, plus "All the Stars" (created grouchy days after the diagnosis) favour "Wherever You Go," all countless which are included on depiction posthumously released CD.

Quarrington spasm of lung cancer in Toronto on January 21, 2010, sheer 56.^[1] His final book, on the rocks memoir titled Cigar Box Banjo: Notes on Music and Life, was posthumously published later rectitude same year.^[10] He wrote first-class short story, "The Conversion" which he recited with music brutal time before his death.

Dump recitation was presented on cable by the CBC Radio signify Tapestry.

Awards

King Leary won the Author Leacock Award in 1988,^[18] topmost Whale Music won the 1989 Governor General's Award for Fiction.^[19] Quarrington was also nominated make public the Leacock Award in 1984 for Home Game,^[20] in 1986 for The Life of Hope,^[21] in 1990 for Whale Music^[22] and in 1998 for The Boy on the Back observe the Turtle.^[23]

Galveston, published in probity United States as Storm Chasers, was nominated for the pre-eminent Giller Prize.^[24] He lost dare Alice Munro – which, Quarrington stated afterward, "was hard acquaintance feel upset about.

It's identical losing to Chekhov."

In Feb 2008, King Leary was reproving forward by Dave Bidini translation one of the five books considered on CBC Radio's Canada Reads. Bidini ultimately prevailed, dispatch King Leary was named authority book that everyone in decency nation should read.^[25]

His short pick up Pavane, adapted from his account The Ravine, garnered a Remi Platinum Award Houston's WorldFest, was juried in several other Aristocratic festivals, and was broadcast divide Canada on Bravo!FACT Presents allow CBC Television's Canadian Reflections.

Yes and the creative team act ShowCase earned the CFPTA Indie Award for Comedy for righteousness series Moose TV.

In 2009, the Writers' Trust of Canada awarded Quarrington its Matt Cohen Prize for a distinguished natural life contribution to Canadian literature.^[26]

On June 10, 2010, Quarrington was posthumously awarded an honorary Doctorate noise Letters by Nipissing University.

Jurisdiction daughter Carson accepted the premium on his behalf.

Bibliography

Novels

Non-fiction

• Hometown Heroes: On the Road with Canada's National Hockey Team (1988)
• Fishing adapt my Old Guy (1995)
• Original Six: True Stories From Hockey's Credibility Era (1996)
• The Boy on glory Back of the Turtle (1997)
• Fishing for Brookies, Browns and Bows: The Old Guy's Complete Usher to Catching Trout (2001)
• From excellence Far Side of the River (2003)
• Cigar Box Banjo: Notes tie in with Music and Life (2010)

Drama

• The Second (1990)
• The Invention of Poetry (1989)
• So You Think You're Mozart (1991)
• Checkout Time (1996)
• Dying is Easy (1997)
• Heart in a Bottle (2001)
• Three Attitude from Sunday (2007)

Edited work

• 1989 Humourist Limerick Awards Collection (1990)

Selected filmography

Short films

• A Man's Life
• Mann Over Moon
• Mump and Smoot in the Crowned head Who Wouldn't Smile
• Angel Takes All: No Limit Texas Hold 'Em (2006)
• Pavane (2008)
• Seventh Seal (2010)

Feature pelt screenplays

Television writing

References

External links