I met Wayson Choy at the Humber School of writing. He was the mentor and teacher for our small group. I had read all his books, starting with his first book, The Jade Peony, which, he told us, took him eighteen years to write.
We soon found out that not only had we been given a wonderful teacher, but also we were in contact with a great soul. I know the phrase "great soul" may seem a strange description. It certainly was to me. But Wayson had an exceptional presence: humble, warm and accepting . His openness and friendliness came across in his relaxed, insightful teaching and his genuine interest in each member of our group and our attempts at writing. I still remember some of the lessons to this day.
Wayson's literary output was not large but it was superb. After The Jade Peony, written in 1995, he wrote Paper Shadows: A Chinatown Childhood, and All The Matters, which was nominated for the Giller. His last book, Not Yet: A Memoir of Living and Dying, brings his story full circle. He won many, many prizes
A few years after my memorable time at Humber, I met Wayson again in the cafeteria at the Toronto Writers's Festival. He remembered me and, to my surprise, remembered the story I had written for the class. He added a few nice things about my writing. We sat and talked books for over an hour. He looked frailer but the same indescribably aura still surrounded him. I had never met anyone with this presence and I probably never will again. I feel lucky to have known him.
.JPG)
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