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From New Brunswick Author Portal:
Yvonne Wilson — Born Cougle in Saint John, when not quite four learned that HERE in not the only place. Infant imagination burst free; feet followed.
Graduated from McAdam High, then Dalhousie University but with no healing of the itchy feet. Became a science teacher (B. Ed., University of New Brunswick) but at Campellton was pressed into teaching “composition”- anybody can teach English! Loved it. Taught English in Val-d’Or (Quebec), Montreal, Vancouver, New Zealand, Western Australia. Finished teaching career as first Instructor in the Writing Lab at University of New Brunswick, Saint John.
Meanwhile, added the name Wilson, edited scientific papers, brought up two daughters, and began to write fiction. Became a book editor with DreamCatcher Publishing in Saint John, then with Trinity Enterprise (specialists in e-Books)
Ten novels published and one book of non-fiction (about writing) with Allison Mitcham. Novels include the humorous Trinity Romances by “Briann Stuart.” And I think my masterpiece is coming up.
How has New Brunswick influenced your work?
When you drive over the Petersville hill and see fog ahead, you are coming home. When you feel the plane begin to descend, you smile; you are coming home. When you wake on the train and see fresh snow on the spruce trees that are sliding by, you are coming home.
I have never seen a bird I didn’t remember or a field of wild flowers under a summer sun; and every one of them stands in comparison with gulls in fog, black flies in dandelions, or the tiny ants in a bouquet of daisies. New Brunswick is home, anchor, standard of reference, behind every inspiration.
What is your favourite New Brunswick book, and why?
My favourite New Brunswick Book is Funny Fables of Fundy, a book of poems for children by Grace Helen Mowat (1875 -1964). I lost the copy I had as a child and nobody rejoiced more mightily than I when it was reprinted some years ago. Who could have ever forgotten the epitaph? Jersey Lily. Paris Green / Jersey Lily no more seen.
What do you consider to be the highlight of your career so far?
Cyril Connelly has said “the true function of the writer is to produce a masterpiece and no other task is of any consequence…” (The Unquiet Grave) Experiencing the flow of a story as it writes itself on the page is life-enhancing. Feeling that another book is insisting it be written is life-sustaining – a “Rocky Mountain High”. Best of all is the promise that the masterpiece is yet to be. A successful launch is pleasant; compliments readers whose opinion one respects make the hours on the job worthwhile: a royalty cheque is good; but it’s the writing that counts. I have been lucky. As a book editor, I know that most manuscripts are returned to sender. But I think I would have written my books if not one of them had ever been published. If a story is in you, you have to let it out.
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Est 1934 - (90 years)
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