Raymond Fraser

Raymond Fraser ONB
Raymond Fraser in his Paris days
Born	(1941-05-08)May 8, 1941 Chatham, New Brunswick
Died	October 22, 2018(2018-10-22) (aged 77) Fredericton, New Brunswick
Occupation	Writer
Language	English
Citizenship	Canadian
Alma mater	St. Thomas University
Notable awards	Lieutenant-Governor's Award for High Achievement in the Arts (2009)
Website
raymondfraser.blogspot.com

Raymond Fraser ONB (May 8, 1941 – October 22, 2018) was a Canadian biographer, editor, essayist, memoirist, novelist, poet and short story writer. Fraser published fourteen books of fiction, three of non-fiction, and eight poetry collections. Fraser's writings were praised by such literary figures as Farley Mowat, Irving Layton, Louis Dudek, Alden Nowlan, Sheila Watson, Leonard Cohen, Hugh Garner, and Michael Cook.

Biography

Born in Chatham, New Brunswick, Raymond Fraser attended St. Thomas University where in his freshman year he played on the varsity hockey and football teams, and in his junior year was co-editor with John Brebner of the student literary magazine Tom-Tom. His 20-year correspondence and friendship with the poet Alden Nowlan date from this period.

During the sixties Fraser worked as a lab technician, a high school teacher, and as editor and freelance writer for a number of tabloid newspapers.

While living in Montreal in 1966, Fraser and poet Leroy Johnson founded the literary magazine Intercourse: Contemporary Canadian Writing. In 1971 he was one of the founders of the Montreal Story Tellers Fiction Performance Group and the Rank Outsiders Poetry Extravaganza. His first book of fiction, The Black Horse Tavern (1973), was published in Montreal by Ingluvin Publications.

Fraser died in Fredericton, New Brunswick, on October 22, 2018, at the age of 77.

Awards and recognition

His novel, The Bannonbridge Musicians (Ingluvin Publications) was a finalist for the 1978 Governor General's Award.

In 2009, following publication of his novel In Another Life (Lion's Head Press), he received the inaugural Lieutenant-Governor's Award for High Achievement in the Arts for English Language Literary Arts.

Five of Fraser's books were listed in Atlantic Canada's 100 Greatest Books (Nimbus Publishing, 2009), a distinction shared by only three other authors.

In 2012 he was made a member of the Order of New Brunswick, the province's highest honour, for his contributions to literature and New Brunswick's cultural life.

In May 2016, he received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from his alma mater, St Thomas University. In 2017, he received the Canadian Senate Sesquicentennial Medal in recognition of valuable service to the nation.

Over the years he received four Canada Council Grants, six New Brunswick Arts Board Grants, and the Canadian Writers' Trust Woodcock Grant.

Bibliography

Fiction

• The Black Horse Tavern – 1973. Revised definitive edition with an Introduction by the author – 2014 (novella & stories)
• The Struggle Outside – 1975. Revised definitive edition with an Afterword by the author – 2013 (novel)
• The Bannonbridge Musicians – 1978. Revised definitive edition – 2014 (novel)
• Rum River – 1997. Revised definitive edition – 2016 (novel)
• Costa Blanca – 2001, 2013 (novella & stories)
• In a Cloud of Dust and Smoke – 2003, 2013 (novel)
• The Grumpy Man – 2008, 2013 (novella & stories)
• In Another Life – 2009, 2013 (novel)
• The Trials Of Brother Bell – 2010 (two novels, Repentance Vale & The Struggle Outside)
• The Madness Of Youth – 2011, 2013 (novel)
• Repentance Vale – 2011, 2013 (novel)
• Bliss – 2013 (stories)
• Seasons of Discontent – 2015 (novel)
• Through Sunlight and Shadows – 2018 (novel)

Biography

• The Fighting Fisherman: The Life of Yvon Durelle – 1981, 1983, 2005
• Todd Matchett: Confessions of a Young Criminal – 1994

Memoirs and essays

• When The Earth Was Flat – 2007, 2013

Poetry

• For the Miramichi – 1966
• Waiting for God's Angel – 1967
• I've Laughed and Sung – 1969
• The More I Live – 1971
• Stop The Highway... 4 Montreal Poets: Raymond Fraser, Clifford Gaston, Bob Higgins & Bryan McCarthy – 1972
• Macbride Poems – 1992
• Before You're A Stranger – 2000
• As I See it – 2017

eBooks

• The Black Horse Tavern
• Bliss
• Costa Blanca
• When The Earth Was Flat
• The Grumpy Man
• Repentance Vale

Anthology edited

• East of Canada: An Atlantic Anthology – 1977 (Eds.: Raymond Fraser, Clyde Rose and Jim Stewart)

Literary magazines edited

• Tom-Tom (St. Thomas University) Raymond Fraser and John Brebner, eds. 1962.
• Intercourse: Contemporary Canadian Writing Raymond Fraser et al., eds. 1966–1971.
• The Pottersfield Portfolio Raymond Fraser et al., eds. 1990–1992.
• Lion's Head Magazine (online) Raymond Fraser and Bernell MacDonald, eds. 2014– .

References

• J. R. (Tim) Struthers, ed. The Montreal Story Tellers. Montreal: Vehicle Press. 1985.
• Margie Williamson. Four Maritime Poets: a survey of the works of Alden Nowlan, Fred Cogswell, Raymond Fraser and Al Pittman, as they reflect the spirit and culture of the Maritime people. Thesis (M.A.), Dalhousie University, 1973 [microform].
• Stephen Patrick Clare & Trevor J. Adams. Atlantic Canada's 100 Greatest Books. Halifax: Nimbus Publishing Ltd. 2009.
• Canadian Who's Who. Toronto: Third Sector Publishing. 2015.

External links

• Archival records for Raymond Fraser at the University of New Brunswick
• Raymond Fraser's weblog
• Atlantic Canadian Poets Archive
• New Brunswick Literary Encyclopedia