All
his life, he’s been on a mission to help those
less-fortunate.
While
avenues to achieve that have differed, Ed Griffin has been
unwavering in purpose.
His
professional journey began in 1962 as the priest of a small
Roman Catholic church in Cleveland, Ohio.
The
diocese sensed trouble from the outset, when Griffin began
to question some of the central tenets of the church,
particularly the attitude towards those most in need.
Griffin
was uncomfortable with the way blacks were being treated in
the U.S., and joined a march with Dr. Martin Luther King.
The
local bishop was unimpressed, and Griffin was told he was
“causing a disturbance in the suburbs.” He had his
parish taken away and was sent to a street ministry in the
central city: a ghetto.
Griffin
was saddened to see babies living in rat-infested homes,
people without housing, and most without any health
coverage. He implored the church for help.
Time
and again, the diocese declined.
Griffin
discarded the cloth, and went to the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he obtained a masters degree in
social work.
Then,
in 1972, another sharp departure.
Griffin
won a seat on Milwaukee city council, where he served a term
of four years. Around the same time, he began teaching
writing at a local prison, planting the seed for some of his
later work.
The
experience of getting elected was an important turning point
in his life, imparting a vital message about his personal
value.
The
church told him he was not worthy, and needed to seek
redemption. Being elected to civic office told him
different.
But
once again, disheartened by the lack of aid for the city’s
neediest, Griffin chose not to run for office again.
For
the next 15 years, he operated a greenhouse business, first
in Milwaukee, then north of the border, in Cloverdale. The
American-born Griffin and his wife enjoyed Canada so much,
they decided to move here.
His
business was peaceful and profitable, but Griffin wasn’t
happy.
“I
was running a greenhouse and realizing I was becoming a
vegetable.”
In
the early 1990s, he went to a writers’ conference in
Seattle and thought Surrey could easily support such an
event.
In
1993, he started the first Surrey International Writers
Conference (SIWC), with about 100 people showing up to the
first year’s event. The numbers are now in the thousands.
In
2001, Griffin completed his first book, titled Beyond the
Vows. The main protagonist, JP Lacey, is a priest conflicted
by his calling and a world mired in injustice. That priest
was based on Griffin’s life.
For
almost a decade prior to writing that book, he was going to
Matsqui Prison to teach inmates the art of writing. He also
convinced SIWC speaker and renowned author Dianna Gabaldon
to do the same when she visits.
Griffin
went on to write a popular hit Prisoners of Willowaw, about
300 prisoners released onto Adak Island, in the Aleutians
off Alaska. Besides being a rich description with
well-developed characters, Griffin manages to use it as a
critique of our current prison system.
The
guys in jail loved it, Griffin says.
His
latest, titled The Veto, details the life of a U.N.
bureaucrat who challenges the veto votes held by five
countries.
At
first, it appears to be a complete departure from his
previous work, a perception he quickly challenges.
It’s
the little guy fighting for justice against the big guys.
A
theme for his life as well as his books.
