Larry Zolf
Encyclopedia
Larry Zolf was a Canadian
journalist and commentator.
Zolf was born in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
. He earned a B.A. from the University of Winnipeg
, and then received a Masters degree in Canadian history from the University of Toronto
. In 1962, he joined the CBC
. During the 1960s he was one of the hosts of the CBC's controversial current-affairs show This Hour Has Seven Days
and its replacement series Sunday
.
In 1965, Zolf's documentary on computers won the Anik Award. This documentary was later rebroadcast as one of Canada's 100 best documentaries on the 50th anniversary of the National Film Board.
During the Munsinger Affair
, a 1966 sex scandal involving former federal Minister of Defence Pierre Sévigny
, Zolf showed up on Sévigny's doorstep in pursuit of the story, and Sévigny promptly hit Zolf over the head with his cane.
In 1970, Zolf covered the October Crisis
in Quebec
for the CBC.
In October 1971, Zolf invited feminist Germaine Greer
and anti-abortion politician Joe Borowski on his program to discuss the emergence of second-wave feminism
. During the program, however, Zolf launched his own attack on Greer, accusing her of "ignoring ethnic and class differences among women." Greer responded by accusing him of fabricating sections of her book (The Female Eunuch
, in fact, contained no "section" on truck drivers) and told him, "I never suggested any such thing. I cannot have you sitting here distorting my book for the people who are foolish enough to think that you know about things."
Though he was raised in a socialist milieu and maintained a strong sympathy for labour, Zolf described himself politically as "a Diefenbaker
, Bill Davis
, Dalton Camp
Red Tory
." He worked for Camp in the late 1960s after the cancellation of This Hour Has Seven Days.
While retired from the CBC, he continued to contribute a column to the CBC's website until 2007. After leaving CBC Online he contributed occasional opinion pieces to the National Post
. He also published several books during his lifetime, including memoirs and works of humorous political commentary.
Zolf is the father of David Zolf, and award-winning poet Rachel Zolf
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
journalist and commentator.
Zolf was born in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. He earned a B.A. from the University of Winnipeg
University of Winnipeg
The University of Winnipeg is a public university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada that offers undergraduate faculties of art, business and economics, education, science and theology as well as graduate programs. The U of W's founding colleges were Manitoba College and Wesley College, which merged...
, and then received a Masters degree in Canadian history from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. In 1962, he joined the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
. During the 1960s he was one of the hosts of the CBC's controversial current-affairs show This Hour Has Seven Days
This Hour Has Seven Days
This Hour Has Seven Days is a controversial CBC Television newsmagazine which ran from 1964 to 1966. The show, inspired by the BBC-TV and NBC-TV satire series That Was The Week That Was, was created by Patrick Watson and Douglas Leiterman as an avenue for a more stimulating and boundary-pushing...
and its replacement series Sunday
Sunday (Canadian TV series)
Sunday is a Canadian current affairs television series which aired on CBC Television from 1966 to 1967.-Premise:This series was created to replace the This Hour Has Seven Days which the CBC cancelled amid significant controversy. Sunday was hosted by journalists Robert Hoyt, Larry Zolf and Peter...
.
In 1965, Zolf's documentary on computers won the Anik Award. This documentary was later rebroadcast as one of Canada's 100 best documentaries on the 50th anniversary of the National Film Board.
During the Munsinger Affair
Munsinger Affair
The Munsinger Affair was Canada's first national political sex scandal. It focused on Gerda Munsinger, an alleged East German prostitute and Soviet spy living in Ottawa who had slept with a number of cabinet ministers in John Diefenbaker's government....
, a 1966 sex scandal involving former federal Minister of Defence Pierre Sévigny
Pierre Sévigny
Joseph Pierre Albert Sévigny, PC, OC, CD, VM, ED was a Canadian soldier, author, politician, and academic. He is best known for his involvement in the Munsinger Affair....
, Zolf showed up on Sévigny's doorstep in pursuit of the story, and Sévigny promptly hit Zolf over the head with his cane.
In 1970, Zolf covered the October Crisis
October Crisis
The October Crisis was a series of events triggered by two kidnappings of government officials by members of the Front de libération du Québec during October 1970 in the province of Quebec, mainly in the Montreal metropolitan area.The circumstances ultimately culminated in the only peacetime use...
in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
for the CBC.
In October 1971, Zolf invited feminist Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer is an Australian writer, academic, journalist and scholar of early modern English literature, widely regarded as one of the most significant feminist voices of the later 20th century....
and anti-abortion politician Joe Borowski on his program to discuss the emergence of second-wave feminism
Second-wave feminism
The Feminist Movement, or the Women's Liberation Movement in the United States refers to a period of feminist activity which began during the early 1960s and lasted through the early 1990s....
. During the program, however, Zolf launched his own attack on Greer, accusing her of "ignoring ethnic and class differences among women." Greer responded by accusing him of fabricating sections of her book (The Female Eunuch
The Female Eunuch
The Female Eunuch is a book first published in 1970 that became an international bestseller and an important text in the feminist movement. The author, Germaine Greer, became well known in broadcast media of the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and her home of Australia...
, in fact, contained no "section" on truck drivers) and told him, "I never suggested any such thing. I cannot have you sitting here distorting my book for the people who are foolish enough to think that you know about things."
Though he was raised in a socialist milieu and maintained a strong sympathy for labour, Zolf described himself politically as "a Diefenbaker
John Diefenbaker
John George Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 21, 1957, to April 22, 1963...
, Bill Davis
Bill Davis
William Grenville "Bill" Davis, was the 18th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1971 to 1985. Davis was first elected as the MPP for Peel in the 1959 provincial election where he was a backbencher in Leslie Frost's government. Under John Robarts, he was a cabinet minister overseeing the education...
, Dalton Camp
Dalton Camp
Dalton Kingsley Camp, PC, OC was a Canadian journalist, politician, political strategist and commentator and supporter of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. Despite having never been elected to a seat in the House of Commons, he was a prominent and influential politician and a popular...
Red Tory
Red Tory
A red Tory is an adherent of a particular political philosophy, tradition, and disposition in Canada somewhat similar to the High Tory tradition in the United Kingdom; it is contrasted with "blue Tory". In Canada, the phenomenon of "red toryism" has fundamentally, if not exclusively, been found in...
." He worked for Camp in the late 1960s after the cancellation of This Hour Has Seven Days.
While retired from the CBC, he continued to contribute a column to the CBC's website until 2007. After leaving CBC Online he contributed occasional opinion pieces to the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
. He also published several books during his lifetime, including memoirs and works of humorous political commentary.
Zolf is the father of David Zolf, and award-winning poet Rachel Zolf
Rachel Zolf
Rachel Zolf is a Canadian poet and literary editor. She is the author of four poetry collections. Human Resources won the 2008 Trillium Book Award for Poetry and was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award...
.