Author: harvstories

-2023-

Harvey Sawler raises the curtain on the cultural underworld of New York stagehands through the madcap life of Joe ‘Rocks’ (Rockwell) Zottarelli. Joe is a true-life, second-generation legend within the ranks of IATSE Local One, ground zero of the world-wide International Association of Stage and Theatrical Employees.

Joe storms through a fragmented late-night lifestyle entangled with the union’s dark side, and partying with Broadway’s and early television’s biggest celebrities. The domestic side of his life in suburban Long Island is merely a periodic checkpoint toward reality.

Although a hard-working union brother to the core, at heart, Joe is a storyteller. He spends his entire life longing to be an artist and children’s author, dreams that are early dashed by a conservative father intent on ensuring Joe followed him into show business.

But Joe need only peer inside himself to realize that choices made in life either pave the avenue to contentment or lead to the road of lost desires.

-2021-

The Passionate Hosts – Creating Memorable Experiences for 40 Years is a celebration of the success of Prince Edward Island’s Kevin and Kathy Murphy, their family and their countless associated hospitality professionals. Starting with a single restaurant in the 1970s, their exploits have gone on to create outstanding food and beverage and accommodations brands, now under the banner of the Murphy Hospitality Group (MHG). In addition to conducting interviews and writing The Passionate Hosts, Harvey has enjoyed a relationship with Kevin and Kathy for more than four decades, involving leadership in the tourism industry and as the creator of several MHG brands, including the original Gahan House and craft brewery, Sims Corner Steakhouse and Oyster Bar, The Brickhouse and The Hotel on Pownal, all on P.E.I., and the Barrington Steakhouse and Oyster Bar in Halifax. 

-2015-

Uncle Howard on P.E.I. was commissioned by Howard Webster’s niece Susan (Webster) Fitzpatrick for the Webster family to honour his vision of creating Dundas Farms (situated in eastern P.E.I. and the largest farm at the time in Eastern Canada) as well as to honour his commitment toward improving the Maritime beef Industry. Webster left a large footprint on Prince Edward Island with his generous contributions to Confederation Centre of the Arts and his and later his family’s donations of land to interests he and the family knew would act to protect and preserve the land for the public good.

-2020-

Pluck & Luck: The Tragedies and Triumphs of a Free Canadian, is the authorized biography of Toronto-born impresario, promoter, salesman, and thoroughbred horseman John Uren. Pluck and luck. Do and dare. Risk and reward. Work and win. And lose. Uren’s life was a theatrical production of drama and comedy, heroes and heroines, songs and soliloquies. He was the Forrest Gump of Canada – manically on the move, unexpectedly at the happenings and constantly in the company of a celebrity, from sporting greats, to Joni Mitchell, to Marlene Dietrich, to Shakespearean stars. And always in the background, a symphony of tragedy that shattered his upper-middle-class family, in endless rivalry with a life-defining melody and accompanying lyrics: life is no abyss…somewhere there’s a bluebird of happiness.

-2018-

Put Your Hand in My Hand is the lyrical story of the relationship between one of Canada’s most beloved singer-songwriters and his musical daughter. Gene MacLellan’s contribution to the Canadian songbook is legendary. And his daughter Catherine, a rising, multiple-award-winning singer-songwriter-musician, is making her pwn distinctive mark. Harvey paints an intimate portrait of Catherine and her relationship with Gene, a complex man whose words and melodies left us wanting more than he was able to give before he took his life in 1995. The book includes Catherine’s introspective lyrics, family photos and previously unpublished lyrics from Gene’s personal journals.

-2016-

One Man Grand Band: The Lyrical Life of Ron Hynes
In this long-awaited biography, author Harvey Sawler traces the life of Ron Hynes, one of the most respected singer-songwriters in Canadian history. Through personal conversations and interviews, Sawler captures the spirit of an artist whose stock-in-trade has always been authenticity over mere commercial acceptability, providing rare insight into the life of the man who penned some of the country’s best-loved music. Sawler guides us through the dark times of addiction to the triumphs of songs such as “Sonny’s Dream” and “Atlantic Blue” while capturing the true essence of Hynes and the source of his musical genius.

-2014-

The Centre for All Canadians is a handsome 200-page compendium of people, stories and powerful images commemorating the 50^thanniversary of Confederation Centre of the Arts, The Charlottetown Festival, Confederation Centre Art Gallery and the other tangible and intangible elements which form Canada’s National Memorial to the Fathers of Confederation.

The book features Sawler’s narrative together with a series of guest essays and reflections from 50 remarkable Canadians from singer Anne Murray to Governor General David Johnston to pianist Oscar Peterson.

-2007, 2008, 2012-

“Years after the death of tycoon K.C. Irving, people in New Brunswick use the pronoun ‘he’ when speaking of the Irving empire, as if it’s a man, not a family or a corporation. This book puts many faces to the Irving name, from the earliest days British North America through to the present day. For anyone who has ever wondered who and what’s behind that ubiquitous name… here are the answers!”
– Steve Murphy, CTV News Senior News Editor and Anchor

-2010-

In January 1961, John F. Kennedy, his administration, and his charming young family moved into the White House. Cecil W. Stoughton, the first official White House photographer, went with them . . . everywhere.

Stoughton had a close rapport with the President and First Lady from the start and, as a result, he had extraordinary access to the important events and intimate moments of the 35th presidency. His photographs capture the confident command of Kennedy addressing the U.N. General Assembly and JFK’s carefree play with his children in the Oval Office. They show the President in earnest discussion with his Joint Chiefs of Staff and clearly curious about John Glenn’s space capsule at NASA. First Lady Jackie Kennedy is pictured presiding over elegant formal state dinners and running her children’s lively birthday parties. There are images of the presidential couple welcoming heads of state to the White House and hanging Christmas stockings at home in Palm Beach.

John F. Kennedy: Portrait of Camelot is the first and only work to delve fully into Stoughton’s vast archive of the Kennedy presidency, most of which has never before been reproduced. Conceived by Harvey after encountering Stoughton during the research phase of his novel, Saving Mrs. Kennedy, the book features a deeply thoughtful narrative by leading U.S. political historian Richard Reeves, with Harvey providing insights from Stoughton as the result of extensive interviews conducted in 2006. Portrait of Camelot also includes an exclusive DVD of Stoughton’s films of the Kennedy family sailing, horseback riding, and relaxing at home in Hyannisport.

Published to commemorate the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s election as President of the United States, this outstanding collection is an unprecedented portrayal of the power, politics, and warmly personal aspects of Camelot’s 1,065 days.

-2010-

Unforgettable Atlantic Canada captures the stories, the visual splendour and the essence of 100 must-see destinations in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec’s Magdelan Islands. Harvey Sawler teams up with renowned photographer George Fischer for this insightful journey throughout Atlantic Canada.