The Underground Book Club Review – Cigar Box Banjo
September 27, 2011
Paul Quarrington, David Gilmour, André Alexis
Cigar Box Banjo: Notes on Music and Life
by Paul Quarrington
Greystone, 2010
The Perfect Order of Things
by David Gilmour
Thomas Allen, 2011
Beauty & Sadness
by André Alexis
Anansi, 2010
Three gentlemen of Canadian literature. Three memoirs. One of them framed as a novel. One of them a celebration of life and critique of music. One of them a hybrid short story /essay collection.
One of them published posthumously.
Paul Quarrington wrote Cigar Box Banjo in the 12 months his doctors gave him after his lung cancer diagnosis. He’d already started it, but what had started as a reflection of his life-long interest (and career in) music became a reflection on the significant moments of his life and the strange space of his final year.
If you knew you had a year to live, what would you do? Quarrington makes it clear that he took his diagnosis as a gift. Of course he would have liked to live longer. Of course he was angry. But it could have been worse. He could have left with no chance to say goodbye, with no chance to do some of the things on his bucket list (such as record a song in Nashville with his childhood friend, Dan Hill).
And without that final year, we wouldn’t have this book, which is imperfect but also more than charming. It resonates with life-force, and it serves as a reminder that the well-lived life is possible even in the most trying of circumstances.
This blog began in 2008 with a report of The Writers’ Union of Canada’s AGM. Specifically, it recounted a session on the writing life led by Quarrington, Nino Ricci and Wayston Choy. Quarrington repeated some learned wisdom: “Bitterness is the writer’s black lung disease.” Quarrington said: At the end of the day, there’s the body of work. Be proud of it. Avoid careerism.
It was the only time I “met” Quarrington, and it was enough to understand that he is widely missed by friends, family and colleagues.
More at … http://thenewcanlit.blogspot.com/2011/09/paul-quarrington-david-gilmour-andre.html
It’s Not Dark Yet: Essay by Martin Worthy
January 21, 2011
Paul Quarrington died of lung cancer a year ago today, on Jan. 21, 2010. To mark the anniversary of his death, his former bandmate Martin Worthy sent the Globe this story and a prophetic song that they recorded together in 2008 with their band, Porkbelly Futures.
Essay (with music)
Martin Worthy
Globe and Mail Online
Published Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 12:00AM EST
<< Read the whole story here >>
About Martin Worthy
Martin Worthy is Paul’s oldest closest friend and continuing member of the band Porkbelly Futures. He and Paul played, wrote and toured together for decades, the last 10 years in the band Porkbelly Futures. The band released a CD dedicated to their colleague called The Crooked Road, which has a number of tunes the two wrote together. Martin also heads up the Quarrington Arts Society; for more information visit www.quarringtonartsociety.ca.
James Reaney remembers Paul Quarrington
January 21, 2011
>> Read James’ Brand New Blog here <<
Published Friday, January 21, 2011
I am one of many who are remembering Paul Quarrington, the great Canadian arts & life hero who died a year ago today. You can listen to an amazing recording of Bob Dylan’s It’s Not Dark Yet by Paul Quarrington with his Porkbelly Futures bandmates.
Paul Quarrington was a multi-talented, award-winning artist, musician, filmmaker, screenwriter, author, journalist and teacher. He died of lung cancer on January 21, 2010. For more information, visit http://www.paulquarrington.org
Judith Keenan has provided a wonderful list of events & creativity that made the last year so remarkable. We miss Paul, but continue to celebrate all that he did & his friends keep doing.
2010, a year of Paul Quarrington
· Produced the live event tribute October 2009 (IFOA) and again April 2010 (Opera House), celebrating Paul`s life and work
· delivered the documentary film PAUL QUARRINGTON LIFE IN MUSIC about him, Bravo has broadcast it nationally twice already, and there is another date scheduled for March 27.
· toured the film to ten cities across the country, with his band Porkbelly Futures riding shotgun, in those and another dozen cities too.
· Porkbelly Futures released their third CD THE CROOKED ROAD dedicated to PQ; half the songs on the disc were penned with or by Paul.
· Paul ‘s CD THE SONGS was released
· his memoir CIGAR BOX BANJO was released and even made a bestseller list
· As the last element in a year of PQ efforts, I have produced a half-hour radio show dedicated to Paul, with live music and stage tributes by Jim Cuddy, Gordon Pinsent, Tony and Joel Quarrington, drawn from the various live events I produced in 2009-10, plus and the Bob Dylan song you find attached here. It will air on JazzFM on Sunday, Jan 23, at 10:30pm.
Martin Worthy on Paul Quarrington & It’s Not Dark Yet
>> Read James’ posting of Martin Worthy’s Essay It’s Not Dark Yet here <<
Globe & Mail Top 100 for Cigar Box Banjo
December 7, 2010
The book Paul Quarrington produced as a last gift to his many fans is in a category of its own, a layered, rambling, deceptively casual mixture of music history, coming-of-age narrative and reflection on mortality. There’s even a CD – it includes versions of the last two songs Quarrington wrote, both about dying. Sad, funny and wise – the writer’s trifecta. Mark Kingwell
The November 27th issue of the Globe and Mail included Cigar Box Banjo in their annual Top 100 Books selection…read the whole article here ….
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/books/the-2010-globe-100-non-fiction/article1813452/
CIGAR BOX BANJO: Notes on Music and Life
By Paul Quarrington (GreyStone)
Toronto Quarterly: Filming Life in Music and Paul Quarrington
November 23, 2010
Darryl Salach interviews Judith Keenan on the making of Paul Quarrington Life in Music, for The Toronto Quarterly blog.
Judith Keenan – discusses filming Life in Music and Paul Quarrington
(excerpt)
Filming the documentary was equally as intense on Keenan. “We synthesized a renaissance artist into 46 minutes at a point in his life when he is living his creative life literally to his death. We’ve managed to distill some of Paul’s dichotomies that are universal to all artists, to any person who is reaching out to express themselves by whatever creative means they have at hand. We laughed, we cried, we shook a fist, and we talked for hours in the pub afterwards.”
This fall, Keenan toured the film to numerous Canadian cities, several of which were full-on tributes to Paul’s work – Kingston, Banff, and Vancouver being stand-outs. During the screenings, Kennan admits to not being able to watch the film all the way through until the Vancouver event. “The gospel scene at the end still tends to choke me up, probably because we (Paul Q., Bert, Bill Laurin, and I) were so jazzed to shoot it, and when we did, PQ was not there.” Her refuge has been the incredible audience support she has received, many having stopped by to talk with her after the events, speaking of their own remembrances of Paul, and if they didn’t know of Paul, many were now inspired to pick up some of his books, CD’s, or films. There are two goals Keenan hopes to achieve by getting this film seen, the first, to establish a foundation for the appreciation of Paul’s work now and in the future, and secondly, to be true to Paul’s mission of inspiring everyone to live the most creative life possible.
Keenan reconfirmed that what sustained her throughout the project will continue to be her salvation. “Paul brought together a group of people that have found great comfort together, and have also made great art together. It got us through, and hopefully resulted in a piece of art that will offer inspiration to the audience that views it, squeezing the most creative juice out of their own lives.”
Here’s the link to the full article >> http://thetorontoquarterly.blogspot.com/2010/11/judith-keenan-discusses-filming-life-in.html
Tribute To A Life Of Hope
October 14, 2010
Writers and musicians gather at WordFest event to celebrate Paul Quarrington; Wordfest | 2010
By Heath McCoy, Calgary Herald October 13, 2010
In November of last year Paul Quarrington made his final appearance in Calgary — and it was a rough one.
The celebrated writer, who won the Governor General’s Award for fiction in 1989 — among so many achievements in his life — was in town with his roots rock outfit Porkbelly Futures for a gig at the Ironwood, and, the truth is, he probably shouldn’t have been there.
He probably should have been home in Toronto, resting in bed.
Days before, Quarrington, 56, had just completed his first round of chemotherapy administered to treat the terminal lung cancer he had been diagnosed with. Uncomfortable flights and performances with his rock band were surely the opposite of what the doctor ordered.
But Quarrington had a lust for life, and for his art, that would not be denied — even when he knew that death was so frighteningly near.
That’s why this Saturday, when authors, artists, musicians and fans gather at the Margaret Greenham Theatre in the Banff Centre to celebrate Quarrington, the event will be focused on his life and his work — not his January death.
…
“The guy was pushing himself hard,” says Judith Keenan, producer of the documentary Paul Quarrington: Life In Music, which ran on Bravo TV. “He was racing. He wanted to get certain things done and, goddamn it, he was going to do it. . . . He was really bloody minded, putting all of his efforts into his creative legacy. It was a really robust period of time.”
Even though Quarrington enjoyed his greatest success as a novelist, it’s fitting that he focused his efforts largely on his music before he died, says Keenan.
….
FFWD Lauds Upcoming PQ Event at WordFest
October 8, 2010
Fifteen years of literary bliss
Advice, lore and and events from Calgary’s biggest book event
Published October 7, 2010 by Lachlan Mackintosh in Books
{EXCERPT}
Paul Quarrington is gone
He lost his battle with cancer, but Quarrington joins the distinguished dozen — the authors who make up the Banff Distinguished Author Series alumni. Richard Ford, David Adams Richards, David Malouf, Annie Proulx, Richard Wright, Margaret Atwood, John Ralston Saul, Jane Urquhart, Austin Clark, Douglas Coupland, and the late Timothy Findley and Mordecai Richler.
FOR THE COMPLETE STORY >>
http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/arts/books/fifteen-years-of-literary-bliss-6410/
Globe and Mail honours Paul Quarrington’s works
May 29, 2010
A privilege to enjoy the recognition of Canada’s prestigious national newspaper, The Globe and Mail ….
Profile: Paul Quarrington: His final year was his greatest work by John Barber
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/books/paul-quarrington-his-final-year-was-his-greatest-work/article1584668/
A remarkable memoir reveals a writer and musician determined to face down death with courage and flair.
A genius at living // Cigar Box Banjo: Reviewed by Mark Kingwell
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/books/review-cigar-box-banjo-notes-on-music-and-life-by-paul-quarrington/article1584522/
Paul Quarrington, author and musician, embraced both life and the inevitability of death
Bittersweet notes on music and life (Book Excerpt)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/books/bittersweet-notes-on-music-and-life/article1584674/
In his memoir Cigar Box Banjo, Paul Quarrington writes that upon learning of his lung cancer, he drove to the Scarborough Bluffs, ‘stumbled out to the shore and bawled like a baby’
A final song
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/books/a-final-song/article1584596/
In a Globe and Mail exclusive, listen to a song Paul Quarrington wrote about the end being near. The song is one of three on a CD included with Quarrington’s memoir, Cigar Box Banjo
National Post continues Quarrington support
May 29, 2010
Interview with Director Bert Kish on Paul Quarrington: Life in Music >> By Katherine Laidlaw
Paul Quarrington: When his many passions merged into a love of life
And Phil Marchand’s review of Cigar Box Banjo
Open Book, by Philip Marchand: Cigar Box Banjo, by Paul Quarrington
Quarrington finds new ways to surprise, posthumously
May 25, 2010
The Canadian Press
Date: Monday May. 24, 2010
TORONTO — Months after his death, Paul Quarrington is still finding new ways to surprise.
The multi-hyphenate author, musician, filmmaker and playwright died of lung cancer in January. But the work is still coming. This spring will see the release of his first solo CD and a new memoir, while a documentary about his final months will air on television.
And as they survey his latest spate of creative works, those close to Quarrington continue to marvel at the friend they’ve lost.
“The reception, it’s just overwhelming, the sense of ‘thank you,’ and ‘I didn’t know that,”‘ said Judith Keenan, a close confidante of Quarrington’s and the producer of “Paul Quarrington: Life in Music,” a documentary that will air on Saturday (Bravo, 7 p.m. ET).
“These are people talking to me — ‘I’m a high school friend of Paul’s and I didn’t know that about him.’ Or his brother would say, ‘I didn’t know that about him.’ They’re all discovering things about this gentleman.
“I think just the way he constructed his life, it’s people finding doors to walk through they didn’t know existed. It’s increased the value of this trifecta of products coming out at the same time.”
And these final creative works exist thanks to the tireless effort Quarrington put in during the months and days that would prove to be his last.
Quarrington was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer last May, a fatal condition he would succumb to in January at the age of 56.
In between, he worked at a prodigious pace to complete his projects. Rather than being defeated by the diagnosis, he almost seemed buoyed — in the film, he refers to it as a “gift,” because the knowledge that his time was limited served as motivation to work furiously to complete a staggering career of accomplishments.
READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE ON CTV.CA or in any of the many print and online media outlets across the country!
