Donna McFarlane

Not to be confused with Donna MacFarlane.
Donna McFarlane
Born 1958
Rosemont, Quebec
Occupation novelist
Nationality Canadian
Period 1990s
Notable works Division of Surgery

Donna McFarlane (born 1958 in Rosemont, Quebec)[1] is a Canadian writer, who was a shortlisted nominee for the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction at the 1994 Governor General's Awards for her novel Division of Surgery.[2] Published by Women's Press, Division of Surgery was an autobiographical novel about McFarlane's own experience in the medical system after being diagnosed with Crohn's disease.[3]

Born in Rosemont, Quebec and raised in Ottawa,[3] McFarlane graduated from York University in 1982 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts,[1] and was working as a librarian at the time of her Crohn's diagnosis.[3] The novel began life as a journal that she kept during her hospital stays,[3] and later submitted to CKLN-FM after Arnie Achtman's documentary series Life Rattle broadcast a story about another woman battling chronic illness.[3] Achtman helped McFarlane organize her notes into a novel,[3] and later became McFarlane's partner.[4]

The doctor in the novel, known only by the name "The Prophet", was based on Mount Sinai Hospital surgeon Zane Cohen.[5]

At the time of her award nomination, she was working as a program coordinator for Windfall, a charity organization that distributed clothing to needy women.[3] She subsequently published a number of short stories in literary magazines, but has not published any further books.

References

  1. 1 2 "Life Rattle Authors and Stories".
  2. ↑ "Munro, Atwood lead familiar names in race for Governor General's award". Kingston Whig-Standard, October 28, 1994.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Author's battle with disease inspired honored novel". Ottawa Citizen, December 27, 1994.
  4. ↑ "Who Was Arnie Achtman? Now We Know!". Friends of Roxton Road Parks, March 21, 2014.
  5. ↑ "The zany side of Zane, Rob Ford's doctor: Eminent surgeon cut a rug in charity dance video and inspired a fictional character". Toronto Star, September 19, 2014.


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