James Hees

I'm excited to be able to tell you my book will finally be launched in July! Born to be Mild has been a labour of love for more than a decade. Sometimes disturbing and often hilarious accounts of incidents I experienced while making my way from the poor side of a small town to receiving journalism awards in the Big Apple. More information coming this week.

Some memoirs are written to celebrate a life. Others are written to explain one. In Born to be Mild, James Hees does neither. Instead, he tells stories. With the keen eye of a journalist and the timing of a seasoned storyteller, Hees introduces readers to a cast of unforgettable characters, improbable situations, and moments that are by turns funny, unsettling, and surprisingly moving. His humour is rarely loud. More often, it emerges from the contrast between ordinary people

At first glance, the title Born to be Mild sounds like a contradiction. After all, the memoir recounts a life filled with close calls, questionable decisions, colourful characters, and situations that often teetered on the edge of disaster. Yet the title is more than a play on words—it reflects the personality at the heart of the story. Unlike the fearless adventurers often celebrated in coming-of-age tales, James Hees never saw himself as a risk-taker. Growing up in a poor n

In Born to be Mild, former CBC journalist James Hees reflects on a life spent standing uncomfortably close to danger. Growing up in a working-class community in