Mary Webster (née Reeve , fl. 1684) was a resident of colonial New England who was accused of witchcraft and was the target of an attempted lynching by friends of the accuser.
118-418: Margaret Eleanor Atwood CC OOnt CH FRSC FRSL (born on November 18, 1939) is a Canadian novelist, poet, and literary critic . Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of nonfiction , nine collections of short fiction, eight children's books, two graphic novels , and a number of small press editions of both poetry and fiction. Her best-known work
236-459: A lapel pin may be worn, which is a miniature version of the recipient's badge and thus is distinct for each grade. Wear of the insignia is according to guidelines issued by the Chancellery of Honours, which stipulate that the badges be worn before most other national orders, that is, at the end of an individual's medal bar closest to the centre of the chest or at the wearer's neck, with only
354-433: A "belief in the rights of women" and averred that "if practical, hardline, anti-male feminists took over and became the government, I would resist them." In 2017, she clarified her discomfort with the label feminism by stating, "I always want to know what people mean by that word [feminism]. Some people mean it quite negatively, other people mean it very positively, some people mean it in a broad sense, other people mean it in
472-407: A 2016 petition calling for an independent investigation into the firing of Steven Galloway , a former University of British Columbia professor accused of sexual harassment and assault by a student. While feminist critics denounced Atwood for her support of Galloway, Atwood asserted that her signature was in support of due process in the legal system. She has been criticized for her comments surrounding
590-618: A Catholic anti-abortion activist, filed suit against the Order of Canada Advisory Council, demanding that the minutes of the meeting relating to Morgentaler be made public. The appointment of Morgentaler prompted former Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) Clifford Lincoln to write that the workings of the Advisory Council were "mysterious", citing what he theorized to be inbuilt partiality and conflict of interest as reasons why Margaret Somerville , whom Lincoln had twice nominated to
708-515: A Companion because he felt that, as a self-proclaimed Father of Confederation , he deserved a knighthood. Smallwood was never knighted and later accepted induction as a Companion. Resignations from the order can take place only through prescribed channels, which include the member submitting to the Secretary General of the Order of Canada a letter notifying the chancellery of his or her desire to terminate their membership, and only with
826-413: A Member stirred controversy among some of Canada's Christian organizations, as Johanson had taught teenagers methods of safe sex alongside abstinence. Similarly, the acceptance of birth control advocate Elizabeth Bagshaw and gay rights campaigner Brent Hawkes also incited debate. Abortion-rights activist Henry Morgentaler's appointment to the order on 1 July 2008 not only marked the first time
944-461: A better country." Each of the six to eight hundred nominations submitted each year, by any person or organization, is received by the order's Advisory Council, which, along with the governor general, makes the final choice of new inductees, typically by consensus rather than a vote; a process that, when conceived, was the first of its kind in the world. Appointees are then accepted into the organization at an investiture ceremony typically conducted by
1062-415: A case for evil behavior, but unless you have some women characters portrayed as evil characters, you're not playing with a full range." The Robber Bride takes place in contemporary Toronto, while Alias Grace is a work of historical fiction detailing the 1843 murders of Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper Nancy Montgomery. Atwood had previously written the 1974 CBC made-for-TV film The Servant Girl , about
1180-461: A collection of poems exploring absences and endings, ageing and retrospection, and gifts and renewals. The central poem, Dearly , was also published in The Guardian newspaper along with an essay exploring the passing of time, grief, and how a poem belongs to the reader; this is accompanied by an audio recording of Atwood reading the poem on the newspaper's website. Atwood's contributions to
1298-500: A discussion with science fiction author Ursula K. Le Guin : "What Le Guin means by 'science fiction' is what I mean by 'speculative fiction', and what she means by 'fantasy' would include what I mean by 'science fiction'." She added that genre borders were increasingly fluid, and that all forms of "SF" might be placed under a common umbrella. In 2024 the Republican-dominated Utah Legislature passed
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#17327723091251416-480: A few steps further down the road. So it doesn't come out of nowhere, it comes out of real life." With her novel Scribbler Moon , Atwood is the first contributor to the Future Library project . The work, completed in 2015, was ceremonially handed over to the project on May 27 of the same year. The book will be held by the project until its eventual publishing in 2114. She thinks that readers will probably need
1534-473: A few years in a publication by Cotton Mather entitled Memorable Providences, Relating to Witchcrafts . Mather names Smith but not Mary Webster. Mather describes how some friends of Smith "did three or four times in one night go and give Disturbance to the Woman." Mather claims that it was only during this night of vigilante violence perpetrated against Mary Webster that Smith was able to sleep peacefully. "Upon
1652-548: A law mandating the removal of books deemed objectionable from all Utah public schools. On August 2, 2024, the Utah State School Board released its first list of objectionable books. One book on this list was penned by Atwood ( Oryx and Crake ). Atwood repeatedly makes observations about the relationships of humans to animals in her works. A large portion of the dystopia Atwood creates in Oryx and Crake concerns
1770-495: A lot of new and different things." She later cautions in the acknowledgements to MaddAddam , "Although MaddAddam is a work of fiction, it does not include any technologies or bio-beings that do not already exist, are not under construction or are not possible in theory." In 2005, Atwood published the novella The Penelopiad as part of the Canongate Myth Series . The story is a retelling of The Odyssey from
1888-480: A master's degree (MA) from Radcliffe in 1962 and pursued doctoral studies for two years, but did not finish her dissertation, The English Metaphysical Romance . Atwood has a sister, Ruth Atwood, born in 1951, and a brother who is two years older, Harold Leslie Atwood. She has claimed that, according to her grandmother (maiden name Webster), the 17th-century witchcraft-lynching survivor Mary Webster might have been an ancestor : "On Monday, my grandmother would say Mary
2006-475: A more specific sense. Therefore, in order to answer the question, you have to ask the person what they mean." Speaking to The Guardian , she said "For instance, some feminists have historically been against lipstick and letting transgender women into women's washrooms . Those are not positions I have agreed with", a position she repeated to The Irish Times . In an interview with Penguin Books, Atwood stated that
2124-595: A new division of the order could be established specifically for governors general, their spouses, and members of the royal family, a version of which was adopted in 2013. Mary Webster (alleged witch) Mary Webster, born Reeve, was born in England. The exact year of her birth is unknown, but accounts of her birthdate ranged from 1617 to 1624. Both her father and her brother were named Thomas Reeve. Her father lived in Springfield, Massachusetts . According to
2242-550: A paleo-anthropologist to translate some parts of her story. In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, Atwood said, "There's something magical about it. It's like Sleeping Beauty . The texts are going to slumber for 100 years and then they'll wake up, come to life again. It's a fairytale length of time. She slept for 100 years." In early 2004, while on the paperback tour in Denver for her novel Oryx and Crake , Atwood conceived
2360-508: A precedent in real life for everything in the book. I decided not to put anything in that somebody somewhere hadn't already done." While reviewers and critics have been tempted to read autobiographical elements of Atwood's life in her work, particularly Cat's Eye , in general Atwood resists the desire of critics to read too closely for an author's life in their writing. Filmmaker Michael Rubbo 's Margaret Atwood: Once in August (1984) details
2478-529: A rabbit. Marian stops eating meat but then later returns to it. In Cat's Eye , the narrator recognizes the similarity between a turkey and a baby. She looks at "the turkey, which resembles a trussed, headless baby. It has thrown off its disguise as a meal and has revealed itself to me for what it is, a large dead bird." In Atwood's Surfacing , a dead heron represents purposeless killing and prompts thoughts about other senseless deaths. Order of Canada The Order of Canada (French: Ordre du Canada )
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#17327723091252596-548: A relationship with fellow novelist Graeme Gibson soon afterward and moved to a farm near Alliston, Ontario , where their daughter, Eleanor Jess Atwood Gibson, was born in 1976. The family returned to Toronto in 1980. Atwood and Gibson were together until September 18, 2019, when Gibson died after suffering from dementia . She wrote about Gibson in the poem Dearly and in an accompanying essay on grief and poetry published in The Guardian in 2020. Atwood said about Gibson "He wasn't an egotist, so he wasn't threatened by anything I
2714-549: A ribbon bow positioned on the left shoulder. These regulations were altered in 1997, and women may wear their insignia in either the traditional manner or in the same fashion as the men. With the patriation in 1988 of oversight of heraldry from the UK to Canada through the Canadian Heraldic Authority , the constitution of the Order of Canada was amended to include the entitlement of all inductees to petition
2832-689: A sequel to The Handmaid's Tale , in September 2019. The novel features three female narrators and takes place fifteen years after the character Offred's final scene in The Handmaid's Tale . The book was the joint winner of the 2019 Booker Prize . In 2008, Atwood published Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth , a collection of five lectures delivered as part of the Massey Lectures from October 12 to November 1, 2008. The book
2950-458: A similar design to the Sovereign's badge, though without precious stones, and slight differences for each grade. For Companions, the emblem is gilt with a red enamel maple leaf in the central disk; for Officers, it is gilt with a gold maple leaf; and for Members, both the badge itself and the maple leaf are silver. All are topped by a St. Edward's Crown , symbolizing that the order is headed by
3068-531: A variety of themes including gender and identity, religion and myth, the power of language, climate change, and "power politics". Many of her poems are inspired by myths and fairy tales which interested her from a very early age. Atwood is a founder of the Griffin Poetry Prize and the Writers' Trust of Canada . She is also a Senior Fellow of Massey College, Toronto . She is the inventor of
3186-546: A view-narrowing disservice to students of Canadian literature. In Survival , Atwood postulates that Canadian literature, and by extension Canadian identity, is characterized by the symbol of survival. This symbol is expressed in the omnipresent use of "victim positions" in Canadian literature. These positions represent a scale of self-consciousness and self-actualization for the victim in the "victor/victim" relationship. The "victor" in these scenarios may be other humans, nature,
3304-569: A visit to London , United Kingdom, later in 1970, Michener presented the Queen with her Sovereign's badge for the Order of Canada, which she first wore during a banquet in Yellowknife in July 1970. From the Order of Canada grew a Canadian honours system , thereby reducing the use of British honours (i.e. those administered by the Queen in her UK Privy Council ). Among the civilian awards of
3422-686: A writer continued to grow with the publication of the novels The Robber Bride (1993), finalist for the 1994 Governor General's Award and shortlisted for the James Tiptree Jr. Award , and Alias Grace (1996), winner of the 1996 Giller Prize , finalist for the 1996 Booker Prize , finalist for the 1996 Governor General's Award , and shortlisted for the 1997 Orange Prize for Fiction . Although vastly different in context and form, both novels use female characters to question good and evil and morality through their portrayal of female villains. As Atwood noted about The Robber Bride , "I'm not making
3540-560: Is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada , after the Order of Merit . To coincide with the centennial of Canadian Confederation , the three-tiered order was established in 1967 as a fellowship recognizing the outstanding merit or distinguished service of Canadians who make a major difference to Canada through lifelong contributions in every field of endeavour, as well as efforts by non-Canadians who have made
3658-413: Is a founding trustee of the Griffin Poetry Prize , as well as a founder of the Writers' Trust of Canada , a non-profit literary organization that seeks to encourage Canada's writing community. She has called Mona Awad , a Canadian novelist and short-story writer, her "literary heir apparent". Atwood's work has been of interest to feminist literary critics, despite Atwood's unwillingness at times to apply
Margaret Atwood - Misplaced Pages Continue
3776-548: Is also installed as the Principal Companion for the duration of his or her time in the viceregal post and continues as an extraordinary Companion thereafter. Additionally, any governor general, viceregal consort, former governor general, former viceregal consort, or member of the Canadian royal family may be appointed as an extraordinary Companion, Officer, or Member. Promotions in grade are possible, though this
3894-525: Is not known to what extent Increase Mather's solicitations (and the implied doctrinal views in support of the real power of witchcraft) may have directly influenced the circumstances in Hadley in 1683-4. According to Thomas Hutchinson, prior to Increase Mather's book, it had been decades since anyone had been executed for witchcraft in New England, despite the occasional slur or spurious accusation. After
4012-463: Is ordinarily not done within five years of the initial appointment, and a maximum of five honorary appointments into any of the three grades may be made by the governor general each year. As of January 2024 , there have been 28 honorary appointments . There were originally, in effect, only two ranks to the Order of Canada: Companion and the Medal of Service . There was, however, also a third award,
4130-502: Is suspended a white, enamelled, hexagonal snowflake design, with six equal leaves and diamonds between each. At the centre is a disc bearing a maple leaf in pavé-laid rubies on a white enamel background, surrounded at its edge by a red enamel ring (annulus) bearing the motto of the order. The Chancellor wears the badge of a Companion and is, upon installation as governor general, granted a livery collar for wear at Order of Canada investiture ceremonies. The badges for inductees are of
4248-691: Is the 1985 dystopian novel The Handmaid's Tale . Atwood has won numerous awards and honors for her writing, including two Booker Prizes , the Arthur C. Clarke Award , the Governor General's Award , the Franz Kafka Prize , Princess of Asturias Awards , and the National Book Critics and PEN Center USA Lifetime Achievement Awards. A number of her works have been adapted for film and television. Atwood's works encompass
4366-433: The Arthur C. Clarke Award and 1985 Governor General's Award and finalist for the 1986 Booker Prize ; and Cat's Eye (1988), finalist for both the 1988 Governor General's Award and the 1989 Booker Prize . Despite her distaste for literary labels, Atwood has since conceded to referring to The Handmaid's Tale as a work of science fiction or, more precisely, speculative fiction . As she has repeatedly noted, "There's
4484-559: The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada , and five members of the order who sit on the council for a three-year period. If a nomination involves a non-Canadian citizen, the deputy minister of Foreign Affairs is invited by the Advisory Council to offer evaluation. Decisions of the council and new appointments to and dismissals from the Order of Canada are announced through the Canada Gazette . As of July 2024 ,
4602-473: The Chief Herald of Canada for personal armorial bearings (coats of arms), should they not already possess any. Companions may receive supporters , and all members may have the escutcheon (shield) of their arms encircled with a red ribbon bearing the order's motto in gold, and from which is suspended a rendition of the holder's Order of Canada badge. The Queen, Sovereign of the Order of Canada, approved
4720-547: The LongPen device and associated technologies that facilitate remote robotic writing of documents. Atwood was born on November 18, 1939, in Ottawa , Ontario , Canada, the second of three children of Carl Edmund Atwood, an entomologist , and Margaret Dorothy (née Killam), a former dietitian and nutritionist from Woodville, Nova Scotia . Because of her father's research in forest entomology , Atwood spent much of her childhood in
4838-502: The Medal of Courage , meant to recognize acts of gallantry. This latter decoration fell in rank between the other two levels, but was anomalous within the Order of Canada, being a separate award of a different nature rather than a middle grade of the order. Without ever having been awarded, the Medal of Courage was on 1 July 1972 replaced by the autonomous Cross of Valour and, at the same time,
Margaret Atwood - Misplaced Pages Continue
4956-489: The Quebec sovereignty movement , such as Luc-André Godbout, Rina Lasnier and Geneviève Bujold , while Alice Parizeau , another supporter of Quebec sovereignty, was criticized for accepting entry into the order despite her beliefs. Victoria Cross recipient Cecil Meritt cited the fact that he already held Canada's highest decoration as a reason not to be admitted to the Order of Canada. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh ,
5074-678: The Victoria Cross , the Cross of Valour, and the badge of the Order of Merit permitted to be worn before the badges of the Order of Canada. Those in the grades of Companion or Officer may wear their badges on a neck ribbon, while those in the Member group display their insignia suspended by a ribbon from a medal bar on the left chest. Protocol originally followed the British tradition, wherein female appointees wore their Order of Canada emblem on
5192-445: The fount of honour , is at the apex of the Order of Canada as its Sovereign, followed by the governor general, who serves as the fellowship's Chancellor. Thereafter follow three grades, which are, in order of precedence: Companion (French: Compagnon ), Officer (French: Officier ), and Member (French: Membre ), each having accordant post-nominal letters that members are entitled to use. Each incumbent governor general
5310-901: The # MeToo movement , particularly that it is a "symptom of a broken legal system". In 2018, following a partnership between Hulu 's adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale and women's rights organisation Equality Now , Atwood was honored at their 2018 Make Equality Reality Gala. In her acceptance speech she said: I am, of course, not a real activist—I'm simply a writer without a job who is frequently asked to speak about subjects that would get people with jobs fired if they themselves spoke. You, however, at Equality Now are real activists. I hope people will give Equality Now lots and lots of money, today, so they can write equal laws, enact equal laws and see that equal laws are implemented. That way, in time, all girls may be able to grow up believing that there are no avenues that are closed to them simply because they are girls. In 2019, Atwood partnered with Equality Now for
5428-408: The Advisory Council feels their actions have brought the order into disrepute. In order for this to be done, the council must agree to take action and then send a letter to the person both telling of the group's decision and requesting a response. Anyone removed from the order is required to return their insignia. As of 2022 , eight people have been removed from the Order of Canada: Alan Eagleson , who
5546-525: The Advisory Council had not been unanimous in its decision, but also proved to be one of the most controversial appointments in the order's history. Opponents of Morgentaler's abortion activism organized protests outside of Rideau Hall on 9 July, while compatriots did the same in front of Government House in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador , the official residence of that province's lieutenant governor . One former police detective, Frank Chauvin, along with
5664-640: The Advisory Council operated with partisan bias. Aubin also pointed to the presence on the council of members of the Royal Society of Canada, an organization into which Somerville was received. Peter Savaryn , a member of the Waffen-SS Galician Division , was awarded the Order of Canada in 1987, for which Governor General of Canada Mary Simon expressed "deep regret" in 2023. At a 2006 conference on Commonwealth honours, Christopher McCreery, an expert on Canada's honours, raised
5782-508: The Advisory Council, was turned down for appointment, yet Morgentaler was accepted. Journalist Henry Aubin in the Montreal Gazette opined that the council's rejection of Somerville, her personal opposition to same-sex marriage , and the acceptance of Brent Hawkes, Jane Rule , and Jean Chrétien , all regarded as supporting same-sex unions, as well as the appointment of a controversial figure such as Morgentaler, were all signs that
5900-529: The Canadian honours system , the Order of Canada comes third, after the Cross of Valour and membership in the Order of Merit , which is within the personal gift of Canada's monarch . By the 1980s, Canada's provinces began to develop their own distinct honours and decorations. Canadian historian Margaret MacMillan represented the order at the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on 6 May 2023. The Canadian monarch, seen as
6018-700: The Country." Though Parris' doctrinal views were contested and arguably unorthodox, they were in line with the views put forward over the previous decade by the Mathers. On October 20, 1690, Parris met with Cotton Mather and other ministers at the Harvard College library, in a newly formed group calling itself the Cambridge Association , to discuss problems with his congregation in Salem. In
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#17327723091256136-576: The MaddAddam Trilogy. The apocalyptic vision in the MaddAddam Trilogy engages themes of genetic modification, pharmaceutical and corporate control, and man-made disaster. As a work of speculative fiction, Atwood notes of the technology in Oryx and Crake , "I think, for the first time in human history, we see where we might go. We can see far enough into the future to know that we can't go on the way we've been going forever without inventing, possibly,
6254-504: The New England Historical Society, her mother's name was Hannah Rowe Reeve. In 1670, Mary Reeve married William Webster and they settled in the small Puritan town of Hadley, Massachusetts . No records exist of Webster having had any children. He was 53, she was 46. William and Mary Webster had little money, lived in a small house and sometimes needed help from the town to survive. In 1683, when Mary Webster
6372-539: The Order of Canada (post-nominals: CM , in French: Membre de l'ordre du Canada ) have made an exceptional contribution to Canada or Canadians at a local or regional level, group, field or activity. As many as 136 Members may be appointed annually, not including extraordinary Members and those inducted on an honorary basis, and there is no limit on how many Members may be living at one time. As of August 2017 , there were 2,281 living Members. Upon admission into
6490-409: The Order of Canada that would avert the awkwardness around appointing members of the Canadian royal family as full members of the order: He theorized that the Queen, as the order's Sovereign, could simply appoint, on ministerial advice, anyone as an extra member, or the monarch could issue an ordinance allowing for her relations to be made regular members when approved. Similarly, McCreery proposed that
6608-484: The Order of Canada, generally operating without input from ministers of the Crown ; political interference has occurred only once, when in 1978 Paul Desmarais 's investiture was delayed for six months by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau . However, some of the committee's selections have caused controversy. For instance, the admission in 2001 of sex educator Sue Johanson , host of the long-running Sunday Night Sex Show , as
6726-517: The Order of Canada, members are given various insignia of the organization, all designed by Bruce W. Beatty , who "broke new ground in the design of insignia of Orders within The Queen's realms" and was himself made a member of the order in 1990; Beatty attended every investiture ceremony between 1967 and early 2010. The badge belonging to the Sovereign consists of a jewelled, 18- carat gold crown of rubies , emeralds , and sapphires , from which
6844-440: The Sovereign, and the reverse is plain except for the word CANADA . The ribbon is white and bordered in red stripes, similar to the Canadian national flag . The ribbon bar for each grade has the same ribbon and is differentiated by a maple leaf in the centre, the colour of which matches that on the badge of the related grade (red for Companion, gold for Officer and silver for Member). For civilian wear on less formal occasions,
6962-528: The achievement of outstanding merit or distinguished service by Canadians who made a major difference to Canada through lifelong contributions in every field of endeavour, as well as the efforts made by non-Canadians who have made the world better by their actions. Membership is thus accorded to those who exemplify the order's Latin motto , taken from Hebrews 11:16 of the Christian Bible , desiderantes meliorem patriam , meaning "they desire
7080-638: The age of 6. As a child, she also participated in the Brownie program of Girl Guides of Canada . Atwood has written about her experiences in Girl Guides in several of her publications. Atwood realized she wanted to write professionally when she was 16. In 1957, she began studying at Victoria College in the University of Toronto , where she published poems and articles in Acta Victoriana ,
7198-471: The augmentation of her royal arms for Canada with the order's ribbon in 1987. On the grant to Bishop's College School , Quebec, the Sovereign's insignia of the Order was depicted below the Royal Arms of Canada, the only time the badge has been incorporated into a grant document. The constitution of the Order of Canada states that the insignia remain property of the Crown , and requires any member of
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#17327723091257316-498: The backwoods of northern Quebec , and traveling back and forth between Ottawa, Sault Ste. Marie and Toronto . She did not attend school full-time until she was 12 years old. She became a voracious reader of literature, Dell pocketbook mysteries, Grimms' Fairy Tales , Canadian animal stories, and comic books . She attended Leaside High School in Leaside , Toronto, and graduated in 1957. Atwood began writing plays and poems at
7434-639: The candidates are worthy enough to be accepted into the order, and make recommendations to the governor general, who appoints the new members. The council is chaired by the chief justice of Canada , and includes the clerk of the Privy Council , the deputy minister of Canadian Heritage , the chair of the Canada Council for the Arts , the president of the Royal Society of Canada , the chair of
7552-470: The college literary journal, and participated in the sophomore theatrical tradition of The Bob Comedy Revue . Her professors included Jay Macpherson and Northrop Frye . She graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor of Arts in English (honours) and minors in philosophy and French. In 1961, Atwood began graduate studies at Radcliffe College of Harvard University , with a Woodrow Wilson fellowship. She obtained
7670-520: The concept of a remote robotic writing technology, what would later be known as the LongPen , that would enable a person to remotely write in ink anywhere in the world via tablet PC and the Internet, thus allowing her to conduct her book tours without being physically present. She quickly founded a company, Unotchit Inc., to develop, produce and distribute this technology. By 2011, the company shifted its market focus into business and legal transactions and
7788-497: The concern that the three grades of the Order of Canada were insufficient to recognize the nation's very best; one suggestion was to add two more levels to the order, equivalent to knighthoods in British orders. The order of precedence also came under scrutiny, particularly the anomaly that all three grades of the Order of Canada supersede the top levels of each of the other orders (except the Order of Merit), contrary to international practice. In June 2010, McCreery suggested reforms to
7906-908: The course of the decade: The Journals of Susanna Moodie (1970), Procedures for Underground (1970), Power Politics (1971), You Are Happy (1974), Selected Poems 1965–1975 (1976), and Two-Headed Poems (1978). Atwood also published three novels during this time: Surfacing (1972); Lady Oracle (1976); and Life Before Man (1979), which was a finalist for the Governor General's Award . Surfacing , Lady Oracle , and Life Before Man , like The Edible Woman , explore identity and social constructions of gender as they relate to topics such as nationhood and sexual politics. In particular, Surfacing , along with her first non-fiction monograph, Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature (1972), helped establish Atwood as an important and emerging voice in Canadian literature. In 1977 Atwood published her first short story collection, Dancing Girls , which
8024-410: The devil. While he lay ill, a number of brisk lads tried an experiment upon the old woman. Having dragged her out of her house, they hung her up until she was near dead, let her down, rolled her some time in the snow, and at last buried her in it and there left her, but it happened that she survived and the melancholy man died. Philip Smith's accusations, afflictions, and death were described within
8142-462: The driving question throughout her writing of The Handmaid's Tale was "If you were going to shove women back into the home and deprive them of all of these gains that they thought they had made, how would you do it?", but related this question to totalitarianism , not feminism. In January 2018, Atwood penned the op-ed "Am I a Bad Feminist?" for The Globe and Mail . The piece was in response to social media backlash related to Atwood's signature on
8260-401: The endangering of the well-being of a people." In spite of mounting criticism, Cotton Mather stuck to the lonely position and reprinted his account of Philip Smith and Mary Webster in 1702, albeit somewhat buried near the end of a very large folio of miscellaneous extracts titled Magnalia Christi Americana . There are small differences in the 1702 reprinting, for instance Mather clarifies that
8378-458: The expression of Canadian identity. According to this literature, Canadian identity has been defined by a fear of nature, by settler history, and by unquestioned adherence to the community. In an interview with the Scottish critic Bill Findlay in 1979, Atwood discussed the relationship of Canadian writers and writing to the 'Imperial Cultures' of America and Britain . Atwood's contribution to
8496-412: The fall of 1693, the Mathers were continuing to push for more witchcraft trials and this inspired a letter writing campaign from a Boston wool merchant named Robert Calef . Among other things, Calef criticized them for suggesting "that hanging or chaining" a person can somehow "restore those that were at a distance tormented." Such notions, according to Calef, were "all tending... to the dishonor of God and
8614-874: The filmmaker's frustration in uncovering autobiographical evidence and inspiration in Atwood's works. During the 1980s, Atwood continued to teach, serving as the MFA Honorary Chair at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa , 1985; the Berg Professor of English, New York University , 1986; Writer-in-Residence, Macquarie University , Australia, 1987; and Writer-in-Residence, Trinity University , San Antonio, Texas, 1989. Regarding her stints with teaching, she has noted, "Success for me meant no longer having to teach at university." Atwood's reputation as
8732-760: The genetic modification and alteration of animals and humans, resulting in hybrids such as pigoons, rakunks, wolvogs and Crakers, raising questions on the limits and ethics of science and technology, and on what it means to be human. In Surfacing , one character remarks about eating animals: "The animals die that we may live, they are substitute people ... And we eat them, out of cans or otherwise; we are eaters of death, dead Christ-flesh resurrecting inside us, granting us life." Some characters in her books link sexual oppression to meat-eating and consequently give up meat-eating. In The Edible Woman , Atwood's character Marian identifies with hunted animals and cries after hearing her fiancé's experience of hunting and eviscerating
8850-445: The governor general at Rideau Hall, although the monarch or a provincial viceroy may perform the task, and the ceremony may take place in other locations. Since the 1991 investiture of Ted Rogers , Order of Canada installment ceremonies have been broadcast on various television channels and the Internet; recipients are given a complimentary video recording of their investiture ceremony from Rogers Cable . At certain periods, holders of
8968-408: The governor general's approval can the resignation take effect. On 1 June 2009, the governor general accepted the resignations of astronomer and inventor René Racine , pianist Jacqueline Richard , and Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte ; on 11 January 2010, the same was done for Renato Giuseppe Bosisio , an engineering professor, and Father Lucien Larré ; and on 19 April 2010 for Frank Chauvin . It
9086-413: The insignia on eBay ; however, after the bidding reached $ 15,000, eBay removed the item, citing its policy against the sale of government property, including "any die, seal or stamp provided by, belonging to, or used by a government department, diplomatic or military authority appointed by or acting under the authority of Her Majesty." Rideau Hall stated that selling medals was "highly discouraged"; however,
9204-532: The label ' feminist ' to her works. Starting with the publication of her first novel, The Edible Woman , Atwood asserted, "I don't consider it feminism; I just consider it social realism." Despite her rejection of the label at times, critics have analyzed the sexual politics, use of myth and fairytale, and gendered relationships in Atwood's work through the lens of feminism. Before the 1985 publication of The Handmaid's Tale , Atwood gave an interview to feminist theorist Elizabeth Meese in which she defined feminism as
9322-788: The levels of Officer and Member were introduced, with all existing holders of the Medal of Service created as Officers. Lester Pearson's vision of a three-tiered structure to the order was thus fulfilled. Companions of the Order of Canada (post-nominals: CC , in French: Compagnon de l'ordre du Canada ) have demonstrated the highest degree of merit to Canada and humanity, on either the national or international scene. Up to 15 Companions are appointed annually, with an imposed limit of 180 living Companions at any given time, not including those appointed as extraordinary Companions or in an honorary capacity. As of August 2017 , there are 146 living Companions. Since 1994, substantive members are
9440-577: The life of Grace Marks , the young servant who, along with James McDermott, was convicted of the crime. Atwood continued her poetry contributions by publishing Snake Woman in 1999 for the Women's Literature journal Kalliope. In 2000, Atwood published her tenth novel, The Blind Assassin , to critical acclaim, winning both the Booker Prize and the Hammett Prize in 2000. The Blind Assassin
9558-421: The members of the advisory council are: Few have declined entry into the Order of Canada; as of 1997 , 1.5 per cent of offered appointments to the order had been refused. The identities of those individuals who have declined induction since the 1970s are kept confidential, so the full list is not publicly known. Some, however, have spoken openly about their decisions, including Robert Weaver , who stated that he
9676-646: The only regular citizens who are empowered to administer the Canadian Oath of Citizenship . Officers of the Order of Canada (post-nominals: OC , in French: Officier de l'ordre du Canada ) have demonstrated an outstanding level of talent and service to Canadians, and up to 64 may be appointed each year, not including those inducted as extraordinary Officers or in an honorary capacity, with no limit to how many may be living at one time. As of August 2017 , there were 1,049 living Officers. Members of
9794-546: The order as a result of the Advisory Council moving forward with his pending removal due to his being found guilty of professional misconduct. The Order's Advisory Council considered a request made in 2021 for the expulsion of Julie Payette , the 29th Governor General of Canada, from the order. Payette, an Extraordinary Companion, resigned from the viceregal post over allegations of harassment of personnel at Rideau Hall . The advisory board attempts to remain apolitical and pragmatic in its approach to selecting new members of
9912-983: The order by John Matheson . The snowflake design for the order was suggested by the diplomat John G. H. Halstead . The association was officially launched on 1 July 1967, the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation , with Governor General Roland Michener being the first inductee to the order, to the level of Companion, and on 7 July of the same year, 90 more people were appointed, including former Governor General Vincent Massey , former prime minister Louis St. Laurent , novelist Hugh MacLennan , religious leader David Bauer , novelist Gabrielle Roy , historian Donald Creighton , feminist politician and future senator Thérèse Casgrain , pioneering neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield , painter Arthur Lismer , public health leader Brock Chisholm , former political leader M. J. Coldwell , disability advocate Edwin Baker , painter Alex Colville , and ice hockey player Maurice Richard . During
10030-461: The order to return to the chancellery their original emblem should they be upgraded within the order to a higher rank. Thus, while badges may be passed down as family heirlooms, or loaned or donated for display in museums , they cannot be sold. Over the decades, however, a number of Order of Canada insignia have been put up for sale. The first was the Companion's badge of M. J. Coldwell , who
10148-597: The order were presented with other awards, usually commemorative medals. Thus far, two commemoratives have been given automatically to every living member of the Order of Canada: the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977 and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. The task of the order's advisory council is to evaluate the nominations of potential inductees, decide if
10266-418: The order, while other appointments have been controversial. Appointees are presented with insignia and receive the right to armorial bearings . The process of founding the Order of Canada began in early 1966 and concluded on 17 April 1967, when the organization was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II, on the advice of the Canadian prime minister , Lester B. Pearson , who was assisted with the establishment of
10384-539: The owner continued efforts to sell the insignia via the internet. Five years later, a miniature insignia presented to Tommy Douglas was put on auction in Ontario as part of a larger collection of Douglas artifacts. Douglas's daughter, Shirley Douglas , purchased the set for $ 20,000. Any of the three levels of the Order of Canada are open to all living Canadian citizens, except all federal and provincial politicians and judges while they hold office. The order recognizes
10502-484: The perspective of Penelope and a chorus of the twelve maids murdered at the end of the original tale. The Penelopiad was given a theatrical production in 2007. In 2016, Atwood published the novel Hag-Seed , a modern-day retelling of Shakespeare 's The Tempest , as part of Penguin Random House 's Hogarth Shakespeare Series. On November 28, 2018, Atwood announced that she would publish The Testaments ,
10620-504: The reigning Canadian monarch, is the order's sovereign; the governor general administers the order on his behalf as Chancellor and Principal Companion. Appointees to the order are recommended by an advisory board and formally inducted by the governor general or the sovereign. As of January 2024 , 8,375 people have been appointed to the Order, including scientists, musicians, politicians, artists, athletes, business people, film stars and benefactors. Some have resigned or have been removed from
10738-703: The release of The Testaments . Atwood has resisted the suggestion that The Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake are science fiction, suggesting to The Guardian in 2003 that they are speculative fiction : "Science fiction has monsters and spaceships; speculative fiction could really happen." She told the Book of the Month Club : " Oryx and Crake is a speculative fiction, not a science fiction proper. It contains no intergalactic space travel, no teleportation, no Martians ." On BBC Breakfast , she explained that science fiction, as opposed to what she herself wrote,
10856-529: The superhero comic book series Angel Catbird , with co-creator and illustrator Johnnie Christmas. The series protagonist, scientist Strig Feleedus, is victim of an accidental mutation that leaves him with the body parts and powers of both a cat and a bird. As with her other works, Atwood notes of the series, "The kind of speculative fiction about the future that I write is always based on things that are in process right now. So it's not that I imagine them, it's that I notice that people are working on them and I take it
10974-427: The terms interchangeably: "For me, the science fiction label belongs on books with things in them that we can't yet do ... Speculative fiction means a work that employs the means already to hand and that takes place on Planet Earth." She said that science fiction narratives give a writer the ability to explore themes in ways that realistic fiction cannot. Atwood further clarified her definitions of terms in 2011, in
11092-474: The theorizing of Canada is not limited to her non-fiction works. Several of her works, including The Journals of Susanna Moodie , Alias Grace , The Blind Assassin and Surfacing , are examples of what postmodern literary theorist Linda Hutcheon calls " historiographic metafiction ". In such works, Atwood explicitly explores the relation of history and narrative and the processes of creating history. Among her contributions to Canadian literature, Atwood
11210-496: The theorizing of Canadian identity have garnered attention both in Canada and internationally. Her principal work of literary criticism, Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature , is considered somewhat outdated, but remains a standard introduction to Canadian literature in Canadian studies programs internationally. Writer and academic Joseph Pivato has criticised the continued reprinting of Survival by Anansi Press as
11328-492: The vigilantes who attacked Mary Webster were "young men" and Mather strikes the previous reference to "one night," instead suggesting the vigilantes attacked her on three or four occasions. Mather adds an emphatic "yea" to further underscore the idea that these were the only occasions during which Smith was able to sleep over a time period that Mather broadens to include "all his illness." Canadian author Margaret Atwood stated of Webster: "On Monday, my grandmother would say Mary
11446-502: The whole, it appeared unquestionable that witchcraft had brought a period unto the life of so good a man," Mather concludes. Cotton Mather's book was published in 1689, only a few years before the infamous witchcraft trials of 1692 and it followed a similar book recently published by his father, Harvard president Increase Mather in 1684. As early as 1681, Increase Mather had met with "ministers in this colony" and begun soliciting far and wide for instances and anecdotes of witchcraft. It
11564-459: The wilderness or other external and internal factors which oppress the victim. Atwood's Survival bears the influence of Northrop Frye 's theory of garrison mentality ; Atwood uses Frye's concept of Canada's desire to wall itself off from outside influence as a critical tool to analyze Canadian literature. According to her theories in works such as Survival and her exploration of similar themes in her fiction, Atwood considers Canadian literature as
11682-539: The witchcraft trials of 1692, many lamented the parts they had played, such as the famous public confession of Samuel Sewall accepting "blame and shame." In April of 1693, members of the Salem congregation launched a campaign (it would eventually succeed) to oust their minister Samuel Parris , accusing him of holding unorthodox views "Differing from the Opinion of the generality of the Orthodox Ministers of
11800-446: The world better by their actions. Membership is accorded to those who exemplify the order's Latin motto , desiderantes meliorem patriam , meaning "they desire a better country", a phrase taken from Hebrews 11 :16. The three tiers of the order are Companion, Officer and Member. Specific people may be given extraordinary membership and deserving non-Canadians may receive honorary appointment into each grade. King Charles III ,
11918-428: Was "talking squids in outer space." The latter phrase particularly rankled advocates of science fiction and frequently recurs when her writing is discussed. In 2005, Atwood said that she did at times write social science fiction and that The Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake could be designated as such. She clarified her meaning on the difference between speculative and science fiction, admitting that others used
12036-581: Was also nominated for the Governor General's Award in 2000, Orange Prize for Fiction , and the International Dublin Literary Award in 2002. In 2001, Atwood was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame . Atwood followed this success with the publication of Oryx and Crake in 2003, the first novel in a series that also includes The Year of the Flood (2009) and MaddAddam (2013), which would collectively come to be known as
12154-478: Was also reported that other constituents of the Order of Canada had, in reaction to Henry Morgentaler 's induction into their ranks, indicated that they would return or had returned their emblems in protest, including organizations such as the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and Madonna House Apostolate doing so on behalf of deceased former members. Members may be removed from the order if
12272-508: Was appointed in 1967; his badge was sold at auction in 1981, an act that received criticism from government officials. In 2007, it was revealed that one of the first ever issued insignia of the Order of Canada, a Medal of Service awarded originally to Quebec historian Gustave Lanctot , was put up for sale via e-mail. Originally, the anonymous auctioneer, who had purchased the decoration for $ 45 at an estate sale in Montreal , attempted to sell
12390-549: Was approximately 53 years old, she was accused and brought to trial before a jury in Boston "for suspicion of witchcraft" but cleared of charges and found not guilty. In 1684, Webster was accused verbally by Philip Smith. Smith was a judge, a deacon, and representative of the town of Hadley. He has also been described as a "hypochondriac." He seems to have believed in the real power of witchcraft and that his afflictions were being magically caused by Mary Webster in collaboration with
12508-417: Was critical of the "three-tier" nature of the order; Claude Ryan and Morley Callaghan , who both declined the honour in 1967; Mordecai Richler , who twice declined; and Marcel Dubé , Roger Lemelin and Glenn Gould , who all declined in 1970. However, all the above individuals, save for Gould, later did accept appointment into the order. Others have rejected appointment on the basis of being supporters of
12626-480: Was dismissed after being jailed for fraud in 1998; David Ahenakew , who faced calls for his removal due to antisemitic comments he made in 2002; T. Sher Singh , after the Law Society of Upper Canada found him guilty of professional misconduct and revoked his licence to practise law; Steve Fonyo , due to "his multiple criminal convictions, for which there are no outstanding appeals"; Garth Drabinsky , who
12744-476: Was doing. He said to our daughter towards the end of his life, 'Your mum would still have been a writer if she hadn't met me, but she wouldn't have had as much fun'". Although she is an accomplished writer, Atwood says that she is "a terrible speller" who writes both on a computer and by hand. Atwood maintains a summer home on Pelee Island in Lake Erie . Atwood's first book of poetry, Double Persephone ,
12862-465: Was found guilty of fraud and forgery in Ontario and has been a fugitive from American law for related crimes; Conrad Black , who was convicted in the United States in 2007 of fraud and obstruction of justice; Ranjit Chandra , whose scientific work was discredited by allegations of fraud; and Johnny Issaluk , following allegations of sexual misconduct. In 2013, Norman Barwin resigned from
12980-416: Was her ancestor, and on Wednesday she would say she wasn't ... So take your pick." Webster is the subject of Atwood's poem "Half-Hanged Mary", as well as the subject of Atwood's dedication in her novel The Handmaid's Tale (1985). At the beginning The Handmaid's Tale was named after its main character, "Offred". Atwood married Jim Polk, an American writer, in 1968, but they divorced in 1973. She formed
13098-413: Was in 1982 offered appointment to the order as an honorary Companion; however, he refused on the grounds that, as the consort of the Queen, he was a Canadian and thus entitled to a substantive appointment. In 1993, the Advisory Council proposed an amendment to the constitution of the Order of Canada, making the monarch's spouse automatically a Companion, but Prince Philip again refused, stating that if he
13216-480: Was producing a range of products, for a variety of remote writing applications, based on the LongPen technologies. In 2013, the company renamed itself to Syngrafii Inc. In 2021, it is cloud-based and offers electronic signature technology. As of May 2021, Atwood is still a director of Syngrafii Inc. and holder of various patents related to the LongPen and related technology. In November 2020 Atwood published Dearly,
13334-486: Was published as a pamphlet by Hawkshead Press in 1961, and won the E. J. Pratt Medal. While continuing to write, Atwood was a lecturer in English at the University of British Columbia , Vancouver, from 1964 to 1965, Instructor in English at the Sir George Williams University in Montreal from 1967 to 1968, and taught at the University of Alberta from 1969 to 1970. In 1966, The Circle Game
13452-456: Was published in 1969. As a social satire of North American consumerism, many critics have often cited the novel as an early example of the feminist concerns found in many of Atwood's works. Atwood taught at York University in Toronto from 1971 to 1972 and was a writer in residence at the University of Toronto during the 1972/1973 academic year. Atwood published six collections of poetry over
13570-489: Was published, winning the Governor General's Award . This collection was followed by three other small press collections of poetry: Kaleidoscopes Baroque: a poem , Cranbrook Academy of Art (1965); Talismans for Children , Cranbrook Academy of Art (1965); and Speeches for Doctor Frankenstein , Cranbrook Academy of Art (1966); as well as The Animals in That Country (1968). Atwood's first novel, The Edible Woman ,
13688-670: Was released in anticipation of the lectures, which were also recorded and broadcast on CBC Radio One 's Ideas . In March 2008, Atwood accepted a chamber opera commission. Commissioned by City Opera of Vancouver , Pauline is set in Vancouver in March 1913 during the final days of the life of Canadian writer and performer Pauline Johnson . Pauline , composed by Tobin Stokes with libretto by Atwood, premiered on May 23, 2014, at Vancouver's York Theatre. In 2016, Atwood began writing
13806-473: Was the winner of the St. Lawrence Award for Fiction and the award of The Periodical Distributors of Canada for Short Fiction. By 1976, there was such interest in Atwood, her works, and her life that Maclean's declared her to be "Canada's most gossiped-about writer." Atwood's literary reputation continued to rise in the 1980s with the publication of Bodily Harm (1981); The Handmaid's Tale (1985), winner of
13924-512: Was to be appointed, it should be on his merits. Congruent with these arguments, he in 1988 accepted without issue a substantive induction as a Companion of the Order of Australia . In 2013, the constitution of the Order of Canada was amended in a way that permitted the substantive appointment of Royal Family members and Prince Philip accepted induction as the first extraordinary Companion of the Order of Canada on 26 April 2013. Former Premier of Newfoundland Joseph Smallwood declined appointment as
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