Toller Cranston: The Ice, the Paint and the Passion
Hi Everyone,
We are super pleased to let you know that Toller Cranston: The Ice, the Paint and the Passion has just been announced as a Finalist for the Sutherland House Book Prize. The Winner will be announced early in the new year.
We are ecstatic to be in the mix with a fabulous group of contenders. You can read more about the finalists here.
Many of you are aware that the last few years have had their share of challenges. It is very gratifying as this year winds down, to report that the future for Toller looks bright. One might say dazzling. And sparkly.
Thanks as always for your interest and support.
Season’s Best to all.
Abrazos,
Phillippa
This is how the entry is described:
3. Toller Cranston: The Ice, the Paint, the Passion, by Phillippa Cranston Baran.
“If something is worth doing, it is worth overdoing” — Toller Cranston
For millions of people worldwide, there is no need to say Cranston. He was Toller. Creative. Flamboyant. Outspoken. Whether he was winning Olympic medals, painting 20,000 paintings, judging a beauty pageant with Donald Trump, or performing for an audience that consisted only of his friend the Prime Minister of Canada, the King of Jordan, and their wives—he was a true creative force.
For decades, this Canadian icon and internationally recognized celebrity amazed, outraged, and inspired. He showed immense courage in the face of insufferable establishment negativity, stayed true and authentic, spoke up, spoke out, and did the work. He changed a sport. He changed attitudes. He changed lives. He motivated others to be brave, dream big, and chase their destiny.
Much has been written about Toller Cranston. Much has been written by Toller Cranston. Now, from the sister of an icon comes the story of a complex talent who was funny, flamboyant, and deeply human. Toller Cranston: The Ice, the Paint, and the Passion is about more than the extraordinary achievements and legendary battles: it captures the voices of those who knew Cranston, admired him, competed with him, and were inspired by him—a cohort of world and Olympic champions, curators and collectors, LGBTQ artists and performers, as well as a host of colourful characters and fans who intersected with his extraordinary life. Together they reveal the profound and lasting impact that Cranston had and continues to have on other people.
Phillippa Cranston Baran is a former university film professor and award-winning writer/producer. She has a faded scar on her left thigh acquired at age twelve when her younger brother kicked her with his skates because she refused to twirl him.
