There was a time—not so long ago—when the rich and influential quivered with trepidation as they opened the pages of the Evening Telegram. For within that newspaper lurked Ray Guy, whose sharp satire revealed bitter truths about those who wielded power in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Guy, heralded as the real opposition to Premier Joey Smallwood, wrote with passion about the subject dearest to his heart—Newfoundland and Labrador. For decades, he wrote fearlessly and defiantly in a range of local and national media. But Guy was also a deeply trouble man, who struggled against alcoholism and depression.

Ron Crocker was a roommate and colleague of Guy in his Evening Telegram Days. Drawing on years of friendship, as well as an in-depth reading of Guy’s works and candid interviews with many of those closest to him, Crocker delivers a detailed portrait of the writer and his work.

Gay Guy: Portrait of a Rebel is a testament and a toast to Ray Guy’s brilliant writing. It is also a compelling biography of a complex man with an incredible gift.

Ron is a journalist and a retired television producer and executive. He worked with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for more than thirty years. Ron grew up in Heart’s Delight, NL, and graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto. He lives in Glen Haven, NS, with Sheila Fitzpatrick and their son Robin. When not reading or writing about boats, Ron sails his Contessa 32, Fifth of July, out of French Village Harbour.

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