{{Short description|Canadian journalist, literary critic and author}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see :Template:Infobox writer/doc --> | birth_name = Arlene Perly | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1949}} | death_date = | occupation = Author, journalist, literary critic | genre = Children's Literature | spouse = {{marriage|Bob Rae|1980}} }}
'''Arlene Perly Rae''' (born 1949) is a Canadian journalist, literary critic and author. She is married to Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_zolf/20020423.html |title=The Last Rae of Sunshine |access-date=27 March 2010 |author=Zolf, Larry |date=April 2002 |publisher=CBC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080130154853/http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_zolf/20020423.html |archive-date=January 30, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
== Early years== Perly Rae was born in 1949 and educated at the University of Toronto.<ref name=education>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Arlene Perly Rae|url=https://www.uc.utoronto.ca/alumni-influence/arlene-perly-rae|access-date=July 16, 2025|website=University College}}</ref>
== Career == Perly Rae was a longtime reviewer of children's literature for the ''Toronto Star''. In 1997, she published ''Everybody's Favourites'', a consumer guide to children's literature which evaluated some of the best books in the genre. She has also written as a freelancer for ''The Globe and Mail'', ''Quill and Quire'' and ''Maclean's''.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
She is a past vice-president of the Canadian Jewish Congress.<ref name="ewc">{{cite news |last1=Walberg |first1=Eric |title=COMMENT: Canada's diplomatic disaster |url=https://thenelsondaily.com/news/comment-canadas-diplomatic-disaster-20849 |publisher=The Nelson Daily |date=9 September 2012}}</ref> and her interest in the welfare of children has led her to be a part of the national Campaign Against Child Poverty.<ref name=posner12/> She has also been on the boards of publisher McClelland and Stewart, the Stratford Festival, and World Literacy of Canada, as well as on the Steering Committee for the United Way of Greater Toronto.<ref name=education></ref> In July 2016, she joined the board of Confederation Centre of the Arts, Canada's National Memorial to the Fathers of Confederation, in Prince Edward Island.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/News/Local/2016-08-08/article-4609528/Fathers-of-Confederation-Building-Trust-gets-new-members/1 |title=Fathers of Confederation Building Trust gets new members - Local - the Guardian |access-date=2016-11-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110110423/http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/News/Local/2016-08-08/article-4609528/Fathers-of-Confederation-Building-Trust-gets-new-members/1 |archive-date=2016-11-10 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Family life== Perly Rae and her husband have three daughters. The family are members of Holy Blossom Temple, a Reform Jewish congregation in Toronto.<ref name=posner12>{{cite news|last=Posner|first=Michael|title=With departure of rabbi, Holy Blossom faces its own exodus|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/globe-to/with-departure-of-rabbi-holy-blossom-faces-its-own-exodus/article2444089/page1/|access-date=June 2, 2012|newspaper=Globe and Mail|date=June 2, 2012|location=Toronto}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Portal |Children's literature}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perly Rae, Arlene}} Category:Canadian children's writers Category:Canadian columnists Category:Canadian literary critics Category:Canadian women literary critics Category:Canadian newspaper editors Category:Canadian Reform Jews Category:Canadian women journalists Category:Canadian women non-fiction writers Category:Jewish women writers Category:Living people Category:Maclean's writers and editors Category:Spouses of Canadian politicians Category:The Globe and Mail columnists Category:Toronto Star people Category:University of Toronto alumni Category:Canadian women columnists Category:Canadian women newspaper editors Category:Canadian women children's writers Category:1949 births Category:20th-century Canadian non-fiction writers Category:20th-century Canadian women writers Category:21st-century Canadian non-fiction writers Category:21st-century Canadian women writers Category:Jewish Canadian journalists
{{Canada-writer-stub}} Category:Canadian Jewish Congress members