''Terry'' is a pictorial

biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or ...

Terry Fox Terrance Stanley Fox (July 28, 1958 June 28, 1981) was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated due to cancer, he embarked on an east-to-west cross-Canada run to raise money ...

written by Canadian author

Douglas Coupland Douglas Coupland (born 30 December 1961) is a Canadian novelist, designer, and visual artist. His first novel, the 1991 international bestseller '' Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture'', popularized the terms ''Generation X'' and ''McJ ...

in 2005 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Fox's death.

Overview

Written with the support of the Fox family, ''Terry'' reflects the

minimalist In visual arts, music and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in post–World War II in Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with minimalism include Don ...

style of

’s ''

Souvenir of Canada ''Souvenir of Canada'' is a 2002 book written by Canadian author Douglas Coupland. A feature film based on the book was released theatrically in 2006. In the book's introduction, Coupland states his intention was to author a book about Canada "th ...

'' projects. Succinct narrative sections frame some 150 photographs, many of which are previously-unpublished images and

memorabilia A souvenir (), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and transported home by the traveler as a m ...

from the Fox family archives. The book presents Fox’s life, his

Marathon of Hope Terrance Stanley Fox (July 28, 1958 June 28, 1981) was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated due to cancer, he embarked on an east-to-west cross-Canada run to raise money ...

, and his immediate and continuing resonance with the Canadian public. Coupland donates the full royalties from the book to the

Terry Fox Foundation The Terry Fox Run is an annual non-competitive charity event held around the world to raise money for cancer research in commemoration of Canadian cancer activist Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope. The event was founded in 1981 by Isadore Sharp ...

in support of cancer research.

Structure

''Terry'' is arranged as a pictorial record of the life and influence of Terry Fox, using the family album or

scrapbook Scrapbook may refer to: * Scrapbooking, the process of making a scrapbook Software * Scrapbook, an early (1970s) information storage and retrieval system * Scrapbook (Mac OS), a Mac OS application * ScrapBook, a Firefox extension Film and TV * ...

as its artistic model. Coupland applies an economy of narrative to give the images, letters, and photography an increased biographical force. Arranged into brief sections that each service two or three pages of photography, Coupland’s narrative presents Fox as an unexceptional

suburban A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...

Canadian accomplishing an exceptional thing. This artistic decision allows Coupland to demonstrate, at times explicitly, that Fox's heroism is similarly available to any otherwise ordinary person.

Coda

In addition to the funds that it raised for the Terry Fox Foundation, Coupland’s book contributed to the sustained memory and public legacy of the athlete and humanitarian. It is, for instance, credited with having led to the discovery of the van, a 1980

Ford Econoline The Ford E-Series (also known as the Ford Econoline or Ford Club Wagon) is a range of full-size vans manufactured and marketed by the Ford Motor Company. Introduced for model year 1961 as the replacement for the Ford F-Series panel van, the E-Se ...

, in which Fox and his brother lived during the cross-Canada marathon. ''Terry'' endures as a public window into the relics and memorabilia of the Marathon of Hope which Coupland sifted through by the thousands for the items formed into the completed book.

References

{{Douglas Coupland Terry Fox 2005 non-fiction books Canadian biographies Books by Douglas Coupland Douglas & McIntyre books