Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems by Randall Maggs - Info Dossier
December 13, 2009. In the Ottawa Citizen Wayne Scanlan writes “Legendary goalie Terry Sawchuk exemplified tragic greatness” on the occasion of Martin Brodeur’s tying Sawchuk’s shutout record of 103 goals, a record that Sawchuk held for 46 years. “The Famous Crouch” from Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems by Randall Maggs is included at the end of this article.
For the full story, see
http://www.canada.com/Legendary+goalie+Terry+Sawchuk+exemplified+tragic+greatness/2336129/story.html
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Books/1129627.html
December 9, 2009.
In The Copper & Blue, An Edmonton Oilers blog, Bruce McCurdy writes “Sawchuk” about Terry Sawchuk’s career as one of the most famous goalies in NHL hockey. An excerpt of “Next Time” from Night Work; The Sawchuk Poems by Randall Maggs leads the article.
For the full story, see
December 8, 2009.
In “Slap Shot” from the New York Times blog, Stu Hackel writes “The Morning Skate: King of Shutouts, King of Pain” - a tribute to Terry Sawchuk on the occasion of Martin Brodeur’s tying his shutout record of 103 goals. Night Work The Sawchuk Poems. “… a saga like Sawchuk’s can transcend biography, and Randall Maggs, a poet and professor of literature in Newfoundland who is also a hockey guy (his brother Daryl played in the N.H.L.) turned his love and fascination for Sawchuk and hockey culture into a remarkable set of poems and prose Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems (Brick Books, 2008) that deserves a place on every serious fan’s bookshelf.With verse that takes the reader on an intimate excursion though Sawchuk
’s tortured life — sometimes first person, sometimes third person, sometimes funny, often full of of personal and professional dread — and the culture of Original Six hockey, Maggs researched Sawchuk and the Original Six era of short money and owner oligarchy for years. He even traveled to speak with those who knew and encountered the goalie to help him create a moving mosaic of impressions and recollections.”For the full story, see http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/the-morning-skate-king-of-shutouts-king-of-pain/
December 6, 2009.
In the Halifax Chronicle-Herald Stephen Clare writes “Christmas readers get a sporting chance” with his list of the best sports book of the year including Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems by Randall Maggs. “An unlikely a pairing as you will ever see, Newfoundland scribe Randall Maggs skillfully marries hockey and poetry into one of this year’s literary masterpieces. Merging fact and fiction, and drawing upon his own experiences in and around the pro leagues, the author weaves short, crisp passages into a lengthy fluid narrative that captures the essence and intricacies of a man whom many believe was the greatest goaltender in the history of the game. Just as Sawchuk raised the bar for eccentric at his position, Night Work does well to set a new standard for sports writing. An absolute must-read.”
For the full story, see http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotian/1156248.html
Selected Highlights and Comments
Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems. Maggs, Randall. Brick Books (London ON) 2008.
launches
MCI Great Hall, Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto, 19 Feb. 2008.
Canadian Embassy, Dublin (intro. Ambassador Pat Binns), 14 May 2008.
McNally Robinson Booksellers, Winnipeg, 21 Feb. 2008 – Sawchuk’s home town
readings and festivals
International Readings at Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, 16 Apr. 2008.
Stephen Leacock Festival (with Vezina Trophy), Orillia ON, 23 July 2008.
Writers at Woody Point, Woody Point NL, 15 Aug. 2008.
Art Bar Poetry Series, Toronto, 7 Oct. 2008.
WordFest: Banff-Calgary International Writers Festival, 14–19 Oct. 2008.
Thin Air: Winnipeg International Writers Festival, 21–28 Sept. 2008.
BookFest Windsor 2008, 30 Oct.–1 Nov. 2008.
Poets Follies Reading Series, Grosse Pointe, Detroit, MI, 28 Feb. 2009.
Pasadena City College, Los Angeles, CA, 17 Mar. 2009.
Winterset in Summer Literary Festival, Eastport NL, 6–9 Aug. 2009.
literary reviews
Globe and Mail, (cover review Books), John Degen, 8 Mar. 2008.
The Malahat Review, Laurie Graham, No. 164, Fall 2008.
Newfoundland Quarterly,
Joan Sullivan, Vol. 101 No. 1, Summer 2008.Newfoundland and Labrador Studies,
Paul Chafe, Vol. 23 No. 2, Fall 2008.The Fiddlehead, Jamie Dopp, No. 238, Winter 2009.
newspaper, magazine and internet reviews
CP, Neil Stevens: Hockey News, Hamilton Spectator et al. 20, 21 Feb. 2008.
National Post (front page Sports), Joe O’Connor, 21 Feb. 2008.
Toronto Star,
Barbara Carey, 9 Mar. 2008. Rpt. New York Sun.The [Montreal] Gazette, Dave Stubbs, 10 Mar. 2008: C3.
Saskatoon Star-Phoenix
(front page Sports), Kevin Mitchell, 21 Oct. 2008.selected radio, television interviews
Weekend Arts Magazine, CBC Newfoundland, Angela Antle, 16 Feb. 2008.
Prime Time Sports, Sports Net, Mike Toth, 18 Feb. 2008.
Q, CBC National Jian Ghomeshi, 19 Feb. 2008. Rpt (Interview of the Week) Feb. 2008.
Team 990, CKGM Montreal, Mitch Melnick, 24 Mar. 2008.
Metro Morning, CBC Toronto, Scott Regehr, 22 July 2008.
Information Morning, CBC Halifax, Don Connolly, 16 Feb. 2009.
The Next Chapter, CBC National, Sheila Rogers, 21 Feb. 2009. Rpt 22 Aug. 2009.
awards and misc notes
shortlisted, Kobzar Literary Award, 2009 - winner to be announced March 4, 2010
Winterset Book Award, 2009.
E.J. Pratt Prize for Poetry (Newfoundland Book Awards) 2009.
A Globe and Mail Top 100 book for 2008.
Short film, Night Work: A Sawchuk Poem, dir. Justin Simms, Bookshorts, Toronto.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3cWW-6un9YCo-write credit on “Sawchuk Song” with Ron Hynes, release tba.
Selected Comments
” … Randall Maggs gets closer than any biographer to the heart of the darkest, most troubled figure in the history of our national game. This may be the truest hockey book ever written.”
—Stephen Brunt, Globe and Mail and SportsNet
“Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems seems poised to become a Canadian classic.”
—Dave Bidini, The Globe and Mail
“I love this book for the reasons I love the game; for its guts, its skill, and its heart. “
—Karen Solie, Award-winning Canadian poet
“Gary Bettman need look no further if the NHL is in the market for its own poet laureate … .”
—Barbara Carey, Toronto Star
” … as stirring as it is unique in hockey literature … .”
—Dave Stubbs, Montreal Gazette
” … a unique and marvellous literary work … .”
—Neil Stevens, CP
“…one of the best hockey books of all time …the best hockey book of the year …”
—Joe Pelletier, “Joe Pelletier’s Hockey Book Reviews” (on-line), Terrace, BC.
“At times straightforward, at times teasing, sensual, mysterious, or sad, it is an experience as much as a book … brilliant … .”
— Heather Galindo, Ms. Conduct (on-line), Houston, Texas.
“In the past week I was reminded twice why I love reading. First there was Randall Maggs’ brilliant Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems and now it’s Ian McEwan’s Saturday.
—John Mutford, The Book Mine Set: Online book discussion forum, Yellowknife
“To get at [Sawchuk’s] aloneness … Maggs assumes a number of voices, and one of the most captivating things about this collection is the grace of its polyphony … .”
—Laurie Graham, The Malahat Review.
” …Night Work offers many brilliant clues but no simple answers to the mystery of Terry Sawchuk … . a profound meditation on the questions raised by such a successful and tormented player … .
—Jamie Dopp, The Fiddlehead.
“This is one of the most human collections I’ve ever read, eerily funereal but celebratory of a life lost, a man remembered… . a detailed, complex Sawchukian masterpiece.”
—Nathaniel G. Moore, Broken Pencil Magazine.
… Night Work
is already a phenomenon in CanLit.—Gregory Betts, Open Book Toronto
