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Topic spans: 1967 - 2000
Margaret Atwood: Queen of CanLit
Poet, novelist, storywriter and essayist — the Ottawa native is a Canadian literary giant. Margaret Atwood first raised eyebrows as a young poet in the 1960s. Since then, one of Canada's most written about writers has struggled to keep her personal life private. Over her prolific career, Atwood has earned a reputation for being brilliant but aloof. But her caustic tongue and wicked sense of humour only fuel Atwood's stature as an internationally acclaimed writer.
Photo by Susan King/Library and Archives Canada
9 television clips
8 radio clips
Closet cartoonist
Broadcast Date: Jan. 12, 1978
"Basically I can't draw," Atwood tells CBC's Peter Gzowski as she illustrates a few of her cartoon characters. The accomplished writer is also a cartoonist for This Magazine. Using the pseudonym Bart Gerrard, Atwood's Kanadian Kulture Komic deals with issues such as nationalism and sexual politics. Atwood displays her sense of humour saying she knew her cartoons were being read when she began to receive hate mail addressed to Bart Gerrard.Kanadian Kulture Komic, spelt with Ks because it's "just one of those stupid jokes," follows the adventures of Survival Woman. Atwood, an established novelist, poet, storywriter and now cartoonist, talks about being one of the most written about writers in Canada. "You're supposed to do one thing," she says, "if you do more than that, people get confused and want to write about you."
Closet cartoonist
• This Magazine is Canada's longest-publishing alternative journal. Originally called This Magazine is About Schools, the magazine was founded in 1966 by a group of activists. The current version of This Magazine covers everything from Canadian politics, pop culture and the arts.• Journalist Rick Salutin convinced his friend Margaret Atwood to join the magazine, which resulted in the Kanadian Kulture Komic strip.
• Her pseudonym for her cartoon strips came from the initials of a 19th century political cartoonist who simply signed his name as B.G.
• The May/June 1978 issue of This Magazine included an ad for a set of 10 Survival Woman cards "ineptly drawn by Bart Gerrard."
• Atwood uses the name O.W. Toad, which is an anagram of Atwood, for the copyright of her books. It's also the domain name of her website.
Closet cartoonist
Medium: Television
Program: 90 Minutes Live
Broadcast Date: Jan. 12, 1978
Guest(s): Margaret Atwood
Host: Peter Gzowski
Duration: 14:32
Last updated:
March 5, 2008
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17 clips in this topic . page
Television
4:50
Jan. 4, 2006
The grand man of poetry who hoped his words would heal a nation's ills has died at 93.
Radio
5:35
Feb. 4, 1958
On his 75th birthday, famed narrative poet E.J. Pratt chuckles at being called Canada's leading poet.
Closet cartoonist .
The CBC Digital Archives Website.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Last updated: March 5, 2008.
[Page consulted on Feb. 14, 2012.]