Before I ever seriously thought
about writing, I was an avid reader, mostly of mysteries. I still am. As a kid
I enjoyed the creative genius of John D. MacDonald, particularly his Travis
McGee series. In my teens I discovered
the talents of Elmore Leonard and Robert B. Parker. As time rolls on, these great writers have
passed away. But their stories remain, to intrigue and entertain you. Growing older lead me to expand my horizons on the type of stories that caught my attention.
When I lived
in the Detroit area, we were close enough to Canada to pick up broadcasts from
their radio and television networks. So it was one Saturday morning about
fifteen years while running errands that I stumbled upon a treasure. The Vinyl Café,
hosted by Stuart McLean. This radio
show, traveled across Canada, and featured many local musicians.
But the highlight of the show was
when McLean would read a story about some of his characters. He brought these people
to life. All of their quirks, their habits, their dilemmas, were spelled out in
fifteen or twenty minute segments. At
one moment, Stuart could have you laughing out loud, shaking your head in
dismay at the antics being portrayed. The next, you could feel your eyes
growing misty as he tugged at your heart. Listening to his program became a
regular part of my Saturday mornings. When I discovered he’d published a
collection of his tales, it was quickly purchased. Along the years, I added a few more. One year I dragged the whole family across
the river to Canada to see a live holiday performance. We laughed for hours.
Once during an interview, McLean revealed
his secret to creating such great stories. He stated the important thing was to
really know your characters, to spend some time with them. Understand the way
they thought, the way they would act and react.
And if you ever read or heard one of his tales, you’d get to know them
in the blink of an eye.
Sadly, Stuart passed away this week.
A gentle man with a great talent to
weave entertaining stories. McLean was a
bestselling author in Canada and in recent years had even brought his concert
tours to some US cities close to the border. But like so many great
storytellers, his tales will live on.
Rest in peace, Stuart.
Here’s a link to one of my favorite
Vinyl Café bits, “The Waterslide”. I hope you enjoy it.
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