W. O. Mitchell (13 March, 1914-25 February, 1998) was a Canadian writer and radio broadcaster who mostly wrote, and talked about like on the Prairies.
Fun Facts about W. O. Mitchell:
1. William Ormond Mitchell was born in Weybum, Saskatchewan.
2. He studied philosophy and psychology at the University of Manitoba and graduated from the University of Alberta in 1943.
3. W. O. Mitchell racked up an impressive list of jobs including door-to-door sales of encyclopedias (what else?), a classified ad sales rep, department store Santa and a high diver at a European carnival show.
4. By 1947 Mr. Mitchell published his first novel, Who Has Seen the Wind?, which was received favorably. It was a grim, but sensitive and somewhat look at the harsh life of the Canadian prairie.
5. His writing about young boys’ adventures in the Canadian Prairie were compared to that of Mark Twain‘s adventure books.
6. Moving up to Toronto for a job at Maclean’s Magazine as a fiction editor, he also created a CBS weekly radio show called Jake and the Kid. The show also focused on the Canadian Prairie.
7. Mr. Mitchell taught in several universities as a professor of creative writing. He was also a writer-in-residence at several universities in Canada.
8. Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Banff, Alberta hired him as the director of their writing division.
9. W. O. Mitchell won many awards during his life, including the Order of Canada, at least five honorary doctorates, and a sworn member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada.
10, In 2000 Mr. Mitchell was honored with a Canadian postage stamp.
Zohar — Man of la Book
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Sources:
W. O. Mitchell | Wikipedia
W.O. Mitchell: Novelist, Humorist, Playwright | Britannica
A Tribute to W.O. Mitchell | Alberta Views
