1. Heather O’Neill visits Bishop’s University
Lower class
writer claims
success
Antoine Airoldi
Sherbrooke, QC
Bishop’s — Dr. Linda Morra launched 2015-
2016’s Morris House Reading Series on
September 17, 2015 in the Centennial Theatre
lobby. The Reading Series welcomed the
Canadian author: Heather O’Neill. The author
was asked about her successes,and gave her
audience a steadfast shock. “I come from a
lower class family and grew up without a
mother,” she said.
The author’s success derived from her
early childhood when she wrote a prose about a
cockroach in Grade 5. Her teacher mentioned
that she was a great writer. Her goal was set and
the author did not have a plan B. She lived with
her uncle in Georgia, and lived in a trailer park,
after he parents got divorced. She mentioned that
in her uncle’s trailer, there was a mattress on the
floor for her to sleep, and beside it lay broken
beer bottles on the floor. Heather O’Neill always
loved going to different trailers when her uncle
collected rent from several people — she
believed that living in a trailer was her future.
“I grew up motherless,” she said during
the Morris House Reading. She used this theme
in her novels by becoming the orphan figure.
She stated that being raised by a single parent,
and being a single parent is a lot of drama for the
child and finding their identity.
Heather spoke about the effect it had on
her writing. “We all have these fucked up
families and it’s beautiful,” she said. Without
her harsh past, her fictional stories wouldn’t
have meaning.
She also read about her prose on dolls in
her latest book: Daydreams of Angels. “I live
multiple lives through my novels,” O’Neill said.
She can create outstanding stories through
various persona’s which she creates. Most of her
work reflects her current self and past.
Though, being a full-time author may
seem like a poor career choice, O’Neill was not
raised in luxury. The only time she thought of an
alternative career was when she wanted to open

2. up her own laundry matt. For the most part, her
life seemed like a debate — she never dreamed
of a huge job, but had graduated from McGill
University in Montreal, Que. She loved literature
and was terrible at other things. She always
came back to writing. When she started her first
writings she did not want to deal with the failure.
The author knew that it was all or nothing for
writing.
In order for her writing to be successful,
the author needs to keep excitement about her
own life. “Things that attract you make
sensibility,” O’Neill said. She makes her own
little world come to life when she is writing.
“Everyone is reading a different book,” she said.
The author believes that once she gives her
writing to her publisher that the text no longer
belongs to her. People may then interpret the
reading differently opposed to another reader.
The event is essential for Bishop’s
University because one’s rough past defines not
the future; success comes with time. Students
understood that success does exist after
graduating.
The event is sponsored by the Quebec
Writers' Federation (Writers Out Loud), the
Speakers' Committee, Academic Enrichment
(Bishop's University), and the Department of
English (Bishop's University). The Morris
House Reading had free juice and food. The
author signed copies of her three novels, and
whoever wished to purchase one could.