A native of Montreal and now living in Dieppe, she moved with her parents to Jolicure in 1969 and recalls why the switch was made from big city life to rural New Brunswick.
"My parents (Lorne and Jo Anne Bell) had both gone to Mount Allison University; my brothers and sisters had gone there and my grandparents went to Mount Allison, so there was a lot of connections with Sackville -- and Mount Allison in particular.
"I did not go to Mount Allison. I worked there for a couple of years, but I went to the New Brunswick Craft School in the early '70s instead."
Living on a farm in Jolicure, of course, meant barn cats, and it wasn't long before those felines made their way to the big house and became personal pets. Lorrie was inspired over time by these several cats, and captured them in a story for her mother. The subject matter, with a few additions, eventually became her fourth book -- Jolicure Cats.
"By 1979, the original nine cats had either died or disappeared, being rural cats. So I wrote a little book for my mother (My Mother's 9 Cats) and gave it to her. She loved it. It was just one copy, and I left it at that. Then about two years ago I lost a cat of mine (Smudge) that I was very close to, and I started to write her story. I realized that I would bring that manuscript (My Mother's 9 Cats) back to life and add other cats that we'd had since that time, and just tell their stories."
A silversmith (she only dabbles now) and an active weaver, writing has also long been an interest for Lorrie. Retired for eight years now from the family business (she and David have Percheron Press), she's pursuing her writing career with gusto. The recently launched Jolicure Cats is evidence of that, and it's been well received.
"I'm very happy with it," she says. "The illustrations are incredible.
"The illustrator is Dwight Kirkland, and he did a fabulous job. I think we're both proud of the result. Goose Lane (Editions) did a wonderful job.
"They did the design work for it and printing ... and I'm really happy with the way it came out. It's exciting."
To her credit also are Rabbit Dreams; a family cookbook entitled Nutty Green Beans, and a poetry collection -- Moving Poems. She's currently working on a collection of short stories, and future plans include expanding Rabbit Dreams to a "full children's format."
"Reasonably laid back," Lorrie enjoys life -- including family: step-daughters Britt, Erin and Michelle, and granddaughter, Grace. She also horseback rides on her 22 year-old quarterhorse, High, and has one cat, Minou. She likes the arts, outdoor activities, flower gardening and doing intricate bead work.
Writing for Lorrie Bell Hawkins is also the realization of her heart's desire, and a most satisfying experience.
"I enjoy the craft of writing. When people enjoy your stories," she says, "that's always rewarding."
From 15 Minutes of Fame, Moncton Times & Transcript, Monday, October 19 2009, by Linda Hersey
Jolicure Cats
By Lorrie Bell Hawkins
Illustrated by Dwight Kirkland
(Percheron Press)
Lorrie Bell Hawkins has written of her life-long love affair with cats in her new book Jolicure Cats about 14 of her feline friends.
As each delightful cat is introduced we experience the bond that goes beyond the basic animal lover. These stories, these mini-biographies, are glimpses into honest companionship told with love, humour and sadness that exemplify the individuality of cat personalities.
In the spring of 1969 the author's parents, Lorne and Joanne Bell, moved their family from Montreal to the small farming community Jolicure, N.B. A 17-year-old Lorrie was eager to explore country life and shared with her mother the hopes of getting a family pet, a cat.
Lorrie's father reluctantly consented and here begins the Jolicure Cats with the arrival of two active kittens, Alice and Lucy. Then came sweet Sydney, Molly who thought she was bird, stately Louie who slept in a frying pan, Sally the mothering cat, Alex the dog's companion, Elise the recluse, prickly Lily, telepathic Tigger, Fluffy, Joanne's last cat, Puss, Lorne's favourite, and wandering Smudge.
Each cat story, lovingly told, also examines the hardships of rural animals in terms of abandonment, neglect and often meeting tragic endings. There is also joy and in every story an expression of companionship.
The cats are truly brought to life with the lovely and realistic illustrations by Dwight Kirkland. And as each cat gets a special portrait, he has charmingly captured the individuality and special characteristics of each Jolicure cat featuring them with a special item or environment. Kirkland is a renowned illustrator specializing in wildlife as well as a successful mural artist.
At times the stories can be difficult yet heartwarming as the author explores the intense emotional connections to her cats and how they have effected other areas of her life.
Any animal lover, especially feline fans, will appreciate the tenderness and deep personal reflections on how each animal crept its way into the homes and heart of the author and her family.
- reviewed by GLORIA NICKERSON
For The Daily Gleaner
Why did you decide to write this book?
Quite simply, I wrote the first draft as a gift for my mother. There was just one copy, and I bound it, illustrated it, and called it, My Mother’s Nine Cats.
This was in 1979, after we had lived on our farm for 10 years and our original family of cats had died or disappeared. My mother had never really recovered from losing Louie — her “Sun King,” as she called him — and when Elsie, the last of the barn cats died . . . she said, “No more!”
But of course, there were more cats.
In 2007, during a tumultuous move, I lost my ten-year-old cat Smudge. As a remedy for my grief, I began to write about her and, in doing so, thought about the original manuscript of My Mother’s Nine Cats.
I can only say I felt compelled to begin again the stories of the cats that, often too briefly, touched my life as only a cat can do.
What is it about cats that make them so special? Or maybe, what was it about your cats? They're not always the friendliest of creatures!
My cats have been no more special than any other cat — they are simply special to me because I have paid attention to their personalities and needs, for which they have rewarded me with companionship.
There’s a misconception about cats not being friendly. They are — very. They simply make friends on their own terms. Cats play, they communicate, they comfort . . . but unlike dogs, who live to please their humans, cats live to please themselves. In my view, no one said it better than Kipling — “The cat, he walked by himself, and all places were alike to him.” This independence seems to translate, for people who don’t care for cats, as aloofness or even wickedness, but I think it is this independent spirit that cat people love.
In the book you write about your ability to communicate on an almost telepathic level with some of your cats. How did that develop?
I became aware of it with a cat named Louie. I would have to say he trained us (my mother and me), and it began with food. When his kibble dish was empty, he quietly entered the room where one or both of us were, sat down, and stared. At first we ignored him . . . but we noticed if someone went towards him, he took off to the pantry where his food was kept. We were quick learners. However, it eventually got so that Louie did not even have to enter the room. I can only say it was like this . . . he went into the pantry and patiently summoned us! “I think Louie wants chow,” one of us would say, looking up from the TV . . and sure enough, there he would be sitting on the counter beside the box of cat chow.
The illustrations are beautiful. How did you come to commission Dwight Kirkland? And what can you tell us about him?
I had a very definite idea in my mind as to how I wanted the stories illustrated — a realistic portrait in a setting that was unique to each cat. So I needed someone who could not only illustrate cats well, but someone who could read the personality of the cat as well as someone who could “read my thoughts.” A colleague directed me to a website dedicated to freelance artists, and I timidly (I must say) posted my job. Much to my surprise, I had over 60 responses — probably ten of which were very, very good. Oddly enough, Dwight was my very first response . . . and he remained number one until the end. I just really like the way he captured his animals in their natural settings — I did not simply want a “portrait.”
As for telling you about him . . . well I can only say he is one talented guy. Go to his website, and you will see. He lives in Pennsylvania with his family — and we have never met — but we sure did have a lot of correspondence for several months, and by the way, he pretty much got every illustration the way I envisioned it the first time . . . so I guess you could say he read my mind!
Why did you want to share these stories with an audience?
Once I began to write the stories and actively look for an illustrator, I realized I was no longer doing the book just for me. I also noticed that there were very few books of cat stories in bookstores compared to those of dogs and horses. I shared the manuscript with a few people, and the response was very positive, so I thought — hey — there are a lot of cat people out there, and I’m sure these stories would have meaning for them. I know I buy every cat book — not cat care, but cat stories — that I come across.
Is there a special cat in your life right now?
Minou. She came to us through the Moncton SPCA. I had been to the SPCA a couple of times to look at cats, but I would get so confused — it is so heartbreaking to be surrounded by so many cats needing homes. But then I got a call about Minou, and when I saw her, I knew instantly that she was the one. She was extremely timid — possibly the result of abuse — and spent about a week under the bed when I brought her home. After almost a year, she has perfectly settled into life with my husband and me. But the best thing is that David has finally fallen in love with a cat!
In the spring of 1969, Lorne and JoAnne Bell, moved from Montreal to the small farming community of Jolicure, New Brunswick with their seventeen-year-old daughter, Lorrie.
For JoAnne the move meant she could finally get a cat. Lorne, who staunchly maintained that he could never bear the creatures, grudgingly agreed. For Lorrie, that decision launched a life-long series of feline friendships that continues to this day.
Founded in the early 1980s Percheron Press Canada continues to be dedicated to helping emerging writers get published.
Over the years various books on a variety of subjects - local history, poetry, cooking, personal reflections - and authored by interesting and talented writers saw their way into print as the little press quietly met its mission.
