Today in Wheeling History: September 28—Keith Maillard, acclaimed novelist and Wheeling native, receives the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence in British Columbia, Canada (2024).
Keith Lee Maillard was born on February 28, 1942, in Wheeling, West Virginia, and raised on Front Street on Wheeling Island. His early life was shaped by financial hardship following his parents’ divorce. He attended Madison Elementary School and earned a scholarship to Linsly Military Institute, graduating third in his class in 1960. Maillard later studied at West Virginia University, the University of Michigan, and Vancouver Community College School of Music. From 1968 to 1970, he worked in Boston as a writer and producer for an anti-Vietnam War radio program. Importantly, Maillard was not eligible for the draft and identified as a war resister rather than a draft dodger—a distinction he has emphasized in interviews and writings. Disillusioned after the Kent State shootings, he emigrated to Canada in 1970 and became a citizen in 1976. His literary career spans over five decades, with more than 20 published works including novels, poetry, and memoirs. Many are set in the fictional town of Raysburg, modeled after Wheeling, and feature landmarks like the Suspension Bridge and National Road. On September 28, 2024, Maillard received the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence in British Columbia, honoring his contributions as a writer, teacher, and mentor. He resides in West Vancouver with his wife and two daughters.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library (https://tinyurl.com/3vra32ut), Wikipedia – Keith Maillard (https://tinyurl.com/2hf8yxme), BC & Yukon Book Prizes (https://tinyurl.com/3r5afc59), UBC Creative Writing (https://tinyurl.com/3x5cvc95), Weelunk Review of "The Clarinet Polka" (https://tinyurl.com/3fnce65z)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Amazon, University of British Columbia
Keith Lee Maillard was born on February 28, 1942, in Wheeling, West Virginia, and raised on Front Street on Wheeling Island. His early life was shaped by financial hardship following his parents’ divorce. He attended Madison Elementary School and earned a scholarship to Linsly Military Institute, graduating third in his class in 1960. Maillard later studied at West Virginia University, the University of Michigan, and Vancouver Community College School of Music. From 1968 to 1970, he worked in Boston as a writer and producer for an anti-Vietnam War radio program. Importantly, Maillard was not eligible for the draft and identified as a war resister rather than a draft dodger—a distinction he has emphasized in interviews and writings. Disillusioned after the Kent State shootings, he emigrated to Canada in 1970 and became a citizen in 1976. His literary career spans over five decades, with more than 20 published works including novels, poetry, and memoirs. Many are set in the fictional town of Raysburg, modeled after Wheeling, and feature landmarks like the Suspension Bridge and National Road. On September 28, 2024, Maillard received the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence in British Columbia, honoring his contributions as a writer, teacher, and mentor. He resides in West Vancouver with his wife and two daughters.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library (https://tinyurl.com/3vra32ut), Wikipedia – Keith Maillard (https://tinyurl.com/2hf8yxme), BC & Yukon Book Prizes (https://tinyurl.com/3r5afc59), UBC Creative Writing (https://tinyurl.com/3x5cvc95), Weelunk Review of "The Clarinet Polka" (https://tinyurl.com/3fnce65z)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Amazon, University of British Columbia
RSS Feed