J.R. (Tim) Struthers

PHOTO: J.R. (Tim) Struthers, "Grandpa Tim," with his littlest grandson, Reed Gallan, at the Meneseteung, Saltford, near Goderich, Ontario, August 2015
CREDIT: Joy Struthers

Description

• Born in London, Ontario, Canada in 1950.  Raised there and obtained initial, formal parts of life-long education there from 1955 to 1982.  Graduated first from Ryerson Public School, then from Oakridge Secondary School, and, with three successive degrees, from (and arguably despite) The University of Western Ontario.
• Inspired to study English by Grades 11 and 12 and 13 English teacher, Art Fidler.
• Met the love of his life in London in 1974; married her in 1976.  Have two daughters and three grandchildren.
• Published the first two scholarly articles, world-wide, on Alice Munro in 1975.
• Conducted and published in 1976 the first of many extended interviews with Canadian writers, this first interview being with Margaret Atwood.
• Edited first book, _Before the Flood_, on Hugh Hood, in 1979.
• Received Ph.D. in English from The University of Western Ontario, with a dissertation entitled _Intersecting Orbits: A Study of Selected Story Cycles by Hugh Hood, Jack Hodgins, Clark Blaise, and Alice Munro, in Their Literary Contexts_, on 12 June 1982.
• Received SSHRCC Post-Doctoral Fellowship for work in Canadian Literature in 1982-83; renewed for 1983-84.
• Founded Red Kite Press in 1984.  Nine titles to date:  most recently, George Elliott's story cycle _Sand gardens on First Beach_ (2010).
• Became a full-time faculty member at the University of Guelph on 1 July 1985; commuted between London and Guelph for first year here; became a permanent resident of Guelph on 16 August 1986.
• Conference Director et al. for the "Coming of Age: John Metcalf and the Canadian Short Story" conference held at the University of Guelph from 9 to 12 November 1988.
• Conference Director et al. for the epic "A Visionary Tradition: Canadian Literature and Culture at the Turn of the Millennium" conference held at the University of Guelph and at other locations in the city from 10 to 15 November 1999.
• Co-edited Clark Blaise's _Selected Essays_ in 2008, one of now more than twenty books edited or co-edited.
• Honoured for 25 years of service to the University of Guelph in 2010.

Education

• Hon. B.A., M.A., Ph.D. (The University of Western Ontario).

Research

• Ongoing scholarly work, including both editorial and critical work, in my two main areas of iinterest –
• form, technique, style in creative and critical prose, with emphasis on the short story, the story cycle, the novel cycle and the art of the essay, giving particular attention to the works of Hugh Hood (1928-2000), Alice Munro (1931- ), Jack Hodgins (1938- ), Clark Blaise (1940- ), and others;
• Southwestern Ontario literature and culture, giving particular attention to the works of Raymond Knister (1899-1932), George Elliott (1923-96), James Reaney (1926-2007), Alice Munro (1931- ), and others.