Vancouver’s Lifeguard Legend

“Ruby Smith Diaz (l.) examines the life of Joe Fortes, a Black lifeguard in Vancouver, during a time of rampant racism, exploring his legacy and identity through research, personal reflections and poetry.FULL STORY

 

A dancer finds a home

May 11th, 2023

Born in Mexico City in 1946 to an American father and English mother, and raised in Belize for part of her youth, Lolla Devindisch remembers having parrots, turtles and boa constrictor snakes for pets in her memoir A Dancer’s Pilgrimage (Rainbow $20). It was an idyllic time on her father’s commune until his mental health deteriorated, prompting her mother to flee with her four daughters back to England. Haunted by the loss of her father, who later died at the age of 46 without ever seeing his children again, Devindisch was drawn to the arts and became a professional dancer. She moved to New York City to meet her late father’s family and dance with the Radio City Ballet Company. She got married and relocated to South Africa, continuing with her dance career. Homesick, Devindisch returned to England but would soon leave again, this time finding a creative and spiritual community, as well as lasting love, on Salt Spring Island. 9781778160301

 

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