Hockey Night in the Rough Towns - Five Stories

Hockey Night in the Rough Towns is a book of five charming stories about small-town Ontario life, folk and their love of wintry creeks, ponds and shinny, Jerold Wadsworth has raised our national literature of hockey to a new level – humour, pathos, drama, and perfect characterizations. His stories, set in the present and the past, are filled with a subtle wit and humour; this is a beautifully written, affectionate and engaging book, telling us about small-town Ontario life and drama – and hockey. The author’s portrait of vivid characters and his ability to capture the true folk speech of Canada makes him an obvious heir to the tradition of Leacock.

Jerold Wadsworth has spent almost a half century perfecting his craft. He grew up in the small towns of Southwestern Ontario, Muskoka, and in Markham, Ontario. After studying journalism and playing varsity hockey at the University of Western Ontario, he took a freighter to Germany, then lived in ’60s London for several years, before returning to Toronto with his English wife. He worked in publishing in Toronto, then completed both M.A. and Ph.D. study and residency in Literature at the University of Toronto, and then went on to Montreal where he served as long-time Professor of English Literature and Humanities at Dawson College –where he was also a founding member of the alternative Dawson New School. Jerry Wadsworth’s previous writing work has included script development, writing for film and television documentaries, research and story development for media projects in Canadian History, as well as comic sketches for CBC radio, and more.This is Jerold Wadsworth’s first book.