Bennett sends Letters to a Small Town
Posted By TED AMSDEN
Posted 3 months ago
It's an affectionate collection of 44 letters dealing with personal issues, pets, town happenings and more. Some of the letters are strongly delivered. Others are tongue-in-cheek.
Former Port Hope resident Paul Bennett, now a Cobourg resident (and he was a Cobourg resident before he became a Port Hope resident), has self-published a new book, Letters to a Small Town.
Bennett's letter-writing started when he was living near the proposed location for the new Shopper's Drug Mart in Port Hope. He felt compelled to write to the Port Hope Evening Guide about the proposal he was none too happy about.
The store was built despite his eloquence in a string of letters to the editor. There were so many letters, he developed a relationship with the managing editor. He contributed 30 screeds. Soon enough, he was off on personal riffs the length of which became a challenge to fit into the paper.
Bennett says positive public response to his letters pushed him in the direction of publishing them in their unedited version. More than 14 were never sent.
Ken Nutt, a close friend and a talented illustrator who also appears under the name Eric Beddows, has provided pencil illustrations. Nutt won the Governor General's Award for children's book illustrations a few years ago.
"I must admit, I have another reason for writing the letters," Bennett says. "Activity keeps me thinking, organizing, researching, remembering and on the go. I see too many older people who have simply stopped using their brains. Brains do not just stay still; they deteriorate with non-use. I think too much of myself to allow that to happen."
Bennett is 81, a former art school teacher, art advisor for adult education, director of four art organizations, bed-and-breakfast owner and antiques store proprietor. He first moved to Cobourg in 1995.
A book launch for the Bennett book will be held at Furby House Books in Port Hope on Nov. 14 from 2 to 4 p. m.. There are 500 copies available selling for $17.50 each.
