A Short Interview with Hazel Fulford

Joan. A new book, a book of short stories called Wabigoon Burning and Other Stories. What made you chose Wabigoon as your theme?

Hazel. Oh, oh. Must a short story collection have a theme? This one doesn't. It is made up of fiction (Part One) and non fiction (Part Two) published in various places over the years. Two new stories, recently completed, are exceptions. I chose Wabigoon Burning as the title story because it makes a neat title. However, I did grow up in Wabigoon, and that place, as it was then, does creep into the settings of several of my stories

Joan. Interesting structure, a fiction/non-fiction split.Does Wabigoon burn?

Hazel: Part of it burned all one night in 1930. Passing train crews saw the blaze, and soon telegraph operators were sending Morse messages up and down the line:"Wabigoon Burning, Wabigoon Burning.." Villagers worked all night to save the General Store that stood next to a burning hotel. This is a true story but I gave it a fictional ending.

Joan:Anything else you would like to say about the book?

Hazel: The locale ranges from the wilds of Northwestern Ontario to the deserts of Arizona. The characters are children, retirees, and the aged. A few characters, in one story, are nice people who are gradually led into a life of crime..

Joan: You have been writing the northwestern Ontario scene for some time. Anything other projects on your plate?

Hazel: This collection was to have been my swan song However, one more idea has entered the picture as a maybe - still in the embryo stage.