Ken Mitchell

Ken Mitchell (born December 13, 1940) is a Canadian poet, novelist and playwright. Mitchell was raised on a rural farm outside the city of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Mitchell began his post-secondary education as a journalism student at Ryerson University, Toronto. He later attended the University of Saskatchewan, where he received his MA in English. While attending university, Mitchell wrote both short stories and plays for the Canadian Broadcasting What Happened Corporation. After graduating in 1967, Mitchell joined the University of Saskatchewan's faculty, where he began teaching in the English department. Mitchell has had a notable influence in promoting Canadian literature; he took part in the founding of the Saskatchewan Writers' Guild (1969), and the Saskatchewan Playwrights Center (1982).

Mitchell is well known for his literary works depicting prairie culture. One of his most popular works Cruel Tears is “a deliberate rewriting of the story of Othello in a Prairie context” Produced in 1974, the musical incorporates country music into its production. Although it was met with both praise and criticism from Mitchell's peers, Cruel Tears has seen success in Canada, England and the United States. An Avid traveller, Mitchell has explored much of Europe and China. He currently resides in Regina, Saskatchewan, with his wife Jeanne. Mitchell has retired from the English Department at the University of Regina, but continues to write and tours as a cowboy poet.

Kenny Mitchell (footballer)

Kenneth Mitchell (born 26 May 1957) is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Newcastle United and Darlington, in the North American Soccer League for the Tulsa Roughnecks, in the Scottish League for Morton, and in the Finnish leagues for Kuusysi, FinnPa and Lapuan Virkiä. With Kuusysi, he won the Finnish league title in 1984, reached the quarter-final of the 1985–86 European Cup, and won the 1987 Finnish Cup. He also played non-league football for clubs including Workington and Gateshead.

Life and career

Mitchell was born in Sunderland. He began his football career as an apprentice with Newcastle United, and made his senior debut on 16 February 1977 at home to Manchester City in the First Division. City took a 2–0 lead, but Newcastle reduced the deficit after an hour, and with six minutes left, City goalkeeper Joe Corrigan mishit a goal kick straight to Mitchell, 30 yards (27 m) from goal, who set up Mickey Burns to score the equaliser. In stoppage time, "there was the poignant sight of Kenny Mitchell, a 19-year-old making his first appearance, angrily chastising himself for screwing the ball wide from a good position". He kept his place for the next two games, and on his second appearance of the 1977–78 season, he scored his first senior goal, the second in Newcastle's 4–0 defeat of Wolverhampton Wanderers on 17 December 1977. After two outings in the FA Cup in January, Mitchell spent a month on loan at Scottish club Morton. He played twice as a substitute in the Scottish Cup and started three league matches, all without scoring; Morton went on to win the 1977–78 First Division title and with it promotion to the Premier Division.