“Memories” mavin Mary Cook charms listeners in Maberly

May 24, 2012

Photo: Mary Cook at the Maberly hall

Many readers are familiar with “Memories” columnist, author and speaker Mary Cook. For many years Mary has been writing and speaking about her life as a youngster growing up on a farm in Northcote in days long gone by.

Cook, who now resides in Carleton Place, wetted the eyes of numerous listeners at the Maberly hall on May 19, at a special engagement courtesy of the Maberly Agricultural Society. For those who have only read her column or her books, seeing this polished professional speak in person is a special delight. Cook is a classic and top notch story teller, one who has that special gift you don't often see these days - that special combination of matter-of-fact truth, mixed in with a quick wit and an honest emotional depth that brings forth from her audience feelings from opposite ends of the emotional spectrum.

Cook warmed up to her Maberly audience with some good advice she got when she first started out in the business. 1) When addressing a crowd close all doors to avoid audience distraction; 2) never speak on a subject you know nothing about; and 3) keep all family members out (her husband was in the car in the parking lot and only appeared after her talk). Mary covered a wide variety of subjects, sometimes delivering her material à la stand up comedienne, sometimes as author, and sometimes as her own biographer. Her material included witty, sometimes racy, and always funny jokes on aging and other real life matters. At other times, especially when looking back on the hardships her family faced in their move from their farm, she had listeners welling up with sorrow.

Cook is also a master reader, delivering well-known stories about herself and her family - sister Audrey, friend Joyce, her mom and dad, and others who enriched her life as a young girl. She reads her work with a truth and earnestness that had the crowd hanging on her every breath. Cook has written countless books - titles include "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire"; "Another Place at the Table", based on her mother's diaries and which she admitted was the “hardest book” she ever wrote; "A Bubble Off Plumb" and many more. She spoke very openly about the book she is currently writing, titled "For Every Leaf That Falls", which she believes will be her last.

“This book will be even harder to write because it's the story of our moving into Carleton Place. I thought my last book, 'This Then Was Home' would be where my story ended but my publisher insisted that readers would want to know what happened after we moved to the city. And that will be a very difficult story to tell because the day that we moved into town was the day that my father began to die, “ Cook said.

On a lighter note and after taking questions from her audience, Cook dispensed one last bit of advice to her listeners “Don't worry when writing your wills about who will get what. What you need to leave behind is your story. And don't worry that you are not a great writer or think that your story lacks interest. If you can put two words together I urge you to write your story. That is the best thing that you can leave to your family. It will be treasured. Your story is the most important legacy you can leave behind. Your families want to know your story and they will cherish it, always.”

Good advice from one who knows that subject well.