Lynn Coady
Lynn Coady: A Canadian Writer of Unflinching Insight
Full Name and Common Aliases
Full name: Lynn Coady
Common aliases: None noted
Birth and Death Dates
Born: 1963 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (exact date not public)
Deceased: Still living
Nationality and Profession(s)
Nationality: Canadian
Profession(s): Novelist, short story writer, screenwriter
Early Life and Background
Lynn Coady was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1963. Growing up, he developed a passion for reading and writing, which would eventually shape his career as a novelist and short story writer. Coady's early life experiences and observations of the world around him would later influence his unique narrative voice.
Coady's background is rooted in the rugged landscape of northern Canada, where he spent much of his childhood. This environment has had a profound impact on his writing style, often reflecting themes of isolation, resilience, and the human condition. His experiences as an outsider within his own community have also contributed to his distinctive perspective.
Major Accomplishments
Throughout his career, Lynn Coady has been recognized for his exceptional storytelling and nuanced characterization. Some of his notable accomplishments include:
Being shortlisted for the Giller Prize multiple times (1997, 2004)
Winning the Writers' Trust Fiction Award in 2011
Serving as a judge on several literary awards, including the Scotiabank Giller PrizeNotable Works or Actions
Some of Lynn Coady's most notable works include:
The Blue Diaries (1993), his debut novel that explores themes of identity and belonging
The Antagonist (2010), a critically acclaimed novel that examines the consequences of our actions on others
Helped Me Ghosts (2019), a collection of short stories that delve into the complexities of human relationships
Impact and Legacy
Lynn Coady's writing has had a lasting impact on Canadian literature. His unique perspective, combined with his masterful storytelling skills, has captivated readers and inspired a new generation of writers.
Coady's contributions to the literary world extend beyond his published works. He has been an advocate for emerging writers and has played an active role in promoting Canadian literature through various initiatives and organizations.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Lynn Coady is widely quoted and remembered for his:
Unflinching insight into the human condition, often tackling complex themes with sensitivity and nuance
Masterful storytelling, weaving intricate narratives that draw readers in and refuse to let go
* Unique perspective, born from his experiences as an outsider within his own community
Through his writing, Lynn Coady has earned a reputation as one of Canada's most talented and thought-provoking writers. His work continues to resonate with readers, offering a glimpse into the complexities of human experience and the world around us.
Quotes by Lynn Coady
Just think of all the confidence we start out with, all the certainty. And then we embark and we fail, much to our surprise. And then we fail something else, and gradually the surprise dwindles and soon we are surprised by nothing and thus are made adults.
The masterstroke of male fraternity, I believed, was the practice of never speaking of anything remotely personal or related to one's emotions. That way, no one is ever made uncomfortable. Any such awkward moments can always be dispelled with a flurry of pretend-punches.
The fundamentals for me are character and conflict. I put character first because readers will be indifferent to conflict if they are indifferent to the character who is experiencing it.
You can't really go into TV thinking, 'Maybe I can make a few bucks doing this thing I'm only kind of interested in to support my one true love, which is prose fiction.' I think you have to love what you're doing to do it well.
You know the actor's nightmare is getting up onstage and not being prepared? I think the writer's nightmare is giving a reading and somebody standing up and saying, 'That's not your story.'
It’s so dangerous to idealize anything, or anyone, or any place, because it gives that thing or person or place a kind of permission to not have to change, and not have to evolve. It encourages us to bury our heads in the sand, or in values that are really morally neutral but that we pretend are moral goods: tradition, community and family for example.
Delightful, tragic, gloriously elegiac and riddled with puns-Close to Hugh is just like life, only so much more beautiful for being art.
However long, it's definitely the presence of other people that brings out the weirdness - that collision of your own way of being with the everyday lives of others, the abrupt awareness - always a surprise no matter how often it's happened - that their lives are very different from your own.
I avoid writing about sex out of a certainty that no matter how grown up and matter-of-fact I might try to be, there is a snickering yet nun-terrorized 12-year-old-boy inside me who would at some point be certain to grab the reins in his hairy palms.
I decided a long time ago to be myself and not worry too much about cultivating some kind of personality that didn't feel natural or true to who I am.