Hello Gentle Reader
When the Swedish Academy’s Permanente Secretary read the citation for Alice Munro, as the reason why she was chosen as the Nobel Laureate in Literature of twenty-thirteen – it was short simple and direct: “Contemporary Mastery of the Short Story.” On February 18th of two-thousand and fourteen, Alice Munro lost one of her own contemporary compatriots, who is also known for her short stories; the expatriate and severely overlooked Mavis Gallant. With her passing, there were no public eulogies, in regards to her career, and her life’s work and achievement. Ms. Gallant lived to be ninety-one years old; and had lived her entire working life, and career in Paris, France; in order to seriously peruse writing. As Mavis Gallant pointed out, in Paris she found the attitude to the writer different:
“I found for the first time in my life, as a society that you could say you were a writer, and not asked for three months’ rent in advance.”
In this sense, Mavis Gallant accomplished what many now could only dream. After the Second World War, life was cheap, and there were a lot places available to set up home or shake. In this sense, Gallant ran off to Paris and became a writer. In this sense, she became disassociated from North America and North American society; and was able to write about it, from an objective point of view.
If there is one aspect that Mavis Gallant and Alice Munro share. It is that both women, have taken the short story – the poor cousin of the novel; and have turned it into its own genre; separate of preconceived notions; that it lacks the necessary detail or personal gravities, that the novel can achieve and exploit. What both authors have proven is that the short story can be filled with depth, and momentous achievements in literary quality. Characters have as much depth in their short stories, as any character in any five hundred page novel. One separates these authors from the novelists, is that they achieve more in what is not said. All meaningless detail is quickly shredded and deleted. Everything is precisely planned, and precisely worded to have the most impact on the reader, or to make the story a success.
Mavis Gallant maybe an extremely well kept secret in Canadian literature. Perhaps due to her expatriate status; however she has proven over and over again that she was a literary force to be reckoned with. She proved to herself, and to those around her that she had made the right decision by turning to Paris, and working as a writer. Sustaining her entire life by her pen; by her words, by her imagination and by the stories she wrote. Her work maybe at times dark, but Gallant has shown that she has a penchant for the gentle comedy and absurdity of life; especially in its continual transience nature.
Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader
Take Care
And As Always
Stay Well Read
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M. Mary
