The poised, polished and articulate Mary-Ann Kirby, author of the current best selling book “I Am Hutterite” breezed into town last night, along with her promoter Arvel Gray. They had made stops in Gretna, Carman and now Morden. You would be hard pressed in meeting her to determine that her early life was that of a Hutterite. She read from her book recounting the dramatic impact of her parents leaving the Colony some 38 years ago. The unfamiliar everyday normal encounters, such as food preparation and packaging, secular fashion, and strange customs and language. About living around Domain, Plum Coulee, and Winkler, and as a teen having worked at A&W and Salem home in Winkler. She then took questions from an audience of about 100+ people gathered at the Friendship Centre.
She began her career in journalism in Dauphin, Manitoba as a news anchor and reporter and later was appointed senior reporter responsible for aboriginal issues at CTV in Prince Albert. From 1993-1996, she worked in Ottawa as a freelance journalist and served as Media Relations Consultant for the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
Mary-Ann lives in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan She has fulfilled one of her childhood ambitions of becoming a singer, and partners with Lisa Olsen as a easy listening duo at private and corporate events, fundraisers, resorts and other venues. You can catch them at this year's “Plum Festival” in Plum Coulee.
She began her career in journalism in Dauphin, Manitoba as a news anchor and reporter and later was appointed senior reporter responsible for aboriginal issues at CTV in Prince Albert. From 1993-1996, she worked in Ottawa as a freelance journalist and served as Media Relations Consultant for the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
Mary-Ann lives in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan She has fulfilled one of her childhood ambitions of becoming a singer, and partners with Lisa Olsen as a easy listening duo at private and corporate events, fundraisers, resorts and other venues. You can catch them at this year's “Plum Festival” in Plum Coulee.
1 comment:
Good review of the event Harold. I was surprised that, what was the most interesting for me was their unfamiliarity with the most common things - her comments on mayonnaise, saran wrap, etc., the things we just take for granted, which was so unfamiliar,to a child. I was similarly struck by that by that with the polygaqmist group in Texas - the children there did not know what crayons and markers were. I am sure things have probably changed in the colonies now, but you just had to feel for how hard it must have been as a child to now go to this alien world. Bought the book, but haven't started it yet. Looking forward to reading it. She was a good advocate for her book. I found both her and Arvel very pleasant.
Patsy
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