January 27, 2012 Looking at Books ahead for 2012

2012 has generated some exciting  book news related to Mattawa.  Two new books with a Mattawa history/heritage connection will be published later this year. 

The Red Forest by Clermont Duval 

Logging and lumbering have been the lifeblood of Mattawa & Northern Ontario life for decades.  Clermont Duval the outstanding Mattawa artist, print maker and gallery owner came from a lumbering family that started in Quebec and ran in Mattawa for generations.  Clermont knows the story from personal experience and research for his paintings and his early work on graphic novels. 

Clermont Duval with his original graphic novel Maria Chapdelaine and drawings from his new book on lumbering. (2012)

Clermont suffered serious burns in an accident in 1973 and with some difficulty pursued his love of drawing and story telling.  He wrote and illustrated several black and white graphic novels and had the opportunity to do a successful graphic novel on Maria Chapdelaine, the famous Louis Hemon novel. The drawings from the book are in the Louis Hemon Museum in Quebec. 

When Clermont began to paint, many of his works had a story line.  In the late 1980s his “Children & Wildlife” series of paintings with a storyline established him as a top professional.  He began to produce limited edition prints of his work and they can be found in hundreds of locations including outlets in France, Germany, & the U.S.  Many of his prints are sold out. Many paintings include a storyline.  In 1994 he opened his own gallery on the main street of Mattawa. He produces and frames his prints. 

In 2008 he went back to his story telling with two novels and in 2009 he did 2 more, all in French.  In 2010 he began his ambitious novel on “les chantiers” called the Red Forest (The Red Pine forest plays and important part in the book).   

It will be launched this fall in french at the Montreal Book Fair ( Salon de Livre de Montreal).  The book will be published in english as well. A launch will take place with a display of book panels in North Bay at the WKP Kennedy Gallery later and there will be book signings in Mattawa and at Gullivers Books and Toys in North Bay 

The new book has some interesting and dramatic storylines including the search for an escaped criminal and another about a missing musician. 

The photo shows Clermont with a copy of his early Maria Chapdelane book and several of the 320 panels that will make up the new book.  He has close to 250 panels done now.  The voices will be added in the usual buble  later.  The originals are for sale framed with a copy of the original drawing and a copy of the book when it is published.  About 40% of the panels have been sold to date. 

Clermont can be contacted at his Gallery at 313 Main Street, Mattawa (705) 744-0095 ,email cdag@vianet.ca and his website is www.clermontduval.com. 

Anahareo, A Wilderness Spirit by Kristin Gleeson 

Mattawa’s Gertrude Bernard, later named Anahareo by her companion Grey Owl, has been celebrated for many reasons by several authors.  Mattawa celebrated her 100^th birthday on Explorers’ Point in Mattawa in 2006 and they named a street after her.  Clermont Duval did a painting of her in a canoe for the event.  She received the Order of Canada in 1986 shortly before her death  The museum has a display on her and Grey Owl.  

Kristin Gleeson, writer, artist and musician who has written a pending book – Anahareo, A Wilderness Spirit (2012).

Dr. Kristin Gleeson a talented American living with her teacher husband in Ireland developed an interest in Anahareo’s life and visited Canada on 2 occasions, researching for a book on her.  I wrote in Community Voices about a long article on Anahareo by Gleeson in a book called Recollecting on 12 native women (Google Heritage Perspectives and check May 6, 2011).  The full book, Anahareo, A Wilderness Spirit  was recently accepted for publication and will be out this fall.  When it is, there will be a book launch in Mattawa and at Gullivers Books and Toys in North Bay. 

Kristin has also written and published a new novel Selkie Dreams that “explores the power of myths and conflict of cultures”.  For further information check Kristin’s website www.kristingleeson.com.