Elements of Toronto, Ottawa, Chicago, New York and Seattle inspired his fictional city of Newford, a metropolis that has appeared in much of Charles’ work, including a cameo or two in his latest novel, The Wind in His Heart, just released in September. The book marks his return to adult fiction after an eight-year gap, much of which was spent writing for younger readers. Writer Seanan McGuire describes the new book as “Beautiful, elegant, and remarkably kind…” Set mainly in the American Southwest, the novel depicts a world in which human kindness matters. This is a theme that shines through in Charles’ storytelling, songwriting, and in all aspects of his life. His treatment of characters shows a deep concern for the underdog, the wounded, and the marginalized, as well as a belief in the human capacity for redemption, healing and transformation. McGuire goes on to say, “…this is the work of a storyteller at the peak of his abilities” — and this seems more than apparent when reading the novel and its many five-star reviews. Charles does not attach himself to these accolades. He is busy working on the next project.

Charles de Lint bio – by Susan Lee, friend

What hood are you in?

Most of the year I live in the Alta Vista area, Ottawa’s first suburb back in the fifties. Now it’s in the middle of the city. Our neighbourhood has a lot of mature trees—mostly maple, oak, spruce and pine, and we have some nice park areas nearby. Summers we live at our cottage on a small lake in the wilds of Quebec; we share that hood with resident deer, bears and wolves, to name a few of our neighbours.

What do you do?

I write novels and shorter fiction, review books, teach writing workshops, write songs and play music. I work closely with my wife MaryAnn who is my first editor, business manager, and musical partner. Besides music, we play with our dog Johnny Cash who keeps us entertained and out in nature every day.

What are you currently working on?

Aside from promoting my latest novel, The Wind in His Heart, I’m rewriting four new novels that are in first draft at the moment. They’re all set in my fictional city of Newford, and combine the things that readers (and I) love about Newford with the rollicking pace and tone of my Jack of Kinrowan books. I have a lot of polishing to do, and then MaryAnn will work her editorial magic, so it’ll take some time to get them into print. If all goes well, the first of them will get into production within the next year.

Where can we find your work?

Hopefully in most libraries and bookstores. Links to online retailers can be found here:
https://www.sfsite.com/charlesdelint/index.html

The post “A Day in the Life” with author and musician Charles de Lint appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Last night was excellent fun, especially because I was so surprised to see that de Lint and Harris are also an excellent folk music duo. The night began with three songs, mostly ballads, from de Lint’s album Old Blue Truck , beginning with “Old Blue Truck,” a song about visiting an old blue truck abandoned in the woods, and imagining all the places it could go, followed by “Bobby & Me,” a song about friendship, and then a brilliant song called “Johnny Cash is a Good Dog,” about his dog, which is named, unsurprisingly, Johnny Cash. The Johnny Cash song stood out for its many references to the other Johnny Cash, including lines like “my dog doesn’t always wear black, but he always walks the line.”

Following the music, de Lint read some sections from a recently reprinted book, Where Desert Spirits Crowd the Night. This young-adult novella is an excellent twist on Alice in Wonderland, with a large helping of Native American mythology thrown in for style, in which the protagonist, able to physically transport herself into dreams, struggles with questions of guidance and hidden desires.

Whether in song or in prose, de Lint is an excellent storyteller, with a firm command of pacing and emotional beats. Where Desert Spirits questions the strange relationship between memory and reality, and challenges us to define the meaning of dreams. Are they a solution to loneliness, an outlet for the imagination, or just a tantalizing escape from boredom?

“I like to write stories,” de Lint told me when I asked whether there was a relationship between his music and his prose, “sometimes it’s a song, and sometimes it’s a story. But I’ll tell you, sometimes the songs are harder because you got to make it universal.”

Charles de Lint is the author of over 70 adult, young adult, and children’s books, and is widely considered to be one of the trailblazers of the modern fantasy genre. He has won the World Fantasy, Aurora, Sunburst, and White Pine awards, among others. His wife, MaryAnn Harris, works closely with him as his first editor, publicist, and business manager. She has created cover art for several of de Lint’s books and the pair have been publishing his backlist and some newer work on Amazon and other digital platforms.

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