'Drop by for a chat'

Carol Bruneau is Dalhousie's writer in residence. (Danny Abriel Photo)

Future great Canadian novelists at Dal have reason to rejoice: Carol Bruneau is settling in as Dalhousie’s first writer-in-residence.

“It’s a great honour, it’s fabulous. It’s so much fun to be surrounded by such creative people,” says Ms. Bruneau, who will hold the writer-in-residence position until March 20.

The acclaimed author of five books is a born-and-bred Atlantic Canadian. She did her BA and MA in English at Dalhousie, and her most recent book, Glass Voices, came out last fall. She also holds an MA in journalism and worked for a time as a photo editor in Toronto. Of course, Ms. Bruneau couldn’t hold out against the lure of creative writing—or her Maritime roots—for long.

“What I’ve always wanted to do is write creatively… I think I’m just addicted to narrative.”

So what exactly does being “writer-in-residence” entail? Ms. Bruneau spends about half of her time at Dal on her own writing but she’s available to students and staff alike for consultation on personal writing projects, in person or via email. She also teaches two workshops at Dalhousie: one for beginning writers, and one for those further along their creative journey.

Frustrated undergrads take heart: the bulk of Ms. Bruneau’s creative writing emerged during her post-university years. “I wrote when I was a kid, and I wrote when I was a teenager… (at university) so much energy was spent doing analytical writing, and thank goodness for that. To write a book, you have to have both those faculties.”

Ms. Bruneau’s advice for aspiring authors is down-to-earth. “Start where you need to start,” she says matter-of-factly. “No one ever starts (by saying), ‘Oh, this is going to be the beginning.’” Also, “I’m a big stickler for writing in pen.” (That is, writing in longhand rather than in front of a glowing computer screen.) “This kind of writing… in many ways, it’s similar to drawing… As soon as I’m in front of a screen, I become much more analytical. More self-conscious.”

She also offers advice which is, by now, a proverb—would-be writers must read. “You see what they do, and then figure out what you’ll learn from it,” says Ms. Bruneau, who cites Alice Munro’s work as a personal favourite.

Ms. Bruneau can be consulted Tuesdays through Fridays, 1 to 4 p.m. in her office in the McCain building. Material can be dropped off via email or in the English department.

“At this point, I’d like to talk to as many people as possible. Even just to drop by for a chat,” she says. “Writing is such an isolating thing… you’re all in your head… It’s nice to be with other people who are likeminded.”