Sherrett, James 1975–

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Sherrett, James 1975–

PERSONAL: Born 1975, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Education: Attended University of Manitoba.

ADDRESSES: Home—Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Turnstone Press, 607-100 Arthur St., Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 1H3, Canada. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Writer. Jesse James Press, publisher and cofounder; worked variously as e-commerce and e-publishing director.

AWARDS, HONORS: Manitoba Literary Award, Heaven Chapbook of the Year, for Up in Ontario, 1996.

WRITINGS:

Up in Ontario, Turnstone Press (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), 2003.

SIDELIGHTS: James Sherrett was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, a childhood that affected his choice of subjects on which to write. His memories include riding his bike through chilly mornings to school until the weather grew too cold, playing soccer and wearing cleats that allowed him to make sharp turns, participating in football and rugby, and of course, playing ice hockey. Although he was an indifferent student, he enjoyed English class because he could argue his opinions, and eventually he went on to study English at the University of Manitoba, where one of his major influences was writer Carol Shields. Sherrett's first novel, Up in Ontario, tells the story of Gilbert Dubois, a trapper and fishing guide in northwestern Ontario. Dubois marries, has a son, and eventually gets a divorce, but he and his son, Wade, bond over the years during a series of father/son hunting and fishing trips. A contributor for Prairie Fire Online remarked that "Sherrett's medium-long, meticulous descriptions are rendered in a simple, straightforward way that parallels the attitudes and behaviours of many people in the geographical district," and concluded that the book "is an exceptional debut." In a review for the Winnipeg Free Press, Corey Redekop wrote that "despite a lamentable tendency to speechifying near the end, Sherrett has produced an elegant elegy to the chasm that exists between us all."