Kathy Shaidle

Kathy Shaidle (born 7 May 1964) is a Canadian Roman Catholic author, columnist and poet.

Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Shaidle studied at Sheridan College. Since the mid-1980s she has worked in Toronto, eventually talking up a post at the "Catholic New Times" magazine. In 1991, she left the publication to pursue a writing career, only to discover that summer she contracted lupus erythematosus. [cite news| last =Shaidle| first =Kathy| title =Illness a harsh but welcome teacher| page =1| publisher ="Toronto Star"| date =1998-12-13| ] She was on the left as a self-described "anarcho-peacenik" in the early years of her writing career but, prompted in large part by the attacks of September 11, 2001, has become an outspoken conservative. [http://www.fivefeetoffury.com/:entry:fivefeet-2007-09-03-0000/]

Shaidle wrote the blog relapsedcatholic.com [cite news| title =Giggles and God-stuff: Hooting with the Maker on the Web| page =C16| publisher ="The Ottawa Citizen"| date =2001-04-08| ] cite news | url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/religion/life-christian2.html | title=My life as a (mediocre) Catholic | first=Kathy | last=Shaidle | publisher=CBC News | accessdate=2008-01-28 | date=unknown date, after September 2001 ] and a column for the Roman Catholic weekly "Our Sunday Visitor". She left the latter post in April 2007 after the newspaper refused to publish a column she had written criticizing Earth Day. [http://shaidle.blogmatrix.com/:entry:shaidle-2007-04-19-0015] In September 2007 she stopped posting at Relapsed Catholic and began a new blog, fivefeetoffury.com, a reference to her petite stature and often pugnacious writing style.

Her book-length poetry collection, "Lobotomy Magnificat", was nominated for a 1998 Governor General's Award. Critic Wendy McGrath, writing in the "Edmonton Journal", praised the poetry for how it "effectively relates sacred images or text to present day events and images." [cite news| last =McGrath| first =Wendy| title =Poet relates sacred images to today's views| page =F6| publisher ="Edmonton Journal"| date =1998-12-06| ] In contrast, the Montreal "Gazette"'s reviewer was critical of the book's "diet of smart phrasing... and fabricated insights." [cite news| last =Starnino| first =Carmine| title =Five poets in search of a prize| page =J5| publisher ="The Gazette"| date =1998-11-14| ]

Shaidle and Catholic journalist Pete Vere are currently writing "The Tyranny of Nice", a critique of the human rights tribunals that exist in Canada.

Awards and recognition

* 1998: poetry finalist, Governor General's Awards
* Canadian Church Press: four awards (humour, best national columnist, etc.)cite news | url=http://www.quillandquire.com/authors/profile.cfm?article_id=4818 | publisher="Quill & Quire" | date=December 1998 | title=The triumph of Kathy Shaidle | first=Rebecca | last=Carpenter | accessdate=2008-01-26 ]

Bibliography

* "God rides a Yamaha: Musings on pain, poetry, and pop culture", Northstone, 1998. ISBN 1896836240
*"Lobotomy magnificat" Ottawa: Oberon, 1997 ISBN 0-7780-1070-8 (hardcover), ISBN 0-7780-1071-6 (paperback).
* "Acoustic Ladyland: Kathy Shaidle Unplugged"

References

External links

* [http://www.kathyshaidle.com/ Kathy Shaidle official website] , accessed 20 July 2006
* [http://www.relapsedcatholic.com Relapsed Catholic] , Shaidle's former blog, accessed 20 July 2006
* [http://www.fivefeetoffury.com Five Feet of Fury] , Shaidle's current blog, accessed 25 September 2007
* [http://www.library.utoronto.ca/canpoetry/shaidle/bio.htm University of Toronto: Kathy Shaidle profile] , accessed 20 July 2006
* [http://podcast.shirenetworknews.net/:entry:tuatara-2008-04-28-0002/ Audio: Shire Network News Interview] Kathy Shaidle and Kate McMillan] discuss the law suit filled against them (and other Canadian bloggers) by Richard Warman, 22 April 2008