First Nations Lawyer and Writer at March 20 Write Out Loud

In his book Firewater: How Alcohol is Killing My People (And Yours) Harold Johnson examines the problem with alcohol consumption among Canadian First Nations, drawing on his work as a Crown Prosecutor in northern Saskatchewan.

This book was a shortlisted nominee for the English language non-fiction award at the 2016 Governor General’s Awards.

Johnson was born and raised in Northern Saskatchewan, is a member of the Montreal Lake Cree Nation, and lives “off the grid” at La Ronge where he operates his family’s traditional trap line.

His interesting background includes obtaining a Master of Law Degree from Harvard University, serving in the Canadian Navy, and working as a mechanic, heavy equipment operator, miner, logger, firefighter, and tree planter.

His seven other books are set in Northern Saskatchewan against a background of traditional Cree mythology.

Corvus is described as “a scathing satire of a dystopian world caught up in climate-change denial and the glorification of war”. It was included on the longlist of the 2019 CBC Canada Reads competition.

His latest book is Clifford: A Memoir, A Fiction, A Fantasy, A Thought Experiment.

Thank you to Living Sky Casino, Great Plains College, Anderson & Company, and Murray Walter for sponsoring Harold Johnson’s trek from La Ronge to our Write Out Loud stage. This presentation promises to be informative and entertaining.

Write Out Loud commences March 20 at Swift Current’s Lyric Theatre. Admission is $8. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Local musicians “Ed Doyle and Friends” will entertain at 7 p.m. and the featured author will follow.