A Supersonic Day: From the Packsack of Gregory Clark

Greg Clark firmly refused to be considered a serious author, preferring always to describe himself as a "storyteller," a man in the business of "celebrating the sheer joy of life."

And celebrate the joy of life is what he did, in the thousands of pieces he wrote during a newspaper career that spanned more than six decades and made him the nation's best-loved humorist.

Here, published in book form for the first time, are a selection of more thana hundred of the warm, wise, and always witty columns that filled "Gregory Clark's Packsack."

Clark was not interested in writing for posterity. He wrote, instead, about whatever happened to catch his eye, tickle his funny-bone, or touch his heart on the day of his deadline. Yet his humour and insight have an immediacy which is timeless, and his stories are as absorbing and delightfully true today as they were when they first appeared in print.

His curiosity knew no bounds, and he cheerfully inquired into topics ranging from June bugs and beagles to the infinite mysteries of true love—with stops along the way to examine the vicissitudes of old age, the peculiar habits of small children, and the correct way to cast a fly. He found particular delight in deflating pomposity, and took gleeful aim at language barriers, sex barriers, and every other impediment to the full savouring of life.

A Supersonic Day, selected and edited by Clark's long-time associate, Hugh Shaw, is a delightful journey through the daily experiences we all know, in the company of a man whose clear-eyed perceptions and unflagging sense of the ridiculous created a special, unforgettable magic.