Sharon Budnarchuk and her husband Steve are very much hands-on
owners of the best independent bookstore in Edmonton: Audreys.
There, I spoke to Prof. Juliet McMaster’s children, Geoffrey and Gail.
Now for The Jane Austen Society...
...founded by the indomitable “distinguished Prof” Juliet
McMaster, whom I first met in 1954, and who has written books on Trollope, Thackeray, Dickens, and displays (to our amazement)
great skill as an artists and illustrator of Ms. Austen's children's tales.
The Edmonton branch of the Society displayed almost a hundred books
written about the worthy Jane Austen, who wrote her novels
at the same time as the first of the Alford Saga tales took place.
Bridget Toms is the president now, and those in the audience were
all smart and literate women...
...though one man attended.
Juliet’s husband, prof Roland McMaster, was the first guest speaker.
Next, Prof. Nora Stovel held us spellbound with her academic
comparison of the novel and film of Pride and Prejudice.
Then Juliet introduced me...
...for my talk about The Survivor..
as Joan and Juliet looked on...
...as did Gail Sobat.
Here’s Bridget Tom’s buying a copy after my talk from Steve of
Audreys book store.
And here’s me siging copies of The Survivor...
...including one for Gaspesian Lynn Boulanger.
Novelist Gail Sobat and her partner film-maker Geoffrey McMaster,
son of Juliet’s husband, invited us afterwards to a superb dinner...
...complete with folk-singing.
Justice Ellen Picard, judge of the Federal Appeals Court and long-time
lecturer at the University of Alberta, introduced us to Bill Evans,
the dynamic head of the Alberta Media Production Industries Ass.
Bill arranged a screening of my film...
...Act of the Heart...
...in the Citadel Theatre, after which I spoke about the beginnings of
Canadian motion pictures, and of course about The Alford Saga.
Ellen’s husband, Bruce, a retired professor, was also present and is
seen here with Juliet and Ellen.
Prof Elizabeth Czach teaches and writes on Quebec Cinema,
so found this screening particularly useful.
Justice Picard then took us to dinner at the Faculty Club of the
University of Alberta, forty thousand undergraduates.
Next, I spoke at the Calgary Library, which stocks my books.
It gave me a chance to connect with Lex Bailey, who was in
my Ups & Downs in 1980.
I was also able to meet up with Harry Boyd’s daughter Hilary.
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