Elmer E. 'Al' Reimer (1927-2015) was a

Mennonite Mennonites are groups of Anabaptist Christian church communities of denominations. The name is derived from the founder of the movement, Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland. Through his writings about Reformed Christianity during the Ra ...

writer from

Steinbach, Manitoba Steinbach () ( Plautdietsch: /ˈʃte̞nbah/ or /ˈʃte̞nbax/) is a city located about south-east of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Steinbach is the third-largest city in Manitoba, with a population of 17,806, and the largest community in the E ...

. Reimer was an important literary critic and writer in the emergence of southern Manitoba

Mennonite literature Mennonite literature emerged in the mid-to-late 20th century as both a literary movement and a distinct genre. Mennonite literature refers to literary works created by or about Mennonites. Definition Mennonite literature, in the modern sense, usual ...

during the 1970s and 80s. Born in Landmark, Manitoba, Reimer grew up in Steinbach and received his PhD at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

. He taught English literature at

University of Winnipeg The University of Winnipeg (UWinnipeg, UW) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, that offers undergraduate faculties of art, business and economics, education, science and kinesiology and applied health as well as gr ...

for many years. Influenced by fellow Steinbach resident Arnold Dyck, when the new wave of Mennonite literature, such as

Rudy Wiebe Rudy Henry Wiebe (born 4 October 1934) is a Canadian author and professor emeritus in the department of English at the University of Alberta since 1992.

and

Patrick Friesen Patrick Frank Friesen (born 5 July 1946) is a Canadian author born in Steinbach, Manitoba, primarily known for his poetry and stage plays beginning in the 1970s. Life and career Friesen was born into a Mennonite family in Steinbach, Manitoba ...

, emerged in the 1970s, Reimer wrote and edited for publications such as the ''Mennonite Mirror'' and the ''Journal of Mennonite Studies'', offering important literary analysis of Mennonite writing. He also wrote his own fiction, including the 1985 novel ''My Harp is Turned to Mourning'', the short story collection ''When War Came To Kleindarp and other Kleindarp Stories'' in 2008, and Low German collaborations with

Jack Thiessen John Peter Thiessen (14 April 1931 – 9 October 2022) was a Canadian Russian Mennonite teacher, translator, and writer from Manitoba. Alongside Arnold Dyck and Reuben Epp, he was an important contributor to the development of Mennonite Low Ge ...

. Reimer was also a noted translator of German and Plautdietsch language texts. Reimer died in 2015.

References

1927 births 2015 deaths Canadian male novelists 20th-century Canadian novelists Mennonite writers Canadian Mennonites Writers from Steinbach, Manitoba Academic staff of University of Winnipeg {{canada-writer-stub