TELEGRAPHJOURNAL.COM saSaturdaylo,May 28, 2011n/S3 Gluedtowords books Afterpenning 24 booksfor both children andadultsalike,Sheree Fitchremains stucktostorytelling. StorybyThomasHodd It takesonly aminute with Sheree Fitch He wouldalso visit her periodically to to realize you’re in the company of a have one-on-one conversations about woman in love with language. writing and literature, and drop off choc- We’reatasmall, bright café near the olate chip cookies forher kids.ToFitch, Dartmouth FerryTerminal in Halifax people like Cogswell and Mrs.Goodwin Sheree Fitch’s latest book, ‘Pluto’s Ghost,’ came out last fall. Photo: Lucinda LaRee chatting over lunch about her lifeasa weremorethan just teachers. storyteller.She’s dressed in awhite,long- “Theywerepermissionaries –people to Fredericton to continue her own cre- which was shortlisted forthe 2009 Ste- sleevedsummer shirt, jeans and alight who gave me permission to dream,”she ative-writing quest.She had begun to phen LeacockAwardfor Humour. purple scarf. It’s the kind of comfortable says. garner both regional and national atten- Sinceher return to Canada in 2009, flair only asuccessful author canpull off. It wasn’t an easyroad, though. At 24, tion: Fitch’s ThereWereMonkeysinMy Fitch has continued her storytelling suc- Her latest award-winning bookisPluto’s Fitch found herself divorcedwith two Kitchen had appeared in 1992 and won cess. Pluto’s Ghost was recently awarded Ghost.It’s about ayoung man named Jake young children. Writing took aback seat the Mr.Christie Book Awardfor excel- the Canadian Booksellers Association Upshore, atroubled but misunderstood to survival. She enrolled in abachelor of lenceinwriting Canadian children’s lit- Young Reader’sBookAward, was afinal- teenager whose girlfriend goes missing. arts degree at St.Thomas University, sup- eraturewhile an earlier book, Sleeping ist forthe Atlantic Independent Book- Told from Jake’spoint of view, it’s atouch- porting herself and her family with sum- Dragons All Around,won the Atlantic sellers’ ChoiceAward, and is shortlisted ing,thrilling storyabout whatitmeans to merjobs and school bursaries. Provinces Booksellers ChoiceAward. forthe Arthur Ellis Awardfor excellence be sensitiveinaworld expecting men to Then, in 1987, she published her first From 1993 to 2001, Fitch published in Canadian crime-writing. be tough and confident. sillywordplay.” book, acollection of nonsense verse nine additional books,including acol- Fitch has also become aspokeswoman Fitch admits it was riskytowrite from a In Grade 2, Fitch encountered Mrs. inspired in partbyher kids, Toes In My lection of adult poetry, In This House are forreading and literature. In addition to young man’s perspective, but her desire Goodwin. Fitch wrote apoemaspart Nose.For most young writers,this is a Many Women,and an educational book honorarydegrees from Acadia Univer- to tell Jake’sstorykept her going. of aclass assignment,and Mrs.Good- moment of triumph and validation. But forwould-bewriters, Writing Maniac: sity, St.Mary’sUniversity, and St.Thomas “It took four years and thousands of win liked it so much she posted it on a Fitch didn’t feel likeshe had arrived on How Igrew up to be awriter (and you can, University, Fitch is the honorarypatron pages,but Iwanted to see Jake’sheart felt-boardduring the School Fair.Fitch the literaryscene. too!).In2000, she won the prestigious of the NewBrunswick Coalition for and trytounderstand whatitwas liketo thinks of it as her first published poem. “My first bookdidn’t makemethink VickyMetcalf Awardfor abodyofwork Literacy as well as the honoraryspokes- be dyslexic.Sometimes it’s the quest to “Teachersare my heroes,”she says with Iwas awriter,” she confesses.“It wasn’t inspirational to children. woman forthe Read to Me Program, a understand the other rather than ajour- pride.“Mrs.Goodwin had such abig in- until an editor called and asked what But living the lifeofachildren’s author non-profit literacy organization which neytowards self-discovery,”Fitch says. fluenceonme.” Iwas working on next thatmade me felt somehow limiting forFitch. distributes free books to everybaby born Fitch’s own quest as astoryteller began After graduating from Fredericton begin to believe Iwas awriter.” “I just did the next thing and the next or adopted in Nova Scotia. from an early age. High School, Fitch encountered another Fitch went on to complete her MA at thing,” Fitch says.“But therewereother But with 24 books to her credit,what The daughter of an RCMP officer, hero: the late NewBrunswick writer and Acadia University, in Wolfville,Nova voices in me thatwanted to get out.” drives Fitch to continue to write? she was born in Ottawa, but the family English professor,FredCogswell. She Scotia. Thereshe met Donna Smyth, a Then in 2001, Fitch’s second husband “It’s about thaturgetoconnect,” she movedtoNew Brunswick soon after met Cogswell attending her first Mari- writer and Canadian literatureprofessor took anew job in Washington, D.C., says.“It’s about storytelling and what her birth. She lived in Moncton until time Writers’Workshop in her late teens. who encouraged her to pursue her love wheretheystayed foralmost adecade. glues us to words.” she was 13, and then movedtoFrederic- It was abravemoment forthe young of children’s literature. The experiencewas liberating forher, Such passion forstories is whatener- ton after her father was transferred. Not writer. “It was hardtofind people who were both personally and creatively. gizes Sheree Fitch. And with anew novel surprisingly,itwas through her mother “I remember giving him my poemand interested in children’s literatureatthat “I had the freedom to be whoever I already “percolating,” as she describes it, and father thatFitch first discovered the asking if he thought Icould be apoet,” time,” Fitch says.“When Imet Donna, I wanted to be,” Fitch says.“The solitude readers will soon have the chancetode- magic of words. Fitch says.“Iwaited forwhatseemed an felt likesomeone took the handcuffs off was wonderful. Ialso don’t think Icould light oncemoreinthe magical words of “Dad’sparents wereteachers,sohe eternity, and then he looked up at me me.” have made the switch to prose if Ihadn’t one of Atlantic Canada’s most versatile grew up in abook-rich house,” Fitch says. and said ‘My dear,you already are.’’’ Fitch successfully defended her MA gone to Washington.” storytellers. s “He had astorehouse of poems he had to And so began akind of mentorship re- thesis on the oral tradition of storytell- During this creativeperiod, Fitch pub- memorize when he was young,and he lationship between Fitch and Cogswell. ing in children’s literature. Rather than lished 10 morebooks,including works Thomas Hodd currently teaches Canadian would perform them forusafter work. He encouraged her to write more, and pursue doctoral studies and write about of fiction foryoung people as well as her literatureatthe Université de Moncton. He Mom would also sing songs to us,and do gave her chapbooks of poetrytoread. other children’s authors,she returned first adult novel, Kiss the JoyasitFlies, canbereached at [email protected]. in the galleries Fallingfor Franco Allison Higgins keeps her treasures from Hollywood star and83rdAcad- emy Awards co-host James Franco under her bed. No,Higgins isn’t a crushing teenybopper.The Saint John nativeisanintermedia student wrap- Savoie’s mixed-media ‘V Series –Grey ping up her BFAatthe Nova Scotia Atriptych from Savoie’s most recent ‘Fan Series.’ and Ladder.’ College of Artand Design Universityin Halifax. Higgins has collaborated with Franco forher week-long graduate exhibition openingMondayatthe school’sAnna Leonowens Gallery. ALLISON HIGGINS Here forhis art :JAMES FRANCO features about 10 works of original artbyFranco–ran- ging from photography,collage,videos, paintings and instructions forapaint- At 83,Roméo Savoiecontinues to explore ing and aperformance–aswell as the letter Higgins sent the star offering her thecreativeprocess.Story by Mike Landry show to him. “It didn’t really matter whathesent me, at all,”Higgins says from her bedroomin Among the pile of documents on a canvas. I’ll see amagazine and take some- Halifax.“The letter Isent him –that’s my chair in Roméo Savoie’s home just “Natureismuch morebeautiful thing from it,and then the history artpiece. Anything he sent just kind of ac- west of Barachois sits the artist’s Or- than my paintings.Ifitwas open, I’d starts to makesense and the subject companies it.” der of Canada. Unframed, it’s almost just stareoutside instead of working.” is revealed to me -- not by myself but Higgins began making work with hidden. He calls it aday at about 5:30 p.m. by the process. Franco’simage last fall. She had done Allison Higgins next to her ‘James Franco “Yeah, well,Ididn’t know whereto He has dinner,pours himself aglass “It’s the bodythattransfers its ener- acouple of projects on the idea of the Monolith’ in January. put it,soIjust put it there,”Savoie of wine and slips into his white wick- gy on acanvas.” celebrity-artist (i.e.Andy Warhol), and Photo: danika VandeRsteen. says about the honour bestowed er reading chair to read until mid- Savoie will work on up to 20 was struck by the amount of photos the upon him in 2009.“I don’t liketoput night. pieces at atime –abandoning some prestigious NewYork-based Artforum whatdoIneed to do?’ That’s how all stuff likethatonthe wall. It’s just Afriend turned him onto thrillers work formonths when he stops re- magazine was posting on its blogof of our conversations are–mesending pretentious.Ijust usually put my recently. Abookshelf in his kitchen sponding to it. Francoatart events. him along,detailed email and him giv- paintings on the wall. Iprefermy is full with the ones he’s burned “It’s likefriendships,eh. Youget At thatpoint,Higgins had no idea the ing one- or two-wordanswers.” painting to anything else.” through in the past year -- David Bal- friends who youcould communi- actor was also an exhibited artist.He It was “likeChristmas morning” when And prefer them he does –hees- dacci, James Patterson, Robert Lud- cate with instantly and others where soon became her perfect example of a the boxes came with Franco’swork.