Welcome to my website. Glad you’re here. I was born and raised on a working-class Montreal street inhabited more by characters who frequently tripped and fell just trying to make it through the day but their toughness remained intact. We were surrounded by fields, factories, railroad tracks and trains where, as a kid, I played endlessly with almost no adult supervision. It was heaven.
Later I earned a Master’s Degree from McGill University and taught at all levels including Mount Royal University in Calgary. Mostly because of the expansive Alberta sky, the sunshine and the Rocky Mountains, I have been living and writing in Calgary for many years.
I have always been curious about why we do what we do and have been fortunate enough to have an imagination with legs of its own. Two of my favorite words are “what if?”.
Like an extra skin, writing has always been a part of me. In particular, I love observing how vulnerable and yet how resilient humanity can be. These observations, whether right or wrong, continually show up in my writing. What I notice most often is that humanity’s quest for some form of power is greater than its quest for basic essentials such as food, clothing or shelter. Why this happens… I’ll never know for sure.
I have so far published (not self-published) 12 books in a variety of genres (flash/postcard fiction, poetry, children’s literature and the novel). My writing has also appeared in numerous anthologies, many regional and national publications and on CBC Radio. Several of my publications have been finalists for Alberta book awards. In addition, I have worked as The Writer-In-Residence for both The Calgary Public Library and for The Writers’ Guild of Alberta (Strawberry Creek). Recently, I had the honor of being a writing mentor for The Writers’ Guild of Alberta Writing Mentorship Program.
My 12th book, a substantial collection of flash fiction (each story is approximately 500 words in length) entitled UP FRONT, enjoyed a hugely successful Calgary launch at Shelf Life Books on May 28, 2024. It will be distributed in early July 2024 in Canada, the U.S.A. and the UK.
“In Up Front, Ken Rivard continues his mastery of the flash fiction form. These pieces contain his characteristic inventions and truths woven together into a wide variety of vividly drawn characters. The plot of each keeps the reader off-kilter just enough but in a good way. Each piece is linked by the Up Front voice. That voice is, of course, the voice of the teacher, but it is also the voice of authority, the voice of the adult world, and, of course, the adolescent voice. Although most of the pieces are limited in length, we get to know these characters and their situations better than we often do in much longer stories. Rivard conveys his perspective with complexity, authenticity, compassion, sensitivity, and care. There is a truth and honesty in the writing that will keep you reading story after story. Rivard proves again that flash fiction contains much power and depth.”
— Robert Hilles, Governor General’s Award-Winning author of Don’t Hang Your Soul On That and From God’s Angle (2021) and The Pink Puppet (2023)
My 11th book, another substantial collection of flash fiction entitled CANALWATCH, was published by Canada’s Mosaic Press in May, 2022 and is being distributed by The Manda Group in Canada, U.S.A. and the U.K. Essentially, each flash fiction piece focuses on a particular event or character around a mysterious canal and all stories are inspired by real canals I have visited. Enjoy the “what if’s and the “not so what if’s.”
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KEN RIVARD AUTHOR 