Menno FriesenThis delightful, insightful and thought-provoking memoir reflects the passions and priorities of Menno Friesen's life: relationships with friends and family, relationships at work, travelling to experience a variety of cultures, being in nature and witing.

Menno's experience of growing up in an urban, conservative, Manitoba Mennonite setting, and then moving beyond Mennonite circles, shaped much of his writing. His parents both emigrated as refugee children, his dad in 1924 and his mom in 1947, from Mennonite colonies in Russia to Canada.

On Menno's grade school writing assignments, his English teacher wrote comments such as "an extremely successful line," and "the writer has a feeling of eavesdropping at a distance."

Menno went on to study creative writing at the University of Winnipeg while making his living with driving a school bus for Winnipeg School Division. Between morning and afternoon runs, he often settled on the living room couch with his laptop to write.

His Creative Writing professor recorded that Menno is "an unusually talented writer....[using] elements that we rarely see: a sense of style, of rhythm, grace combined with astute observation, absolute honesty and humane compassion. He is tough-minded, exacting of himself and has a wonderful sense of humour. He takes an interest in the world."

With Liz Plett, his life partner of 28 years, Menno travelled to Costa Rica, Europe, Egypt, Cuba, and many Canadian destinations-trips that always inspired more writing. At the time of his sudden passing due to meningitis in March 2019, Menno and Liz were planning a Spring Break trip to Valencia, Spain. Read More Read Less