This was what I found on the doorstep this morning where the Star Phoenix waits for us to get out of bed. It sunk it for awhile, and then I wrote a Letter to the Editor:
There’s a big lump in my throat that even hot morning coffee can’t fix. I pulled the paper in from the front porch to see the news that Cam Fuller had died. We’ve lost a good friend and I only ever met him in person once, for about two minutes. But he made us laugh out loud and brought us to tears, sometimes with the same piece of beautiful storytelling, as we sat at the breakfast table. I called him periodically with story ideas. When our California-based musician son came to town with Alice Russell during the Jazz Festival, I thought he might want to do a ‘home town boy’ story. He did, and even worked in Ben’s favourite waffles. Over the years, as editor of Saskatoon HOME magazine, I sometimes asked him for help with a search for sources. He was always quick to reply, generous with information, and treated me like a good colleague. Whenever Rick and I pored over which Fringe play to see, our catch phrase was “What did Cam say about it?” His observations were thoughtful. His reviews were generous, salient, but he wasn’t afraid to point out where a play was lacking. Always fair, never mean. His writing was brilliant; he wrote with economy, clarity, and grace; he had a rare combination of the three. Our sympathies to his family at home, and his Star Phoenix family.
A bright point of humanity and humour has gone out and we hope, as we gulp down our hot coffee this morning, that the Star Phoenix will soon publish a book of his collected columns (The Glass Half Fuller, perhaps?). Sign us up for several copies.
Karin Melberg Schwier 