Carmen Wittmeier, a former college instructor, describes a classroom experience in “A Child on the Tracks” (page 260 of Hot Apple Cider). While facing a group of skeptical college students grappling with the subject of global poverty, she is brought back to her own encounter with human suffering in the dark hallways of a Romanian orphanage.
Carmen Wittmeier grew up surrounded by bookshelves (two to three layers deep) and vividly remembers the day she, her mother, and her brother exceeded their 99 book limit at the library. Her recognition of her own power to wield words began in her early teens when she forged impassioned love letters between unsuspecting victims.
Despite her delinquent beginnings, Carmen pursued literature in earnest, earning her BA in English (Honours) from the University of Calgary and her MA from the University of Alberta. A penniless graduate at the age of 23, she landed a job reporting for a national weekly magazine, The Report Newsmagazine, delving into matters of law, crime, and social justice. She simultaneously honed her skills as a writer, interviewer, and researcher for Alberta in the 20th Century, a set of history books.
Her love of classical literature eventually prevailed, and Carmen went on to teach English literature at three colleges, including Langara College in Vancouver, B.C.
Read our interview with Carmen
