: About Me

WRITER PROFILE FOR RICHARD L. PROVENCHER

I was born and raised in the city of Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, 500 miles North-West of Montreal, Canada. After living there 21 years our family moved to Toronto, a culture shock after coming from an isolated mining community. I learned, in the big city, people not only had one car (we had none) some drove two. AND they owned their own houses; very few in our home area owned homes, unless you were rich.

Meeting Toronto poet Raymond Souster, was special, and he encouraged my poetry writing. A very busy working schedule only allowed me short periods of time to write, and the years whizzed by. However, I used my working experiences and wrote above my love of the outdoors, combining it with contemporary issues. Ideas came from my background as a miner, newspaper reporter, childcare worker, assistant housing manager, welfare officer, social services administrator, home for aged administrator, executive-director of united way and marketing/tourism manager for Truro, Nova Scotia.

Also, volunteering with Boy Scouting and Big Brothers helped me understand challenges experienced by the younger set. My father said many years ago, "You spend so much time in the woods, you're going to turn into a tree." I didn't. My wife, Esther and I are former foster and adopting parents.

For eight years, I participated in the Writers-in-the-Schools program, under the auspices of the Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia, of which I am a long time member. During these visits to many elementary and junior high schools, I shared my work and honed my writing skills. I enjoyed the frankness of those ten year olds, when asked how my story came across. Some were not shy. "Boring" was a kick in the creative pants, so away to the drawing board again. Over a period of time it was pleasing to get many stories and poems in print and online. If you type out, "Richard L. Provencher" my work will come forward.

One award of which I am very proud is a story about a foster child. And how his first visit comes about. It has been an honour writing stories by request, from adults for their children; ie a child's first trip to a hospital for a serious operation. The young lad said he liked the story.

My first Poetry Chapbook "In the Light of Day" is now available through Mercutio Press in Montreal. I used to be very shy, when young. Now I enjoy public readings and recently gave an hour presentation of my work on Eastlink Cable Television. I truly believe writing is a global adventure, a journey without borders.

Several of my writing highlights include, reading with notable Mi'kmaq poet Rita Joe (now deceased) at Dalhousie University in Halifax. And also reading with very successful children's writers such as Sherree Fitch, Budge Wilson and Don Aker at Kingston Regional School. It is the premier Author's Day in Nova Scotia and around 400 students are happy to pay to attend a Saturday of readings, by children's writers. At the time I had no published books, now I do.

I retired from my familiar working world because of a stroke, which felled me in August of 1999. As I struggled for five years to overcome numbness on my right side, toes all the way to head, harbouring severe headaches, I began to focus on my writing. I re-visited my children's novels and picture books written on "the fly." Finally, I had the time to focus on my writing, something never before possible with time constraints, but, what a way to get to this moment.

I began to pray over my work before beginning. Words poured out of me, and my revisions came so naturally. My writing was excellent therapy and I am sure the intense work, sometimes five-six hours of writing per day all week, helped me recapture lost brain cells, memory and a desire to overcome the physical limitations I had. Several stories on OurEcho.com identify what I went through.

In addition to my poems, stories and picture books, I have written Early Reader and Juvenile novels as well as one adult novel; all seeking publication. Some of my work is in OurEcho.com, The Danforth Review, Rubicon Publishing, Pusan Web, tooter4kids, Parenting Express, The Preservation Foundation, and Expressions of Soul. I also a small part in a documentary called: Willard, the Hermit of Gully Lake and recently shown in the Atlantic Film Festival, in Halifax.

My precious wife, Esther, and I have now lived twenty-one years in beautiful Truro, Nova Scotia. We have four children and five grandchildren. To all those writers out there: I turned 65 on September 10th 2007 and thank goodness there is no age restriction in this field. My friend, Budge Wilson, a Canadian children's writer told me years ago, "Richard, persevere. Your day will come." And it has, in many ways through sharing my short stories and poems. I wish to publish more.

So write, write, write, and enjoy the journey. It is a fun-filled worthwhile one. Also, please keep me in your prayers, as I continue to recover from my stroke. I had a "leaking" aneurysm. Indeed, prayers do work!

May God's blessings surround everyone!
Richard L. Provencher
Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada E-mail: richardprov1@netscape.net

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NOTE: JULY 8, 2008
FOOTPRINTS, a close family novel about a father's search for a son he never met can now be ordered from SynergEbooks. Richard & Esther Provencher are also co-authors of two other novels soon to be published at: www.synergebooks.com

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