From AudioFile
One of Canada's most beloved writers, W. O. Mitchell, was said to PERFORM his work, not merely read it. This two-CD set features five of Mitchell's most famous pieces, recorded over seven years at three different venues across Canada. Mitchell's playful voice, combined with his impeccable pace and timing, carries audiences through such wonderful yarns as "How To Fail At Public Speaking" and "Melvin Arbuckle's First Course In Shock Therapy." Mitchell once said that he loved "the immediate thrust of a live audience as it responds to story magic." This impressive recording is a perfect illustration of precisely that sort of magic. R.A.P. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Review
?A welcome addition to the already outstanding body of work from one of this country?s best writers.?
?Winnipeg Free Press

?The book serves wonderfully well as an anthology of his most representative writing.?
?Globe and Mail

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This wonderful selection of 31 pieces shows his writing at its best, while the in-performance photographs catch some of the charm of the man whose own character is perhaps his finest creation.

Some pieces come from his novels, such as Who Has Seen the Wind and The Vanishing Point. We also hear the distinctive voices of both lake and the Kid. Old favorites are mixed with many new pieces, some never before published in book form, such as "Stopping Smoking" and "The Day I Caught Syphilis" (at the age of twelve). There are also serious pieces on censorship, and, finally, his inspiring 1996 speech in Winnipeg to the Writers' Union of Canada that moved his audience to tears. This book is a worthy tribute to a wonderful man.

FROM THE CRITICS

AudioFile