Lucy Maud Montgomery named The Guardian's 2008 Newsmaker of Year
JIM DAY The Guardian
Anne of Green Gables, first written 100 years ago by Lucy Maud Montgomery, continues to have an impact upon the Island in putting the province into the hearts and minds of people around the world. Guardian graphic
The Guardian’s 2008 Newsmaker of the Year died 66 years ago.
Lucy Maud Montgomery has always maintained a strong presence in Prince Edward Island over the past decades through her lasting literature. Her fictional freckled creation has created a wealth of interest in her home province.
Even today, more than 10 per cent of first-time visitors say the main reason they are attracted to the Island is because of Anne Shirley and the world of Montgomery.
And while the writer’s beloved pigtailed character has most frequently held the lion’s share of tourists’ attention over the author, the life and works of the world-renowned writer was well illuminated in 2008 during the 100th anniversary of the publication of her most cherished work, Anne of Green Gables.
Montgomery managed to have a wide-ranging impact this year in putting the province in the news and in the minds of people around the world.
“This is marvelous news! Of course LMM deserves to be Newsmaker of the Year on P.E.I. — and for so many wonderfully positive reasons,’’ said Elizabeth Epperly, an expert on the author and founder of the L.M. Montgomery Institute.
Publications hitting the book stores this year included the well-received prequel, Before Green Gables, the 100th anniversary edition of Anne of Green Gables and Imagining Anne: The Island Scrapbooks of L.M. Montgomery with textual notes from Epperly.
Epperly, a former UPEI president, says on a more controversial note, Irene Gammel’s Looking for Anne and Mary Rubio’s The Gift of Wings will keep the paid and unpaid scholars arguing for years about how anyone can know the “real” Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Waterston’s lyrical Magic Island will delight those curious about Montgomery’s books and how they reflect her love for the Island.
Montgomery’s granddaughter, Kate Macdonald Butler, also made a shocking revelation in September when she wrote in The Globe and Mail on a long-held secret that the author most likely took her own life.
Butler wrote that despite her grandmother’s great success, Montgomery suffered from depression, that she was isolated, sad and filled with worry and dread for much of her life. Butler shares the belief of family members that Montgomery committed suicide at age 67 through an overdose.
Epperly told The Guardian following the revelation that she knew for years that Montgomery’s untimely end most probably came at her own hands, but she had no interest in being the person to make the revelation.
Many applauded Butler, who wrote that she was inspired to reflect on her own family’s history with depression after reading a series on mental health, with helping to highlight the realities of mental illness.
Most of the Montgomery-related news, though, was celebratory and upbeat.
The new L.M. Montgomery Theatre in Cavendish’s Avonlea Village gave stellar performances this year of plays Montgomery knew and loved; and more quality programs are already scheduled for 2009.
In Georgetown, theatre-goers were treated to a meticulously and lovingly researched work-in-progress, The Nine Lives of L.M. Montgomery. Anne and Gilbert charmed more audiences.
The L.M. Montgomery Institute helped Canada Post in co-ordinating the launching of two Anne stamps.
The L.M. Montgomery Institute hosted a successful international conference on Anne of Green Gables as a classic, and papers were presented from 10 different countries, including Japan and Iran.
Montgomery’s home, the Leaskdale Manse built around 1886 in Uxbridge, Ont., was designated a national historic site in June. Here Montgomery penned 11 of the 20 books she published in her lifetime.
The Confederation Centre of the Arts paid a special tribute to Montgomery throughout yet another successful season of the musical of Anne.
And in the art gallery, a large exhibition called Imagining Anne: Celebrating the Creation and Centenary of Montgomery’s Classic, Anne of Green Gables, showed how Montgomery’s fascination with colour and shape inspired the images that she would eventually immortalize in the story of Anne.
A number of living, breathing Islanders were also considered by The Guardian’s editorial staff for the distinction of Newsmaker of the Year.
One of the stronger contenders, Gail Shea, made headlines by ending the Liberal party’s stranglehold on the riding of Egmont by winning a seat for the Tories as the Harper government was returned to power in the Oct. 14 federal election. Shea was later chosen to take the post as federal minister of Fisheries and Oceans, the first woman to ever hold the portfolio in parliamentary history.
Kristin Roe was also given serious consideration as top newsmaker for her impressive dual feat of her double swim of the Northumberland Strait in July, combined with her strong role in the Women Making Waves campaign to raise funds for Farmers Helping Farmers and The Stephen Lewis Foundation.
In the end, Montgomery got the nod.
“The public may find it ironic that someone who has been deceased since the early 1940s has been selected as The Guardian’s 2008 Newsmaker of the Year, but the fact remains that Lucy Maud Montgomery continues to exert an enormous cultural and economic influence on Prince Edward Island,” said Gary MacDougall, managing editor of The Guardian. “And in this past year, her benevolent influence loomed larger than ever.”
And Epperly says the author still has plenty of staying power.
“Montgomery will continue to make the news on the Island, in Canada and around the world because she continues to speak to audiences across cultures and time,’’ said Epperly.
“When I recently saw a Korean edition of Imagining Anne, I began to think how many readers — in new forms and with new kinds of texts — are going to be drawn to Montgomery and to the Island she loved and celebrated all her life.’’
Others considered:
In no particular order, here are the candidates considered for the top newsmaker of 2008:
— Richard Brown
— Mayor Peter Llewellyn
— Ron MacKinley
— Heather Ross
— Rev. Gael Matheson
— Gary Webster
— Kristin Roe
— Byron Carr
— Robert Ghiz
— Olive Crane
— Jared Connaughton
Past Newsmakers:
— 1993: Catherine Callbeck first female P.E.I. premier;
— 1994: 7 1/2 per cent public sector wage rollback;
— 1995: Bombing of P.E.I. legislature;
— 1996: Mayor Ian (Tex) MacDonald;
— 1997: Confederation Bridge;
— 1998: Deputy Police Chief David Griffin;
— 1999: Lorie Kane;
— 2000: Lorie Kane;
— 2001: Blair Ross;
— 2002: Lucille Poulin;
— 2003: Robert Ghiz;
— 2004: Brad Richards;
— 2005: Jared Connaughton and Mark MacDonald, tie;
— 2006: Premier Pat Binns;
— 2007: Premier Robert Ghiz;
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The Real Joe Blow from Charlottetown, PE writes: Ha ha ha, what a joke! Out of all the news stories this gets picked? You forgot about the BIGGEST story of the year......sun shines in summer, cold in winter stay tuned!
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ivan Munn from N.S. writes: But is she an Islander?
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Are You Kidding?? from PEI writes: This must be a joke. Of all the news items throughout the year, this is tops and Duff wasn't even considered!
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Ron Blacquierre from Stratford, PEI writes: I would have thought the drastic weather, especially in August and September would have been the top story....or the economy. Lucy Maude wasa the newsmaker of 1909 when Anne came out!
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citizen from pe writes: Seems an oddball choice
i would have the Year of the Potato would be a front runner lol
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strange choice from pe writes: This makes NO sense at all.
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petr from pei writes: What about Mayor Peter down in gtown?
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3rd Rock from The Sun, PE writes: The pinnacle of where culture and capitalism intersect on this wee island. Seems apparent that LMM came from one small pond.
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Miles MacGregor from PEI writes: I can't beleive this broad is still making headlines...
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Matt Pollard from Halifax, NS writes: This must be a joke, I mean seriously do any actual journalists work for this paper ? Even an amateur could come up with a better news maker on PEI for 2008.
Did the LM Montgomery foundation/society pay you to write this garbage and pass it off as news ?
The Guardian does a real disservice to the people of PEI by consistently underrating their intelligence.
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Slapstick from PEI writes: That confirms it! This rag can't report the news nor can it pick it.
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Mary Gallant from PEI writes: People who don't recognize the immense contribution that LM Montgomery's books have made towards putting PEI on the map also don't understand the lasting legacy that she has left to us. Anne of Green Gables was recently selected as one of the newest books to be included in the new Modern Library, one of the highest literary achievements. Quite an achievement for an Islander. Far too often we don't give due credit to the people who come from here. With that in mind, I have to also give kudos to Duff. Way to go Mr. Duffy, your appointment to the Senate was well deserved and we look forward to hearing good things from you. You have always put PEI first and even though you didn't live here for the last forty years, you just like LM Montgomery, will always first and foremost be an ISLANDER.
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Matt Pollard from Halifax, NS writes: Mary, I think the point is that credit goes a person that died along time ago. Please let her go, we are sick of LM defining us. We are more then this meager pantomime. She's an elvis painting or a dollar store bargain.
It's time to let LM go, and think about the people in the present that inspire us.
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Terry from PEI writes: She was an alcoholic, drugie that killed her self. Good choice, I hope all the kids look up to her and follow in her footsteps.
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confused from pei writes: Where's Gail Shea, not even considered, what a joke of a paper.....
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Carol Dobson from Charlottetown, PEI writes: The choice of Maud Montgomery as newsmaker of the year is an excellent one. Way to go Guardian.
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Carol Dobson from Charlottetown, PEI writes: The choice of Maud Montgomery as newsmaker of the year is an excellent one. Way to go Guardian.
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Emily from Stratford, PEI writes: One book that has never lost its impact on the world after a century, Lucy Maud deserves to be 2008 newsmaker of the year. Wouldn't you love it, if after 66 years after you died you were still making front page news?
Good Choice, but what do I know, Anne of Green Gables if my favourite book, along with To Kill a Mocking Bird.
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Don't believe the Hype from PE writes: Yes Terry, they should look up to her like past Newsmaker of the years, such as Blair Ross and Lucille Poulin!
Read the story. This is not the news story of the year. That was the PNP story. This is newsmaker of the year, ie the person or thing that appeared in the news the most over the course of the year. With the story about depression and the various stories over the year about the anniversary, it is not that big of a stretch. Though frankly I think I heard more about Shadowplay, Ghiz, Crane, and MacKinley.
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Mike G. from Borden, PEI writes: I agree with this choice.
Why put a boring self-serving Island politician on a pedestal they don't deserve?
There is NOT a single other person that was born on P.E.I. in the last century who has had such an indelible impact on our culture and economy as Ms. Montgomery.
And in the 100th year since Anne of Green Gables was published, she yet again made an impact, and continues to do so through her published writing here on PEI and around the world.
The Guardian is to be commended for its choice.
Will Islanders in 2108 be naming Gail Shea as newsmaker of the year then? I think not. Ditto for the other boring politicos.
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WIDE BELLY from Charlottetown, P.E.I. writes: If you read some of the comments The Guardian does not have to underrate the intelligence of Islanders - the comments speak volumes.
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figures redneck comments from Western Islander, pei writes: I guess per capita we have more rednecks here on PEI than any where else in the world. Here is one person that over the years that has done more for PEI than anyone else in our history and all one has to do is read most of the above remarks to see she doesn't have any worries about being out done. I hope that not too many of people from away read some of these dumb narrow minded comments. Because if they do I doubt that any one would want to visit such backward narrow minded area. Anne of Green Gables has done more for the image of PEI than any self serving politician has ever done or ever will do for PEI. So maybe some of you no minds should get your head out of your rear and join the real world!!
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o me nerves from PEI writes: What a safe play. Phew !
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L. Strand from Santee, California writes: figures redneck from Western Islander, PEI - Agree with you - *per capita to have more rednecks on PEI than any where else in Canada-definitly in The Worlds top 5 places.*
LMM is a historic person that over the years HAS DONE *(Past Tense) much to promote a Facade depicting PEI.* I hope that not too many of people from away read some of these dumb narrow minded comments. * Of Course with The Internet PFA's read COMMENTS from all across Canada.*Because if they do I doubt that any one would want to visit such backward narrow minded area. - *Agree, nice place to visit, sure wouldn't want to live there and especially Nova Scotia.* Anne of Green Gables has done more for the phoney image of PEI than any self serving politician has ever done or ever will do for PEI.-Agree.* So maybe some of you no minds should get your head out of your rear and join the real world!! *Agree.*
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Vanessa Brown from London, Ontario writes: Would London, England get over Dickens? Should Mississippi stop celebrating Mark Twain? Your reaction to this celebration is absurd. Green with envy? Try doing something to top Maud if you want to knock her from her pedestal. If you can't put up, then shut up.
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Miles MacGregor from PEI writes: Maybe it is because many of the people i have talked to are tired of having anne of green gables shoved down their throat all of the time. Yes i know LMM did much for the Islands culture i dont think anyone is arguing that..but c'mon! how long ago was this? surely there has been something that has happened in all of 2008 that can top this story. Celebration? i dont think so. We celebrate it every summer, everytime we are forced as high school students to watch her boring (IMO) movie. She put PEI on the map OK great. but its time to get on with our lives...
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