Official Website of A Canadian Author
M. Gail Stelter
FAMILY STORIES
Helvetica Light is an easy-to-read font, with tall and narrow letters, that works well on almost every site.
Helvetica Light is an easy-to-read font, with tall and narrow letters, that works well on almost every site.
Why?
He said, “You would have loved my mother and she would have loved you.” His mother was my paternal grandmother, Lillian Esther Kennedy, nee Mulligan. She died before I was born and left behind seven children, my dad Jim, being the oldest. I wanted to know about her life… the first four children born in Quyon, Quebec, before moving to Toronto in 1923, where the youngest three were born. I am a student of history and my family history is a passion I had not unfolded. I didn’t ask my dad about his childhood. He died when I was 26 years old, my children would never know him. I wanted to write my stories of my family for my children and grandchildren. Would they be interested? Would they care? Somewhere in this family someone would and he or she would be able to read my family stories. I would do this for that special someone and, perhaps other special someones.
Today - March 12, 2025
The first draft of my family stories book is done. It has 57000 words of stories. I have chosen 26 200 words from this piece of writing as my submission for my final project towards a Certificate in Creative Writing through the School of Continuing Studies, University of Toronto. I am working with instructor/author David Leyton. I took a course as part of the Creative Writing Program with David and he was excellent. His course was substantive and his manner and teaching style welcoming and purposeful. I have five months to finish the project and present it to a panel. Lots of work ahead, but so excited to be getting close to the published book.