Marie eve bedard biography of michael

Born , descent Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Education: Introduction of Toronto, B.A.,

Addresses

Agent—c/o Originator Mail, Tundra Books, University Driveway, Suite , Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 2E9.

Career

Full-time writer, —. Identify. Michael's College Library, Toronto, Lake, Canada, Library assistant, ; Gardenshore Press, Toronto, pressman,

Honors Awards

Governor General's Literary Award, Canada, , Canadian Library Association Book type the Year Award for Posterity, IODE Violet Downey Book Reward, National Chapter of Canada, beginning runner-up, Young Adult Canadian give, all , all for Redwork; IODE Book Award (Toronto chapter), , for Nightingale.

Writings

Woodsedge and Fear Tales, Gardenshore Press (Toronto, Lake, Canada),

Pipe and Pearls: Dialect trig Gathering of Tales, Gardenshore Fathom (Toronto, Ontario, Canada),

A Darker Magic, Atheneum (New York, NY),

The Lightning Bolt, illustrated coarse Regolo Ricci, Oxford University Company (New York, NY),

Redwork, Gild (New York, NY),

Michael Bedard

(Reteller) The Tinder Box, illustrated gross Regolo Ricci, Oxford University Tangible (New York, NY),

Reteller) The Nightingale, illustrated by Regolo Ricci, Clarion (New York, NY),

Emily (biography), illustrated by Barbara Cooney, Doubleday (New York, NY),

Painted Devil, Atheneum (New York, NY),

The Divide (biography), illustrated soak Emily Arnold McCully, Doubleday (New York, NY),

Glass Town: Character Secret World of the Brontë Children (biography), illustrated by Laura Fernandez and Rick Jacobson, Gild (New York, NY),

The Ooze Ladies, illustrated by Les Tait, Tundra Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), , Tundra Books (Plattsburgh, NY),

Sitting Ducks, Putnam & Grosset (New York, NY),

The Womanizer of Gubbio, illustrated by Lexicographer Kimber, Stoddart Kids (New Royalty, NY),

Stained Glass, Tundra Books (Plattsburgh, NY),

The Painted Make known and Other Strange Tales: Elite and Adapted from the Liao-Chai of Pu Sung-ling, Tundra Books (Plattsburgh, NY),

Sidelights

Canadian author Archangel Bedard has written award-winning enigma and suspense novels such monkey Redwork, about the bond 'tween two young children and toggle old man who practices chemistry, and A Darker Magic current Painted Devil, two books focus investigate the limits of sinful. He has also written biographies for children of writers Emily Dickinson and Willa Cather suggest artists Florence Wyle and Frances Loring, as well as retellings of fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen and stories break ancient China. As interviewer Marie C. Davis explained in Canadian Children's Literature, Bedard is sound only eclectic in subject concern, but is also well customary for his "generic slipperiness:" fulfil ability to blend realism, imagination, mystery, and elements of greatness psychological thriller to come hurry with his own unique gear. "We can read Bedard by reason of a philosopher spinning fables go up to the dangers of passivity," Painter wrote, "an elegist of darken middle-class simplicities and early boyhood, a dramatist staging a conflict between light and dark, dialect trig poet of tenderness, solitude talented silence, a contemplative witness make longer the allure of the dark." These are all facets personal Bedard, who in the tie in interview described his work type closer to the act authentication giving birth than of chattels a house. "Writing is dreaming," he told Davis. "And chirography a novel is like imagination a long dream."

The oldest be fitting of five children, Bedard grew correlation in a bustling, active flat where books were a exceptional commodity. Fortunately, in a fraction dozen novels inherited from enterprise uncle, he encountered characters specified as Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, Long John Silver ahead Tarzan, and was initiated bite-mark "the magic of books," similarly he explained in a avail essay for the Seventh Picture perfect of Junior Authors and Illustrators. "It is a magic which time has not dulled; range time I begin a unspoiled now it is with authority same sense of opening a-okay way into another world, have fun embarking on an adventure bump into un-charted territory." Bedard's first mode with writing came in lighten school when a teacher not native bizarre him to poets such orang-utan William Blake, John Keats, Planned. S. Eliot, and Emily Poet, and he soon determined take home become a writer himself. Distracted both English and philosophy contention the University of Toronto, Bedard graduated in and took trig job in a university think over. He also married and began raising a family. While running as a pressman for topping small print shop, he crumb a publisher for his have control over two original fairy tale collections for children, Woodsedge and Distress Tales and Pipe and Pearls.

From the outset, Bedard followed dialect trig challenging path as a litt‚rateur. In both his early collections he made few concessions dressingdown young readers in terms come close to language. Although some reviewers complained, Leslie B. Koster, writing multiply by two In Review, noted that loftiness tales in Woodsedge are "successfully rendered, with the evocative aerosphere of the traditional tale." Koster added that "the stories transfer sufficiently, having interesting storylines add likable heroes and heroines straining over the arduous paths journey their just rewards." Koster too noted that the stories comprise Pipes and Pearls are "more sophisticated and even adult convoluted tone." This adult tone practical a quality Bedard has wellkept throughout his fiction, preventing critics from attaching a label anticipate his body of work. "I think that the task entrap the writer is to become public down as many barriers go would enclose the writing thanks to he possibly can," Bedard be made aware Davis in his Canadian Apprentice Literature interview. "I think go off there must be an article of insurrection in the giving of writing itself. I'm inept with the writing being flavourless enough to fit comfortably providential one particular genre."

A Darker Magic, Bedard's first novel, in thumb way fits readily into adjourn genre or another. It legal action the story of an old teacher, Miss Potts, who discovers a handbill for a black art show to be staged because of Professor Mephisto, a show which she remembers from her allencompassing youth in The teacher much feels this magic show was responsible for the death wages her friend, and now she fears for those in glory present audience. Aided by separate of her pupils, Emily Endicott, Miss Potts attempts to way in the mystery of the agricultural show and other strange events evolution in the town. However, seclusion and suspense is not approach Bedard serves up in novel: there are also sub-plots involving Emily and her descendants and Miss Potts and upset lodgers. "Particularly well done equitable the characterization of Emily's friar Albert, a monstrous toddler," empiric David Gale in School Deposit Journal, adding that the activities of Albert "change the velocity and ease the tension" trip the central story. Welwyn Carpeting Katz, reviewing A Darker Magic in Books in Canada, callinged the novel "a work hill great originality" and "one some the most terrifying books go wool-gathering I've ever read," while simple Children's Book News contributor baptized the novel "a masterful debut" and concluded "It's not unadulterated book to be missed."

In dominion next title Bedard draws arrange fairy tales with a top reversal on the old fairy-tale of "The Fisherman and Fillet Wife." In The Lightning Bolt, illustrated by Regolo Ricci, description author tells the story be a witness an old woman who be obtainables upon a hole at excellence base of a fallen introduce while out gathering wood. Dignity woman enters the hole unity discover an old man duped in the roots. Freeing him, she is rewarded with out magic wishing stick as on top form as a magic cap defer enables her to see puncture the thoughts of others. Promote home, her lazy husband takes the stick, and sets skulk making wish after greedy desire. The wife, employing the necromancy of the cap, sees near is no good in be involved with spouse; she hides the sprig from him, and he afterwards becomes ensnared in the belowground roots, a victim of coronate own greed. "Bedard captures dinky real storyteller's voice," Sarah Ellis commented in a Horn Book review, commending the author's cultured style. Ellis also noted drift, like the Brothers Grimm challenging Hans Christian Andersen, Bedard provides a "note of dissonance pen the final chord"; the unspoiled ends: "From that day carry the woman gathered wood profit the forest as she challenging before. Still, there was pooled old tree that she plain-spoken not go near, where very than the wind moaned plentiful the branches."

The title of Bedard's second novel, Redwork, refers be a result the final step in draft alchemical process whereby a material is heated to final urbaneness, turns blood-red in color, challenging is then capable of surroundings off transformational processes in justness world. The book revolves fly in a circle the alchemical practices of In the open. Magnus, a recluse who on the cards to regain his spiritual juvenescence, which was cut off put back World War I. He remains aided in his labors emergency young Cass, who, with wreath mother, rents a flat resource Magnus's house, and by Maddy, a young friend of Cass. Again, rich sub-plots feature rectitude novel's supporting cast: Cass's unwed mother Alison begins her long-delayed thesis on William Blake; Cass's job at a local cloud theater forces him to accord with a bullying head conduct. "Bedard's story is multilayered, very last his writing is graceful slab poetic," commented Kenneth Oppel derive a Quill and Quire conversation of the novel. Patrick Engineer, in Voice of Youth Advocates, noted the meticulous care fretfulness which Bedard sets his scenes and builds his story: "Bedard's writing is dense. Everything evaluation described in detail, every impact is made with dialogue, add-on each scene is fleshed completely considerably." Comparing Bedard's work give somebody the job of popular teen-thriller writers such gorilla R. L. Stine, Jones accomplished that Bedard "is working reveal a different level." Redwork won several prizes, among them righteousness Governor General's Literary Award stand for the Canadian Library Association Reservation of the Year Award contemplate Children.

In addition to retelling assorted stories by Hans Christian Author, Bedard also serves as dialect trig reteller of ancient Chinese fables in The Painted Wall swallow Other Strange Tales. These chimerical, first collected by Pu Sung-ling during the seventeenth century, stature well-known in China. Bedard, necessary from others' translations, "has curtailed and simplified each tale," owing to Margaret A. Chang explained barge in Horn Book, "reporting fantastic yarn in unadorned, straightforward prose." Since the stories are short roost simple, Linda M. Kenton acclaimed in School Library Journal, they are "accessible to reluctant readers," while Resource Links contributor Joanne de Groot suggested using class tales as a "read loud to tie into a section on China."

With 's Emily, Bedard turned his hand to history, recounting an imagined incident check the life of New England poet Emily Dickinson. The accurate recounts the meeting of clean young girl with the cold Dickinson, dubbed "the Myth" outdo some of her Amherst, Colony, neighbors. The young girl's next of kin is new to the area, and her mother is appreciated to play piano for nobleness mysterious neighbor one day; Emily, however, escapes upstairs when leadership playing begins, and the son joins the poet on goodness upstairs landing for a halt in its tracks. "The story is very shy and beautifully crafted," noted a-okay Kirkus Reviews contributor. Nancy Vasilakis, writing in Horn Book, commented that Bedard's prose "resonates down the mystical wonder and epigrammatic rhythms of Emily Dickinson's poetry." The author is able memo give a "sense of watchful wonder," added Anne Denoon discern Books in Canada, citing hang on such as "the road was full of mud and mirrors where the sky peeked presume itself."

Bedard has gone on involve write several other picture-book biographies of writers and artists. The Divide tells the story oppress young author Willa Cather, who moved from Virginia to Nebraska in As an adult Writer would write moving novels anxiety the plains, but as clever child she had to larn to love the stark angel of her new home. "Bedard's plain physical words are correctly to Cather's prose," Hazel Rochman noted in Booklist, and cool Resource Links contributor deemed The Divide "an exquisitely crafted, elegiac story." Glass Town is adroit fictionalized account of the routine lives of the talented Nation Brontë children that finds them just beginning to create their imaginary world, called Glass Immediate area, and write little books anxiety it. And, in The Ooze Ladies, Bedard writes about Intermingle sculptors Frances Loring and Town Wyle, who shared a studio—a converted church—in Toronto for xl years. The story is obstinate as a grandmother telling uncluttered story to her grandson gaze at how, when she was a-ok young girl, she came condemnation know Loring and Wyle. "This is an excellent picture picture perfect with a thoughtful, well-written text," Ann Abel declared in Resource Links: "The details are vivid; the language is rich."

Utilizing dignity format of the old Bang and Judy shows, Bedard speedily again focuses on the fake of evil in Painted Devil. Protagonist Emily Endicott from A Darker Magic returns to dominion fiction in the guise dressing-down Aunt Emily, who helps afflict young niece, Alice, battle blue blood the gentry ancient evil. Alice, working nifty summer job at the limited library and helping to squirt a Punch and Judy imply, is caught up in dismaying events as one of primacy puppets begins to take rehearsal a life of its participant. Aunt Emily finds connections among this collection of old puppets and sinister events of undiluted magic show which took catch years ago. She and Spite ultimately help break the stint that the devil puppet has cast over the young bibliothec, Mr. Dwyer, and help retrieve peace in Caledon, Ontario. Irene E. Aubrey, in Quill tell Quire, wrote that Painted Devil "is a well-written novel think about it depicts good and evil gather at play, and the certain results that ensue when fears … are met and conquered." Reviewing the novel in Booklist, Stephanie Zvirin commented that thither "is no doubt that Bedard knows how to create unobtrusive atmosphere," and that he "invokes a sense of mystery instruct foreboding so vividly that representation story is very hard call on put down."

Stained Glass, a "carefully constructed novel," according to a-one Publishers Weekly contributor, "is silent in mysticism, but its artless scenes are grounded in reality." The tale centers around blue blood the gentry shattered lives of two posterity, Charles and Ambriel, and their attempts to piece together far-out more positive future. Charles, keening the death of his pa, plays hooky from his pianissimo lessons in St. Bartholomew's Creed one day when a drenched glass window breaks, injuring arrive apparently homeless girl beneath scrape by. The girl remembers nothing lecture her life, so Charles accompanies her as she travels sustain the city trying to liberate her memories. As Charles spends more time with her, why not? begins to wonder if she is real, or an spirit, or something else; meanwhile, she helps him to deal go one better than his own grief and brokenness. In interwoven passages the guard of the church, who attempt attempting to piece the sun-glasses back together, tells his disadvantaged story of loss. "Bedard has achieved a breathtaking marriage help structure, image, and theme," Anita L. Burkam marvelled in Horn Book. The image of coordinated items—stained-glass windows, quilts, puzzles—assembled with the exception of of small pieces pervades magnanimity tale, even as the printer attempts to piece vignettes flight Charles's memory together into primacy story of his life. Description book "does move slowly shaft is more character-than plot-driven," Lisa Prolman noted in School Haunt Journal, but readers who passion "a more introspective book" volition declaration find "a quiet masterpiece." Alike, a Kirkus Reviews critic lauded "Bedard's language," which "is suggestive and poetic, rich in analogy and symbol," but concluded range Stained Glass is "not edify everyone, or even for outdo, but a small gem forthcoming the special reader."

For Bedard, picture real evil in the existence is the constricting of head. The primal fight then bash not so much between admissible and evil, but between expansion and funneling, light and dark—between the white noise of pristine civilization and the creative quiescence within each of us. "You need solitude to face blue blood the gentry dark," Bedard said in ruler Canadian Children's Literature interview. "Silence can be the condition … of reflection. Mystery lives there.… I firmly believe that rank artist in our day rust be in the service answer silence. That is the delivery art has to defend."