Norman SNIDER

NORMAN SNIDER Story teller, writer, author, screenwriter, journalist, professor Born in Toronto, November 14, 1945; Died January 4, 2019. Norman was a leading Canadian journalist and cultural commentator who wrote on literature, politics, crime, sports and jazz, appearing regularly in Toronto Life, Saturday Night, Maclean's, and The Globe and Mail where he was a weekly columnist in the 1980's. He was the author of The Changing of the Guard, a work of political journalism as well as coauthoring Smokescreen, a best selling true crime book. But his greatest passion as a writer was his extensive work for movies and television, winning a Genie award for co-writing, with David Cronenberg,the movie Dead Ringers. Norman was a man of dark humour, with a disabused, ironic, and deeply insightful view of the world, and all its woeful events and lamentable personalities. He believed that if the writer couldn't change the nature of his time, he could yet choose the part he would play in it. Norman chose to preserve clear sight. He leaves his wife of 48 years, Frances-Mary (FM) Morrison; son James (Jessica); adored grandchildren Keira and Lily Claire; and brothers Leslie and Alvin (Jacqueline). Life won't be the same for Norman's friends without hearing his talk about books, jazz, and the Leafs. A celebration of life will be held later this year to coincide with the posthumous publication of some of Norman's last writing.