We wanted to get to know a little bit more about Garnick who, on the surface, may seem like an unlikely Anne fan, but whose knowledge and appreciation of the character and her homeland is quite impressive! In fact, he’s turned Anne into his own project…
What made you decide to pose the question of who is better: Laura or Anne?
I love silly debates based on pop culture, serious issues like "Would you rather live as a character on the Flintstones or the Jetsons?" or "If you were stranded on Gilligan's Island, would you rather hook up with Ginger or Maryann?" I suppose that last question could easily be adapted to "The Professor, Skipper or Gilligan?" for your female readers. To me, Laura Ingalls versus Anne Shirley is the biggest children's literature smackdown of all time. Both braided protagonists have their sweet facades, but they are also capable of being aggressive warriors. Anne smacked Gilbert on the head with a chalkboard; Laura (on the TV show) mudwrestled with Nellie in a pond.
Were you surprised by the reaction it got? Where do you personally stand on the issue?
I was happy to hear from devoted Bonnetheads (Ingalls fans) and Gableheads alike. A few snobby "Little House on the Prairie" fans sniffed that Laura was a real person and Anne is just a fictitious character, but most people said they like both book series. If I were forced to pick between the two characters, I'd choose the adult Anne because I secretly have a thing for natural redheads.
Why did you decide to start listening to the audio books of Anne of Green Gables with your family?
I love taking family vacations in Canada, especially unstructured road trips where we can discover our own favorite places off the beaten path. We've explored Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI and Ontario -- and hope to eventually trek further west. I honestly had not heard of "Anne of Green Gables" before I started researching PEI on the Internet. Because I wanted to fully enjoy the local culture, I bought the audio book so we could make some of our long drives more entertaining and so we would more fully appreciate some of the sites.
How do you think listening to audio books or reading books aloud makes a difference in terms of engagement/enjoyment level?
I'm a huge fan of crashing on the couch and diving into a great book, shutting myself off from the real world. I don't get to do that often with an eight-year-old boy and three-year-old girl competing with my books for attention. So audio books are fantastic to absorb during my daily work commutes. I thoroughly enjoy reading to my kids and observing when they laugh or think of a question that surprises me. I like to read to them with different voices for each character. As for listening to an audiobook with my family, it's as special as sharing a favorite TV show or movie together.
Were you or your son at all hesitant to listen to Anne at first?
You mean, were we a little skittish about reading a "girl's book?" Honestly, that didn't play into the equation. When I vacation, I love to explore the local history and culture -- especially the pop culture. We recently traveled to Philadelphia, which is equally famous for Sylvester Stallone's "Rocky" boxing movies as it is for the Liberty Bell. There's a famous training scene where Rocky eats raw eggs for breakfast, runs through the city's tough neighborhoods and ends with a dramatic sprint up the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps and a final victory dance. Of course, I had to run up those steps. Raced my son up them three times, along with all the other goofballs doing the same thing.
Garnick with his son at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
So back to Anne. If we hadn't heard the story, we would not have understood the cultural significance of the case of Raspberry Red Cordial soda we devoured during our road trip!
What do you personally like about the character?
It doesn't surprise me that Lucy Maud Montgomery's work is still popular after more than 100 years. Anne is the kind of freethinking, creative and spirited girl that I'd want my daughter to grow up to be. I most appreciate Anne's love for the outdoors. It's that same feeling that keeps drawing me back to Canada.
Garnick’s interest in Anne doesn’t end there. He’s currently working on a coffee table book project and travel articles for which he needs the help of Anne fans! Anyone who has dressed up as Anne or other characters at the Confederation Bridge or the Avonlea theme park should contact him. He’s interested in collecting family photographs and humorous individual poses for these projects. Garnick is also happy to hear from Bonnetheads (Laura Ingalls fans) and see some of their own travel photos too! Please email your photos to
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. To see some examples, check out the links below.
"Third runner-up in the "Anne of Green Gables" lookalike contest"
"Cloning Anne of Green Gables"
Photo: Garnick poses as Anne in P.E.I.
