When bestselling author Todd Babiak sat down to write The Book of Stanley (McClelland & Stewart), he was in mourning: in the span of one year, a number of close family members had died. Although the novel grew out of personal loss, it became a humorous send-up of pop religion and spirituality.
The main character is Stanley Moss, a retired florist who recovers from cancer only to discover that he has gained some unique—some might say divine—powers. With his wife and a New Age friend in tow, Stanley heads to Banff to look for answers and find a way to use his abilities for good. He attracts a motley group of disciples who form a new religion called The Stan and set out to spread its gospel worldwide.
Todd Babiak is the culture columnist for the Edmonton Journal and author of the bestseller The Garneau Block (McClelland & Stewart), which was long-listed for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. Babiak’s first novel, Choke Hold (Turnstone, 2000) won the Writers Guild of Alberta Henry Kreisel Award for best first book and was shortlisted for the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize.
Shelagh Rogers spoke with Todd Babiak face-to-face in Edmonton on Sounds Like Canada. They discussed the role of religion in his life as well as in his writing. Listen to their conversation here and find out why he believes “Banff is the most sacred place in the world.”
First aired September 24, 2007 on Sounds Like Canada. [runs 17:03]
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