Lesley Choyce
Biography
Prolific author Lesley Choyce was born in Riverside, New Jersey in 1951. He studied at East Carolina University, Livingston College, received a B.A. from Rutgers University, an M.A. from Montclair State College, and another M.A. from the City University of New York Graduate Centre. Choyce immigrated to Canada in 1978, where he has dabbled in corn-farming, well-digging, journalism, rehabilitation counselling, and janitorial work, in addition to gaining Canadian citizenship. Similarly, he has worked in a variety of genres including autobiography, history, young adult novels, adult novels, philosophy, poetry and even a photonovel called Magnificent Obsessions (1991)—work that has totaled more than eighty books. Dance the Rocks Ashore (1997) is a collection of short stories, while his poetry includes collections such as The Coastline of Forgetting (1995), and Revenge of the Optimist (2004). His satirical mock utopia novel The Republic of Nothing (1994) delves into numerous political concerns arising from the Cold War era. While keeping up with this prodigious output, he has worked in film, music, radio and television, including his syndicated book talk show Choyce Words. He started Pottersfield Press, publisher of several books a year as well as The Pottersfield Portfolio. He also has taught creative writing at Dalhousie University. Choyce lives on Lawrencetown Beach, on the eastern shore of Nova Scotia, where he surfs year-round and has recorded poetry/music albums with the Surf Poets. On his decision to become a writer, Lesley Choyce says "when writing turned out to be work as well as fun, I stuck with it anyway simply because it seemed too late to turn back. I stuck mostly to fiction where it seemed that the facts need not get in the way of the truth but then as time went on I found that some of the facts of my own life were more revealing than the fictional truths I create."
Bibliography
Fiction
- Eastern Sure. Halifax: Nimbus, 1981.
- Billy Botzweiler’s Last Dance. Toronto: Blewointment Press, 1984.
- Downwind. St. John’s: Creative Publishers, 1984.
- Conventional Emotions. St. John’s: Creative Publishers, 1985.
- The Dream Auditor. Charlottetown: Ragweed Press, 1986.
- Coming Up for Air. St. John’s: Creative Publishers, 1988.
- The Second Season of Jonas MacPherson. Saskatoon: Thistledown Press, 1989.
- Magnificent Obsessions: A Photonovel. Kingston, ON: Quarry Press, 1991.
- Ecstasy Conspiracy. Montreal: Nuage Editions, 1992.
- The Republic of Nothing. Fredericton: Goose Lane Editions, 1994.
- The Trapdoor to Heaven. Kingston, ON: Quarry Press, 1996.
- Dance the Rocks Ashore. Fredericton: Goose Lane Editions, 1997.
- World Enough. Fredericton: Goose Lane Editions, 1998.
- The Summer of Apartment X. Fredericton: Goose Lane Editions, 1999.
- Clear Cold Morning. Vancouver: Beach Holme Publishing, 2001.
- Sea of Tranquility. Toronto: Dundurn, 2003.
- Deconstructing Dylan. Toronto: Dundurn, 2006.
Poetry
- Re-Inventing the Wheel. Fredericton: Fiddlehead Poetry Books, 1980.
- Fast Living. Fredericton: Fiddlehead Poetry Books, 1982.
- The End of Ice. Fredericton: Fiddlehead Poetry Books, 1985.
- The Top of the Heart. Saskatoon: Thistledown Press, 1986.
- The Man Who Borrowed the Bay of Fundy. Brandon, MB: Brandon University, 1988.
- The Coastline of Forgetting. Porters Lake, NS: Pottersfield Press, 1995.
- Beautiful Sadness. Victoria, BC: Ekstasis Editions, 1998.
- Caution to the Wind. Victoria, BC: Ekstasis Editions, 2000.
- Devil Island on my Left. Victoria: BC: Ekstasis Editions, 2000.
- Typographical Eras. Kentville, NS: Gaspereau Press, 2003.
- Revenge of the Optimist. Victoria, BC: Ekstasis Editions, 2004.
- The Discipline of Ice. Victoria, BC: Ekstasis Editions, 2009.
Non-Fiction
- Edible Wild Plants of the Maritimes. Halifax: Wooden Anchor Press, 1977.
- An Avalanche of Ocean: The Life and Times of a Nova Scotia Immigrant. Fredericton: Goose Lane Editions, 1987.
- December Six/The Halifax Solution: An Alternative to Nuclear War. Porters Lake, NS: Pottersfield Press, 1988.
- Transcendental Anarchy: Confessions of a Metaphysical Tourist. Kingston, ON: Quarry Press, 1993.
- Nova Scotia: Shaped by the Sea. Toronto: Penguin, 1996.
- The Coasts of Canada. Fredericton: Goose Lane Editions, 2002.
- Driving Minnie's Piano: Memoirs of a Surfing Life in Nova Scotia. E. Lawrencetown: Pottersfield, 2006.
- Nova Scotia: Shaped By the Sea, Revised Edition. E. Lawrencetown: Pottersfield, 2007.
- Peggy's Cove: the Amazing History of a Coastal Village. E. Lawrencetown: Pottersfield, 2008.
- Seven Ravens: Two Summers in a Life by the Sea. Hamilton: Wolsak & Wynn, 2009.
Editing
- Chezzetcook: An Anthology of Contemporary Poetry and Fiction from Atlantic Canada. Halifax: Wooden Anchor Press, 1977.
- Alternating Currents: Renewable Energy for Atlantic Canada. Halifax: Wooden Anchor Press, 1977.
- ACCESS: Atlantic Canada Community Energy Strategy Sourcebook. Ed. Lesley Choyce and Phil Thompson. Porters Lake, NS: Pottersfield Press, 1979.
- Visions from the Edge: An Anthology of Atlantic Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy. Ed. Lesley Choyce and John Bell. Porters Lake, NS: Pottersfield, 1981.
- The Cape Breton Collection. Porters Lake, NS: Pottersfield Press, 1984.
- Ark of Ice: Canadian Futurefiction. Porters Lake, NS: Pottersfield Press, 1992.
- The Mi’kmaq Anthology. Ed. Lesley Choyce and Rita Joe. East Lawrencetown, NS: Pottersfield Press, 1997.
- Atlantica: Stories from the Maritimes and Newfoundland. Fredericton: Goose Lane Editions, 2001.
- Pottersfield Nations: East of Canada. East Lawrencetown, NS: Pottersfield Press, 2004.
- Nova Scotia: A Traveller’s Companion: 300 Years of Travel Writing. East Lawrencetown, NS: Pottersfield Press, 2006.
Collaborations
- Lesley Choyce and the Surf Poets. Long Lost Planet. Halifax: Deep Nine/Pottersfield, 1996.
- Lesley Choyce and the Surf Poets. Sea Level. Halifax: Deep Nine/Pottersfield, 1998.
Young Adult Books
- Skateboard Shakedown. Halifax: Formac, 1989.
- Hungry Lizards. Toronto: Collier-MacMillan, 1990.
- Wavewatch. Halifax: Formac, 1990.
- Some Kind of Hero. Toronto: Maxwell-MacMillan, 1991.
- Wrong Time, Wrong Place. Halifax: Formac, 1991.
- Clearcut Danger. Halifax: Formac, 1992.
- Margin of Error. Ottawa: Borealis Press, 1992.
- Full Tilt. Toronto: Maxwell-MacMillan, 1993.
- Good Idea Gone Bad. Halifax, Formac, 1993.
- Dark End of Dream Street. Halifax, Formac, 1994.
- Big Burn. Saskatoon: Thistledown Press, 1995.
- Falling Through the Cracks. Halifax, Formac, 1996.
- Roid Rage. Madeira Park, BC: Harbour Publications, 1999.
- Far Enough Island. East Lawrencetown, NS: Pottersfield, 2000.
- Refuge Cove. Victoria, BC: Orca Book Publishers, 2002.
- Shoulder the Sky. Toronto: Dundurn Press, 2002.
- Smoke and Mirrors. Toronto: Dundurn Press, 2004.
- Thunderbowl. Victoria, BC: Orca Books Publishers, 2004.
- Sudden Impact. Victoria, BC: Orca Book Publishers, 2005.
- Wave Warrior. Victoria: Orca, 2007.
- The End of the World as We Know It. Markham: Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 2007.
- The Book of Michael. Calgary: Red Deer Press, 2008.
- Hell's Hotel. Toronto: Lorimer, 2008.
- Skate Freak. Victoria: Orca, 2008.
- Living Outside the Lines. Calgary: Red Deer Press, 2009.
- Running the Risk. Victoria: Orca, 2009.
- Last Chance. Toronto: Lorimer. 2009.
- Reaction. Victoria: Orca, 2010.
- Dumb Luck. Calgary: Red Deer Press, 2011.
Children’s Books
- Go For It Carrie. Halifax: Formac, 1997.
- Carrie’s Crowd. Halifax, Formac, 1998.
- Famous at Last. East Lawrencetown, NS: Pottersfield Press, 1998.
- Carrie’s Camping Adventure. Halifax: Formac, 2001.
- Carrie Loses Her Nerve. Halifax: Formac, 2003.
- Skunks for Breakfast. Halifax: Nimbus, 2006.
Critical Sources
- “A Matter of Choyce.” Atlantic Books Today 9 (Spring 1995): 9
- “Novels with a Touch of Reality.” Rev. of Big Burn, by Lesley Choyce. Atlantic Books Today 10 (Summer 1995): 12.
- “The Shape of Nova Scotia’s Past.” Rev. of Nova Scotia: Shaped by the Sea, by Lesley Choyce. Atlantic Books Today, 14 (Fall 1996): 6.
- “Windswept Lines.” Rev of Caution to the Wind, by Lesley Choyce. Atlantic Books Today 66-67 (Summer-Autumn 1986): 13-14.
- Barclay, Pat. “Home Videos.” Rev. of Magnificent Obsessions, by Lesley Choyce. Books in Canada 21.2 (May 1992): 34.
- Beaton, Virginia. “Surfing the Genres: Virginia Beaton Interviews Lesley Choyce.” Books in Canada 25.7 (October 1996): 11-12.
- Brouwer, Adair. Rev. of The Summer of Apartment X, by Lesley Choyce. Quill & Quire 65.7 (1999): 42. [LINK]
- Bruneau, Carol. “A Choyce Transcendence.” Atlantic Books Today 4 (Fall 1993): 16.
- Campbell, Wanda. "'Every Sea-Surrounded Hour': The Margin in Maritime Poetry." Studies in Canadian Literature 33.2 (2008): 151-70.
- Creelman, David. "Swept Under: Reading the Stories of Two Undervalued Maritime Writers." Studies in Canadian Literature 33.2 (2008): 60-79.
- Doyle, Margaret. “Sounding the Shallows/Deep Cove Stories by Bill Gaston.” Canadian Literature 131 (1991): 248-9.
- Fuller, Danielle. “Living in Hopes―Atlantic Realities and Realisms.” Canadian Literature 170-171 (2001): 199-204.
- Garvie, Maureen. Rev. of Sea of Tranquility, by Lesley Choyce. Quill & Quire 65.7 (1999): 42. [LINK]
- Hickey, Kathleen. Rev. of Nova Scotia: Shaped by the Sea―From the Beginning of Time, by Lesley Choyce. Quill & Quire 62.9 (1996): 68. [LINK]
- Kelly, Deirdre. Rev. of Magnificent Obsessions: A Photonovel, by Lesley Choyce. Quill & Quire 58.1 (1992): 26.
- Klovan, Peter. Rev. of Conventional Emotions, by Leslie Choyce. Canadian Literature 116 (1988): 211-3.
- Mathews, Lawrence. “Atlantic Myths.” Canadian Literature 180 (2004): 119-20.
- McCormack, Eric. “Canadian Specific.” Rev. of Ark of Ice, ed. Lesley Choyce. Books in Canada 22.2 (March 1993): 38-9.
- McNaughton, Janet. Rev. of Trap Door to Heaven, by Lesley Choyce. Quill & Quire 62.9 (1996): 65. [LINK]
- McRae, Siobhan. Rev. of The Second Season of Jonas MacPherson, by Lesley Choyce. Dalhousie Review 70.1 (1990): 137.
- Nischink, Reingard M. “Initiations.” Canadian Literature 108 (1986): 173-5.
- Sanderson, Heather. “Riding the Waves Ashore.” Canadian Literature 160 (1999): 171-3.
- Stewart, Richard. “A Novel Coincidence.” Rev. of World Enough, by Lesley Choyce. Atlantic Books Today 22 (Fall 1998): 13.
- Walker, Anne F. “The Void Looks Back.” Canadian Literature 175 (2002): 131-2.
- Walsh, Josephine. “Essays and Fiction ... A Literary Assortment.” Rev. of Dance the Rocks Ashore, by Lesley Choyce. Atlantic Books Today 16 (Spring 1997): 19.
- Wilson, John. Rev. of The Coasts of Canada: A History, by Lesley Choyce. Quill & Quire 69.1 (2003): 31. [LINK]
- Wytenbroek, Lynn. “Raw vs. Clever-Lady Daisy by Dick King-Smith/Exit Barney.” Canadian Literature 138-139 (Fall 1993): 172-3.