Hall, Alex M. 1942–

PERSONAL: Born December 17, 1942, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; son of Malcolm M.R. (a radiologist) and Mildred I. (a nurse; maiden name, MacLennan) Hall; married Lia M. Ruttan (a social worker), June 6, 1974; children: Graham, Evan. Education: University of Western Ontario, B.Sc., 1964; University of Toronto, M.Sc., 1971. Politics: Liberal.

ADDRESSES: Home—P.O. Box 130, Fort Smith, Northwest Territories X0E OP0, Canada. E-mail—alex@canoearctic.com.

CAREER: Writer. Canoe Arctic, Inc., Northwest Territories, Canada, president, 1974–.

AWARDS, HONORS: Top 100 books published in Canada designation, Globe and Mail, 2003, for Discovering Eden: A Lifetime of Paddling Arctic Rivers.

WRITINGS:

Discovering Eden: A Lifetime of Paddling Arctic Rivers, Key Porter Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2003.

SIDELIGHTS: Alex M. Hall told CA: "Discovering Eden: A Lifetime of Paddling Arctic Rivers is the story of the Barren Lands and my life there over the past several decades. It's a collection of stories, essays, and commentaries about the largest wilderness left in North America, its animals and the lessons they have taught me, about my experiences on its remote wild rivers as a professional canoeing guide, and my hopes and dreams for the area's future.

"My primary motivation for writing this book was the accelerating mineral exploration and mining activity in the area along with the inevitable roads, power dams, and electrical transmission lines that are bound to follow. If I learned anything about writing in producing Discovering Eden, it was that the first draft has to come from the heart. Writing with your head is what it takes to polish that first draft and you'll probably spend much more time and effort in this than in the original creative process. But if a piece wasn't written from the heart to begin with, it will never entertain, move, or inspire the reader."