When I come across a novel with horrific subject matter, I check out the novelist; is he or she also a poet? Warranted or not, that linkage is a source of worry. Much as I love the poetic sensibility in fiction, the capacity of language to aestheticize violence can be irritating. Novels are driven by…
DetailsAs the song goes, dear reader, ‘tis the season once again. December’s holidays of light are upon us with their resonant symbols — the star in the East; the candle-oil that burned for eight days; the longest night of the year that heralds dawn. Apart from Christmas, Hanukkah and the Solstice, there are no doubt…
DetailsCultures and societies live by myths and legends — narratives that tell us who we are, where we’ve been and where we’re going. Think of America’s Wild West lore, its straight-shooting, take-charge cowboy persona that’s touched the psyche of millions. Other grand narratives speak of failure and calamity; they inspire us with their breathtaking idiocy.…
DetailsHere’s a “heads-up” for all of you who live in the Toronto area (and even if you don’t!): I’ll be reading brand-new work at a Novella Night as part of the popular WordStage Reading Series. More soon, but save the date: Wednesday, December 14th . Things get rolling at 7.30 pm, at the New Dooney’s…
DetailsI’m sorry to see the stalwarts of the Occupy movement kicked out of their encampments. Not because I thought they could change the world by reinventing it on a small patch of grass — I didn’t. Not because I thought they should seize property to which they had no legal claim — in a capitalist…
DetailsIn the world of books, there’s nothing more satisfying than a novel that you can’t put down. Genni Gunn’s novel Solitaria (the recluse) is a gripping and beautifully written work that deserves to be a bestseller. Gunn is a Canadian writer born in Trieste, Italy and the author of eight books. For reasons I can’t…
DetailsThere seems to be no end of books inspired by World War II, no doubt because we still have truths to absorb and lessons to learn from that conflict. This, at least, was the sense I had after reading Hans Keilson’s haunting novella, Comedy In A Minor Key. The author, a psychotherapist, fought in the…
DetailsFaced with the protests of Occupy Wall Street (and its offshoots), we’re all a bit like the illiterate folks in the Middle Ages who had to “read” the great narratives of human existence in the stained glass windows of the local cathedral. Not that I’d compare New York’s Zuccotti Park to Chartres, but the small…
DetailsWe’re approaching the northern feast of Thanksgiving, a quiet holiday observed by Canadians on the second Monday of October, a time when the countryside’s drenched in gold and the air’s as crisp as an apple. Our tables groan with the seasonal treats of turkey and pumpkin pie, but like most things Canadian, the resemblance of…
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