Mordecai Richler wrote children's books, so I feel justified in linking to The Here and Now, an essay by Charles Foran about his biography of Richler.
Have I mentioned being on a bus tour of Montreal years ago and becoming very excited when we crossed St. Urbain Street because Richler wrote about it? It seems as if I must have. But just in case, I'm mentioning it now.
The people I was traveling with had no idea what I was talking about.
Richler was one of the good guys -- even wrote the screenplay to "Fun With Dick and Jane" (1970s version with Jane Fonda and George Segal). The most hilarious character in the film was a wealthy relation who was an ardent Emersonian, and refused to loan money to the cash-strapped couple b/c it would harm their "self-reliance."
ReplyDeleteHe was also not a fan of the Quebecois movement and felt that the whole French first thing damaged Montreal. I have no dog in that fight, but it's still interesting given my obsession both with him and my French Canadian roots.
ReplyDeleteLoved Barney's Version, by the way, and feel Richler went out on a high note with that last book. I don't know if I'll be seeing the movie, though. I'm afraid it will be long on depressez-moi stuff and shorter on the Richler humor.