Lee Gowan is the author of the novels Confession, The Last Cowboy, (published in France as Jusqu’au bout du ciel), and Make Believe Love, which was nominated for the Trillium Award for best book in Ontario. He also published the critically acclaimed story collection Going to Cuba, and wrote the award-winning screenplay for Paris or Somewhere. He is the Program Director for Creative Writing and Business Communications at the School of Continuing Studies, University of Toronto. His latest novel The Beautiful Place was published in 2021.
Lee Gowan 
Lee: Carmel and Shirley taught me to spin a rope when I was in grade 3 (I think). My father was a medical intern@ the Swift Current Hospital and got to know the Gowan family. When we moved to a Thunder Bay, Juanita came for a visit an married an acquaintance of my fathe Sherry Wishart. It was interesting to see Carmel’s life on you blog. She was an amazing woman. Thank you for the blog… it happily filled a hole about a girl as I remembrer her and what she would become!
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Thanks for writing, Brock! I didn’t know the story of how Aunt Juanita met Uncle Sherry. This used to visit often in the summers, and we stopped in Thunder Bay to visit a few times over the years.
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Hi, Brock, It was your father who actually introduced my parents ( Lee’s aunt and uncle), Juanita and Sherry. My mom went to Fort William (now Thunder Bay) for a position as an O.T., a job that your dad had arranged for her at a T.B. sanatorium. Your father knew my dad through Red Skins Football and your parents invited him over my mom’s first night in town. My brothers, sister and I grew up with all kinds of toys, books and clothes that were hand me downs from you, your brother and sister. :-} I had never seen this blog until today so it was fun to see your comment! (We still see Carmel occasionally!) Kylee
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Hi Kylee! Glad you found the blog.
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Carmel and my mother, Ruth Arnold, were first cousins. Carmel often visited us in Saranac Lake, and we loved her rope tricks. When I was 16, I stayed with Carmel in Montreal for a week, babysitting 6-year-old Kim and taking her to Expo 67. In 1968, my brother, sister and I visited the Wisharts in Thunder Bay and then the Gowans in Swift Current and then Calgary. We saw Carmel perform at the Calgary Stampede.
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You visited me then, Ruth, as I grew up on the farm near Swift Current. Can’t remember your visit, but I would have been only six.
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I mean Carolyn!
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Hi Lee,
Hope this finds you well? I would like to talk to you about Ken Murray; we have taken over the sales and promotion of Eulogy at Assembly Press, and would love to discuss an event at your Alumni book club with him. He has written a great essay on reading his book ten years on, and what he would change, which may be of interest to your students. My email is debby@assemblypress.ca. ddg
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Thanks for writing The Beautiful Place. I look forward to reading more – your previous books. As a student in the U. of T. Creative Writing Certificate, I am moved by the writing, and the content. I appreciate your sense of humour and it inspires me to find my sense of humour within a memoir-writing in relation depression, suicide, addiction in my family of origin.
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Thank you so much, Judy! It’s always good to hear kind words from a reader, especially one who is a writer herself. All the best with your writing!
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Hi Lee
I am tracing our family history and have reached you in my search. My husband has a DNA match with someone who we think is part of your family. We are very excited as we have been trying to trace my husband’s real grandfather for many years and we think we may have found him. Would you be able to help us please? The link goes back to Midlothian in Scotland.
Many thanks
Ann
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