Kathy Garay
Full Name
Kathy Garay
Bio
Kathy Garay, an archivist at McMaster University and adjunct member of the Department of History, is currently teaching in the Arts and Science Programme. Recent books include two edited translations of medieval texts, The Life of Saint Douceline, Beguine of Provence. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell and Brewer, 2001 and The Distaff Gospels. Peterborough, Ontario: Broadview Press, 2006 (both with Madeleine Jeay) and
an edition of Marian Engel's selected correspondence: Marian Engel: A Life in Letters. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2004 (with Christl Verduyn).
Affiliation
McMaster University
Country
Canada
Personal Statement About Topic
When I was being interviewed for a post doctoral exchange fellowship to research medieval Hungarian history I was asked what work of Canadian fiction I would recommend to Hungarians, keen to learn more about Canada. I have never forgotten the rolled eyes and stunned silence which followed my enthusiastic nomination of Marian Engel's controversial novel, Bear. Long an admirer of Engel's spectacular sentences, I was delighted to be asked to arrange and describe the various accruals of her papers at McMaster and it was this work which brought me into contact with Christl Verduyn, Canada's foremost Engel authority. Our shared enthusiasm resulted in an edited collection of Engel's letters, the establishment of a biennial conference, the Archives in Canada Conference Series, and a lifelong friendship.