THANKS for stopping by, I do my best to acknowledge when someone leaves a comment,you do not have to be a member here & everyone is welcome. Ps: This site is monitored but not actively posting on a regular basis. Mostly these are stories & some photos saved from a defunct site known as Verdun Connections which was on MSN Groups initially then on a social network called Multiply.
8 comments:
I look forward to reading this book from Kathy's perspective,
I've read some comments on this soon to be available book, and I think it will interesting to read this woman's view of Growing up in the Point .
We all like our nostalgia about the good old days (but let's face it, it couldn't have always been valhalla........reality is we remember all the neat stuff, and usually gloss over the maybe less than stellar parts of growing up, sure we made do,& we remember most of it as 'all good' ...... toughened us up & we wouldn't trade it for the world (BS. there has to be some stuff we would change)...lol Anyway I requested this book for our local library & hope to read it soon...maybe you will too.
Cheers ! Have Fun & Remember Verdun
With a Closed Fist
-From Véhicule Press
“In the Point St. Charles of Kathy’s childhood people move for one of two reasons: their apartment is on fire, or the rent is due. Starting in 1968, eight-year-old Kathy Dobson shares her early years growing up in Point St. Charles, an industrial slum in Montreal (now in the process of gentrification). She offers a glimpse into the culture of extreme poverty, giving an insider’s view into a neighbourhood then described as the ‘toughest in Canada.’
When student social workers and medical students from McGill University invade the Point, Kathy and her five sisters witness their mother transform from a defeated welfare recipient to an angry and confrontational community organizer who joins in the fight against a city that has turned a blind eye on some of its most vulnerable citizens. When her mother wins the right for Kathy and her two older sisters to attend schools in one of Montreal’s richest neighbourhoods, Kathy is thrown into a foreign world with a completely different set of rules, leading to disastrous results.”
It's a memoir so not fiction. Good for her! If other Pointers are pissed off then they should write their truth whatever that might be. My book, Loddy-Dah, is fiction but reads like memoir in some places apparently. I don't know if that is good or bad. Verdun and Montreal 1967-1970 are just the setting for Loddy's grappling with one challenge after another. The message is something every woman has to know.
Welcome to Kathy & I hope you have fun and remember Verdun.... Feel free to look through all our photo albums,and read the posts (of which there many) Use photo s for yourself too...... Cheers ! HF&RV Les
Should you post a topic,you will then be able to see at the bottom of the page ,how many times it was viewed ,as well as by how many people.
Again Welcome to the site
recv'd yesterday, from local library,confirmation of the book suggestion of "With a Closed Fist" by Kathy Dobson.
Les F,
GVPL has received your request. The request will be forwarded to the department responsible for this item. You will be notified when action is taken on this request. Thank you.
Ticket ID: (removed for this post)
Subject: Growing up in Canada's Toughest neighbourhood
Department: Suggestion For Purchase
Kind regards,
Greater Victoria Public Library
..................Cheers ! HF&RV........................
Hello, and thanks for the warm welcome. I really appreciate it!
Although I grew up in Point St. Charles, I also have a lot of ‘connections’ to Verdun as well, so I’m thrilled to now be connected to this place ☺
My husband, Steve Mitchell, was born and raised in Verdun, and lived on Godin Avenue for most of his growing up years. His parents are Jim and Roberta, and he has two younger brothers, Brian and Scott.
I lived in Verdun myself for about a year, right across from Steve actually, on Godin Avenue in the early 80s. Looking forward to checking out this site!
-Kathy Dobson
Hi Kathy , I just came across this msg I sent you when I finally got your book from the library,I am reposting this message here,following the thread of your book:You should now be able to read this through the InBox..I did post it as a PM (personal message) and I sometimes don't see mine ,I can see you haven't read this one.so here you go. ( yea I behind on my catching up stuff......lol)
. With a Closed Fist ( I was the first to get this copy from our library) Feb 1, '12 8:56 AM
by Les for users kathydobson and lesf
Hi Kathy , I just finished your book last night, I got a kick out of it....and you--- I thought you were going to be the good kid..........hahahahaha . You mention a Mr Doyle giving the strap, did you change the names to protect the 'guilty' , because I had a Mr Doyle in Verdun in grade school & his specialty was giving the strap,.I know this first 'hand' ( and then the other)- lol
Like my oldman use to say "I was an honor student in school, it was always "Yes your honor , no your honor"..............(I always liked that line)
Easy to relate to many things you spoke about,I see you migrated to Lasalle . I left Verdun in '68 and went to live in Lasalle ,I left Lasalle in the 70's and have stayed here in Victoria BC ever since.Incidentally I played in the streets around my oldmans shop which was originally on Smith Street ( Griffintown) then we moved to Mullins Street across from the city of Montreal yards (where they piled the salt for the roads in the winter)Anyway enough of that, Congrats on your book,and if you didn't let Jack distract you,you might have had a longer book,,,,,,,
Cheers ! HF&RV - Les
Hi Les,
Thank you so much for the feedback! I was hoping to know what you thought of it if you got a chance to read it.
You're comment about Jack made me laugh out loud :) And yes, I changed all of the names and a few minor details to protect the innocent AND the guilty, heh.
I'm so pleased you got a kick out if it and appreciate you taking the time to share that with me, thank you. The book is about to go to a third printing and is going to be translated into French and be released soon also as an ebook.
Thanks so much again,
Kathy
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