Member Review
We need writers to record, interpret, and forecast our lives. We need writers to provoke us, entertain us, instruct us. And, while we need writers to develop distinctive individual voices, they often need to speak out as a group in any number of forums. The Writers’ Union of Canada has given writers that collective forum.
Member Profile
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Rene Schmidt
René Schmidt was born in Holland in 1954 and immigrated to Canada in 1957. He remembers not wanting to speak English. He had many jobs including underground mine worker, truck driver, construction worker, taxi driver, ship officer trainee and upholsterer. René studied theatre performance at Ryerson and is a graduate of York University's Creative Writing Program and Faculty of Education. As a young teacher René wrote heroic stories for his students, using their names in title roles. René's first book, Canadian Disasters by Scholastic Canada, became a bestseller and three updated editions followed. Leaving Fletchville, an award-winning fiction novel, deals with parenthood, racism, friendship and bullying. Recently René built a house, directed a youth drop in centre and taught Senior Drama at a local high school. He is happily married to Shirley. They have two sons, Adrian and Daniel, who now travel the world and do interesting things. René enjoys writing, cutting wood, riding his motorcycle, and carpentry. He is also compiling a series of humorous short stories for adults.
