R. D. Lawrence
R. D. Lawrence | |
---|---|
Born | Ronald Douglas Lawrence September 12, 1921 Bay of Biscay (aboard a ship) |
Died | November 27, 2003 Haliburton County, Ontario, Canada | (aged 82)
Occupation | Naturalist and writer |
Nationality | Canadian |
Genre | Nature fiction and non-fiction |
Notable works | Cry Wild (1970) |
Ronald Douglas Lawrence (September 12, 1921 – November 27, 2003) was a
Biography
Early life: Spain, Britain, and war
Lawrence, one of five children, was born in 1921 on a British passenger ship in the Bay of Biscay off the coast of Spain. His mother was Spanish and his father, a journalist, was British. As a child in northern Spain, Lawrence became interested in nature. In his autobiography, he described his young self as a "happy loner engrossed in the natural world ... I cannot recall a single day when I was bored".[2]
At 14, Lawrence lied about his age so that he could join the
After the war, he studied biology at
In Canada
Lawrence moved to Canada alone in June 1954, later reflecting, "it was as if I had come home after a long absence".[1] Living in Toronto, he became a reporter for the Toronto Star. Within six months he drove west to Rainy River, Ontario and purchased 100 acres of land for a homestead. His wife and son joined him in July 1955. For three years he made a living cutting timber from Crown land and selling it to mills. He and his wife had a second child, but his wife found their Canadian lifestyle lacking, so she took the children to England and filed for divorce. Lawrence was left in the company of his four dogs, one part wolf, which he developed into a sled dog team. During this period Lawrence also sold fur pelts, but he came to view animal trapping as cruel, and stopped.[2]
In 1957 Lawrence left the area and headed west, embarking on months-long wilderness excursions, which he supported by working for newspapers and living frugally. In southeastern British Columbia he tracked a cougar for nine months, and in Ontario he observed a beaver colony for six months.[1] Lawrence was extremely dedicated to wildlife observation, and believed that his close but unobtrusive study provided new insight into animal behavior. He said, for example, that he witnessed starving rabbits commit suicide by running their heads into trees, and saw herbivores like beavers consume flesh.[1] During this period he met Joan (d. 1969), his second wife, in Winnipeg, with whom he raised orphaned animals. By this time Lawrence had rescued moose calves, bear cubs, and wolves.[2] His decades of wilderness adventure and study were the material of his nature writing.[2][1]
Lawrence returned to Ontario and married Sharon, his third wife. They settled on a 100-acre property—his last home, called "Wolf Hollow"—in the
The naturalist acknowledged
Lawrence finished his last book in 1997, and had four in progress at the time of his death. Cry Wild (1970), a book about wolves, is Lawrence's most popular; a 1991 reprint in the United States sold 1.5 million copies in three months.
Books
The following is a list of most of Lawrence's works.[5][6]
- Wildlife in Canada, 1966
- The Place in the Forest, 1967
- Where the Water Lilies Grow, 1968
- The Poison Makers, 1969
- Cry Wild, 1970. Lawrence's first novel is about a family of wolves.[7]
- Maple Syrup, 1971
- Wildlife in North America: Mammals, 1974
- Wildlife in North America: Birds, 1974. With the previous volume, portraits of 51 bird species and 52 mammals, with discussion of behavior.[8]
- Paddy, 1977. An account of raising an orphaned baby beaver and observations on beaver behavior and intelligence.[9]
- Discover Ste. Marie, 1978
- The North Runner, 1979. The story of Yukon, Lawrence's wolf-dog, and their bond.[10]
- Secret Go the Wolves, 1980. An account of raising two wolf pups, with reflections on the role of predators.[11]
- The Study of Life: A Naturalist’s View, 1980
- The Zoo That Never Was, 1981. An account of rehabilitating various wild animals, particularly a black bear cub, on Lawrence's Ontario farm.[12]
- Voyage of the Stella, 1982. Lawrence explored the coast of B.C. and Alaska on a 24-foot boat following the death of his wife.[13]
- The Ghost Walker, 1983. Recounts Lawrence's trials in observing cougars in British Columbia.[14]
- Canada's National Parks, 1983
- The Shark, 1985
- In Praise of Wolves, 1986. Lawrence describes his "love affair" with wolves.[15]
- Trans-Canada Country, 1986
- The Natural History of Canada, 1988. A well-illustrated introduction to Canadian natural history.[16]
- For the Love of Mike (Pour L'Amour de Mike), 1989
- Wolves, 1990
- The White Puma, 1990
- Trail of the Wolf, 1993
- The Green Trees Beyond, 1994
- A Shriek in the Forest Night, 1996
- Owls, the Silent Fliers, 1997
- Cry Wild, 2005
- Ghost Walker, 2009
- In Praise of Wolves, 2012
Awards
- 1967 and 1968 – Frank H. Kortright Award, for "excellence of writing in the field of conservation"[17]
- 1980 – Best non-fiction paperback, Canadian Paperback Publishers Association, for The North Runner[17]
- 1981 – Honorary member of the Mark Twain Society for "contribution to conservation writing"[17]
- 1984 – Best non-fiction award, Canadian Authors Association, for The Ghost Walker[17]
- 1993 – Henry N.R. Jackman, in recognition of "your contribution and service to your community"[17]
- 2004 – Lifetime Achievement in Wildlife and Wilderness Conservation Through Writing, from Earthroots, a Canadian conservation organization[17]
- 2007 – Lifetime Achievement Award, International Fund for Animal Welfare, awarded posthumously for Lawrence's "passion, dedication and commitment to animals and the natural environment"[17]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Jenish, D. (August 19, 1996). "The call of the wild". Maclean's. Vol. 109, no. 34. pp. 54–55.
- ^ ISBN 9781584691235.
- ^ a b Butala, Sharon (July 23, 1994). "Great naturalist emerges from obscurity". Toronto Star. p. H12.
- ^ a b c Perkins, Martha (January 10, 2004). "Wolf man was leader of the pack". The Globe and Mail. p. F8.
- ^ "Books by R.D. Lawrence". Thriftbooks.com. Retrieved 19 May 2018
- ^ "Books by R.D. Lawrence". goodreads. Retrieved 19 May 2018
- ^ "Cry Wild: The Story Of A Canadian Timber Wolf". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
- ^ Karges, J. (1975). "Wildlife in North America/Wildlife in North America (Book Review)." Library Journal 100(16):1642.
- ^ Amdursky, Marion (April 1977). "Paddy (Book Review)." Library Journal 102(7):823.
- ^ Hashimoto, M. (1979). "The North Runner (Book)." Library Journal 104(6):740.
- ^ Tynan L. (1980). "Secret Go the Wolves (Book Review)." Library Journal 105(10):1156.
- ^ Tynan, L. (1981). "The Zoo that Never Was (Book)." Library Journal 106(5):552.
- ^ Smolek, J. M. (1982). "Voyage of the Stella (Book)." Library Journal 107(8):811.
- ^ Patzwald, G. (1983). "The Ghost Walker (Book)." Library Journal 108(10):1009.
- ^ Volkman, N. J. (1986). "In Praise of Wolves (Book)." Library Journal 111(6):156.
- ^ Cook, R. (1989). "The Natural History of Canada (Book Review)." Canadian Historical Review 70(3):385–387.
- ^ a b c d e f g "RD Lawrence, Wildlife Author, Naturalist, Lifestory". Cry Wild. Retrieved May 11, 2018.