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Glen Huser (born February 1, 1943 in Elk Point, Alberta) is a Canadian fiction writer.

He attended the Vancouver School of Art and received a second year qualification in 1965 and he also attended the University of Alberta, obtaining a B.Ed. (with distinction) in 1970 and an M.A. in 1988.

Career

After finishing university, he started his first career as a teacher and taught at Rosslyn and Highlands Schools for three years. In 1962-1965, as he took on a part-time job reviewing films for The Edmontonian, a weekly community and entertainment magazine. After his work at the entertainment magazine, he went back to teaching and taught at McArthur School from 1967-1969. For the next twenty years, he began a career as a teacher-librarian in Holyrood, Lendrum, Homesteader, Kirkness, and Overlanders Schools before moving to Edmonton and teaching in the public schools until 1996. At this time, he began developing Magpie, a quarterly magazine that showcases student writing and graphics and took on the job of managing editor of the publication for a year ^[1]. Also, during those years, he was a learning resources consultant, working not only with Magpie, but selecting media and assisting libraries throughout the district. From 1997 to 1998, he worked as a student teaching advisor at Concordia College, and then he worked as a sessional instructor at University of Alberta from 1997-98, 1999-2000, and 2003-2004. From 2000-200i, he worked as a language arts resource writer at Oz New Media/Education-on-line. Glen then worked as a writer-in-residence at Mee-Yah-Noh Elementary School in 2001-2002, and Virginia Park Elementary School in 2003-04 before going on to do sessional work for UBC’s Education faculty for two years. Currently, he has be teaching a Writing for Children and Young Adults component of UBC’s online MFA in the Creative Writing program, where he has been working since 2006 ^[2].

Personal Life

Glen Huser has two sisters, Karen and Sharon, and a brother, Dale. His father, Harry Huser, was an artist, but also worked as a logger, carpenter, garage mechanic, and a school bus driver. His mother, Beatrice Daily Huser, was a teacher in Ashmont. In 1958, the family moved to Edmonton in order to explore greater job opportunities for his brother. At this time, Glen finished grade twelve and began university. After two years of University, Glen discovered his love for movies, and obtained a part-time job reviewing films for a popular Edmonton magazine, The Edmontonian, while also teaching at a junior high school. After three years of teaching, Glen realized he wanted to be an artist and began at the Vancouver School of Art. After a year of art school, Glen realized he would rather live in Edmonton, and he went back to teach for another year.It was his love for reading and writing that pushed him to be a teacher-librarian in elementary schools. When Glen was thirty three, he adopted a seven-year old boy named Casey and from 1969- 1970, Huser took part in creative writing seminars, at which time he began working on creative writing during his spare time. When he retired from teaching in 1996, he continued working on a young adult novel, Touch of the Clown and he was hired back by the school board to make novel study packages for grades 3 to 7 students. In 2008, Huser moved to Vancouver, where he works for UBC’s Education faculty. Glen lives alone in his Vancouver home and teaches online courses and works with students on individual projects ^[3].

Notable Works

Glen Huser is a library-consultant-turned-author whose books have gained recognition and awards. His first novel Grace Lake was published in 1989 by NeWest Press, and was the winner of an Edmonton Journal Literary Award and was also nominated for the W.H Smith/Books in Canada First Novel Award. His second novel, Touch of Clown, published by Groundwood in 1998, was nominated and achieved the Mr.Christie Silver Medal. Huser's third novel, Jeremy's Christmas Wish, was published in 2001 by Hodgepog. In 2003, Huser wrote the novel Stitches, which in the same year won the Governor General’s award presented by Adrienne Clarkson. The book also achieved the Alberta’s R.Ross Annett Award. In 2006, Groundwood published more of Huser's books called Skinnybones and The Wrinkle Queen, which was awarded with the Governor General’s silver medal ^[4]. Aside from his novels, Glen Huser has made an impact as the founder and developer of Magpie, which is a quarterly publication magazine that showcases writing and graphics by students ^[5], ^[6].

Influences

Huser is influenced by books that he reads, as he states: “books that are powerful and moving, that I find moving I find myself thinking, ‘Oh, wouldn’t it be great to write something like that.’” Most of Huser's books are written for youth, as he was so interested in children’s and young adult literature. Huser's book, Touch of the Clown, is influenced by his own experiences and from old movies he watched ^[7].

Cultural Impact

Glen Huser's literature resources have been used by teachers everywhere. Huser has given presentations to many different age groups across the cost and the lower mainland of British Columbia. Glen Huser has also been involved with writers of all ages in writing and reading workshops. Splitting his time between Alberta and British Columbia, Glen has worked as an instructor in language learning for the University of Alberta and is currently teaching online courses at University of British Columbia for Children’s Literature ^[8].

References