<p><i>Notes on a Writer’s Life<\/i> is the author’s account of his more than fifty years as a writer. It chronicles his early childhood, his high school years of turmoil and rebellion, and his uneasy relationship with both publishers and academics. Throughout, Richards records his continuous investigation into human conflict, into the chasm between the seeking of power and the knowledge of love. The book also deliberates on his examination into the nature of violence, both overt and coercive, that he has considered in thirty-five books. Richards describes his travels to various parts of the world, his love of the sea, his love of Spain, and his fight against alcoholism. Crucially and poignantly, he recounts how for years his wife Peggy has been his greatest ally and supporter.<\/p>
\n<p><i>Notes on a Writer’s Life<\/i> also includes his relationships with other writers \u2014 his respect for Alden Nowlan, Alistair MacLeod, P.K. Page, Joel Hines, and Patrick Lane, and his friendship with Ray Fraser among others. Here, too, are his views on writers like Orwell, Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky.<br><br>
\nReaders will learn of his determination to write against the odds, from the early books like <i>The Coming of Winter, Blood Ties<\/i> and <i>Lives of Short Duration<\/i>, to his later works, such as <i>Mercy Among the Children, Crimes Against My Brother<\/i>, and <i>Darkness<\/i>. Richards believes that suffering is inherent and so is joy. He reflects on the absolute necessity of reaching toward a spiritual life (if not a religious one) as well as his knowledge of war and revolutions, and how both swallow humanity’s greater need for justice and liberty.<br><br>
\nAccording to Professor William Connor, \u00ab\u00a0Judged by the quality, scope, volume and variety of his writing \u2014 his stubborn almost compulsive bravery (Richards) towers over the great majority of contemporary Canadian writers.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
<p><i>Notes on a Writer’s Life<\/i> is the author’s account of his more than fifty years as a writer. It chronicles his early childhood, his high school years of turmoil and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":90789,"template":"","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[23566,17417],"product_tag":[],"class_list":["post-88720","product","type-product","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","product_language-eng","product_subjects-biography-autobiography-2","product_subjects-general-biography-autobiography-2","biblio_share_tag-biography-autobiography-general","product_cat-fall-books-abt-98","product_cat-giftguide","entry","first","instock","taxable","shipping-taxable","purchasable","product-type-simple"],"yoast_head":"\n