"Posthumous memoir reflects on Paul Quarrington's love of life". ''
Calgary Herald
The ''Calgary Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Publication began in 1883 as ''The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate, and General Advertiser''. It is owned by the Postmedia Network.
History
''The ...
'', June 13, 2010.
While writing a review blurb for
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...
's book, ''The Favourite Game'', he admired Cohen's "poetic craftsmanship." Another time, in typical whimsical Quarrington fashion, he declared, "I seem to like authors named John –
John Fowles
John Robert Fowles (; 31 March 1926 – 5 November 2005) was an English novelist of international renown, critically positioned between modernism and postmodernism. His work was influenced by Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus, among others.
Aft ...
,
John Gardner,
John Irving
John Winslow Irving (born John Wallace Blunt Jr.; March 2, 1942) is an American-Canadian novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter.
Irving achieved critical and popular acclaim after the international success of ''The World According to G ...
. John Gardner is my favourite – he's sadly not so well known these days."
Cinema and television
Quarrington's film adaptation of ''Whale Music'', cowritten with director
Richard J. Lewis, was nominated for numerous
Genie Awards
The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978; also known as the "Etrog Awards," for scu ...
, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, in 1994. Actor
Maury Chaykin
Maury Alan Chaykin (July 27, 1949 – July 27, 2010) was an American–Canadian actor, best known for his portrayal of detective Nero Wolfe, as well as for his work as a character actor in many films and television programs.
Personal lif ...
won best actor for his portrayal of the drug-addled Desmond Howl.
He won the Genie Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1991 for ''
Perfectly Normal
''Perfectly Normal'' is a Canadian comedy film directed by Yves Simoneau, which premiered at the 1990 Festival of Festivals, before going into general theatrical release in 1991. Simoneau's first English-language film, it was written by Eugene Lip ...
'', a comedy that combined
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
and grand opera.
[Klein, Jeff Z. & Hackel, Stu]
"Remembering Two Storytellers From the N.H.L."
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', January 24, 2010. ''Perfectly Normal'' opened the
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...
, at that time called Festival of Festivals, in 1990.
Quarrington has also worked in the television industry, acting as writer and/or producer on such shows as ''
Due South
''Due South'' is a Canadian crime comedy-drama television series created by Paul Haggis, and produced by Alliance Communications from its premiere on April 26, 1994, to its conclusion after four seasons on March 14, 1999. The series starred Pau ...
'', ''
Power Play
Power play or powerplay or their plurals may refer to:
Sports
* Power play (sporting term), a sporting term used in various games
* Powerplay (cricket), a rule concerning fielding restrictions in one-day international cricket
* Power play (cur ...
'' and ''
Moose TV
''Moose TV'' is a Canadian television sitcom, airing on Showcase in the 2007-2008 television season.
The series stars Adam Beach as George Keeshig, a Cree from the fictional community of Moose in northern Quebec, who returns home after a decade ...
'', the latter winning Best Comedy from the CFTPA Indie Awards 2008.
Stage
Quarrington's work for the stage includes ''Dying is Easy'', ''The Invention of Poetry'', ''Three Ways from Sunday'' and Checkout Time. He was a long-time board member of the Toronto Fringe Festival.
Music
In their teens, Quarrington and Hill also occasionally performed together as a
folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
duo, billed as Quarrington/Hill.
Hill had also auditioned for Quarrington's garage band PQ's People.
Quarrington/Worthy, a duo with musician Martin Worthy, had a #1 hit on ''
RPM
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...
s Adult Contemporary charts the week of January 12, 1980 with their song "Baby and the Blues".
["Adult Contemporary"]
. ''RPM
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...
'' Volume 32, No. 17, January 19, 1980. The chart for the previous week is not available in this archive; in this week, the song appears at #4 with a "Last Week" position of #1.
Quarrington collaborated with the band
Rheostatics
Rheostatics are a Canadian indie rock band. They were formed in 1978, and actively performed from 1980 until disbanding in 2007. After a number of reunion performances at special events, Rheostatics reformed in late 2016, introducing new songs a ...
on the ''Whale Music''
film soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
, including a songwriting credit on the band's most successful hit single, "Claire".
Quarrington was also the lead singer/guitarist for the blues/roots/country ensemble
Porkbelly Futures
Porkbelly Futures is a Canadian blues music group based in Toronto, Ontario. The latest lineup of the band included lead singer Paul Quarrington (1953-2010),; guitarist/harmonica player Stuart Laughton, bass player Chas Elliott (Toronto Symphony) ...
. Their first CD, ''Way Past Midnight'' was released in late 2005 by Wildflower Records, and spent six months on the "Americana" charts. Their second CD, ''Porkbelly Futures'', was released by
Cordova Bay Records
Cordova Bay Records is an independent record label in Victoria, British Columbia. The label operates in conjunction with Cordova Bay Music Publishing under the parent company Cordova Bay Entertainment Group. The company was founded by Michael Bur ...
in April 2008. It contains many of Quarrington's original compositions. His songwriting was also featured on the last CD put out by Porkbelly Futures, titled ''The Crooked Road'' which was recorded and released after his death, and features a photograph of Quarrington on the back cover. Quarrington's solo CD called ''The Songs'' was recorded just prior to his death and was released posthumously in June 2010, also on Cordova Bay Records.
["Final creative works from Quarrington; Music: Memoir, solo CD and TV doc released posthumously". '']The Telegraph-Journal
The ''Telegraph-Journal'' is a daily newspaper published in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. It serves as both a provincial daily and as a local newspaper for Saint John. The newspaper is published by Brunswick News. The ''Telegraph-Journal'' ...
'', May 26, 2010.
He participated in the collaborative "Canadian Songbook" tour in 2008 with
Murray McLauchlan
Murray Edward McLauchlan, (born 30 June 1948) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and harmonica player. He is best known for his Canadian hits "Farmer's Song," "Whispering Rain," and "Down by the Henry Moore".
Early life
Mc ...
,
Stephen Fearing
Stephen Fearing (born 1963) is a Canadian roots/folk singer-songwriter. and
Catherine MacLellan
Catherine MacLellan is a Canadian folk singer-songwriter, based in Prince Edward Island.
Early life
The daughter of Canadian songwriter Gene MacLellan, MacLellan was born in Burlington, Ontario but raised in Summerside, Prince Edward Island.
...
.
Final months
After being diagnosed with lung cancer in May 2009, Quarrington continued his plans to embark on various concert tours with Porkbelly Futures, while continuing to produce his own solo CD and the Porkbellys third release; complete his non-fiction memoir ''Cigar Box Banjo: Notes on Life and Music'' (Greystone Books, May 2010), deliver multiple screenplays for episodes of a television series for
Shaftesbury Films
Shaftesbury Films is a film, television and digital media production company founded by Christina Jennings in 1987. It is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Background
Shaftesbury is a creator and producer of original content for television and ...
(''Notes on Euphoria'', dir.
John L'Ecuyer
John L'Ecuyer (born November 15, 1964) is a Canadian film and television director.
Biography
John L'Ecuyer's first feature, '' Curtis's Charm'' (1995), was an adaptation of a Jim Carroll story. The film received a Special Jury Citation as Best Can ...
) as well as star in a documentary film initiated by friend and colleague Judith Keenan; the film, ''Paul Quarrington: Life in Music'', is an adaptation tied to his written memoir.
Rheostatics, who had broken up in 2007, reunited for a live tribute show to Quarrington produced by
Humber College
The Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning, commonly known as Humber College, is a public College of Applied Arts and Technology in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1967, Humber has two main campuses: the Humber North c ...
for Toronto's
International Festival of Authors
The Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA), previously known as the International Festival of Authors (IFOA), is an annual festival presented in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
History
Since 1974, the mission of TIFA programming has been ...
. Also appearing to celebrate his body of work in multiple genres were
Christina Jennings
Shaftesbury Films is a film, Television program, television and Web series, digital media production company founded by Christina Jennings in 1987. It is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Background
Shaftesbury is a creator and producer of orig ...
,
John Krizanc
John Krizanc (born 1956) is a Canadians, Canadian playwright who established an international reputation with his non-linear work, ''Tamara (play), Tamara''. Exploring the rise of Fascism in 1920s Italy, the play was one of the first non-linear, i ...
, Michael Burns,
Wayson Choy
Wayson Choy (崔維新 Pinyin: Cuī Wéixīn ; Jyutping: Ceoi1 Wai4-san1) (April 20, 1939 – April 28, 2019) was a Canadian novelist. ,
,
Paul Gross
Paul Michael Gross OC (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian actor, director, writer, producer, and musician born in Calgary, Alberta.
Gross is known for his lead role as Constable Benton Fraser in the popular Canadian television series ''Due So ...
,
Alistair McLeod,
Joe Hall Joseph Hall may refer to:
Sports
* Joe Hall (American football) (born 1979), American football player
* Joe Hall (baseball) (born 1966), American baseball player
* Joe Hall (ice hockey) (1881–1919), Canadian ice hockey player
* Joe B. Hall (192 ...
, Porkbelly Futures with David Gray, and talented family members Christine Quarrington, Tony Quarrington and
Joel Quarrington
Joel Quarrington (born January 15, 1955) is a Canadian double bass player, soloist and teacher. He is the former Principal Double Bass of the London Symphony Orchestra.
Career
He was born in Toronto, Ontario, and began playing the double bass at ...
. Michael Burke announced the launch of Quarrington Arts Society / Société des Arts Quarrington, to provide support for working and emerging artists committed to multi-disciplinary practices.
Quarrington's final collaboration with Hill and Worthy, a song about his journey with cancer called "Are You Ready", was completed just ten days before Quarrington's death. The song was conceived by Quarrington and film producer Keenan as the focal point for their feature documentary. Many other songs were also conceived and produced by Quarrington during this fertile creative time, including "All the Stars" (created just days after the diagnosis) and "Wherever You Go," all of which are included on the posthumously released CD.
Quarrington died of lung cancer in Toronto on January 21, 2010, aged 56.
His final book, a memoir titled ''Cigar Box Banjo: Notes on Music and Life'', was posthumously published later the same year.
He wrote a short story, "The Conversion" which he recited with music some time before his death. That recitation was presented on radio by the CBC Radio show ''
Tapestry
Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike most woven textiles, where both the warp and the weft threads may ...
.''
Awards
''
King Leary
''King Leary'' is a novel by Canadian humorist Paul Quarrington, published in 1987 by Doubleday Canada.
The novel is part of an unofficial trilogy with Quarrington's earlier ''The Life of Hope'' and his later '' Logan in Overtime''."Tale of a go ...
'' won the
Stephen Leacock Award in 1988, and ''
Whale Music ''Whale music'' is a term for whale sound. It may also refer to:
*'' Whale Music'', a 1989 novel by Paul Quarrington
* ''Whale Music'' (film), a 1994 Canadian film based on the Quarrington novel
**'' Music from the Motion Picture Whale Music'', the ...
'' won the
1989 Governor General's Award for Fiction. Quarrington was also nominated for the Leacock Award in 1984 for ''Home Game'', in 1986 for ''The Life of Hope'', in 1990 for ''Whale Music'' and in 1998 for ''The Boy on the Back of the Turtle''.
''
Galveston
Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Galvesto ...
'', published in the United States as ''Storm Chasers'', was nominated for the prestigious
Giller Prize
The Giller Prize (sponsored as the Scotiabank Giller Prize), is a literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English (including translation) the previous year, after an annual juried competition be ...
. He lost to
Alice Munro
Alice Ann Munro (; ; born 10 July 1931) is a Canadian short story writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013. Munro's work has been described as revolutionizing the architecture of short stories, especially in its tendency to move f ...
– which, Quarrington stated afterward, "was hard to feel upset about. It's like losing to
Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...
."
In February 2008, ''King Leary'' was put forward by
Dave Bidini
Dave Bidini (born September 11, 1963) is a Canadian musician and writer. Originally from Etobicoke, Ontario, he was a founding member of the rock band Rheostatics, and currently performs with Bidiniband. In addition, he has published several boo ...
as one of the five books considered on
CBC Radio
CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...
's ''
Canada Reads
''Canada Reads'' is an annual "battle of the books" competition organized and broadcast by Canada's public broadcaster, the CBC. The program has aired in two distinct editions, the English-language ''Canada Reads'' on CBC Radio One, and the Frenc ...
''. Bidini ultimately prevailed, and ''King Leary'' was named the book that everyone in the nation should read.
His short film ''Pavane'', adapted from his novel ''The Ravine'', garnered a Remi Platinum Award Houston's WorldFest, was juried in several other US festivals, and was broadcast in Canada on Bravo!FACT Presents and CBC Television's ''
Canadian Reflections
''Canadian Reflections'' is a Canadian independent short film television series which began on CBC Television in 1978.
Premise
This series features independent Canadian short films of various styles and topics, including both original works an ...
''. He and the creative team for ShowCase earned the CFPTA Indie Award for Comedy for the series ''Moose TV''.
In 2009, the
Writers' Trust of Canada
The Writers' Trust of Canada (french: La Société d'encouragement aux écrivains du Canada) is a registered charity which provides financial support to Canadian writers.
Founded by Margaret Atwood, Pierre Berton, Graeme Gibson, Margaret Laure ...
awarded Quarrington its
Matt Cohen Prize The Matt Cohen Award is an award given annually by the Writers' Trust of Canada to a Canadian writer, in honour of a distinguished lifetime contribution to Canadian literature. First presented in 2000, it was established in memory of Matt Cohen, a ...
for a distinguished lifetime contribution to Canadian literature.
"Quarrington wins $20,000 Matt Cohen Award"
cbc.ca, October 19, 2009.
On June 10, 2010, Quarrington was posthumously awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters by Nipissing University
, mottoeng = Spirit of Integrity
, established =
, former_names = Northeastern University (1960-1967), Nipissing College (1967-1992)
, type = Public University
, academic_affiliation = COU, CVU, Universities Canada
, endowment ...
. His daughter Carson accepted the award on his behalf.
Bibliography
Novels
*'' The Service'' (1978)
*''Home Game
In sports, home is the place and venue identified with a team sport. Most professional teams are named for, and marketed to, particular metropolitan areas; amateur teams may be drawn from a particular region, or from institutions such as sch ...
'' (1983)
*''The Life of Hope
''The Life of Hope'' is a novel by Paul Quarrington, published in 1985 by Doubleday Canada."Free love and hope". ''The Globe and Mail'', September 21, 1985. It is part of an unofficial trilogy with Quarrington's later novels '' King Leary'' and '' ...
'' (1985)
*''King Leary
''King Leary'' is a novel by Canadian humorist Paul Quarrington, published in 1987 by Doubleday Canada.
The novel is part of an unofficial trilogy with Quarrington's earlier ''The Life of Hope'' and his later '' Logan in Overtime''."Tale of a go ...
'' (1987)
*''Whale Music ''Whale music'' is a term for whale sound. It may also refer to:
*'' Whale Music'', a 1989 novel by Paul Quarrington
* ''Whale Music'' (film), a 1994 Canadian film based on the Quarrington novel
**'' Music from the Motion Picture Whale Music'', the ...
'' (1989)
*'' Logan in Overtime'' (1990)
*''Civilization
A civilization (or civilisation) is any complex society characterized by the development of a state, social stratification, urbanization, and symbolic systems of communication beyond natural spoken language (namely, a writing system).
Ci ...
'' (1994)
*'' The Spirit Cabinet'' (1999)
*''Galveston
Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Galvesto ...
'' (2004)
*''The Ravine
''The Ravine'' ( it, La cattura) is a 1969 Italian-Yugoslav-American war drama film written and directed by Paolo Cavara and starring David McCallum, Nicoletta Machiavelli and John Crawford.
Plot
The story takes place in winter, during World ...
'' (2008)
Non-fiction
*''Hometown Heroes: On the Road with Canada's National Hockey Team'' (1988)
*''Fishing with my Old Guy'' (1995)
*''Original Six: True Stories From Hockey's Classic Era (1996)
*''The Boy on the Back of the Turtle'' (1997)
*''Fishing for Brookies, Browns and Bows: The Old Guy's Complete Guide to Catching Trout'' (2001)
*''From the Far Side of the River'' (2003)
*''Cigar Box Banjo: Notes on 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 Ways from Sunday'' (2007)
Edited work
*''1989 Leacock Limerick Awards Collection'' (1990)
Selected filmography
Short films
*''A Man's Life''
*''Mann Over Moon''
*''Mump and Smoot in the Princess Who Wouldn't Smile''
*''Angel Takes All: No Limit Texas Hold 'Em'' (2006)
*''Pavane'' (2008)
*''Seventh Seal'' (2010)
Feature film screenplays
*''Perfectly Normal
''Perfectly Normal'' is a Canadian comedy film directed by Yves Simoneau, which premiered at the 1990 Festival of Festivals, before going into general theatrical release in 1991. Simoneau's first English-language film, it was written by Eugene Lip ...
'' (1990)
*''Giant Steps'' (1992)
*''Whale Music ''Whale music'' is a term for whale sound. It may also refer to:
*'' Whale Music'', a 1989 novel by Paul Quarrington
* ''Whale Music'' (film), a 1994 Canadian film based on the Quarrington novel
**'' Music from the Motion Picture Whale Music'', the ...
'' (1994)
*'' Camilla'' (1994)
*''Men with Brooms
''Men with Brooms'' is a 2002 Canadian romantic comedy film, starring and directed by Paul Gross. Centred on the sport of curling, the offbeat comedy tells the story of a reunited curling team from a small Canadian town as they work through their ...
'' (2002)
*''Vulnerable'' (2010)
Television writing
*''Due South
''Due South'' is a Canadian crime comedy-drama television series created by Paul Haggis, and produced by Alliance Communications from its premiere on April 26, 1994, to its conclusion after four seasons on March 14, 1999. The series starred Pau ...
''
*'' John Woo's Once a Thief''
*''Power Play
Power play or powerplay or their plurals may refer to:
Sports
* Power play (sporting term), a sporting term used in various games
* Powerplay (cricket), a rule concerning fielding restrictions in one-day international cricket
* Power play (cur ...
''
*'' Tom Stone''
*''Chilly Beach
''Chilly Beach'' is a Canadian animated series, which aired on CBC from 2003 to 2006. The series is a comedic depiction of life in the fictional Canadian town of Chilly Beach, described by the producers as "a bunch of Canadians doing the stuff th ...
''
*''1-800-MISSING
''Missing'' (originally titled ''1-800-Missing'') is a Canadian crime drama television series based on the ''1-800-WHERE-R-YOU'' book series by Meg Cabot. The series aired on the A network and W Network in Canada, and on Lifetime in the United ...
''
*''Moose TV
''Moose TV'' is a Canadian television sitcom, airing on Showcase in the 2007-2008 television season.
The series stars Adam Beach as George Keeshig, a Cree from the fictional community of Moose in northern Quebec, who returns home after a decade ...
''
*''Men with Brooms
''Men with Brooms'' is a 2002 Canadian romantic comedy film, starring and directed by Paul Gross. Centred on the sport of curling, the offbeat comedy tells the story of a reunited curling team from a small Canadian town as they work through their ...
''
*'' The Don Cherry Story''
*'' Puck Hogs''
References
External links
Paul Quarrington
*Quarrington Arts Society/Société des Arts Quarrington
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quarrington, Paul
1953 births
2010 deaths
Canadian male novelists
Canadian non-fiction writers
Deaths from cancer in Ontario
Deaths from lung cancer
University of Toronto alumni
Governor General's Award-winning fiction writers
Best Screenplay Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners
Musicians from Toronto
Writers from Toronto
Canadian television writers
Canadian rock musicians
Canadian folk musicians
Canadian songwriters
Stephen Leacock Award winners
Harbourfront Festival Prize winners
20th-century Canadian novelists
21st-century Canadian novelists
Canadian male screenwriters
20th-century Canadian male musicians
20th-century Canadian male writers
21st-century Canadian male writers
20th-century Canadian screenwriters
21st-century Canadian screenwriters
Canadian male non-fiction writers
Canadian male television writers