GALLOWAY, Priscilla 1930-
(Anne Peebles)

PERSONAL:

Born July 22, 1930, in Montreal, Quebec Canada; daughter of Allon (an economist) and Noeline (a social worker and printmaker; maiden name, Bruce) Peebles; married Bev Galloway, September 17, 1949 (died October 25, 1985); married Howard Collum, October 9, 1994; children (first marriage): Noel, Walt, Glenn. Education: Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, B.A., 1951; University of Toronto, M.A., 1959, Ph.D., 1977.

ADDRESSES:

Home and office—12 Didrickson Dr., North York, Ontario M2P 1J6, Canada. Agent—David and Lynn Bennett, Transatlantic Literary Agency, 72 Glengowan Rd., Toronto, Ontario M4N 1G4, Canada. E-mail—[email protected]; [email protected].

CAREER:

Educator and author. English teacher at public schools in Toronto, Ontario, 1954-56; Board of Education for the City of North York, North York, Ontario, 1956-86, began as English teacher, became reading and language arts consultant. Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, scholar-in-residence, 1978. Instructor at University of Toronto, 1979-93; University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, 1980; Christchurch Teachers College, Christchurch, New Zealand, 1985-86; Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, 1991. Cobalt, Haileybury, and New Liskeard Libraries, northern Ontario, writer-in-residence, 1987-88. Full-time author, 1993—. Member of councils of Queen's University and Ban Righ Foundation. Also worked as an English consultant and part-time lecturer.

MEMBER:

Writers Union of Canada (chairman of curriculum committee, 1983-84), Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators, and Performers (CANSCAIP; president, 1989-91), Women in Leadership, Ontario Council of Teachers of English (president, 1973-75), Canadian Council of Teachers of English, Ontario Association for Women and Education, Children's Literature Association, International Board on Books for Young People, PEN Canada, Canadian Children's Book Centre.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Teacher of the Year, Ontario Council of Teachers of English, 1976; Marty Memorial Scholarship for Doctoral Study, Queen's University, 1976-77; Book of Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre, 1996, for Truly Grim Tales, Aleta and the Queen: A Tale of Ancient Greece, and Atalanta, the Fastest Runner in the World; Best Books for Young Adults, American Library Association (ALA), Quick Picks for Young Adults, ALA, Young Adult Book Award finalist, Canadian Library Association, all 1996, all for Truly Grim Tales; Book of Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre, 1997, Mr. Christie's Book Awards finalist, Christie Brown & Co., 1998, and Red Cedar Book Award finalist, 1999-2000, all for Daedalus and the Minotaur; Book of Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre, 1998, and Books for the Teen Age, New York Public Library, 1999, both for Snake Dreamer; BolognaRagazzi Award for Young Adult Nonfiction, Bologna's Children's Book Fair, for Too Young to Fight: Memories from Our Youth during World War II.

WRITINGS:

ADULT NONFICTION

Sexism and the Senior English Literature Curriculum in Ontario Secondary Schools (Ph.D. thesis), University of Toronto (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1977.

What's Wrong with High School English?: It's Sexist, UnCanadian, Outdated, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education Press (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1980.

(Editor and contributor) Timely and Timeless: Contemporary Prose, Clarke, Irwin (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1983; teacher's guide, Clarke, Irwin, 1984.

(Editor) The Tri-Town Writers' Anthology, Cobalt Public Library, 1988.

Contributed to Still Running: Personal Stories by Queen's Women to Celebrate the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Marty Memorial Scholarship, edited by Joy Parr, Queen's Alumnae Association, 1987.

BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS

Good Times, Bad Times, Mummy, and Me, Women's Educational Press (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1980.

When You Were Little and I Was Big, illustrated by Heather Collins, Annick Press (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1984.

Jennifer Has Two Daddies, illustrated by Ana Auml, Women's Educational Press (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1985.

Seal Is Lost, illustrated by Karen Patkau, Annick Press (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1988.

Truly Grim Tales, Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 1995.

Emily of New Moon (adapted from the work by L. M. Montgomery), Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 1998.

Snake Dreamer, Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 1998.

(Compiler and contributor) Too Young to Fight: Memories from Our Youth during World War II, Stoddart Kids (New York, NY), 1999.

The Courtesan's Daughter (novel), Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 2002.

Lisa: Overland to Cariboo, Penguin Canada (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2003.

Archers, Alchemists, and 98 Other Medieval Jobs You Might Have Loved or Loathed, Annick Press (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2003.

"TALES OF ANCIENT LANDS" SERIES

Atalanta, the Fastest Runner in the World, illustrated by Normand Cousineau, Annick Press (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1995.

Aleta and the Queen: A Tale of Ancient Greece, illustrated by Normand Cousineau, Annick Press (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1995.

Daedalus and the Minotaur, illustrated by Normand Cousineau, Annick Press (Toronto, Ontario, Canada; New York, NY), 1997.

My Hero, Hercules, Annick Press (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1999.

TRANSLANTOR OF "ANNA, PAUL AND TOMMYCAT" SERIES; ALL BY NICOLE GIRARD AND PAUL DAHNEUX

Anna, Paul and Tommycat Say Hello, Lorimer (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1987.

Looking for Tommycat, Lorimer (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1987.

Where Is Tommycat?, Lorimer (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1988.

A Letter from the Moon, Lorimer (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1988.

Tommycat Comes Back at Last, Lorimer (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1988.

Tommycat Is Gone Again, Lorimer (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1988.

Contributor of stories, poems, and articles to education journals and popular magazines, including Chatelaine, Canadian Forum, Waves, and Atlantis; and to newspapers, sometimes under pseudonym Anne Peebles. Some of her works from the "Tales from Ancient Lands" series have been translated into French and Spanish.

SIDELIGHTS:

Priscilla Galloway once told CA: "As a writer, I'm a late bloomer." She began writing fiction and poetry consistently and seriously after spending many years devoted to her teaching career, her children, and her husband's business. She said, "I began to write for children while I was teaching children's literature classes at the University of Toronto, and having four grandchildren proved to be a great asset." After many years "virtually without a free weekend, let alone a vacation," said Galloway, "I reorganized my life. I gave up my business involvement and began writing and scuba diving, both of which liberate and delight me at the same time."

Growing up in Canada, Galloway developed a love of writing at an early age. During her teenage years, instead of maintaining a part-time job after school, Galloway's father paid her a weekly sum to stay at home and hone her writing skills. Despite her early devotion to writing, Galloway pursued different interests in college. She attended Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, originally intending to study journalism. Instead, she ended up pursuing degrees in English and education. After graduating from college, she began her career as an educator, and continued teaching for more than thirty years. Galloway published several books as a part-time writer before becoming a full-time author in 1993 and fulfilling her dream of being a professional writer. In addition to her many original works, Galloway has translated the "Anna, Paul, and Tommycat" series by Nicole Girard and Paul Dahneux from French to English. Galloway also adapted L. M. Montgomery's Emily of New Moon for younger readers.

Galloway has written books for audiences of all ages, but is widely recognized for her young adult and children's books. Galloway's works tackle a variety of topics from working moms and step-families, to ancient Greek heroes and medieval merchants. Galloway's earliest children's book, titled Good Times, Bad Times, Mummy, and Me, is about a young girl who lives with her single, working mother. Jennifer Has Two Daddies is about a young girl adjusting to changes in her family that include having two fathers—her biological father and her new stepfather. Galloway told Dave Jenkinson of Resource Links that the inspiration for the book When I Was Little, and You Were Big was her own granddaughter. She said, "Granddaughter Laney, aged three, told her mother, 'I wouldn't do that if I was the mommy and you were the kid.' That was the spark for the role reversal, and I quickly wrote about forty little squibs." Another grandchild who lost a treasured stuffed animal inspired Galloway to write the book Seal Is Lost. The book is about what it's like to lose something that is never recovered. Galloway told Jenkinson, "My book is a metaphor for many kinds of loss, including death. It was crucial for both the child and the lost toy to be all right in the end, though they were not reunited."

One of Galloway's fortes, according to an essayist for Something about the Author, is "retelling fairy tales and putting ancient myths in context with the modern world." In a review of Truly Grim Tales, Booklist's Anne O'Malley noted, "As the title hints, there is no attempt to sanitize the villains or give a gentler cast to gory details." According to Ann A. Flowers of Horn Book, Truly Grim Tales is a collection of traditional tales "retold from a startlingly oblique and mind-bending point of view." Galloway retells well-known fairy tales from the perspective of a minor character, or she gives well-known characters some lesser-known attributes. For example, Galloway's version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" is told from the point of view of the ogre's wife. Galloway's "Cinderella" features a prince with a foot fetish. In "Snow White," Galloway retells the story with the wicked queen as the narrator. The result, Flowers concluded, is "a fascinating short-story collection." A Publishers Weekly critic remarked, "Nearly operatic in their conception and accomplished in their execution, these stories could also serve as a guide to young writers: their inventive, vigorous exploration of familiar territory easily stimulates the reader's own imagination."

Galloway uses a similar technique in her "Tales of Ancient Lands" series, in which she reinterprets Ancient Greek myths to give the tales new meaning to readers. Among the myths in Galloway's collection are Atalanta: The Fastest Runner in the World, Aleta and the Queen: A Tale of Ancient Greece, Daedalus and the Minotaur, and My Hero, Hercules. Atalanta is the story of a girl who rejects the traditional role of women in Ancient Greek society, and instead opts for more "masculine" roles, such as running and hunting. In Aleta and the Queen, Galloway reworks portions of Homer's Odyssey. The myth is told from the perspective of Aleta, the daughter of Queen Penelope's servant. Together, the queen and her servants must fight off the suitors trying to take over her husband's throne and become king. While Aleta remains loyal to Queen Penelope, she must deal with the fact that her mother has betrayed the queen and joined forces with the other side. Booklist's Leone McDermott wrote, "Galloway's simple, graceful prose style makes her tale accessible without diminishing its interest or complexity."

Galloway continued the series with Daedalus and the Minotaur. In the tale, Daedalus and his son, Icarus, flee to the island of Crete where Daedalus is hired by the king to build a huge labyrinth to hold the Minotaur, the king's son who is rumored to be half man and half bull. In Galloway's version, however, Icarus befriends the king's son, who is not half bull but severely disabled. Throughout the tale, Icarus must deal with the demands of his own father, while trying to remain loyal to his friend. By the end, Daedalus has constructed two sets of wings for him and his son to use to escape the monstrous king. In the classic tale, Icarus flies too close to the sun causing the wax to melt and the wings to fall apart. In Galloway's tale, according to Valerie Nielsen in CM Magazine online, "The author has focused her story on the relationship between father and son and ends it with a scene of reconciliation and love as the two don their wings in preparation for their escape." Booklist's Hazel Rochman noted, "This is no strict retelling of the classic Daedalus myth but, rather, a tale that humanizes the heroes and makes us question who is the monster."

In My Hero, Hercules, Galloway retells the story of the twelve labors of Hercules from the perspective of Jason, the son of a storyteller in Ancient Greece. Jason admires the strength and courage of Hercules, and sees his father's scholarly ways as weak and cowardly. When his father dies, Jason begs Hercules to take him along as he completes his twelve labors. "While the energy and excitement generated by the extraordinary feats keep the story moving, the portrayal of Hercules in Galloway's story shows the many possible dimensions of character," wrote a critic for Resource Links. The critic continued, "The larger-than-life hero has his soft side, as he helps Jason deal with guilt feelings after the sudden loss of his father, and shows a sense of humor in the riddles they share."

Galloway's Snake Dreamer also turns to Ancient Greece for inspiration. In this book, a Toronto teen named Dusa is haunted by dreams of treacherous snakes. Desperate to help her daughter, Dusa's mother sends her to a Greek island to be treated by the snake dream specialists, the Gordon sisters. The Gordon sisters actually turn out to be the infamous Gorgons, the monstrous sisters of Medusa, whose eyes could turn men to stone. The Gorgons want to resurrect Medusa and need Dusa to do so. A writer for Faces: People, Places, and Culture remarked, "Weaving together psychological realism and fantasy—not to mention a good dose of Greek mythology—this novel is a thriller that is both thought-provoking and entertaining."

After Snake Dreamer, Galloway turned her attention to a nonfiction compilation about life on the home front during World War II. Gathering together essays and personal stories from eleven Canadian writers, Galloway published Too Young to Fight: Memories from Our Youth during World War II. The compilation, which won the prestigious BolognaRagazzi Award for Nonfiction for young adults, was described by a Publishers Weekly reviewer as "an intimate glimpse of the ways in which the war affected home life even on the peaceful shores." As Randy Meyer noted in Booklist, the book "describe[s] what it was like to be a child during World War II."

In The Courtesan's Daughter, Galloway once again turns her attention toward Ancient Greece. The novel tells the story of Phano, a young woman whose stepmother, Nera, was once a courtesan. Phano wishes to marry the man she loves, Theo, who is gaining power in Athenian society. Phrynion, the villain of the story, does not want Theo to gain power and so tells Phano that Nera is actually her birth mother. As the daughter of a courtesan, Phano would not be deemed respectable enough for Theo. Galloway's text, which is based on an actual case recorded in an Athenian court, is well researched and well plotted. Cynthia Sturgis of School Library Journal commented, "The factual information presented about the law and society is smoothly integrated into the fabric of the story." Booklist's Gillian Engberg pointed out, "The story is steeped in the era's politics, religion, and social customs, and Galloway gives readers the necessary background in extraordinarily detailed passages." Engberg commended, "Galloway masterfully depicts the ancient world, and creates in Phano a fascinating, independent character who will attract teens."

Lisa: Overland to Cariboo is Galloway's contribution to a series of books by different authors developed by Barbara Berson to generate interest in Canadian history among young readers. According to CM Magazine online reviewer Christina Neigel, the "Our Canadian Girl" series is designed to demonstrate "aspects of Canadian history through the experiences of young, intelligent, and brave girls who must overcome specific challenges." Galloway's contribution follows ten-year-old Lisa as she travels with her family to the goldfields of British Columbia. As Neigel noted, Lisa "emerge[s] as a strong and courageous character." Neigel continued, "Priscilla Galloway has successfully created a tale that is both historically accurate and gripping to read."

In a funny and vibrant collection titled Archers, Alchemists, and 98 Other Medieval Jobs You Might Have Loved or Loathed, Galloway presents readers with a glimpse into the Middle Ages. The book begins with an explanation of what life was like in the Middle Ages, and then describes the various jobs available to men and the roles women played in society. The book is divided into several sections, such as "Castle Jobs" and "Dirty Jobs." "This is a book to be sampled and savoured, as it is absolutely brimming with information, and it will keep on providing insights on each subsequent browsing," remarked Mavis Holder of Resource Links. Booklist's Carolyn Phelan commended, "The jaunty, cartoon-like ink drawings, brightened with color washes, heighten the informal, upbeat tone of the informative text."

When discussing her writing with Dave Jenkinson of Resource Links, Galloway remarked, "My life has had its dark times, and now it's wonderful. With agents to market my writing, and a much-loved second husband who does the bookkeeping, my writing time is free for writing. What a privilege! What joy!"

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, September 15, 1995, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 152; January 1, 1996, Leone McDermott, review of Aleta and the Queen: A Tale of Ancient Greece, p. 833; March 15, 1996, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 1278, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 1294; January 1, 1998, Hazel Rochman, review of Daedalus and the Minotaur, p. 802; June 1, 1998, Anne O'Malley, review of Snake Dreamer, p. 1746; May 1, 2000, Randy Meyer, review of Too Young to Fight: Memories from Our Youth during World War II, p. 1658; May 15, 2000, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 1753; September 15, 2002, Gillian Engberg, review of The Courtesan's Daughter, p. 226; January 1, 2003, Gillian Engberg, review of The Courtesan's Daughter, p. 871; January 1, 2004, Carolyn Phelan, review of Archers, Alchemists, and 98 Other Medieval Jobs You Might Have Loved or Loathed, p. 850.

Book Report, May-June, 1996, Dan Pearce, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 42.

Books for Young People, October, 1988, review of Seal Is Lost, p. 14.

Books in Canada, December, 1988, review of Seal Is Lost, p. 12; December, 1995, review of Aleta and the Queen, p. 18, review of Atalanta: The Fastest Runner in the World, p. 18, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 18; September, 1999, review of Too Young to Fight, p. 35.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, January, 1996, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 158; May, 1998, review of Snake Dreamer, p. 321.

Canadian Book Review Annual, 1995, review of Aleta and the Queen, p. 530, review of Atalanta, p. 531; 1996, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 473; 1997, review of Daedalus and the Minotaur, p. 542; 1998, review of Snake Dreamer, p. 504; 1999, review of My Hero, Hercules, p. 535, review of Too Young to Fight, p. 546.

Canadian Children's Literature, summer, 1996, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 85; spring, 1998, review of Aleta and the Queen, p. 73, review of Atalanta, p. 73; spring, 1999, review of Snake Dreamer, p. 51; summer, 2000, review of My Hero, Hercules, p. 86-87, review of Daedalus and the Minotaur, pp. 85-86; spring, 2001, review of Too Young to Fight, pp. 175-177.

Catholic Library World, September, 1999, review of Snake Dreamer, p. 29.

Children's Book News, summer, 1996, review of Aleta and the Queen, p. 33, review of Atalanta, p. 33; winter, 1998, review of Daedalus and the Minotaur, p. 30.

Children's Book Review Service, November, 1995, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 32.

Children's Bookwatch, May, 1998, review of Emily of New Moon, p. 5; November, 1998, review of Snake Dreamer, p. 4.

CM: A Reviewing Journal of Canadian Materials for Young People, January, 1989, review of Anna, Paul and Tommycat Say Hello, p. 34, review of Looking for Tommycat, p. 34, review of Seal Is Lost, p. 34; May, 1989, review of A Letter from the Moon, p. 137, review of Where Is Tommycat?, p. 137.

Emergency Librarian, March, 1986, review of Jennifer Has Two Daddies, p. 44; September, 1996, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 24, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 27, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 46.

Faces: People, Places, and Cultures, September, 2000, review of Snake Dreamer, p. 46.

Globe and Mail, November 6, 1999, review of Too Young to Fight, p. D8.

Horn Book, January-February, 1996, Ann A. Flowers, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 78.

Horn Book Guide, spring, 1996, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 72; fall, 1998, review of Emily of New Moon, p. 334, review of Snake Dreamer, p. 344.

Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, March, 1996, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 515, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 523.

Junior Bookshelf, June, 1996, review of Atalanta, p. 109; October, 1996, review of Aleta and the Queen, p. 201.

Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 1995, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 856; May 15, 1998, review of Snake Dreamer, p. 737; September 1, 2002, review of The Courtesan's Daughter, p. 1309.

Kliatt, November, 1995, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 22; May, 1998, review of Snake Dreamer, p. 6; January, 1999, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 16; November, 2002, Claire Rosser, review of The Courtesan's Daughter, p. 10.

Ms., December, 1982, Ellen Sweet, review of Good Times, Bad Times, Mummy, and Me, p. 94.

Publishers Weekly, September 11, 1995, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 86; May 1, 2000, review of Too Young to Fight, p. 72; September 16, 2002, review of The Courtesan's Daughter, p. 69.

Quill & Quire, February, 1986, review of Jennifer Has Two Daddies, p. 21; November, 1995, review of Atalanta, p. 46; January, 1996, review of Aleta and the Queen, p. 44; February, 1998, review of Daedalus and the Minotaur, p. 51; March, 1998, review of Emily of New Moon, p. 74; August, 1998, review of Snake Dreamer, p. 38; August, 1999, review of Too Young to Fight, p. 38.

Resource Links, August, 1997, Dave Jenkinson, "Priscilla Galloway," pp. 247-250; October, 1999, review of My Hero, Hercules, p. 11; April, 2000, review of Too Young to Fight, p. 33; December, 2003, Brenda Dillon, review of The Courtesan's Daughter, p. 38; December, 2003, Mavis Holder, review of Archers, Alchemists, and 98 Other Medieval Jobs You Might Have Loved or Loathed, p. 26.

School Librarian, summer, 1999, review of Daedalus and the Minotaur, p. 80.

School Library Journal, September, 1995, Mary Jo Drungil, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 218; November, 1995, Anne O'Malley, review of Truly Grim Tales, p. 152; January, 1996, Mary Jo Drungil, review of Aleta and the Queen, p. 118; February, 1998, Angela J. Reynolds, review of Daedalus and the Minotaur, p. 115; July, 1998, Jennifer A. Fakolt, review of Snake Dreamer, p. 95; July, 2000, Jack Forman, review of Too Young to Fight, p. 116; September, 2002, Cynthia Sturgis, review of The Courtesan's Daugher, p. 224; January, 2004, Anne Chapman Callaghan, review of Archers, Alchemists, and 98 Other Medieval Jobs You Might Have Loved or Loathed, p. 146.

Times Educational Supplement, May 31, 1996, review of Aleta and the Queen, p. 8, review of Atalanta, p. 8.

Today's Parent, August, 1998, review of Daedalus and the Minotaur, pp. 18-19.

Voice of Youth Advocates, December, 1998, review of Snake Dreamer, p. 354.

ONLINE

Annick Press Web site,http://www.annickpress.com/ (March 18, 2004), "Authors and Illustrators: Priscilla Galloway."

Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators and Performers (CANSCAIP) Web site,http://www.canscaip.org/ (March 18, 2004), "CANSCAIP Members: Priscilla Galloway."

CM Magazine Web site,http://www.umanitoba.ca/cm/ (March 13, 1998), Valerie Nielsen, review of Daedalus and the Minotaur; (November 17, 1995), Harriet Zaidman, review of Truly Grim Tales; (January 31, 2003), Christina Neigel, review of Lisa: Overland to Cariboo.

Priscilla Galloway Home Page,http://priscilla.galloway.net/ (March 18, 2004).

Writers' Union of Canada Web site,http://www.writersunion.ca/ (March 18, 2004), "Priscilla Galloway."*