Maggie Muggins, Just Mary author biog published
Dan Say
Not a very approving review in the Vancouver Sun on Saturday.
Summary of this CBC related book in Winnipeg (and west) bookseller
Just Mary : The Life of Mary Evelyn Grannan
[442c0d1c63d03.jpg] By Margaret Anne Hume
book type: hardcover
publication: February 2006
ISBN: 155002597X
Just Mary and Maggie Muggins are names that will arouse memories in
those who grew up with CBC radio and television in the 1940s and
1950s. The creator of these and other children's shows, former
Fredericton schoolteacher Mary Grannan, became a radio star when she
hit the national airwaves in 1939, her popularity peaking when Maggie
Muggins moved to television in 1955 [ until 1962]. Long before The Friendly Giant
and Mr. Dressup appeared, her work helped to shape the legacy of
gentle children's programming on CBC. Building on her broadcasting
success, Grannan published over thirty books, most runaway
best-sellers. Attired in stylish dress, extravagant hats, and enormous
earrings, she made frequent guest appearances at public events across
the country. She received the Beaver Award for her broadcasting and
was honoured by the International Mark Twain Society and the Institute
for Education by Radio at Ohio State University. "Just Mary": The Life
of Mary Evelyn Grannan is the first biography of this creative and
once well-known Canadian woman. Immersing the reader in rich detail
while showcasing excerpts of her writings through the years, the book
presents an intimate examination of her life journey through
previously unreleased personal letters, archives, an abundance of
photographs, and interviews with family, friends, colleagues, and
former students. This is the private Mary Grannan as the public has
never before known her.
Margaret Hume, a former librarian at Concordia University in Montreal,
received her education from the universities of New Brunswick and
McGill. Born in Halifax, she grew up in New Brunswick in the 1950s as
an adoring young fan of Maggie Muggins. Margaret's later curiosity
about Maggie Muggins author and fellow New Brunswicker, Mary Grannan,
led to an extensive and rewarding journey of discovery into Grannan's
life. Margaret lives with her husband in Vancouver. "Just Mary": The
Life of Mary Evelyn Grannan is her first book.
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Linkname: McNally Robinson Booksellers
URL:
http://www.mcnallyrobinson.com/product.php?txtCatID=58&txtProdID=296679
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Everyone one used to listen to the CBC
http://www.statcan.ca:80/english/freepub/87F0007XIE/2004001/data.htm