M.E. A Portrayal of Emily Carr is a rare and moving study of an artist’s struggle against despair and loneliness and an intimate portrayal of the close friendship between Edythe and Emily. The two artists were good friends and met not long after Edythe had returned from Paris where she had studied art. Written as a friendly appreciation of the character of Emily Carr, rather than her life, Edythe Hembroff-Schleicher's rendering was described in reviews of the time as "a fond memoir, well-written, a modest and excellent little book, throws new light on her methods of painting and describes the humourous adventures of camping with Emily Carr.” It also contains edited versions of 20 letters written by Carr to her friend, and the cover features a rare painting of Carr recently discovered. M.E. was first published in 1969 and has been out of print for years.

Edythe Hembroff-Schleicher (1906-1994) was a painter and writer from Victoria. She studied art in Paris, travelled widely and became a good friend of Emily's (and her only sketching partner). Edythe authored Emily Carr: The Untold Story and was the Provincial Consultant on Emily Carr. The Life and Art of Edythe Hembroff-Schleicher, by Christina Johnson-Dean, was published by MTP in 2013.

Edythe Hembroff-Schleicher's profile page

Susan Crean was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, and is of Scots-Irish descent. She began travelling in the sixties, studying at universities in France and Italy. In 1989 she moved to British Columbia where she spent a decade researching, writing and teaching. Her articles and essays have appeared in magazines and newspapers across Canada, and she is the author of seven books. The first, Who’s Afraid of Canadian Culture, appeared in 1976. Her landmark work, The Laughing One: A Journey to Emily Carr, was nominated for five awards including the Governor General’s Literary award and won the Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize in 2002. Crean currently lives in Toronto.

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