Compliments of Atlantic Canadian publishers
NO. 94
atlantic books TODAY
HEALING HEARTS Curative fiction
Books to guide our healing
Publications Mail Agreement 40038836
Restorative laughter
@nimbuspub or nimbus.ca
WE RISE AGAIN More Stories of Hope and Resilience from Nova Scotia during the COVID-19 Pandemic Len Wagg and Angela Mombourquette
A WOMB IN THE SHAPE OF A HEART My Story of Miscarriage and Motherhood Joanne Gallant
$19.95 | current events | 978-1-77471-022-7
$22.95 | memoir 978-1-77108-976-0
THE HISTORY OF RAIN Stephens Gerard Malone
THE SOUND OF FIRE Renée Belliveau
$21.95 | historical fiction 978-1-77108-979-1
$22.95 | literary fiction 978-1-77471-018-0
AMAZING ATLANTIC CANADIAN WOMEN Words by Stephanie Domet & Penelope Jackson Art by James Bentley $19.95 | children’s non-fiction | Ages 8–12 978-1-77471-016-6
A VERY SILLY ALPHABET Words by Jeannie Hillman; Art by Sarah Shortliffe $13.95 | children’s poetry 978-1-77471-014-2
IFC
BENEATH HER SKIN A Kes Morris File C. S. Porter $19.95 | crime fiction 978-1-77 108-981-4
A MATTER OF EQUALITY The Life’s Work of Senator Don Oliver The Honourable Donald Oliver $29.95 | memoir 978-1-77471-020-3
DEATH ON DARBY’S ISLAND Alice Walsh $21.95 | mystery 978-1-77108-975-3
SLOWPOKE THE BELL ISLAND MINE HORSE Words by Heather Smith; Art by Genevieve Simms
POP-UP HALIFAX Brad Hartman
$22.95 | children’s picture book | Ages 4–8 978-1-77471-024-1
$29.95 | pop-up giftbook 978-1-77471-026-5
MEDITATIONS FOR MAKERS Daily Affirmations for a Creative Life Deanne Fitzpatrick $19.95 | inspiration 978-1-77471-002-9
I KID YOU NOT! Chronicles of an Ordinary Family Lesley Crewe $21.95 | humour 978-1-77471-072-2
A SURE CURE FOR WITCHCRAFT Laura Best
$13.95 | middle-grade historical fiction | Ages 8–12 978-1-77108-977-7
Contents Number 94 | Fall 2021
Messages
Authors in Conversation
Excerpts
4 Messages from the editor and CMO
26 A conversation with Linden MacIntyre
35 Insurgent Love
Foreword
29 A conversation with the rapper Classified
6 Notable quotables
by Matthew Shaw
Cover Features 8 On the subject of healing Philip Moscovitch on books geared toward the hard work of individual and collective healing
12 Healing fiction Drawing on the past as we move to the future by Melanie Mosher
14 Books by heart Creating a therapeutic reading environment for cardiology patients by Suzanne Rent
News Features 16 Healing laughter Books that bust our guts and make us feel fine by James Mullinger
18 Healing images In discouraging times, let us present some sights for sore eyes, taken from recent Atlanticpublished books
23 Audiobook boost How out-loud books are changing our reading experiences, and making great stories more accessible by Shannon Webb-Campbell
32 Angela Bowden & Celeste Snowber Both poets address intergenerational trauma in their new collections
Book Feature 36 Women who made history Amazing Atlantic Canadian Women represents a more authentic history of our region by Guyleigh Johnson
Healing Food 38 Comfort and joy in traditional food It’s not easy making the classics, but it’s an act of love by Simon Thibault
Essays & Poems 42 HerStory Reflections on being the inaugural writer-in-residence for YWCA & APMA by Abena Beloved Green
ON THE COVER Emily Davidson’s cover image, from Ardath Whynacht’s Insurgent Love: Domestic Homicide and Abolition (published by Fernwood Publishing), appears courtesy of the artist. She says of this work: “In the illustration for Insurgent Love: Domestic Homicide and Abolition, flowers and lichen grow out of an anatomical human heart. I chose plants that grow wild in Nova Scotia and have symbolic meanings related to resilience, justice and healing. This image shows potential for hope and growth, while recognizing the intensity and gravity of intimate partner homicide.”
37 On Opium 40 A Matter of Equality 41 Rough Justice
Young Readers 46 Reviews
Reviews 52 Madness, Mayhem & Murder 53 Where Beauty Survived 54 Short Mercy 54 Out of Mind 55 Solstice 2020: An Archive 55 Headlighting 1974-1978 56 J.L. Isley 56 The History of Rain 57 Such Miracles and Mischiefs 57 The Blue Dragonfly
Afterword 60 Fireside Fiction 61 Teasers
NUMBER 94 | FALL 2021
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Atlantic Books Today MESSAGES
Editor’s message Nearly a year-and-ahalf into this pandemic, it would be delusional to assume it’s almost over. As I write this in September, 2021, 60 percent of the global population has yet to receive a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with the number reaching 98 percent in lowerincome countries. The more contagious Delta variant—currently in 96 countries—is spurring a fourth wave, which may now be reaching parts of Atlantic Canada. So why then do we turn our minds to healing in this issue? As Philip Moscovitch writes in our cover story, “The pandemic may not be over, but it has gone on long enough that we are starting to see books about it, or that refer to it and its effects. And we are far enough into it that we can begin to talk about healing from the individual and collective trauma of the last 18 months.”
We are all tired of it. Tired of the lockdowns, the tragedy and frightening news reports. But our fatigue won’t make it go away. Only a continuing commitment—logistical, educational, financial—to social distancing whenever necessary, to masking, to other public health guidelines, and to worldwide vaccination will let us reach the point where we can safely reunite in community, without fear or constraint. But in the meantime, we have all been damaged by global events to one degree or another. This issue, via this autumn’s new books, explores many facets of healing. We know books alone won’t cure COVID-19 or climate change or violent crime or prejudice or inequity or any other societal ill. But, as James Mullinger writes in his piece on humour books, they can keep us “sane and happy during this time.” And books—their stories, their ideas—often spark the conversations that shift cultural norms, which results in political pressure, which causes better decision and policy making, which creates a healthier, more sustainable, more equitable world. That’s healing.
CMO’s message From a physical perspective, books are fairly limited in their utility. I have a stack of them holding up my laptop, but I can’t use them to hang a door straight or clean my kitchen. Their value is almost exclusively internal. They give me an enjoyable experience, new knowledge, an opportunity for personal reflection. There’s a specific emotional connection to home that gives local books an added dose of value, makes them a little more special. At the same time, local books offer us the same degree of knowledge and can even be our own carry-on life coaches. Through our work on multiple local-book projects and publications, including ABT, I’ve become increasingly curious about this intersection of understanding, where place meets knowledge and creates wisdom. We’re proud that this issue explores another facet 4
of local books: finding ways to heal. Heal ourselves as individuals and heal our society as a greater whole. There are many complex approaches society uses for healing the sick. There is a vast array of pharmaceuticals, therapies, equipment. These are usually expensive, making them unavailable to many. Collectively, they have not yet solved many of our greatest health challenges. Books, while not a cure for disease, do offer a certain healthful quality, while being non-invasive and readily available. At their best, they can equip us with insights to help us find our own pathways to healing. Evidence of the health benefits of books abounds in a new project, Books by Heart, which aims to provide local eBooks to patients and staff in the QEII cardiology department (details on Page 14 of our special digital edition). In partnership with Dr. Gabrielle Horne, Books by Heart seeks to answer the question, “Can local books reduce the propensity for depression for cardiology patients during treatment?” Hm, perhaps books aren’t so limited after all.
ab Publisher
Chief Marketing Officer Editor
Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association Alex Liot Chris Benjamin
Graphic Designer
Gwen North
Program Manager
Chantelle Rideout
Administrative Assistant
ONLINE
Extended Ed t n EXTRA CONTENT SMART PHONE FRIENDLY QUICK LINKS
Mallory Burnside-Holmes
Atlantic Books Today is published by the Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association (www.atlanticpublishers.ca), which gratefully acknowledges the financial assistance of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Canada Book Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage. Opinions expressed in articles in Atlantic Books Today do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Board of the Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association.
Printed in Canada. This is issue number 94 Fall 21. Atlantic Books Today is published twice a year. All issues are numbered in sequence. Total Atlantic-wide circulation: 40,000. ISSN 1192-3652 One-year subscriptions to Atlantic Books Today are available for $15 ($17.25 including HST). For a special offer on a 2-year subscription with a bonus canvas tote bag for $25 ($28.75 including HST), visit atlanticbooks.ca/join and use code ABT. Please make cheques payable to the Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association and mail to address below or contact admin@atlanticpublishers.ca for subscription inquiries. If you would no longer like to receive copies of the magazine sent to your address, please let us know. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40038836 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association Atlantic Books Today Suite 710, 1888 Brunswick Street Halifax, NS B3J 3J8 Phone: 902-420-0711 Fax: 902-423-4302 atlanticbookstoday.ca @abtmagazine facebook.com/AtlanticBooksToday @atlanticbooks.ca
Books by heart Creating a therapeutic reading environment for cardiology patients by Suzanne Rent
Healing images In discouraging times, let us present some sights for sore eyes, taken from recent Atlantic-published books
Audiobook boost Audiobooks are changing the way we read and making great stories more accessible by Shannon Webb-Campbell
Excerpt:
Rough Justice First Newfoundland policeman murdered in the line of duty
Bonus Teasers 3 extra pages giving a sneak peak of 6 new books from Atlantic publishers
AtlanticBooks.ca/ABT NUMBER 94 | FALL 2021
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Atlantic Books Today FOREWORD
NOTABLE
Quotables
“And calling friends in case of emergency which was the course, of course, taken, that day, and any day really, who the fuck are we kidding ladies, though no real emergency emerged to snuff out the re-emergence of my rage” —From Satched, by Megan Gail Coles (House of Anansi Press) “[Bragg] is a deeply committed Maritimer who never misses an opportunity to promote the region. There is another side to him that has always fascinated me—he is a champion of rural Canada. He has a very deep understanding of the challenges confronting rural Canada, and it is always top of mind with him.” —From The Rural Entrepreneur: John Bragg, by Donald Savoie (Nimbus Publishing) “You might acknowledge the past is ‘a bucket of ashes’ but still root among them, not to rekindle any flame but to celebrate there are ashes to root through. For someone born in Newfoundland, the rooting might be perceived as nostalgic. People’s voices are ashes now, but I hear them still.” —From Twine Loft, by Rex Brown (Flanker Press) “I saw the Long Range Mountains almost every day of my life. As a boy I often wondered what was beyond them. I knew from listening to the old trappers and hunters that there were many unexplored lakes and valleys. Little did I know then I would spend the better part of sixty years hunting and guiding there.” —From In the Shadow of the Long Range Mountains by Adrian Payne (Flanker Press) 6
“...My mind has caves secret and deep and darkly shaded. If you came in you might be lost there forever. I also might be lost exploring you, might forget the boundaries of my own selfhood. To understand and to be understood and yet to be beloved in spite of understanding or because of it is, I suppose, what we all want....” —From “November Sunday” in The Essential Elizabeth Brewster, edited by Ingrid Ruthig (The Porcupine’s Quill) “Later, the cricket-ratchet creature. Later, excoriating chords. Was there a word for rock ringing? We live between eroding raindrops and accelerating clocks. The piano lifts its lid to show its wire-and-hammer heart.” —From “Oiseau Triste” in Lurch, by Don McKay (McClelland & Stewart) “Anyone engaging with the enigma that is Oak Island would be well advised to heed the cautionary words of veteran treasure hunter Fred Nolan: ‘I thought I had all the answers but the island has a way of humbling a man.’” —From Oak Island Illustrated, by John Bell (Formac Publishing)
Quote vector created by starline - www.freepik.com
“Very few outdoor enthusiasts actually venture out into the vast, unspoiled natural areas of Cape Breton Island. One of my aims is to make people realize that this island is full of hidden gems, some of which can be accessed quite easily. For the more adventurous, this book will serve as a guide to access more remote, and sometimes extremely difficult areas, where waterfalls can be admired.” —From Waterfalls of Cape Breton, by Benoit Lalonde (Goose Lane Editions)
Atlantic Books Today COVER FEATURE
On the subject of
HEALING Philip Moscovitch on books geared toward the hard work of individual and collective healing
by Philip Moscovitch
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COVER FEATURE Atlantic Books Today
I
t is too early to use the word post-pandemic. As I write this in late August, we have high vaccination rates in Atlantic Canada and have so far been spared the ravages of the Delta variant. But if the last year-and-a-half have taught us anything, it’s that the world is unpredictable. The pandemic may not be over, but it has gone on long enough that we are starting to see books about it, or that refer to it and its effects. And we are far enough into it that we can begin to talk about healing from the individual and collective trauma of the last 18 months. So, it is probably no coincidence that this fall sees the release of a cluster of books that, directly or indirectly, touch on the subject of healing. Perhaps the most highly anticipated of these is the wrenching memoir A Womb in the Shape of a Heart, the very strong debut from Joanne Gallant, who is also a pediatric nurse at Halifax’s IWK children’s hospital. Gallant has been pregnant six times. She has one child. In A Womb in the Shape of a Heart, she shares her experiences as a woman with a misshapen uterus who has no trouble getting pregnant, but who has lost five babies to miscarriage. She recalls the moments after a doctor tells her she has lost her first baby: “‘The good news is, you can get pregnant,’ he says, much too brightly. ‘Miscarriages happen all the time...’ And with that, the first dismissal of my grief for a baby who would never be born, he leaves.” Her son Teddy is born via emergency C-section at seven months, and eventually thrives. But Gallant is wracked by post-partum anxiety: “My fear of death, his death, creeps in from all corners of whatever room we are in.” You could describe A Womb in the Shape of a Heart as a record of Gallant’s healing journey, but that doesn’t do the book justice. She explores social assumptions about motherhood, plumbs the depths of grief and takes us with her to her therapy appointments, through which she comes to understand “how women, and mothers are held to impossibly high standards, most often by ourselves.” Pregnancies with tragic endings and women learning to heal from past trauma also feature prominently in Susan White’s latest novel, The Wright Retreat. Sylvia Wright is a novelist with six books under her belt. Raised on Grand Manan by her grandparents, Wright is looking to get away from a stifling life in Toronto, where she lives with her husband, Kent, “the take-charge guy.” On a whim, Sylvia buys a rambling New Brunswick property on the Northumberland Shore as an escape. Seeing opportunity, Kent fixes the place up and advertises it as a writing retreat, featuring mentorship from his wife, the Giller long-listed writer. Trouble is, Sylvia is not on board with the whole scheme. The experience will bring issues she has long repressed to the fore. If you’ve ever been on a writing retreat, The Wright Retreat will ring true. There are the people who just can’t get started, the ones who have spent their lives thinking they should write their story and are finally getting around to it, and the ones who already have published but are in a rut. More importantly, they are all in some way damaged by their past—abusive partners, mistreatment at residential school and at the hands of nuns running a home for pregnant teens, debilitating anxiety and relationships that have changed or ended. And as the characters come to grips with their traumas, the awful history of the retreat location itself is revealed. “Life comes with layers and layers of pain. And healing is hard work,” says one of the characters in The Wright Retreat. “You have to wait, be patient, and be willing to let the deep wound heal right to the core. Some folks aren’t able to do the work.”
Photo by Len Wagg, from We Rise Again (Nimbus Publishing)
“Life comes with layers and layers of pain. And healing is hard work.”
NUMBER 94 | FALL 2021
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Atlantic Books Today COVER FEATURE
Doing the work is the focus of a pair of books aimed at helping you get going while embracing the paradox that doing the work also means letting go. The title of Meditations for Makers by Deanne Fitzpatrick pretty much speaks for itself. Featuring simple, fun and whimsical drawings, the book is designed to help overcome creative blocks. Fitzpatrick is a therapist turned rug hooker and author, and she has a long-time interest in helping people’s creative sides flourish. The meditations offer permission to just be, to create, to allow ourselves to notice and enjoy our everyday lives and to take pleasure in what we make: “Savour the finish, the end of whatever you are making. Don’t plow through it late at night to get it done. Done is not the answer. Making is the answer.” (I don’t know if my editors would agree with that.) Recently, I cancelled our Netflix subscription. We were watching maybe one or two shows a month, there are plenty of other legal and free choices out there, and, honestly, I’m just really much more into reading books these days. I felt a momentary pang thinking of unwatched movies on my list, but mostly what I felt was relief. No more feeling pressured to watch the latest thing everyone’s talking about. No more keeping up. Christina Crook would have been proud. In her breezy self-help book Good Burdens, Crook takes the message of her previous book, The Joy of Missing Out, one step further. She urges readers to identify what brings them joy, and to build their lives around that. Like healing, joyful living is not necessarily easy. And, of course, it’s not without pain either. “Joy isn’t necessarily happiness, or comfort, or delight. In fact, some of those things can be obstacles to joy,” she writes. Like skipping Netflix to read books, “Joy is missing out on some things to have others.” Crook includes exercises (she calls them “quests”) to help readers think about where they are in their lives, where they would like to be and how to commit to getting there. Unlike some books in this genre, it is not navel-gazing. Finding an organization to volunteer with is one of Crook’s steps. 10
MEDITATIONS FOR MAKERS
Deanne Fitzpatrick Nimbus Publishing
GOOD BURDENS
Christina Crook Nimbus Publishing
A WOMB IN THE SHAPE OF A HEART
Joanne Gallant Nimbus Publishing
THE WRIGHT RETREAT
Susan White Acorn Press
This is more than another book telling you to put down your phone. Crook says many people have come through the pandemic reassessing their lives and wanting more. The pandemic, she writes, “forced us to confront the limits of comfort, convenience, and control and... grew our capacity for creativity, community, and care.” Making space for creativity and connections may not always be easy, but, she argues, these are “good burdens” and the key to living joyfully. ■ PHILIP MOSCOVITCH is a freelance journalist and author in Halifax.
COVER FEATURE Atlantic Books Today
Also of note
s
Losing Me While Losing You (Fernwood
Publishing) is a raw and honest look at the experiences of 35 caregivers of people
with dementia. Filled with sorrow, joy and insight, the book provides a snapshot of the situations and challenges faced by those
The Blue Dragonfly
caring for loved ones. Authors Jeanette A Auger, Diane TedfordLitle and Brenda Wallace-Allen also offer suggestions on closing the gap between what caregivers and people with dementia need, and what they are getting now—everything from culturally sensitive care to dementia-friendly communities.
VERONICA ELEY
To a Nurse Friend Weeping (HARP) is a book by surgeon and poet Francis Christian. The
poems, many informed by Christian’s faith,
are lyrical and compassionate. In his preface, he writes that he hopes readers “will discern
YOUR FALL BOOKS ARE HERE
SHORT FICTION
NONFICTION NONFICTION
NONFICTION
CRIME FICTION
HISTORICAL FICTION
FICTION
and hope for a better tomorrow.”
COOKING
... both the all too present story of suffering
WWW.BREAKWATERBOOKS.COM NUMBER 94 | FALL 2021
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Atlantic Books Today COVER FEATURE
Healing fiction Drawing on the past as we move to the future BY MELANIE MOSHER
A SURE CURE FOR WITCHCRAFT, LAURA BEST’S sixth novel, takes place in Württemberg, now Germany, in 1752, and in New Germany, Nova Scotia, in 2019. It is a wellresearched work of historical fiction that will resonate today because of its focus on the power of healing. It began with an allure of the past. “I have always been fascinated by the belief people had in witchcraft,” says Best. “I often wondered about the people who held these beliefs and, especially, about the women who were suspected of practicing witchcraft. Who were they, really?” Best’s strong female characters show courage and resilience, standing up for what they believe in, helping others, easing illnesses and aiding childbirth using plants and herbs, despite the risk of being labelled as witches. The book begins with a quote from Hildegard Von Bingen, a revered mystic and healer from the 12th century: “Even in a world that is being shipwrecked, remain brave and strong.” “I loved the quote and knew immediately I wanted to use it,” says Best. “It is still relevant after all these centuries.” Von Bingen was also a poet, composer, philosopher, nun and fierce woman from Germany—a perfect fit with her story. Although Best began writing this story in 2009, and it’s taken the book more than 10 years to reach readers, the timing is perfect. What better time to have a story about healing than now? After a challenging 18 months, a story that speaks of worrying less and placing value on nature and positivity is welcome and necessary. Editor Penelope Jackson, who worked on A Sure Cure for Witchcraft, agrees. “Novels can aid healing the same ways all stories can—they can give us a happy diversion, they can meet us in our pain so we’re less lonely, and they can show a way through whatever difficulties we are facing. “Specifically, historical fiction can help present-day healing because it reminds us of the crises and horrors people have 12
already survived, individually and globally,” continues Jackson. “Every age has had struggles, often ones that felt just as apocalyptic as our time does, and to read about past struggles can give us hope: hope of overcoming, hope of transforming. Hope that even if nothing changes, we will find a way to continue. And hope—not blithe optimism, but hope, with its sleeves rolled up—is essential to healing.” “One thing that is prevalent in the book is the power and strength we all possess. While some things may be out of our control, there is much we still have control over,” says Best, speaking of her characters and of the present day. “You don’t appreciate the mountain until you’ve spent time in the valley. It’s not the number of times that we find ourselves down that matters so much as the times we are able to lift ourselves up.” “As you take this journey with Lilli and Alisz, my hope is that you will not only come to believe in the enduring power of friendship, but also discover the power of your own inner wisdom,” says Best. Who could ask for more? ■ MELANIE MOSHER grew up in Amherst, Nova Scotia, and won an essay contest in Grade Two, sparking her imagination and beginning a lifelong love of stories. She is the author of Fire Pie Trout, Goth Girl and A Beginner’s Guide to Goodbye.
A SURE CURE FOR WITCHCRAFT
Laura Best Nimbus Publishing (Ages 8-12)
New Titles for 2021
Phone: 709.739.4477 Toll-free: 1.866.739.4420
www.flankerpress.com
Books by heart Creating a therapeutic reading environment for cardiology patients by Suzanne Rent Dr. Gabrielle Horne in her office with a stack of Atlantic Canadian books.
D
r. Gabrielle Horne, a cardiologist, researcher and writer, remembers telling a colleague that IT could be used to improve the spirits of her cardiology patients. The colleague asked Dr. Horne for specifics. “What if we had an e-book program for patients?" Dr. Horne suggested. Horne approached Andrew Nemirovsky, senior director IM/IT at Nova Scotia Health, with her idea. Nemirovsky, who’s also a registered nurse, immediately understood. That comment has since evolved into a project called Books by Heart, which will eventually provide all cardiology inpatients with a tablet linked to a local Wi-Fi network so they can access a selection of e-books and audiobooks written by Atlantic Canadian authors. “From the moment the idea sparked, that little moment, it’s had a momentum of its own,” Dr. Horne says. “Normally with a new project you have to convince people it’s a good idea. I haven’t had to convince anyone. It’s just caught fire.”
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COVER FEATURE Atlantic Books Today
Horne says patients often find themselves in the cardiology unit after going to the emergency department. Many of these patients spend three to six weeks in hospital. About half are from communities outside the Halifax Regional Municipality. “If you’re on a cardiology ward, you’re afraid,” Dr. Horne says. “You have a serious illness. You have symptoms that could be very serious. “People are wrenched from their lives very suddenly and put in this unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people. It’s a moment where they need some comfort, and they often need a distraction … there’s a lot of waiting around. We all have different ways of dealing with an experience like that, but I think reading is potentially a very powerful one.” Dr. Horne says the program could be uplifting for staff, too, from the cleaners to the cardiologists. “We thought it might be an opportunity for our staff to connect with patients that isn’t about illness,” Dr. Horne says. “The person who cleans the room spends as much time as any of us do with the patient.” Dr. Horne says they’d like to understand how the project will affect the health of patients. She says what they do know is that cardiology patients face a risk of depression in the period after they go home, which can ultimately affect their lifespans. Dr. Horne says Gordon McOuat at King’s College will spearhead a program funded by Nova Scotia Health Research to find out more.
“[Reading] deepens my empathy. I think it challenges me with worldviews I never thought about. It touches me emotionally in unexpected ways.” “We’re very interested to understand whether having this opportunity to be part of a reading therapeutic environment, whether that might inoculate some of our patients against depression,” Dr. Horne says. “If that were the case, who knows, that could affect their prognosis.” The Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association is a partner in Books by Heart. Alex Liot, chief marketing officer and interim CEO, says they will collaborate with Dr. Horne on choosing the local books. The selection will also feature the diversity of authors in the region and could include local history or inspirational titles. “I think we’ll have fun with the selections,” Liot says. He says the authors whose books are chosen will see benefits, too. They will be compensated, of course, but they’ll also have the exposure of their works to new audiences. And Liot suspects authors will likely feel good that their work is potentially having health benefits for patients.
BRIGHTEN THE CORNER WHERE YOU ARE
Carol Bruneau Nimbus Publishing
THE SWEETNESS IN THE LIME
Stephen Kimber Nimbus Publishing
“We’re finding a new and unique application of a very traditional product to do something potentially for a non-invasive health outcome,” Liot says. “That gives me goosebumps to think that’s something worth measuring.” Dr. Horne grew up as an avid reader and went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction from the University of King’s College. Reading, she says, makes her a better human, and therefore a better doctor. “It deepens my empathy,” she says. “I think it challenges me with worldviews I never thought about. It touches me emotionally in unexpected ways. It takes me into lives that are hard to imagine. And sometimes I think it’s a necessary escape from our world. … and I think reading gives me a sense of possibility.” The most recent local book she’s read was Stephen Kimber’s The Sweetness in the Lime, which she calls “incredibly touching.” Her favourite local author is Alistair MacLeod. “I remember once weeping in an airport reading his novels.” She’s also reading Carol Bruneau’s Brighten the Corner Where You Are: A Novel Inspired by the Life of Maud Lewis. She highly recommends the poetry of spoken word artist Angela Bowden. Dr. Horne says what she’s looking forward to the most is seeing how the program evolves. “I would love to watch and see whether patients start having different conversations with staff and with each other even,” she says. “Staff have talked about the possibility of a book club on the ward. That would just be fantastic.” ■ SUZANNE RENT is a freelance writer, researcher, editor and narrator in Halifax. Her work has appeared in The Chronicle Herald, Halifax Magazine, East Coast Living, Halifax Examiner, The Globe and Mail, Canadian Business and many others. NUMBER 94 | FALL 2021
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Atlantic Books Today NEWS FEATURE
Healing laughter Books that bust our guts and make us feel fine
I
started out in stand-up comedy in London, England, in 2004. To this day my mother can’t quite believe that my job is to stand in rooms full of strangers and make them laugh. I was not an outgoing child growing up. I was never the class clown. I was too shy to speak to other kids in my class. Nor was I remotely academic or athletic. Most parents can settle for the fact that their un-sporty child is at least good at math, or vice versa. Not mine. I was what my mother recently described as a “triple bill of failure” for them. Which is my mum using humour to mask what was a very unhappy time for me, and in turn for her and my dad, who loved me and wanted the best for me. Laughter was the thing we always bonded over. Laughter, which meant respecting the healing powers of the art form of comedy in all its shapes and sizes and creative outputs. Anything that elicited laughter was something to admire. This took the form of watching Monty Python and John Candy, listening to Robin Williams and Steve Martin records. Laughing uproariously together. As for more literary forms of humour, I loved my English teacher, Mrs. Murphy, telling me that Chaucer was the original dirty comedian. I revelled in her detailing the meaning
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behind certain smutty sonnets in The Canterbury Tales. Comedy in any form was the key to unlocking joy in my otherwise bleak soul and healing me. So it stands to reason that I would wind up pursuing a career that involves bringing laughter to the world, even though I struggle with self-confidence to this day. It is a career that creates huge highs and crushing lows. Even though laughter may not be the best medicine, it certainly heals some things. For many of us who saw our livelihoods decimated by a global pandemic, it was laugher that saved us. When March 11, 2020, happened and my industry ground to a halt, I was terrified. I lost upwards of 50 bookings and wondered if I would ever be allowed to pack a few hundred people into a theatre again. But when companies realized the importance of laughter to the mental and physical health of their staff, they booked me for virtual performances: performing via Zoom and Teams and Webex and other platforms none of us had heard of but now wished we had shares in. I replaced my love of the sound of laughter with a visual: a small square image showing someone in their home or office laughing at my punchlines. Book publishers too have cottoned on to the power of laughter. This season sees the release of some of the funniest tomes for eons. Tracy and Martina (created and played by Justine Williamson and Greg Vardy) are a bona fide East Coast comedy phenomenon whose popularity has exploded in the past 18 months. It has long been said that Cape Breton Island is the origin of many of the
Photo: Sean McGrath
by James Mullinger
NEWS FEATURE Atlantic Books Today
greatest-ever East Coast talents and, sure enough, their videos went repeatedly viral on social media last year. For the uninitiated, Tracy and Martina are two Cape Breton women who love a good time (think a female-duo version of Trailer Park Boys). Their debut book, It’s Tracy and Martina, Hun: A Guide to Cape Breton Livin’,will be published by Nimbus this November. From the extracts I have read, it is utterly hysterical, and they skewer the Cape Breton experience with warmth, charm and razor-sharp wit. Also proudly based on Cape Breton Island (but originally from Montreal) is the queen of East Coast comedic literature, Lesley Crewe. Her critically acclaimed novel, The Spoon Stealer, and her collection of essays and newspaper columns, Are You Kidding Me?! Chronicles of an Ordinary Life, were two of the books that got me through last year. A humourist with an eye for detail, her pithy, witty chapters are reminiscent of David Sedaris but with a Virginia Woolf-esque waspishness and Tina Fey’s love of life. She opens her latest, I Kid You Not! Chronicles of An Ordinary Family, with a hysterically funny scene from lockdown that will be familiar to anyone who lived through 2020. She covers everything from bees to grief, healing to joy. She even reveals how to write a novel in 30 days. As ever, this collection is joy-filled and funny, while also delivering truths such as: “A spoonful of kindness can not only be comforting, but life-saving in times like these.” Crewe also boasts a unique ability to take a hackneyed topic such as the differences between men and women and make it fresh and alive: “A man who says the kids can’t have a cat is the one person in the family the cat loves. A woman who let the kids have the cat in the first place is left to clean up the barf. A man goes to Costco and buys a flat of corn chips. A woman goes to Costco and buys a flat of toilet paper.” Crewe will clear your head of stress as you bathe in her literary goodness. Clear heads were in woeful abandon last year, but I can tell you that it is a misconception that comedians want audiences to be light-headed. Happy and lively, yes, but we want you clearminded enough to enjoy the routines.
I KID YOU NOT!
Lesley Crewe Nimbus Publishing
IT’S TRACY & MARTINA, HUN
Justine Williamson and Greg Vardy Nimbus Publishing
Drunks don’t laugh. They shout. Comics love laughs, but hate shouting (unless it is we who are shouting). East Coast humour and alcohol often play a dual role though, and that connection is never more apparent than in Steven Laffoley’s Unfiltered: An Irreverent History of Beer in Nova Scotia. It opens with a quote from Irish poet Brendan Behan: “Actually, I’m a drinker with a writing problem.” Laffoley skillfully uses humour to offer well-researched, journalistically precise and beautifully written insights into how Nova Scotia’s booming beer scene came to be. My favourite segment details how, in the 1980s, it was British beer that inspired the Nova Scotia ales we all love so much today. You’re welcome. As someone who left Europe (as England was then) and moved to Atlantic Canada, I took great delight in the fish-outof-water story of a Newfoundlander in Italy, entitled love, life, by Bernardine Ann Teráz Stapleton. But it’s her insights into weight loss that many of us will relate to after months of lockdown. Paragraphs of side-splitting gags about the pros and cons of Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig are followed up with insightful lines such as, “Self-hatred makes you invisible to your own self.” Injecting thoughtfulness into comedy is a powerful tool. Thinking while laughing makes it even more special, and my virtual shows are as much inspirational speech as they are stand-up routines. Susan Flanagan understands this better than most of us. She has worked as a freelance journalist in St. John’s for more than 30 years, but her first novel, Supermarket Baby, is so crammed with vivid scenes and gags that it has led some admirers to assume she had a background is sketch-comedy performance. Her protagonist, the magnificently named Henry Puddester, sees his life go off the rails in a hilariously and absurdly terrifying way after he accidentally steals a baby from a grocery store. These wonderful books may not constitute medicine, but they do have healing powers. Trust me, I’m a professional (comedian) who was forced off the road and unable to do the job he loves for 18 months. But reading these five books kept me sane and happy during this time. I hope they do the same for you. ■ JAMES MULLINGER is a British-born writer and comedian, based in Rothesay, New Brunswick. His memoir-travelogue Brit Happens will be published by Goose Lane Editions next year. @jamesmullinger, jamesmullinger.com
UNFILTERED
Steven Laffoley Pottersfield Press
SUPERMARKET BABY
Susan Flanagan Flanker Press
LOVE, LIFE
Bernardine Ann Teráz Stapleton Breakwater Books NUMBER 94 | FALL 2021
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Atlantic Books Today COVER FEATURE
HEALING IMAGES
In discouraging times, let us present some sights for sore eyes, taken from recent Atlantic-published books
Sometimes an important step in healing can be recognizing a friend, or an ally. In the foreground is “Island Rooms of Petty Harbour,” where Kimberly and Leo proudly display the Pride colours on one of their dories. From Chasing Newfoundland by Ray Mackey (MacIntyre Purcell Publishing).
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COVER FEATURE Atlantic Books Today
The most viewed photograph in history is called “Bliss.” It’s the monitor wallpaper that comes with Windows XP. The photographer, Charles O’Rear, described his work as a “mental escape” for viewers. Pictures of nature have that power. Numerous university and hospital studies dating back some 30 years have shown that patients exposed to nature scenes display less anxiety and need fewer painkillers during recovery. In the book business, publicists often seek the bliss shot, someone enjoying a good book in a cozy-looking and well-lit place. Bright colours help. Sometimes a few brushfuls of paint can be expertly spread to create powerful and uplifting symbolism, as we see with Julie Pellissier-Lush’s images here. And these days, the sight of someone in personal protective equipment preparing a syringe can be a great reliever of anxiety, a source of hope—the potential reunion with loved ones and the broader community.
TOP: This looks like a blissful place to read a book. From Dildo, Newfoundland by K Bruce Lane (Flanker Press). OPPOSITE PAGE TOP: This ain’t your tourist’s Peggy’s Cove. Photographer Kent Martin sees things from a different lens. At the Peggy’s Cove Preservation Area, Martin reveals wide landscapes and ever-changing skies, as well as the smaller world of mosses, birds, flowers and people. From The Peggy’s Cove Barrens: Rock, Life, Sea and Sky by Kent Martin (Formac Publishing). BELOW: This painting by Julie Pellissier-Lush is called “My Mother’s Best Friend.” Its flowing reds strike like a heartbeat, powerful and uplifting. From Epekwitk: Mi’kmaq Poetry from Prince Edward Island by Julie Pellissier-Lush (Acorn Press).
Danny Joseph works to protect his community from a global pandemic. From We Rise Again by Len Wagg and Angela Mombourquette (Nimbus Publishing). NUMBER 94 | FALL 2021
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Atlantic Books Today NEWS FEATURE
TOP: Fogo Island, Labour Day weekend, beside a shed in Tilting: A green sky with dancing auroras. Breathe it in, let it soothe. From Chasing Newfoundland by Ray Mackey (MacIntyre Purcell Publishing). LEFT: A prayer. An incantation. A supplication. A recitation. A plea. Whatever you call it, it’s an act of humility, of recognizing our limits, a reaching out to something greater. In “Prayer of the Day,” Julie Pellissier-Lush pulls us toward that greater presence, whatever our beliefs or values, and offers hope in possibility. From Epekwitk: Mi’kmaq Poetry from Prince Edward Island by Julie Pellissier-Lush (Acorn Press). BELOW: If you didn’t know that nature had a knack for finding balance, now you know. From The Peggy’s Cove Barrens: Rock, Life, Sea and Sky by Kent Martin (Formac Publishing).
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Source: HVS, Cape Breton County Death Register, 1918, Book 30, Page 47, Number 273.
NEWS FEATURE Atlantic Books Today
Audiobook boost How outloud books are changing our reading experiences, and making great stories more accessible by Shannon Webb-Campbell
W
hile audiobooks have a long history, having first emerged in 1932 when the American Institute for the Blind opened a studio and recorded on vinyl, Atlantic publishers are embracing them more than ever. Shuvanjan Karmaker, digital marketing coordinator at Nimbus Publishing and Vagrant Press, finds audiobooks the perfect companion during a hike or an evening on the couch. Karmaker says listening to audiobooks is the “closest thing to having someone read to you.” “It’s also an accessible format that allows anyone with print disability to immerse themselves in a curated listening experience created by the respective publisher of the book. According to the American-based Audio Publishers Photo: Andrew Le
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Photo: Joyce Busola
Atlantic Books Today NEWS FEATURE
Shuvanjan Karmaker, digital marketing coordinator at Nimbus Publishing and Vagrant Press.
Photo: Veronica Gutierrez
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Association, 67 percent of audiobook listeners chose the format as a way to reduce their screen time.” Similar to when ebooks first surfaced, publishers feared audiobooks would harm sales of their hardcover or paperback books. But that hasn’t been the case. In 2020, sales and subscriptions of print books, ebooks and audiobooks has risen. With collaboration between publishers and organizations like CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind), the number of accessible audiobooks is also increasing. For the most part, listeners are using their smartphones to listen to audiobooks. A practice that has been significantly increasing over the years—from only 17 percent in 2014 to 45 percent in 2016, going all the way up to 67 percent in 2020, says Karmaker. “Other popular methods of listening to audiobooks include using a computer—45 percent of listeners, or a tablet, which is 41 percent.” Nimbus has started publishing audiobooks in-house and recently finished Mercy, Mercy by Marlene Stanton, an Acorn Press title. Goose Lane Editions has also re-launched its BTC Audiobooks brand as a digital audiobook imprint. BTC originally launched in 1997 in collaboration with CBC Radio as a publisher of physical audiobooks. They are now celebrating seven new audio titles, including Jocelyn Parr’s Uncertain Weights and Measures, Riel Nason’s The Town That Drowned, Amy Spurway’s Crow and Catherine Bush’s Blaze Island. Some other hot new audiobooks include Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi, and Ràithean airson Sireadh / Seasons for Seeking by Lewis MacKinnon, a bilingual Gaelic-English poetry collection published by Bradan Press, which offers a free sample chapter on Bandcamp. The poetry audiobook combines spoken word and instrumental music, is read aloud by the author and features Persian, Irish and Scottish melodies. Bradan also released a children’s audiobook, Biorachan Beag agus Biorachan Mor / Little Bodkin and Big Bodkin, a well-known Gaelic folktale, this past spring. “We’ve made this audiobook available for free with the support of the grant from the Gaidheil air Adhart program on Bandcamp, as a gift to the youngest learners in Nova Scotia’s Gaelic community,” says Emily McEwan, president of Bradan. “There is a strong interest in Gaelic books because it’s a language with a strong oral tradition, and Gaels are always just as eager to listen to Gaelic as they are to read it. “The Biorachan story was a folktale told around the fire in the cèilidh. So really, the audiobook is like the centuries-old original tale, and the children’s picture book is the modern version.” Audiobooks are increasingly popular with children and are a way for schools and libraries to offer literature in a new format for many children and adults to familiarize themselves with publications they wouldn’t be able to access otherwise.
“Everybody has to clean their toilets or mow their lawns, and I think a lot of people are listening to audiobooks while they do these things.”
According to a recent report from BookNet Canada, 34 percent of listeners bought audiobooks from an online store. Thirty-one percent used a subscription service or public library, a six percent increase in subscriptions from 2018. With more audiobooks being produced, especially accessible audiobooks, schools and libraries will see an increase in overall engagement/subscriptions. Avid reader Laurie Burns, who is an English as an Additional Language teacher in Halifax (and has her own book-based Instagram account: Laurie’s Books in her Bag), believes audiobooks are more accessible to many people who may not have the time to sit down and read a book for hours. “Everybody has to clean their toilets or mow their lawns, and I think a lot of people are listening to audiobooks while they do these things,” says Burns. “I know for some of my former literacy learners, it is also nice to be read to and help with words you may not be able to sound out. It can increase literacy and listening skills for EAL learners.” While Burns prefers reading printed books, always carrying a book in her purse, she listens to audiobooks on long drives. Greenwood-based writer Kelly Thompson, author of Girls Need Not Apply: Field Notes from the Forces, whose book was released in audiobook format, was devastated when she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. One of the first signals was that she could no longer hold a book. Audiobooks solved this problem. She listens to them compulsively, fusing her day with stories. “Having my book as an audiobook was a dream, mostly because I value their ability to reach all new audiences by making reading accessible to those who struggle with literacy,” says Thompson. Pamela Hart, director of TenderAudio Productions, recently decided to launch her own audiobook production company. She wanted to see radical production coming out of Canada rather than the United States. Currently based in West Dublin, Nova Scotia, Hart has spent the past 15 years working in audio, and the last few years in accessible publishing. “I saw huge gaps in production services that understand how to produce ethical and accessible audio,” says Hart. “Whether that be formatting, audio-quality, first-voice narration, appropriate pronunciation and accents or the accessibilizing of imagery. These are all things that TenderAudio brings to production and believes are integral to audiobook production.” Internationally, the World Wide Web Consortium set new guidelines for audiobooks this year, which publishers are expected to implement in the near future. In the meanwhile, TenderAudio is working on sonic illustration, an approach to making children’s picture books accessible in a fun and educational way, integrating text, image and audio. ■ SHANNON WEBB-CAMPBELL is a member of Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation. Her books include: Still No Word (Breakwater 2015), I Am A Body of Land (Book*hug 2019) and Lunar Tides (Book*hug 2022). Shannon is a doctoral student at the University of New Brunswick in the Department of English and the editor of Visual Arts News Magazine. She lives and works in Kjipuktuk/Halifax, Nova Scotia. NUMBER 94 | FALL 2021
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Q&A
Atlantic Books Today AUTHORS IN CONVERSATION
with
LINDEN MacINTYRE
Linden MacIntyre’s first eight books have won everything from the Richardson Award (non-fiction) to the Giller. He has written memoir, true crime, history and literary fiction. His latest, The Winter Wives, is a taut psychological thriller addressing a dazzling array of themes—mental health, dementia, law & order, trauma, memory and self-delusion— that could only be woven together by a skilled writer with an extensive background in investigative journalism. MacIntyre was generous enough to share some insights into the complex fabric of human behaviour.
Linden MacIntyre: The thing that they have learned most graphically is that we never know another person as well as we think. They all started out in adolescence quite convinced they were bonding with one another. It’s a common presumption young people have. “This is a soul mate. Someone I’ll live with in my heart, brain or geography for my entire life.” We find as time goes by, no matter how much we think we know, we keep finding out additional things about the other person. What we learn is not always happy or welcome. It is always a certain challenge to the relationship. That happens dramatically with these people because the growth is altered by crime, law enforcement, the pressures of an unusual and peculiar world of business.
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ABT: Speaking of the law and crime, the character Alan says at one point, “The law and crime go hand in hand.” How does that notion create tension between the other three characters, Byron, a lawyer, and Peggy and her sister Annie, who are accountants? LM: It’s a professional conceit of both lawyers and accountants that the moral underpinnings of the job in front of them are irrelevant at the time they’re doing the job. A lawyer takes a client, no matter how serious the accusation, and they give them the theoretical presumption of innocence. Byron had an idealistic notion of the law, which got him into difficulty when confronted with another lawyer who’s accused of something terrible, and Byron has his own baggage related to those kinds of crimes. In a naïve way he realizes he’s not part of that value system; he cannot take the subjectivity out of his reaction to a particular crime.
Photo by Tom Zsolt
Atlantic Books Today: The four main characters in The Winter Wives are all around 60. Can you talk a bit about what life has taught them?
AUTHORS IN CONVERSATION Atlantic Books Today
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Atlantic Books Today AUTHORS IN CONVERSATION
“Getting old is the preferred outcome. For most of us.” The women are a bit more hardnosed as accountants. They basically say “give me the numbers; I will see that it adds up properly; I will see that the money goes to the correct places. But don’t trouble me with information or baggage; money is just money and I don’t give a hoot where it comes from.” Until one day a knock on the door. ABT: Love also complicates things. Byron says, “What is love but an extreme curiosity, an insatiable craving, to truly know a stranger?” LM: It’s a reaction to the constant peril of loneliness, which seems to take on almost fatal proportions in our anticipation of where life ends up. I’ve been dealing lately with very, very old people, a woman the other day, 99 years old. We were talking about these sorts of things, how lonely the world becomes when you reach that age. We try to anticipate that and get some form of insurance against loneliness by knowing somebody really well, and being able to trust them absolutely. That trust is built upon knowledge—faith that knowledge of another person gives us, that the other person will be reliable. In Byron’s case, he ends up in high school with no social background. Peggy is very interested in him. There’s something intriguing about him. She doesn’t know, and he doesn’t know, where this curiosity is coming from. It grows into an infatuation that is never quite consummated the way it might if Byron had a bit more experience. He never gets a true opportunity to act on his curiosity until, in a case of extreme distress, he acts upon it very badly because of a total misunderstanding of what they had as the basis of their relationship: a trust based on the confidence that we are both safe here. And he violates that in a terrible way and destroys the trust, probably forever. It’s not something I’ve thought a lot about, this business of love and curiosity. It’s just something that came to me as I worked my way through this relationship between Byron and Peggy. I realized this intense appetite he has for knowledge about her, based on his need for some form of personal stability in his life that he’s never enjoyed before. He didn’t have it with his dad. He had it with his mom in a kind of custodial way but never a lot of emotional connection. He’s got a big emptiness in the middle of his consciousness and he’s always dreamt that Peggy would fill it, but he never quite knew how to go there. ABT: Byron also says, “Anything to mitigate the wear and tear of growing old.” This seems to drive him, staving off old age and decline, complicated by his fear of dementia. 28
THE WINTER WIVES
Linden MacIntyre Random House Canada
LM: For a very fine part of life we’re aware of what we’re gaining, of growth. Then you make a turn where you become conscious of, “I’m not growing anymore. As a matter of fact, I’m starting to lose stuff. I’m not as nimble as I was, I’m not as good looking.” This 99-year-old lady the other day kept telling me, “please don’t get old.” And I kept wanting to say, “What’s the alternative?” Getting old is the preferred outcome. For most of us. The role of Alzheimer’s and dementia in this story is a kind of a metaphorical one because it is a description of what happens to us in any event. Something like dementia is an acceleration of this kind of normal loss of our body and mind, an acceleration of the dying process, a slow-motion decline into a place where we are helpless. ABT: Memory is another big theme here. Annie tells Byron: “Memory is a parallel reality. Basically, an extended falsehood, a lifelong lie. At best, a kind of literature.” LM: Memory is subjective and creative, an assembly of experience in a format that enables us to feel reasonably good about ourselves. As a journalist I worked with a producer on a story. I recall we were being jerked around by a subject. We had a piece of tape the producer acquired surreptitiously, but the other party knew he had it and there was an understanding that it wouldn’t be used. Okay now we’re being jerked around; that tape will clear the whole matter up. I remember saying, “Go get the tape we’re gonna put it in the piece.” Subsequently, I’ve read accounts and heard the producer say, “I made the decision.” The tape was used, it altered the story hugely, but who cares if I said it or he did? Memory is like your photo album. It’s not going to be published. ■
AUTHORS IN CONVERSATION Atlantic Books Today
An interview with the rapper Classified about his new memoir Off the Beat ’N Path by Matthew Shaw Photos used with permission from MacIntyre Purcell Publishing
Classified AKA Luke Boyd has had a storied career since having grown up in rural Nova Scotia. His honest lyricism has always told personal stories—about skateboarding and playing hockey or working his first job—and is now seen in his first book: a memoir called Off the Beat ’N Path. He was generous enough to sit down and talk about the book as well as his new acoustic album and tour. NUMBER 94 | FALL 2021
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Atlantic Books Today AUTHORS IN CONVERSATION
OFF THE BEAT ’N PATH
Classified MacIntyre Purcell Publishing
Atlantic Books Today: I think you are one of the few hip hop artists who writes about real things, in a genre dominated by talk about sex and drugs.
This book to me and my fans is more exciting than a new album. It tells stories that I couldn’t tell on my albums, and just for my hardcore fans— the ones that grew up with my music 10 years ago.
Classified: In the mainstream, yeah [but] in hip hop you can talk about anything. That’s what made me fall in love with hip hop were songs that just weren’t about falling in love and falling out of love, like ‘oh shit you can write a song about the Maritimes or you can write about whatever,’ it gives you the option. I was rapping what everyone else was [when] I was 16: ‘I got my gun I was in the street.’ And Jorun [Bombay], who was my producer at the time said ‘you don’t have a gun’ and I said ‘I know this is rap and hip hop.’ Being a dumb teenager that’s just what I thought it was supposed to be, not really understanding the culture. Just seeing the Snoop Doggs and the gangsta rappers and loving the music in that style. [Bombay] told me ‘write about your life.’ [Then] my music had an identity, like a kid rapping about the Maritimes and the shit he goes through and what he lives through … I’m an average Canadian … that is why my music works so good in Canada. ABT: How do you stay creative in these times? Classified: It’s hard to stay creative just sitting in your house and it’s starting to open up a little bit. Just living outside, that’s where my best ideas come out, not just sitting in my studio like ‘hey I got an idea.’ I find nothing good ever comes out of that. But it has definitely been hard. The bonus of that has been working on an acoustic album and this book is, well, I never did this before. It’s been good that way and refreshing. It’s not like, ‘oh let’s do another album again’ and do what I normally do. It was a new avenue and it was a fresh exciting idea that kept me interested. ABT: Since you are busy with the book and the album, do you have any new music on the way? Classified: Nope! Not one song. I’m focused on the book and the acoustic album and the acoustic tour. That’s how my mind works. If I start working on a new song and I like that new song I will get excited and be like ‘eh that other stuff can wait.’ … This book to me and my fans is more exciting than a new album. It tells stories that I couldn’t tell on my albums, and just for my hardcore fans—the ones that grew up with my music 10 years ago. ABT: Do you have any stories that didn’t make it into the book? Classified: There were hundreds. I came up with one yesterday when I was mowing my lawn down by the pond. When I was 19/20 years old, I was with my girlfriend, who is my wife now. We went to a psychic, which back then I didn’t believe in and
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AUTHORS IN CONVERSATION Atlantic Books Today
now I kind of do. The psychic told some basic stuff. I wasn’t doing music the same level I am now. I was still starting out. And the psychic said ‘your boyfriend is going to be very successful with what he does, you’re gonna have a property with a waterfront,’ which we don’t have, but we have a pond in the front, so I was ‘okay it’s kind of the same thing.’ So, I’m not a big believer in telling people their future, but that popped into my head. That happened 20 years ago but I’m here living pretty comfortable and successful in a job that most Nova Scotians don’t do. ABT: In Off the Beat ’N Path you talk about opening for [American rapper] Ludacris; you were told to not be so good. Classified: That wasn’t Ludacris doing that. That was just management … I could never do that [to another artist]. I’d be too insecure if I did that. ABT: You also write that you skateboarded, and you still skate. Who are you a fan of? And can you still do tricks? Classified: Yeah, I still skate and know a couple tricks; I’m afraid to fall now that I’m older because it hurts to fall. I’m a fan of TJ Rogers and Steve Caballero and all the 80s skaters since I was 10 years old. TJ is from Canada and the only reason I know him is I met him in Calgary. He is doing a thrasher skate film and I’ve been checking his stuff out. He’s crazy.
ABT: Have you ever been starstruck by a musician or other celebrity? Classified Snoop Dogg was next level for me. If I was on my death bed and wanted to do something with one person, it was Snoop, and I got to do that. We were face to face. Whenever you do collaborations, it’s not face to face. When you want to work with someone, you email their manager to send their verse. You get it and put it back together in the studio. With [Snoop], it just worked out, hanging with Snoop Dogg in Truro making a song. That’s just bucket list shit. ABT: What advice do you have for artists coming up? Classified Two things I always say is be yourself, find your identity. … And the best one I always say is tour. Do shows. [It’s] hard right now with COVID-19, but there are two million artists right now on the internet, on Spotify and YouTube, that are trying to get you to listen. If you can go to someone’s town and play in front of 100 people, they are gonna remember that show better than any playlist you are on or YouTube channel they find you on. ■ MATTHEW SHAW is a part-time musician and videographer from Halifax. He has a degree in music business and is an all-around music lover. His favourite fake swear is fubberknucked and his religion is rock and/or roll.
New World Publishing: www.newworldpublishing.com 902-576-2055 ... in fine bookstores & online Bringing regional history to life for Atlantic readers via thoughtful, provocative stories ... with ongoing research & updates ... Priceless artifacts, scary pandemics, crime & criminals, moving Acadian stories, Atlantic Canada & New England, Cornwallis vs Le Loutre ... the “real” Oak Island story.
Two great books in two years! Prolific story teller, Jude Avery, winner of the first Lt.-Governor’s Award of Excellence for l’Acadie & Francophonie (NS, 2021), brings you two stories of isolated Acadians, their resilience, and their vibrant culture despite adversity ... or perhaps because of it. The first, The Forgotten Acadians, sold out in 2 months in late 2019, & was replaced by a best-selling Updated Edition (987819894564127$16.95) in 2020. Now NWP brings you Joie de Vivre/Love of Life (NEW: Fall-Summer, 2021) 9781989564196 - $19.95) Based on isolated communities in NS, these are stories of resilience, support of neighbours much like family, hard work, religion & respect for tradition, reflecting most Acadian communities.
NEW: Aug., 2021 Amazing Ancient Astrolabe Adventure: by Wayne Mushrow. Fascinating story; great photos. ISBN 9781989564158 – $19.95 What is an astrolabe? A navigational device for ships at sea during the 16th-18th Centuries.They are rare, literally worth millions of dollars, with only 3 such artifacts in all of Canada - two of those discovered by the author, a Port aux Basques milkman cum diver. Multi-faceted story: author’s early life, initiation into diving: locating drowning victims, dangerous commercial diving, to his amazing discoveries off Isle aux Morts of not one, but two astrolabes (French & Portuguese) in near-perfect condition. The odds? Hundreds of millions to one! The author then offered to donate them to the Government of Newfoundland, but that’s when two decades of political intrigue began, with a standoff between one ordinary citizen and “big” government bureaucaracy. In the end, cooler heads prevailed with an agreement that benefitted everyone in NL and Canada.
2020 Bestseller: Capturing Crime by Carol Taylor with narrative by Greg Marquis, with Roselyn Rosenfeld & Connell Smith – ISBN 9781895814972 – $24.95. Full colour coffee-table book: 11” 8.5”, 80 lb. gloss. Short -listed for an Atlantic Book Award in 2021, with a quality review in ABT and an inspiring video. Covers three decades: of law courts, judges, prosecutors, witnesses, defense teams, red evidence bags, all drawn from the artist’s perspective: the ‘good’ guys, the ‘bad’ guys, including the top 15 stories (many on the national stage): Alan Légère, Premier Hatfield, the Oland trials, a Columbian cartel, Bourque RCMP murders, crimes against children ... CarolTaylor’s sketches over 30+ years, are both factual and entertaining. NEW: Hard Cover Limited Edition - ISBN 978198956410 – Reg. 39.95 ... now on special at $32.95
NEW, 2021: Acadia’s Warrior Priest: A Conversation with Abbé Jean-Louis Le Loutre by Peter L. McCreath ISBN 9761989564172 – $16.95 Who would believe the most formidable guerilla leader in Canadian history would be a ‘humble’ French missionary priest? Enter L’abbe Jean-Louis Le Loutre, who covertly led Mi’kmaq warriors & a f ew Acadian rebels (with backing ofFrance)to contest the establishment of Nova Scotia as a British/ Protestant colony, leaving the mostly pacifist Acadiens in the middle. A contributing factor for the Expulsion? ... and a disservice to the indigenous peoples who originally had sought peace. Arguably, in the name of religion & preventing further settlements, Père Le Loutre may well have purchased more Protestant scalps than Gov. Cornwallis collected via his ‘infamous scalping proclamations’. Story was inspired by author’s research on From Columbus to Louisbourg: The Colonial Evolution of Atlantic Canada & New England (2020: 9781989564059) $18.95
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Atlantic Books Today AUTHORS IN CONVERSATION
Angela Bowden & Celeste Snowber
Photo of Celeste Snowber: Michele Mateus
IN CONVERSATION
Angela Bowden
Celeste Snowber
Both poets address intergenerational trauma in their new collections 32
AUTHORS IN CONVERSATION Atlantic Books Today
ANGELA BOWDEN: Celeste, I want to begin by acknowledging the intergenerational trauma, the reclamation of power and the homage that UnSpoken Truth: unmuted and unfiltered and The Marrow of Longing pay to the living traumas of African and Armenian people. The moment I began reading your book it was obvious why these two books and authors were chosen to be in dialogue; they are speaking in similar ways about these living his/herstories and intergenerational traumas that imprint today’s realities. The themes are obvious and connected in both works: trauma, resilience, identity, longing and belonging; Belonging is a yearning imprinted beyond experience, it lives in our souls, DNA and indeed our marrow. It would appear that our books were constructed on the backs of that longing and I’m wondering if you could share your personal journey of longing and how it led you to write The Marrow of Longing. Why was it important to share the morsels of history and tradition fed to you around the kitchen table? CELESTE SNOWBER: Angela, your work touched me deeply to the bone; even though our herstories are different, there are threads that speak to intergenerational trauma and cultivating resilience, risk and courage. I hum with resonance. I particularly connect to the “unacknowledged generational pain” of your own ancestry and moving through is central to healing, and recognizes love that forms our journeys. My own personal journey is deeply connected to a sense of not belonging, and sorting out a life infused with beauty and moments of terror—the rage I witnessed in my mother, who escaped the Armenian genocide. Writing poetry became a way of excavating the unspoken trauma, but also embracing a culture which formed me to be a warrior and survivor. The kitchen table became the embodiment of love and stories. Cooking with colour was everything and love was stuffed in the Armenian meals of grapeleaves, cheese boureg and eggplant. In unpacking the trauma inflicted on the Armenian people and my own ancestors, and owning the wonder in my culture, I embrace the longing within belonging. I’m curious how your own writing becomes a place for alchemy and if the writing alone is a place of resistance? Here I see the poetic and prophetic working together and wondering if you
see any relationship here between how poetry becomes a portal to transforming the trauma? ANGELA BOWDEN: Thank you, Celeste. How humbling it is to walk around in ancestral trauma and be able to form tangible connections. The mere telling of these unspoken travesties becomes a political form of resistance in a time and space where we grapple with the current damage of our historical shared stories. I embrace the responsibility to reflect these times and piece together the remains of our truths. Poetry is a portal to innerstanding these painful truths, the transformation of trauma into something tangible where we feel and connect so deeply that we are motivated to change; this is what I call innerstanding. The stories of my elders and ancestors exist in my veins connecting me in a way that motivates me to write and to illuminate a time erased, while granting space to Black trauma; an acknowledgement owed to Black folk and critical to their healing. UnSpoken Truth is an act of righteous resistance! It is transformative in many lives because as humans we collectively begin to understand the trauma of our sisters and brothers by connecting to them on a deeper level. Poetry allows you to connect and coexist in the generational trauma, momentarily. Similarly, I observe these heroic acts of truth telling in your work, and I wonder if the excavation of these traumas and traditions granted you an opportunity to heal and to build pathways to innerstanding for others. How has your work moved people? There are many pieces of poetry in your book that are in harmony and synthesize with my work. Are there any pieces in particular that you would like to ask me about?
UNSPOKEN TRUTH
Angela Bowden Pottersfield Press
THE MARROW OF LONGING
Celeste Snowber HARP Publishing
CELESTE SNOWBER: I absolutely love what you say about innerstanding and “where we feel and connect so deeply that we are motivated to change.” This echoes my own lived experience and for so many years I struggled [because] I felt things so deeply and even what was not told. Traversing the depths is the portal to writing and performing these stories, which breaks open the past, but announces the future. To let your words sit in my tissues is a profound gift. I am witnessed and witnessing. NUMBER 94 | FALL 2021
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Atlantic Books Today AUTHORS IN CONVERSATION
In terms of building innerstanding of others—I experience others who have intergenerational trauma are given boldness to tell their stories. This includes any race which experiences unspeakable injustices and now is the time for speaking. I want to ask you about so many your poems I am carrying in my body: “The Field of Lies,” “Responsibility Resist” and “Here I am.” I wonder if the poem “Responsibility Resist” can be a poem for lifelong inspiration? Here the story of one becomes the story of many.
The Story of One—Here I Am
ANGELA BOWDEN: I agree, Celeste. My soul resonates with your words that are written with such brilliance and deliberateness; I see you; I hear you; I feel you. The trauma that we have inherited and the making sense of such chaos through poetry is a divine gift. Speaking of poems that resonate, your poem “Imposter” reminded me of the way in which Black folk are conditioned to doubt who they are in white spaces, and always [being] asked, “where are you from?” clearly communicating “you don’t belong here.” The “Magic in Pilaf ” poem comforted me in a way that only soul words can; like soul food, the ingredients are not only edifying to the body but the tradition feeds the soul. There are not enough letters in the alphabet to define longing As this excerpt from your poem “An Alphabet of Longing” reminds us, the longing for connectivity surpasses words and lives inside our marrow. The remnants of who we were shape who we are and are key to who we will be—an illumination of who we once were before the fragments. Imagine!
Is it not all the same story on a different timeline The same struggle between good and evil Have they not always coexisted since the dawn of time began
CELESTE SNOWBER: I would love Angela for our two poems “Here I am” and “The Story of One” to be printed together (or some lines in each). I am so blown away how they companion one another, and so many lines in both our books are companions. I’m now thinking our ancestors are all together spurring us on!
Standing in the rapture of time caught between two places both the same looking for new answers to old problems old answers both the same If we only have fragments aren’t all our pieces a whole what happens to one happens to all
So much has gone missing Strands of DNA Whisper a mystery Have greed and power not fertilized today’s soil From whence the perennials of dark deeds bloom with little effort year after year Annuals of hope spring forth an appetizer Only to be eaten by the wild at night And each flower falls silent to the ravage Except one One survived and bloomed The story of one is the survival of a nation Here I am
ANGELA BOWDEN: I agree, Celeste, it is divine work and in fact they seamlessly tell the same story; it was easy to combine them and further reinforces the connectivity one finds in trauma, in each other, and in all time and spaces.
ANGELA BOWDEN is a descendent of the stolen Africans sold through the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Angela’s roots were preserved through the Black Loyalists arriving in Birchtown, migrating to Guysborough County, and later moving to New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, where she was born and raised. CELESTE NAZELI SNOWBER, PhD is a dancer, poet, writer, award-winning educator and professor in the faculty of education at Simon Fraser University. She is also the author of Wild Tourist and the co-author of Blue Waiting with Sean Wiebe.
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EXCERPT Atlantic Books Today
Without prisons, how might society deal with domestic homicide An edited excerpt from Ardath Whynacht’s Insurgent Love
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Photo: Mika Baumeister
n this excerpt from Insurgent Love, activist, sociologist and writer Ardath Whynacht acknowledges that, even as a prison abolitionist, she has hoped for a guilty verdict for her friend, who murdered his girlfriend. But in her book, she imagines how a world without prisons might deal with the community- and life-shattering act of domestic homicide, which she says, like other family violence, is intricately linked to state and military violence. Whynacht is coaxing us to think about the transformative potential of healing justice, rather than incarceration. Might a world be possible where we don’t merely live through and with trauma, but learn to address its root causes, together?
For decades, advocates who work with survivors of domestic violence have been predicting domestic homicide with tragic accuracy. Those who know know when someone’s life is in danger. That knowledge can save lives. Kristin Johnston’s relationship should have raised numerous red flags amongst her peers, but no one feared for her safety. Her friends and family recoiled in shock and surprise when her ex-boyfriend took her life. For those of us who are familiar with patterns in domestic homicide, red flags feel like sense memories. It’s like smelling something familiar, but you aren’t sure where it is coming from or why it makes your blood run cold. But what are we supposed to do when our fears are anchored in experience and our gut is telling us we are in danger? What do we do with that? Most precursors to domestic homicide are not necessarily criminal, and even when they are, few report the violence and even fewer receive consequences that lead to improved safety. Reporting to police can be dangerous as abusers often retaliate when bystanders or survivors report their concerns to police. Policing, as a general strategy of crime control in contemporary settler states, has not kept us safe from family violence. I am someone who believes in abolishing police and prisons. Despite working for two decades with survivors of family violence and those who have been convicted of homicide, sexual abuse and intimate partner violence, I don’t fear a world without prisons. Working with incarcerated people has given me an intimate glimpse into how—rather than improving community safety— policing, prosecution and imprisonment intensify the cycle of
violence and create more dangerous conditions for us all. Decades of activism, social research and brilliant scholarly work have made a case for abolishing prisons and police to improve public safety and bring healing and justice to our communities. Abolitionist feminism seeks to transform the conditions that give rise to violence. Abolitionist feminism acknowledges that intimate partner and family violence cannot be seen as separate from state violence, which arises through the military and police. […] Yet, despite teaching and writing as an abolitionist, I still found myself perched on the edge of a hard wooden bench in a courtroom pleading for a guilty verdict for a friend of mine who had murdered his girlfriend. Ground zero—the territory in which the impacts of homicide are immediately felt—is ripe with mess and contradiction. […] In this book, I gesture towards transformative justice for domestic homicide. I start thinking about what an abolitionist strategy for domestic homicide might look like. I don’t have all the answers. I share, however, my own journey in thinking through how we can get out of the dead end of carceral feminism and start contextualizing domestic homicide within settler colonialism and racial capitalism. We don’t spend enough time thinking about what makes someone a killer. We don’t have the right tools for responding to their violence and the risks they pose to our kin. ■ ARDATH WHYNACHT is an activist and writer who works for and with survivors of state and family violence. She teaches sociology at Mount Allison University and lives on unceded Mi’kmaw territory. NUMBER 94 | FALL 2021
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Atlantic Books Today BOOK FEATURE
Women who made history Amazing Atlantic Canadian Women represents a more authentic history of our region
by Guyleigh Johnson
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ho inspired you when you were younger? Who broke the barriers of societal standards? Who was a game changer? A first? A leader? Amazing Atlantic Canadian Women by Stephanie Domet and Penelope Jackson is an important and impactful read for the simple fact that it celebrates phenomenal, powerful women of purpose, whose experiences showcase courage, triumph, talent and resilience. Many of us have had history lessons, projects and classes dedicated to male figures who were often white and powerful, in a lot of these cases they were people from other parts of the world. It’s very rare to read or hear about stories of women from diverse backgrounds who are influential and also from our surrounding communities. Many of the women in this book broke barriers, paving the way for a new generation of young women, and used their voices to advocate for women’s rights at a time when that was unheard of. They understood their own value regardless of contemporary societal standards and guidelines. When asked why it was important to include a range of diverse stories, Domet says, “To make sure it was reflective of the amazing women who are a part of the Atlantic region, and to look beyond the stories we are so often told. Sometimes it can feel very nondiverse in Atlantic Canada if you just look at the surface level.” These 74 stories of women who have had different experiences, ways of life and learning will help us create a more authentic narrative when telling the history of Atlantic Canada, which includes the stories of these real heroes, leaders, advocates and activists who have walked before and among us. Exploring their challenges will
help us create more effective policies, guidelines and methods for centring inclusivity and equity in our societal systems. One-sided narratives have set us back so many years, because we grew up thinking there could only be one person, one way of thinking or doing. Amazing Atlantic Canadian Women is an important read, especially for the younger generation. I believe it will push them to remain true to themselves, not allowing anyone to deter them from their dreams, while creating a community where everyone feels safe, included and seen. Books like this keep me hopeful for what the literary world will look like in the future, the stories we will hear, the people we will learn about, the storytelling methods we will adapt, the questions we will ask ourselves and the actions that will follow. Edith Clayton, who wove her first basket at the age of eight; Carrie Best, who wrote her first poem at the age of four; Maria Angwin, the first woman licensed to practice medicine in Nova Scotia. When you think of inspirational, barrier-breaking, gamechanging, first, leaders, these are some of the amazing women that should be mentioned, celebrated, taught and loved. ■ GUYLEIGH JOHNSON is a young spoken word artist born and raised in North End Dartmouth, who has been passionate about writing since the age of four.
“When you think of inspirational, barrier breaking, game changing, first, leaders, these are some of the amazing women that should be mentioned, celebrated, taught and loved.”
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AMAZING ATLANTIC CANADIAN WOMEN
Stephanie Domet and Penelope Jackson Nimbus Publishing
EXCERPT Atlantic Books Today
An excerpt from On Opium In Room Magazine, Lauren Kirschner described Zwarenstein’s first book, Opium Eater, as a “measured look at the causes of our increased dependence, which doubles as a critical memoir on the relationship between opioids, creativity, and pain.” In this excerpt from On Opium: Pain, Pleasure, and Other Matters of Substance, Zwarenstein deepens that gaze and considers a complicated relationship between chronic pain, relief and dependence, exploring the profound and systemic whys of addiction, and what we collectively need to become well.
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t’s a release that I’ve earned through the sheer effort of waiting for it all day. At last I take the pill, and I begin to focus intently on the pain in my neck and down my back — waiting for the magic moment when it begins to melt away. I watch, feel, and wait. Minutes pass. Is it gone? I think I feel it leave. But no. The pain is still there. Then, as it always does, at almost exactly the one-hour mark, something shifts. The ropey muscles of the neck that pull my head forward, the tight muscles around my hips, mid-back, and sacroiliac joints (in an X-ray you can see the erosion) — they all seem to loosen at last. I sigh audibly, letting my shoulders fall. I stand up straighter. Gravity stops pounding me into submission. All at once, I seem able to inhale more oxygen than usual. That breath is rich and deep. I’m also breathing more slowly than usual. I close my eyes almost unconsciously. When I let them close, just for a moment, there’s a pleasant weight on my eyelids, as if I were falling into a dreamless, restorative sleep. At the same time I seem to float, perhaps on a pool raft drifting on saltwater waves, with a sort of inner buoyancy. It is wonderful. I could stay in it forever, like those Victorian gentlemen found after days by worried families — prostrate upon a back-alley opium den couch, obscured in a cloud of stale smoke. But I open my eyes after a moment because in the infinite peace and wisdom now upon me — right now — I also see my goal: to write, to create, clearly and without stress. First physical pain recedes, and then emotional pain. I was depressed, and now I am not. Nothing is hazy or distorted or vague. There is no drunkenness, no lack of balance or blurring. I can once again see all the little worries and big angsts in my life from a bearable distance. And now, taken a little out of myself, I can also see and feel compassion for other people’s struggles, am interested once again in their stories. For these few hours I have regained the essential human characteristic of someone who is well and flourishing: a healthy curiosity about everything that is not me. Not least, the thread of thought I want to track down and record in writing plays out smoothly and I can follow it. Peaceful, concentrated work is the best opioid side effect of all. I close my eyes again. There are endless variations in the texture of good feelings that keep me here, happily working at my desk. Every time I close my eyes — every time I inhale, deeply, then exhale — these feelings are intensified. This eye-closing, this looking within: it’s a subtle action which, over a group dinner or in a café, I’ve sometimes caught friends catching, to my shame. But then, why should I feel ashamed? ■
ON OPIUM
Carlyn Zwarenstein Goose Lane Editions
CARLYN ZWARENSTEIN is a writer and journalist based in Toronto. NUMBER 94 | FALL 2021
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Atlantic Books Today HEALING FOODS
Comfort and joy in traditional food It’s not easy making the classics, but it’s an act of love
by Simon Thibault
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Photo from Best East Coast Jams, Pickles, Preserves & Bread by Alice Burdick (Formac Publishing).
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he beauty of food nostalgia is that it runs deep within familial and cultural veins. The kind of cooking our respective matriarchs exercised was well-executed by rote and pride, leading to cooks who were often tight-lipped with measurements. This traditional knowledge tends to flourish with practice, not through abstractions or explanations, and not from reading. You should just know when the biscuit dough is right. And when to pull them out of the oven. Thankfully, Best East Coast Jams, Pickles, Preserves and Bread by Alice Burdick, and Tunes and Wooden Spoons by Mary Janet MacDonald, dole out nuggets of know-how along with the matriarchal sweetness of a grandmother giving a child a cookie. Burdick and MacDonald understand that today’s home cooks may be food lovers and eaters, but they are not always food makers. These authors know they are addressing a generation that lives on Instagram and recipe search engines, and moans about lengthy headnotes on food blogs. (Such impertinence.) They are highly knowledgeable when it comes to knowing where to eat, but not necessarily in the actual methods of producing. The emperor has no clothes, but its belly is full. Burdick and MacDonald both work hard to inform said emperor on the art of kneading bread or making pickles. Their respective works are loaded with recipes and clear instructions. Both Best East Coast Jams, Pickles, Preserves and Bread and Tunes and Wooden Spoons understand that food is a love language. Yes, that language speaks of comfort and joy. But it also knows that
HEALING FOODS Atlantic Books Today
BEST EAST COAST JAMS, PICKLES, PRESERVES & BREADS Alice Burdick Formac Publishing
this comfort and joy can only be built upon a strong foundation of knowledge, built up from working around a kitchen over time. This is the knowledge of how to source, grow, use and store certain foods, acquired through the work to feed families in a nutritionally and economically sound manner. This is the less-than-fun part of how our families used to eat, but it is how we ended up here, being able to find what we need from our traditional foods. The recipes contained within these books speak directly to the how and why of people’s past and current eating habits. In particular, this is where Burdick shines. Best East Coast Jams, Pickles, Preserves and Bread is not just a book of bread-and-butter pickles or cinnamon-roll recipes. It is also a repository for learning how to make rose hip or dandelion jelly, buckwheat pancake or steamed breads. Burdick’s headnotes for Barley Bread or Red Currant Jelly give mention to the origins of these recipes and their previous ubiquity on breakfast tables. She doesn’t hit you over the head with historical details, but rather gives a clever nod to how these items were often common and within easy reach. These notes are the salt that seasons this book: missed if not there, but present enough without bringing too much attention to itself. Mary J MacDonald’s Tunes and Wooden Spoons leans a little more onto the wistful side of things, starting off with an ode to cinnamon rolls and a poem about grandmother’s kitchens. Her recipes also lean mostly onto the sweeter side of things, but with an understanding that the sweet side is a through line in families—representing the idea of demonstrating love through quiet actions and deeds. MacDonald also makes sure to work in very
TUNES AND WOODEN SPOONS
Mary Janet MacDonald MacIntyre Purcell Publishing
specific salutes to her Cape Breton heritage in not just the name of her book but also in its contents: Pork Pies, anyone? MacDonald’s book is very much a love letter to generations past and present. It functions as a temporal and culinary anchor, a mnemonic cooking device for her family. The book reads very much like the efforts of a family member who wanted to make sure that her loved ones didn’t starve when they went out into the world. Yet she avoids the easy treacly traps of this kind of book, by a certain earnestness. We understand the connection she has between her and her family, but that she wishes to extend her hospitality to her extended community. Yes, it would be very easy to publish a few recipes here and there in a binder, to be given out as gifts. MacDonald goes a step further, inviting the reader into her home in the most heartfelt and Cape Breton manner possible: eat with us. MacDonald and Burdick understand that their role as cookbook authors is to deliver successes to their potential readers, to ensure that their respective familial and cultural timelines continue outside of just bloodlines. But they also know that too often recipes are forgotten, viewed as antiquated, or even worse, butchered and misinterpreted by poor and unusable instructions. To do anything less would be to disrespect the efforts presented by past generations as wasteful. What a sin. ■ SIMON THIBAULT is a Halifax-based journalist, food writer and radio producer. His work has appeared in The Globe and Mail, The Huffington Post as well as on CBC and Radio-Canada. His book, Pantry and Palate: Remembering and Rediscovering Acadian Food, was shortlisted for the Taste Canada Awards in 2018.
Further Reading SALT BEEF BUCKETS: A LOVE STORY
Amanda Dorothy Jean Bulman Breakwater Books
Bulman does for Newfoundland what MacDonald does for Cape Breton in her book: invites us all with open arms to get to know its culinary traditions.
EAST COAST KETO 2
Bobbi Pike and Geoff Pike Breakwater Books
All the traditional foods you love—from appetizer to dessert—low-carb keto style, presented with tips, lessons and quick facts to build that kitchen knowledge. NUMBER 94 | FALL 2021
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Atlantic Books Today EXCERPT
Becoming Senator Oliver An excerpt from A Matter of Equality by Don Oliver
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n the summer of 1990, I was working in my Halifax office when one of the firm’s partners knocked on my door. He was well known as a Liberal, politically. “Did you see this?” he asked me. He showed me the Toronto Star, which had run an article listing potential candidates to fill the Atlantic Canadian Senate seats. To my surprise, my name and photo were among them. “They are thinking about you as a possible nominee for the vacant Senate seat in Nova Scotia!” he said. I looked at my face in the newspaper. “No, I had not seen that,” I told him. “That’s a surprise. Maybe it’s a trial balloon from the PMO.” I put it out of my mind. A couple of months later I was in Toronto meeting with some potential investors from Japan to respond to an interest they had in the real estate project I was developing with my business partners from Germany. We were using one of the boardrooms at the accounting firm Deloitte. The negotiations were taking some time because most sentences had to be translated. In between the translations, the phone rang in the corner of the boardroom. I excused myself and answered. “Hello?” “Is this Don Oliver?” the voice asked. “Yes,” I said, feeling a panic rising. Who would be calling me here and now? “Where have you been? We have been trying to reach you for days. The prime minister wants to speak to you. Don’t move from where you are,” the voice instructed me. “Hang up now and in five minutes the phone will ring again. It will be the prime minister.” Well. I went to my Japanese colleagues and asked if they would kindly sit in the ante-room while I took a private call. I didn’t mention it was the prime minister, but they agreed. Right at the appointed minute, the phone rang. “Hello Donnie,” came the instantly recognizable sonorous, warm voice of Brian Mulroney. “Donnie, how is your wife Linda? Is she still working in telecommunications? And is Carolynn still doing well in school?” I said yes to those questions and some others, and that seemed to give him some confidence that he was speaking with the right person. He spoke about how I’d joined the Progressive Conservative Party in the 1950s and had been a faithful, consistent volunteer for decades. He knew I’d been the chief legal director to several national electoral campaigns, that I had supported him for the leadership in 1976 and again in 1984, and that I had served for years on the executive of the PC Party both provincially and nationally. “And over all those years as a volunteer without pay, no one really said thank you,” he said. “You have also done a lot of work for your Black community as well, so I am now going to thank you by appointing you to the Senate of Canada.” I could open my mouth, but it produced no sounds. Thoughts flashed through my head as I processed this extraordinary conversation. Could I do the job? Could I live up to his trust? I finally got my tongue moving. “Thank you, Prime Minister. Thank you very, very much. That is very generous. I am deeply honoured that you would do this,” I said. ■ The Honorable Donald H Oliver, CM, ONS, QC, retired as a member of the Senate of Canada in 2013 after 23 years of service. He now resides at his farm in Pleasant River, Nova Scotia. Oliver rose to serve with distinction as Deputy Speaker in the Senate of Canada and as a ubiquitous spokesperson for diversity, pluralism, fairness and equality, for which he was awarded five Honorary Doctorate degrees.
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A MATTER OF EQUALITY
Don Oliver Nimbus Publishing
EXCERPT Atlantic Books Today
First Newfoundland policeman murdered in the line of duty An excerpt from Rough Justice by Keith Mercer Rough Justice is a history of policing and crime in early Newfoundland, from the appointment of the first constables in 1729 to the establishment of the Newfoundland Constabulary in 1871, the oldest continuous police force in Canada. In this excerpt, we learn of the violent death of Constable Jeremiah Dunn, who is believed to be the first policeman murdered in the line of duty in Newfoundland.
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onstable Jeremiah Dunn deserved a better fate. On 22 October 1861, around 11:00 at night, the young officer was on patrol in his hometown of Harbour Grace with three other policemen when he was hit on the head with a rock. He died a week later. His death occurred within the context of political and sectarian strife in Harbour Main and St. John’s during the spring of 1861, which had been ignited by election contests. In the capital, large crowds surrounded the Colonial Building, pelted the governor’s carriage with rocks, and vandalized property. The troops were called out, and more military reinforcements arrived from Halifax. The violence spilled over into the general election of 1861 and by-elections at Harbour Grace that November. Harbour Grace had a long history of collective actions, predating representative government in 1832. Dunn’s murder stemmed from the charged atmosphere leading to the fall elections, when crowds were common and the military – both the army and navy – was sent from St. John’s in advance to maintain law and order in Conception Bay. On the night in question, Harbour Grace’s policemen were walking the streets when they passed two apparently drunk men, whom they ordered to go home. When the men refused, the constables prepared to take them into custody. One man was sent to jail, while reinforcements were called to arrest the other. By this time the situation had spiralled out of control and the police were being attacked by a growing crowd, with constables doing their duty under a volley of stones and projectiles. Several policemen were hit, Dunn taking a mortal blow near the temple. Despite medical help, he spent a week in “great agony” before passing away. In the aftermath of this case, which a coroner’s report deemed a homicide, the Harbour Grace Standard unleashed its anger:
ROUGH JUSTICE
Keith Mercer Flanker Press
We ask should such a state of things be allowed to exist in our town? When a policeman is doing his duty is he to be set on and maltreated with impunity? Is he to be made the target for parties to vent their spleen on? We think not! It is high time for our citizens to unite and put down such a growing sin. What! assassinate a father of a family for merely doing his duty; such a thing is hardly on record. It was a sad end for a military veteran and family man. Dunn is believed to be the first policeman murdered in the line of duty in Newfoundland, though many others were attacked in similar circumstances. His wife was given a small pension.1 Dunn’s killers were never brought to justice. A police investigation followed, a £100 reward offered, and there were loud calls from the government and the press to end this cycle of election rioting and religious strife. Others wanted reform. In a major speech to a joint sitting of the legislature, Governor Alexander Bannerman stated that it was long overdue to expand and modernize the colony’s police service. However, the governor’s calls went unheeded, and a legislature that had grown accustomed to relying on the army garrison as an excuse for not strengthening the police would not budge until forced to do so a decade later. ■ KEITH MERCER was born in Gander, NL, and holds graduate degrees in history from Memorial and Dalhousie Universities. He works for Parks Canada as the Cultural Resource Manager in Mainland Nova Scotia. He lives in Bedford, Nova Scotia, with his wife, Amy, and children, Abby and Sam.
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Atlantic Books Today ESSAYS & POEMS
HerStory Reflections on being the inaugural writer-in-residence for YWCA & APMA by Abena Beloved Green
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hat is it to be a writer-in-residence? For me, it means to work with a particular group or organization and use writing to engage with that group’s clientele, or with the public. The purpose can be to generally promote the role of literary arts in the community, or, it can have a more specific focus of producing works as well as offering mentorship to others. Often, the role is a combination of all of these. As the very first HerStory writer-in-residence, I am excited and honoured. This is my first writing residency as well, so this role and I are firsts for each other. When I think of my path as a young and emerging writer, I always have to go to those who inspired and encouraged me. Even though the desire to write was a seed planted from a young age, which I began to explore on my own, it still helped tremendously to be watered with exposure to other writers and literary events, encouragement and guidance. Whether it was seeing local poets on stage, or being encouraged by a community member to submit poems for a contest or for publication, these waterings affirmed my desire to write and become better at the craft. As writer-in-residence for YWCA Halifax and the Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association (APMA), I am delighted to be in a position where I can be the one who waters others, young or older. I may not be working with aspiring writers per se; some people may even groan at the idea of having to take part in a writing workshop, but I do believe that everyone in those workshops has a story to tell. And I believe those stories will do some good for the teller and the receiver. I hope that the telling of their stories will bring awareness to societal issues, create community and offer a sense of freedom, accomplishment and self-awareness for those to whom these stories belong. Of course, the participants whom I will lead in workshops
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“I hope that the telling of their stories will bring awareness to societal issues, create community and offer a sense of freedom, accomplishment and self-awareness for those to whom these stories belong.” will have their own reasons to participate and so that is where we will begin! I will be working with the YWCA Halifax and its program leaders to offer workshops for participants in various programs to both find their stories and decide how they want to share them—in an essay format? In a poem? Creative non-fiction? So far, I have been able to offer a workshop to the YWCA Halifax staff. We had around 12 people brave enough to participate and shared some fun, funny and insightful moments. I have also been working with the APMA learning about the development of an author database, which will help profile Atlantic authors and make it easier for readers and other audiences to learn about these authors and connect with them. I also get the chance to learn more about the publishing industry and contribute to Atlantic Books Today magazine.
Personally, I love that this is also an opportunity to do more of my own writing. In these coming months, I will be making space for the ideas and thoughts that have been pushing to be brought to life. With some financial support and mentorship, this residency will help me to do that. I was imagining what the outcome of this project might be like and I pictured it like this: all of us involved finding what our stories are, and taking them off like extra skin that was sticking to us. Once we can hold that skin away from ourselves, we emerge with new skin. But we don’t have to leave that old skin by the roadside, we can make something with it—a handbag or shoes. We will hold them out as shoes that we might wear occasionally and that we lend out to help someone else get to where they are going.
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Atlantic Books Today ESSAYS & POEMS
Bless the Helpers
A mother once told her son that in times of disaster, he should look for the helpers. In fires and the ashes, the bleeding and gashes there are always those who offer help. Some of you sought so persistently that you became helpers yourselves. You washers of wounds, You quilters of blankets. You planners and planters. You builders of bridges. Bless the ones who make it their mission To offer shelter; To cover and protect these gems, Trafficked, abused, brand new, in transition, In need of recovery. Re-cover them with love and guidance So they rediscover themselves. Bless the hands that pick up the phone at 9pm and again at 10 to answer the question: ‘When can I get the apartment” “Will I have a ride to the session?” “Am I still eligible for this service or that one?” Bless the voice that gives reassurance then says “that’s all for tonight I will call you by Friday. Til then, sit tight.” Bless the ones that are learning to protect themselves Their time and energy so they can be well To continue to offer assistance. Bless the ears that listen to understand what it’s like To appear put together but struggle inside. To have degrees and three kids And find yourself here Unexpectedly homeless, but Maintaining your pride.
Bless the minds that strategize from 9-5 and some hours in between Because now the statistics have faces, And they’re all you can see. Bless the tongues that speak up for policy reform So that parents have childcare they can afford. Bless the fingers that spend hours typing out proposals And the eyes that spend hours looking them over And the feet that trek from food banks to shelters to clinics, and colleges and community centres. Bless the empaths and organizers, The cleaners and the accountants, The big picture holders and And the on the ground soldiers. How much? How much time did it take? How many uncomfortable conversations? How much mileage and traffic? How many affirmations above your desk? How many thoughts of looking forward to your next vacation? How many sweat stained shirts from fatigue and frustration? How many zoom calls to make connections while in isolation? How much “tired and over this today” but Following through anyway How much reflection and consultation? How much humility does it take to re-strategize and pivot when you’ve moved the wrong way After all, you’re still learning. How many edits and rewrites to summarize all this effort into… words Into newsletters and reports and concise sentences. How much conviction does it take to do all this, fueled by the question, “What can we give?” Bless the ones who have the mission To repolish the gems Bless the hands that pick the calls Again and again. —Written for YWCA Halifax AGM, June 23rd, 2021
ABENA BELOVED GREEN is the 2021/22 HerStory writer-in-residence for YWCA Halifax and the Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association. Her books include The Way We Hold On and Ode to the Unpraised. Her spoken word album is called Beloved.
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BY
“an adventure book with a very human hero at its heart” ~ Charis Cotter
KATE STORY
“a sprawling, lyrical historical fantasy” ~ Kirkus Reviews
Published by Running the Goat, Books & Broadsides. Distributed in Canada by Nimbus.
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BOUTON D’OR ACADIE
Books created in Acadie - Printed in Canada
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www.boutondoracadie.com | 506-382-1367 |
978192791735 $14.99 — October
9781927917404 $12.99 — September
Fall into adventure with fabulous new Young Adult fiction from Running the Goat
YOUNG READERS Image from Catalina by Lori Doody 46
YOUNG READERS Atlantic Books Today
Reviews LE GÉANT DU NORD CANADIEN
Réjean Roy Bouton d’or Acadie (Ages 8-12)
In ancient legends, beings of enormous size and power roamed the earth. Giants appear in the Bible (Goliath and Og), Roman (Cyclopes, Atlas) and Celtic mythology (Idris ap Gwyddno), and Indigenous stories of chijuudiee (which can mean “giant spirit animals” or “monsters that live in the water”). Some are benevolent, ridding the world of monsters; others are fearsome. Many Indigenous giants are shape shifters. Stories about giants explained geographical formations as well as mysterious events. According to the Dene, giant beavers kicked away the trees as they were being chased by Yamoria, leaving sand dunes and bare land. One Ojibwe story explains the Sleeping Giant mesas near Thunder Bay. Nanabozho was turned to rock when he revealed a secret. In the Ojibwe creation cycle, Nanabozho was responsible for naming all the plants and animals. A trickster figure, he could appear as a human or a mythical giant animal. Le Géant du Nord Canadien also explains the formation of a mountain in the shape of a sleeping giant, as well as that of the many lakes in the Canadian North. In this story, a giant has an insatiable appetite for loons’ eggs. One spring, before the annual tragedy occurs, the loons conspire to save their young by tripping the giant. As he falls into the huge lake, splashes of water form smaller lakes around the mountain of his sleeping body. The origin of the story is not given, and it has a fairy-tale quality. Réjean Roy’s text and illustrations portray the tranquillity of the expansive lake and the mournful loons lamenting their young. The giant, whose legs go higher than the tallest trees, will not be the stuff of nightmares: he is brightly coloured and rather comical when he topples. Nonetheless, the resourcefulness of the loons is inspiring! Adults and children will appreciate reading this book aloud and admiring the gorgeous watercolours.
by Jo-Anne Elder and Lisa Doucet
OÙ TU VAS, EMMA?
Hélène deVarennes Illustrated by Omar Al-Hafidh Bouton d’or Acadie (Ages 0-3)
This is a bedtime rhyming book. Emma’s father wonders where his young daughter goes in her dreams. Each page shows a different scene under the light of a full, clear moon, with the cartoon Emma either inside the house with her father or out on an adventure. In one image, Emma can be seen jumping over a fish in a river; a smiling wild animal bearing a resemblance to her pet cat is peering behind the trees. On the next, the animal is watching over Emma’s dark house. Emma also appears as a Hallowe’en witch or a butterfly, with a choir of wolves, dancing elephants, laughing pigs or an ewe knitting. By the end of the book, Daddy has fallen asleep, and the last page shows both of them smiling as they cuddle what look like giant, flying stuffies. The wilder of the two cats is floating a newspaper boat on top of the moon. The rhythm gives the book a lullaby melody. The rhyming words are delightful and unexpected, reflecting the free-wheeling fantasies of young children who might populate the same dream with clouds, elephants and seashells, in one case, or with butterflies, candies, pigs and sheep (which all end in the same sound in French) in another. This also makes for pictures with lots to look at and to surprise the reader. The pictures of Emma’s dreams are rich and entertaining, and the colours used are darker and more complex than the pastels used in many children’s books, adding extra interest. Hélène deVarennes also wrote the French text of the trilingual book A Pony Day! She works as an educator and cultural consultant and creates teaching resources for early childhood education and First Nations studies. Omar Al-Hafidh, originally from Iraq, graduated from Sheridan College with a BAA in animation. He is based in Toronto and previously illustrated two books by Rana Azzoubi.
JO-ANNE ELDER has translated more than 20 works of poetry, theatre, film, fiction and non-fiction from French to English and has been shortlisted for a Governor General's Literary Award for translation three times. She and her husband, Aboriginal artist Carlos Gomes, live with their large family in Fredericton.
NUMBER 94 | FALL 2021
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Atlantic Books Today YOUNG READERS
CATALINA MR. BEAGLE AND THE GEORGESTOWN MYSTERY
Lori Doody Running the Goat Books & Broadsides (Ages 3 & up)
EAST COAST COUNTING
Dawn Baker Pennywell Books (Ages 0 & up)
Beginning with an invitation to “count some of the reasons why this part of the world is so special,” Dawn Baker’s newest picture book is a fun-filled counting book and a thoughtful tribute to the provinces of Atlantic Canada. Lighthouses and fishing buoys, puppies and chickadees, wiggling toes and smiling faces are among the objects that fill these pages, providing the youngest of readers the chance to hone their counting skills while also encountering a variety of places, plants and animals that are to be found in this unique region. As a counting book, East Coast Counting will be a welcome addition to the genre. On each page, the items being counted are readily identifiable and easy to count. The numbers are printed clearly on the page, both numerically and in written form, which is another helpful learning tool. The book is even more noteworthy as a celebration of the four Atlantic Provinces. Baker has included a delightful mix of wellknown symbols of the region, along with images of flora and fauna that are less widely recognized. All four provinces are well-represented herein and the lovely, softly luminous illustrations truly capture their rugged beauty. The “In case you were wondering...” section at the back provides explanations for each illustration as well as further information, and was a wise addition to the book. A visually captivating book that is perfect for Atlantic Canadian readers or as an introduction to the region.
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Fans of Lori Doody will be doubly delighted with the release of two new picture books. Catalina is the story of a cat who has a seemingly “purrfect” life. Except for the fact that she is oftentimes lonely, a problem that her helpful humans seek to address by introducing three new puppies to the household. These boisterous creatures eat her food, break her toys and take over her bed, leaving her more than a little cranky. But upon reflection, she realizes that maybe these new friends aren’t so bad after all. Meanwhile, in Mr. Beagle and the Georgestown Mystery, Mr. Beagle finds himself caught up in another mystery when he visits his cousin George. In Georgestown, a cat burglar has been breaking into homes and stealing all of their storybooks. Mr. Beagle has some suspicions but is surprised when he discovers who the culprit is. He learns an important lesson and comes up with an ideal solution to the burglar’s problem. Featuring Doody’s distinctive folk art-y illustrations, these two books are typically quirky and delightful. While Catalina boasts a more varied colour palette, the simply told story is an astute depiction of a frustrated feline who soon comes to appreciate her new housemates. The author liberally sprinkles the story with Newfoundland expressions (which are explained at the back of the book) and these add a different sort of colour and flavour to the story. The new tale about Mr. Beagle has an uncomplicated plot and message about the problems that occur when one leaps to conclusions. Using fine, dark outlines and bold, bright colours, the tidy illustrations tell their own story. In typical Lori Doody fashion, both of these books use an economy of words, subtle humour and charming, distinctive illustrations to very good effect.
YOUNG READERS Atlantic Books Today
SLOWPOKE THE BELL ISLAND MINE HORSE
Heather Smith, illustrated by Genevieve Simms Nimbus Publishing (Ages 4-8)
“Don’t worry,” Jimmy tells his little sister. “I’ll be okay.” He says this to her as he sets out for his first day of work in the mine. Another boy named Leo is also going underground for the first time, but Leo is surrounded by family members. Jimmy is alone. His father died in the mine when he was hit by a runaway tram car many years ago. Jimmy is nervous and shaky as he tries to do his assigned tasks, until the foreman assigns him the job of looking after an old mine horse named Slowpoke. Jimmy brings out the best in Slowpoke, and Slowpoke becomes Jimmy’s very best friend. When a miner gets trapped beneath a runaway tram car, Jimmy and Slowpoke save the day. And Jimmy discovers a precious new connection with both Slowpoke and his beloved father. In this heartfelt tribute to the miners of Bell Island, short sentences and simple, restrained prose quietly but powerfully capture Jimmy’s anxiety and fear, the stark reality of life in the mines and the unspoken bravery of the men and boys who went down into those mines each day. Jimmy knows the dangers, but also the importance, of this work; he knows that “someone had to help put food on the table.” Yet, despite the grownup demands of his life, he is still a child. A child who desperately misses the father he barely knew. A child who is afraid of the terrible dangers that the mine holds. The kindness of the foreman, the special bond that Jimmy develops with Slowpoke and the unexpected link to his father give this story a depth and resonance that will touch many hearts. Illustrator Genevieve Simms uses loose, thin, wispy lines and a subdued palette with soft bursts of colour to capture the landscape. Her illustrations are precise, textured and expressive, strengthening the story’s emotional impact. Together, the words and images tell a sombre yet beautiful story of resilience and love.
BE A CAMOUFLAGE DETECTIVE
Peggy Kochanoff Nimbus Publishing (Ages 4-8)
This newest addition to the Be a Nature Detective series explores the fascinating topic of camouflage and how a wide range of creatures in various habitats manage to disguise themselves as a means of protection. It examines how some animals are fortunate that their natural colouring enables them to blend into their surroundings, or that they look like something unappealing to predators (like the caterpillar that looks like bird poop!) while others are able to bury themselves in the sand, or hide, or confuse predators with their colour or markings. Then there are squid that release ink into the water, to hide themselves, temporarily stun their predators and escape! Once again, Kochanoff has created an information-packed book that is filled with intriguing facts about the natural world. She employs the same format as in her previous books, with each section beginning with a question and followed by the response: “Hmmm...Let’s look closely and find out.” And that is precisely what she does, giving young readers a brief and easily understandable description of each animal, how and what it eats and how it hides from or outsmarts its predators. The information is presented simply and accessibly, with lovely watercolour illustrations to depict each creature and to engage young readers. A glossary at the back is a helpful addition, but the book could have benefitted from a table of contents and/or an index. Nevertheless, young nature enthusiasts will undoubtedly learn many new things in these pages, and will hopefully be inspired to continue their explorations. NUMBER 94 | FALL 2021
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Atlantic Books Today YOUNG READERS
DUSTY DREAMS & TROUBLED WATERS Brian Bowman, Illustrated by Richard Rudnicki with Susan Tooke Nimbus Publishing (Ages 8-12)
As a new recruit in the Canadian navy in 1942, Wally finds himself facing a world that is unimaginably different from his prairie home. In raging, storm-tossed seas, the HCMS Sackville is one of the rugged Corvettes that patrol the Atlantic, seeking to protect merchant ships bringing muchneeded supplies to Europe. It is their job to hunt the German U-boats that threaten these ships. Life at sea is hard, their lives are in peril every minute of every day and death and destruction are an all-too-common reality. The rigours of his life on the farm, even during “the dirty thirties” when times were tough, never prepared him for the horrors of war. But memories of Winnie help him remain brave and keep hope alive. With fastidious and intricately detailed illustrations, this riveting graphic novel tells a powerful story. Packed with information about the role of the Corvettes, this book highlights this lesser-known part of the Second World War, vividly depicting the terrible realities of the Battle of the Atlantic. The narrative skillfully alternates between Wally’s life on the prairies before the war and his harrowing experiences aboard HCMS Sackville, helping build and sustain tension while creating a sense of the life Wally left behind. The brisk-lined and meticulous black-and-white illustrations add rich depth and dimension to the tale, magnificently rendering the ocean vistas and prairie landscapes, the clutter and confines of the ship and the chaos and confusion of U-boat attacks, sinking ships and the carnage of war in the middle of the ocean. These illustrations also capture tremendous depths of emotion in subtle and precise facial expressions. This is a masterfully crafted tale that is as instructive as it is engaging.
IAIN OF NEW SCOTLAND,
Margaret MacKay Bradan Press (Ages 10 & up)
When the Hector finally makes its way into Pictou Harbour after 10 long, arduous weeks at sea, and many tragic losses, the weary passengers are anxious to begin their new lives on the farms that they have been promised. But it soon becomes apparent that the promises of food, farms and abundant supplies were exaggerated. Instead, they are given lots in the middle of the forest that they will need to clear before they can begin to build homes and plant crops. Longing for the rolling hills of Scotland, they wonder how they will ever carve themselves homes out of these gigantic, never-ending trees. But like their friends and neighbours, Iain and his family are strong-willed, hard-working and stout-hearted. They survive the long, hard winter and find work in Truro, eventually making their way back to Pictou to build their house and face their future together. Author Margaret MacKay has created a vivid portrait of the lives of the early Scottish settlers of the region. Her grim depiction of the Hector’s journey—and the dismay of the passengers when they realize how much work needs to be done to make this place into a proper settlement—gives readers a true sense of what the Scots were facing. The harsh living conditions, especially during the bleak and brutal winter months, create a realistic portrait of the time period. Iain’s relationships with his family and his friend Seumas give readers a sense of the strong family ties and close-knit communities, despite the fact that the dialogue frequently feels somewhat forced. But the strength and spirit of these families shines brightly throughout this book, which celebrates not only the beginning of their new lives but also all that they brought with them to this new land: their music, Gaelic language and Celtic traditions.
YOUNG READERS Atlantic Books Today
OUR ROCK AND OUR SALVATION
Hugh MacDonald Acorn Press (Ages 12 & up)
When Adam learns that he and his friend Tish have been invited to attend council meetings with the elders of the forest people, he is both honoured and unsure. Are he and Tish ready for such responsibility? A recent series of violent attacks by fierce raiders on neighbouring villages have caused concern among all of the people who have been living peacefully together in the forest, and this is to be discussed at the meeting. But on their way, Adam and Tish are abducted. Their rescue leads to the capture of their abductors and eventually to the apprehension of the vicious raiders, who had left death and suffering in their wake. As these various bands of outlaws are found, they are shocked to find themselves facing a different form of justice than they ever could have imagined ... or dared to hope for. In this final volume of The Last Wild Boy series, PEI’s Hugh MacDonald concludes his thought-provoking dystopian trilogy in an action-packed tale that invites readers to consider the value of restorative justice, and a society that believes in the power and possibility of healing for all. He also prompts us to recognize the important contributions that youth as well as elders can make in a balanced and just community. And while the forest people give those who have harmed them the opportunity to tell their stories and to receive guidance to change their ways, it is still, ultimately, their choice. They may choose to accept this help and to become a contributing member of the community, or they can refuse. This too, is a powerful message for readers of all ages.
URCHIN
Kate Story Running the Goat Books & Broadsides (Ages 14 & up)
Thirteen-year-old Dor has never felt like a girl. Despite her mother’s efforts to convince her to be more ladylike, Dor feels different. She has never fit in with the other girls, who make her school days a source of misery. Her best and only friend is Clare Taylor, whose family lives just down the road. And Dor is secretly in love with her. But, when the world-renowned Marconi arrives in St. John’s to install telegraph stations, an opportunity presents itself to Dor. Her reporter friend, Murph, believes that Marconi has an ulterior motive for his Newfoundland visit—something big. And he needs an errand boy to assist Marconi and act as a spy. Dor convinces Murph to let her do it and, disguised as a boy, she gets to work with Marconi and his colleagues. But then her mother disappears, and Dor discovers that she has been taken by the fairies. The fairies have their own reasons for wanting Marconi’s efforts at trans-Atlantic communication to fail. Suddenly things have become infinitely more complicated for Dor, who is determined to save her mother, but who fears that she will have to thwart Marconi’s plans in order to do so. Evocative and atmospheric, this unique blend of history and fairy lore is utterly compelling. The prose is vivid and poetic with an almost melancholic undertone that brings the setting to life. The author adroitly weaves elements of local history and folklore into the tale in a way that is fresh and fascinating. Dor believes herself to be an abomination, and her struggle to accept herself is sensitively depicted and deeply resonant today. The family drama unfolds realistically, as does the tenuous romance between Dor and Clare, and all of these separate strands of story come together to create a single and satisfying whole. ■ LISA DOUCET is the co-manager of Woozles Children’s Bookstore in Halifax. She shares her passion for children’s and young adult books as our young readers editor and book reviewer.
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NUMBER 94 | FALL 2021
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Atlantic Books Today REVIEWS
Reviews
THESE BOOKS WERE REVIEWED FROM ADVANCED GALLEYS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHERS.
Lyla Hage reviews not-so-average history of greed, corruption, politics and injustice
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s a child, the historical books I knew were long on dates, names and detailed descriptions of politics, military battles and more. On occasion, a story about a foregone time or a controversial character captured my imagination. Sometimes there was a reference to a familiar event or setting, but more often than not, historical books were heavy on facts and light on fun and intrigue. The same cannot be said for Dean Jobb’s Madness, Mayhem & Murder. As the title implies, this is not your average historical book. In his sequel to 2020’s Daring, Devious and Deadly, Jobb offers readers more entertaining stories, with a dash of dirt, about the darker side of life in Nova Scotia. The stories take place just after the founding of Halifax in 1749, up to the early 20th century, and detail criminal and sometimes ghastly deeds from long ago. After reading the book’s title, with its alluring alliteration, the real fun begins with the titles of the book’s 16 stories on the contents page. There are titles like “Royal Terror,” about an unsuccessful plan to blow up a British warship in Halifax and kill a prince—the future King George V. There’s “One Woman’s Fight to be Heard,” where readers learn about a Cape Breton woman’s fight for her land, in a case that eventually went to the Supreme Court of Canada. In “The Predator,” Jobb tells the sordid tale of a soldier who once lived in Halifax and was eventually hanged in England for the mysterious death of two of his wives and a lover. In “First Blood,” Jobb tells how in 1749, a newly established Halifax had to contend with their first murder and trial. And in “King of the Privateers,” Jobb details some of the rich and sometimes controversial history of Nova Scotia’s privateers, including Liverpool’s Joseph Barss, Jr. Jobb’s stories take readers back to a forgotten time, when duels were used to quickly and dramatically settle disputes, murder scenes were easily compromised due to lack of knowledge and technology and people were captivated by public hangings, which were often enjoyed as social, family affairs. Jobb’s true tales cover how religious violence and hate between Catholics and Protestants was the order of the day, and how the justice system sometimes made decisions and handed out verdicts with questionable motives and methods. It was easy to dive into the stories and fun to learn little-known details about Nova Scotia’s crime and justice-filled past. Reading 52
MADNESS, MAYHEM & MURDER
Dean Jobb Pottersfield Press
each story, I felt a mix of excitement and a touch of shame, knowing I would enjoy all of the juicy details about a colourful cast of characters in sometimes dangerous and unfortunate situations. While reading, I imagined my grandfather, who would have been 100 years old this year. A lover of maritime and military history, he would have relished the stories of near disaster in the Halifax Harbour, drama on the high seas and murder in smalltown Nova Scotia. I suspect Grandad would chuckle at some of the characters and their actions and shake his head at how much of basic human nature has not changed. Although some of the incidents took place more than 200 years ago, similar stories of madness, mayhem and murder could easily be written today. The specifics may differ, but, as our daily newsfeeds show, themes of greed, corruption, politics, injustice and discrimination remain today, making this a relatable and, at times, reflective read. Jobb’s short stories, though descriptive, left me wanting more— more details, descriptions and context. I found myself searching online for more information on the people, their history, the locations and more. Throughout the book, Jobb includes a handful of photos of some of the people and locations in his stories. I was left wishing for more photos to help further bring the stories to life. This read is a welcome distraction for those wanting an escape, however briefly, to a different time and place in our history. ■ LYLA HAGE is an entrepreneur and teacher in Halifax. She enjoys travelling, reading and writing, and is a columnist for a local community paper.
REVIEWS Atlantic Books Today
Evelyn White reviews memoir showcasing George Elliott Clarke’s trademark exuberance
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uring an online tribute earlier this year, George Elliott Clarke extolled Charles Saunders (1946-2020)—a Black American speculative fiction writer who’d settled in Nova Scotia—with a righteous zeal. Those who’ve heard interviews with the self-proclaimed “Africadian/Afro-Metis” author or attended one of his readings know that GEC always trends full-tilt boogie. Indeed, my copy of Clarke’s Execution Poems (2009)—autographed by the writer after a 2016 lecture—boasts an inscription that evokes the gyrating moves of Soul Train dancers. The recipient of numerous literary awards and a former parliamentary poet laureate of Canada, Clarke brings his trademark exuberance to Where Beauty Survived: An Africadian Memoir. About his teacher mother, Gerry (“could pass for white”), and his “mahogany” father, Bill, a gifted painter who toiled for the railway (and later as a taxi driver), Clarke writes: “My parents seemed types of the Gershwin line (somewhat amended): ‘Your daddy’s smart, and your mama’s good-lookin.’” “My father’s life suggested that one could be a worker and an artist,” he continues. “Given his humble job … I little doubted that he cherished those moments when some white passenger would look at him, incredulously, and say to his ‘Negro porter,’ ‘How is it that you’re whistling the Kreutzer Sonata?’” The eldest of three brothers who delighted in his status as “a Junior Know-It-All,” Clarke delivers absorbing reflections on a childhood accident. En route to a convenience store near his family’s then North End Halifax home, the future author “got knocked down by [a] turning car,” he writes. “And I hit the blacktop hard enough that I blacked out.” Clear-headed by the time an ambulance arrived, Clarke, age six, persuaded the attendants to let him “sit up front with them as they turned on the siren and carted me to the hospital Emergency.” He continues: “I had the gaiety of … watching other vehicles pull over to let us go by, our roof-light swirling cherry-red and our siren blasting. … I’d learned something about the power of words. That my boyish interest in sitting almost in the driver’s seat … as opposed to being stretched out in the back—had been agreed to by … professionals who’d decided that an articulate Coloured boy—despite bumps and cuts—should command their acquiescence.” By contrast, Clarke, in disquieting passages, recounts the abuse he suffered at the hands of a man who, demoralized by racism, routinely beat his wife and children. “[His] love always seemed tentative,” Clarke writes about his dad. “Maddeningly, the same hand that could draft a portrait of me … with something like tenderness … was also the hand that could shellac me, or any of us.” Reproduced on the frontispiece of the volume, Bill Clarke’s drawing adds a poignancy to the entire narrative.
WHERE BEAUTY SURVIVED
George Elliott Clarke Knopf Canada
Always a stellar student, GEC took refuge from domestic strife in books and movie dates with his mother, whom some “compared to Elizabeth Taylor,” he writes, noting that his parents later divorced. Among other films, Clarke revelled in James Bond thrillers and, at age seven, the steamy Valley of the Dolls. “What we have here is a dirty soap opera,” scoffed movie critic Roger Ebert. Clarke’s take? “The feminist ending and the West Coast scenery enabled me to imagine my mom surviving all tempests and tantrums.” Rendered at a fast clip, Where Beauty Survived also explores Clarke’s alliances with African Nova Scotian notables such as filmmaker Sylvia Hamilton, opera singer Portia White (his great-aunt and no relation to this writer), and actor/playwright Walter Borden. Now 61, GEC ends the book when he reaches his early 20s. In his essay collection Directions Home: Approaches to African Canadian Literature (2012), Clarke alludes to his intellectual skirmishes with Toronto scholar Rinaldo Walcott. Readers desiring more info on the matter need await another memoir. Ditto for the national firestorm that surrounded Clarke’s mentoring of a white man once imprisoned for his role in the 1995 kidnapping, rape and murder of Pamela George, an Indigenous woman. In a January, 2020 Halifax Examiner article about the controversy, journalist Stephen Kimber ventured: “That his reputation was cast into any doubt at all is, in part of course, George Elliott Clarke’s own loose-lipped fault.” Stay tuned. ■ EVELYN WHITE is a journalist and author whose books include Chain, Chain, Change: For Black Women in Abusive Relationships (Seal Press, 1985), and the biography Alice Walker: A Life (W.W. Norton & Company, 2004). A former reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, she lives in Halifax. NUMBER 94 | FALL 2021
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Atlantic Books Today REVIEWS
Genevieve Graham reviews a confident novel that offers insights into the human condition Short Mercy is a beautifully crafted, delightful detour into the uncertain dark side of a very ordinary, very unimaginative man en route to a half-hearted attempt at self-discovery. Jim Short runs an ancient, mostly forgotten used bookstore in the town of Hethering, Nova Scotia. His store and an old video rental shop are the only two left on the block, but he’s rejected the sensible idea of moving to a street with better foot traffic. The store has always been here, and here it shall stay. Jim Short’s life lacks zing. It lacks energy. Really, it lacks life. That is, until a masked robber shakes everything up and unintentionally triggers a road trip in which Jim will ride shotgun in a getaway car with the town’s renowned “rule-rejecting, ambition-lacking kid,” Mackenzie White.
legendary, black-masked outlaw and that he had expected her to carry on in his name, has created a reckless agitator. An unlikely bond forms between Jim and Mac during the strange, week-long journey, and both are surprised to learn just how much that friendship means and matters. The confident, obviously intelligent voice of Colin Sweets Arsenault enchanted me from the opening sentence, and it only got better. The book is narrated via brilliant, unapologetically straightforward insights into the flaws and farcical truths of the human condition. These are so well delivered that I read the book in one very enjoyable sitting. Highly recommend. ■ The 17-year-old high school dropout has the opposite problem from Jim’s: her unfounded belief that her now-deceased, loner grandfather was actually the town’s
GENEVIEVE GRAHAM is the author of six novels. Her latest is the Globe and Mail #1 bestseller Letters Across the Sea.
Trevor Corkum reviews a wholly satisfying story from David Bergen
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avid Bergen’s new novel, Out of Mind, finds the Giller winner at the top of his game. The story takes us deep into the mind of Lucille Black, an observant psychiatrist, worried mother and secret lover. Companion to Bergen’s earlier novel, The Matter with Morris, this latest offering follows Lucille as she journeys from Winnipeg to Thailand to try to rescue her daughter from a shady cult leader, and then on to France where she has agreed to attend the wedding of a younger friend. A deeply analytical and compelling narrator, Lucille’s travels serve as the narrative cladding for a rich and rewarding examination of memory, identity and loss. Deep into the second act of life, Lucille feels she is coming apart, still reeling from the death of her son in Afghanistan and seemingly adrift in her personal and professional life. Bergen seems to borrow from Rachel Cusk’s highly successful trilogy of novels
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(Outline, Transit, Kudos), in which a peripatetic female narrator comes to life through an accretion of minute observations, tangled memory loops and elaborate fantasies. As we begin to make sense of Lucille’s vulnerability, and the intricate defenses which keep others at a careful remove,
our reading pleasure comes from the familiar and wholly satisfying experience of identifying with another person sorting through life’s larger questions: should I risk emotional safety for a dangerous sort of love? What happens if I lose my bearings in the world? Bergen’s prose here is more meandering than his last novel, the tautly executed Giller-longlisted The Stranger. As a result, Lucille’s life feels much like our own: a zigzag wandering of melancholy and regret, with small physical pleasures thrown in: an extra glass of wine, a long nap. There are no false epiphanies here, no neatly improbable resolutions. In any case, Out of Mind is a wholly satisfying story that lingers long after the final page. ■ TREVOR CORKUM’s debut novel The Electric Boy is forthcoming with Doubleday Canada. He lives on the South Shore of Prince Edward Island.
REVIEWS Atlantic Books Today
Sylvia Hamilton reviews a welcome undercurrent of hope
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n an interview, poet Hanif Abdurraqib commented on the history of poetics: “Before they were anything else, poets were essentially people who delivered the news. People relied on them to archive the day.” Halifax Poet Laureate Sue Goyette’s Solstice 2020: An Archive performs this essential service for readers. During the mornings of the first 21 days of December, she wrote a poem, between 18-21 lines. That afternoon it appeared in Halifax’s The Coast. Now published by Gaspereau Press, these diurnal lyrics journey us to the Winter Solstice, the day with the least amount of light. Yet still a day with hope. The early poems signal themes that recur throughout the month: light and darkness; mourning and the work of remembering; mystery and the unknown; time and laughter. And on December 11, what the speaker misses most: “I miss seeing women irl. Women blazing down sidewalks, their
thinking sparkplugging wild chandeliers into the atmosphere rousing anyone in their vicinity with their leftover energy.” In these meditations, readers encounter Joni Mitchell, French resistance poet René Char, three abandoned roosters, Halifax’s hidden waterways and the Oval. Like the Atlantic Ocean, there is always movement. Goyette’s nimble facility with language and her knack for seeing the unusual in the usual is a delight:
“Consider the pinecone. Imbricated in design much like fish scales. Think bract scales beneath seed scales.” Or, “the coffee urn in the corner is an ancient robot spitting its orange light of being ready.” This is no pessimist’s archive. A welcome undercurrent of hope threads through. “When we share the shine we are even brighter,” the speaker says. “That we’ll sit around. In the future. To share our adventures of exhaustion. “ Nearing the Solstice, Goyette delivers the closing news: the speaker longs for a world that recognizes a duty of care for the young and for each other. “This is why we’re here. Together and apart.” ■ SYLVIA D HAMILTON is the author of And I Alone Escaped to Tell You. Her documentaries include Portia White: Think on Me and Black Mother Black Daughter. In 2019, she received the Governor General’s History Award for Popular Media. She is an Inglis Professor at the University of King’s College.
Ray Cronin reviews collection of expansive photographs of 1970s Canadian road trip
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haddeus Holownia came to New Brunswick from his native Toronto in 1978 to teach art at Mount Allison University. He brought with him a Gundlach banquet camera, c. 1924, designed to take horizontal photographs of large groups. He began using banquet cameras in 1974 and has never stopped, though in later years he has utilized other formats, colour photography and digital processes. The first series he undertook documents travel across North America in that most North American of ways: by automobile. Inspired in part, perhaps, by Robert Frank’s famous American road trip of 20 years earlier, he travelled from Toronto, through the American Midwest, finally ending up in Sackville, New Brunswick. Unlike Frank, who used a 35mm camera suited to capturing fleeting moments, Holownia’s large camera needed a heavy tripod and a long exposure.
His limited equipment kept him to just four photographs a day, which he processed at night in makeshift darkrooms. It made for a stately progress, rather than a pell-mell dash across the continent. That is reflected in the photographs in Headlighting 1974-1978: side-on photographs of cars, filling the frame, with their owner or owners included in the portrait. Rich in detail, the frieze-like composition is reinforced by the shallow depth of field of the photographs. Ranging from antique roadsters to then-new muscle cars, the
photographs are consistently engaging, drawing the viewer in, and documenting a small, fascinating aspect of our culture’s love for and dependence on cars and trucks. At 18 x 12 inches, Headlighting 1974-1978 presents the more than 50 photographs in the series at their actual size, with one photograph to the page. Introduced and designed by Robert Tombs, the coil-bound book is a pleasure to look at and handle. Its size and richness slow the viewer down, setting a quiet pace, reminiscent, perhaps, of that longago road trip. ■ RAY CRONIN is a senior arts professional with more than 25 years’ experience in multiple aspects of museums and creative industries. He is the author of several artist biographies including Maud Lewis: Creating an Icon, Alex Colville: A Rebellious Mind and Mary Pratt: Still Light. NUMBER 94 | FALL 2021
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Atlantic Books Today REVIEWS
Mathias Rodorff reviews crucial biographical history
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ames Lorimer Ilsley (1894-1967), born and raised in the Annapolis Valley, had, as the Minister of Finance, a key role in the cabinet led by Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King during the Second World War. Although he is regarded as one of the significant politicians in the history of Nova Scotia and Canada, Ilsley’s legacy remains unknown to many. The loss of his private papers, little scholarly attention and conflicts between Ilsley and Mackenzie King after the war may have contributed to this relative obscurity. Through the extensive use of various alternative sources, Barry Cahill reduces this imbalance by publishing the first political biography of JL Ilsley. Framed within a biographical focus, with seven well-balanced chapters, this book presents how Ilsey shaped socio-economic and political developments in Nova Scotia and Canada. Chapters 1 and 2, in a classic approach, introduce Ilsey’s upbringing and
education in Nova Scotia, until he goes to Ottawa. The author offers concise information on how Ilsley’s personal and educational background affected his political and legal career. In the next three chapters, the focus lies on Ilsley’s roles as Minister of National Revenue during the Great Depression and
Minister of Finance during the Second World War. Cahill correctly reminds us that Canada did not win the Second World War on the aerial, land and maritime battlefield alone, but also in successfully financing the war effort. In Chapters 6 and 7, the author deepens our understanding of Ilsley’s motives for retiring from his political career, and his accomplishments for Nova Scotia as Chief Justice. Elaborately written, clearly structured with a wealth of quotes, this political biography is a crucial addition for those who want to learn more about the life and legacy of JL Ilsley, and the relationship between the provincial and federal governments in Canada from the 1930s to the 1960s. ■ MATHIAS RODORFF is research manager at the Gorsebrook Research Institute at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, and managing editor of the Journal of the Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society.
Munju Ravindra reviews breathtaking novel of transformation and salvation
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eading Stephens Gerard Malone’s latest novel, The History of Rain, feels akin to sifting through a box of snapshots—one a portrait of a sad man on a grey day; another of a garden exploding in riotous colour; yet another of lovers in the same scene looking towards but not quite seeing each other. The story meanders through history, starting in 1915 when our protagonist, Rain, is a wounded soldier recovering in a sanatorium in France. It is here that he first discovers the power of gardening to transform the gardener, and of gardens to transform their visitors. It is also where he encounters Lily, the girl whose beguiling mix of defiance and curiosity propels him forward. While Rain masterfully creates magical gardens in response to (and despite) his love for the ever-out-of-reach Lily, author Malone sows his seeds in the reader’s
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mind, deftly transforming the grey skies and muddy soils of the war into the lush gardens of post-war Britain and the lurid excesses of Hollywood, as he moves the story through place and time. This novel grapples with themes of love (requited and not), shame, betrayal and
salvation. Malone’s writing is taut, efficient and perfectly on point. I tend to read with an editor’s eye, often wishing for a different word or turn of phrase; but reading this novel I found myself grinning with delight—at the precision of Malone’s word choice; at the comedy in some of his characterization (“her black hair so short and shining it looked like polish upon her skull”); and above all, at the descriptions of the gardens Rain creates as he tries to anchor his beloved Lily’s wandering spirit by painting the world in beauty. Don’t let this one pass you by. Go. Get it now. ■ MUNJU RAVINDRA lives by the sea outside Halifax. She works as a conservation biologist; but reads (and occasionally writes) in her spare time.
REVIEWS Atlantic Books Today
Patty Musgrave-Quinn reviews Trudy J Morgan-Cole’s story of women in colonial New Found Land
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irates, plantations and partnerships that have survived decades; secrets and seashores and seemingly insurmountable challenges on the shores of the New Found Land, circa the early 1600s. Trudy J Morgan-Cole’s latest novel, the second in her Cupids Trilogy, Such Miracles and Mischiefs, is a wonderful read, presenting Newfoundland history as we’ve not seen it before, focusing on women’s colonial experiences. From early in her story, Morgan-Cole establishes the reasonable fear of pirates as a constant reality for her characters: “Kathryn stood, put aside her sewing, and took her son from Bess’s arms, holding him close as if the warmth of his little body were a shield. Pirates? Fire? The warm day grew cold around her.” The story begins when pirates attack
Kathryn Guy, must rebuild a home on the harsh shores of the New Found Land. I will certainly be purchasing copies for family this Christmas, to honour my grandmother, who held dear her roots on the West Coast of that New Found Land and the Mi’kmaw, Acadian and Irish that made up her bloodline. I felt a certain sense of pride in reading about Newfoundland and how it was in the early days. A geographical event, this novel is a special opportunity and one that Newfoundlanders will be particularly proud of. ■ the Guy family’s plantation near Cupids. Nancy Ellis needs all her ingenuity to survive in the hands of lawless men. Meanwhile, her employer and friend,
PATTY MUSGRAVE-QUINN is the Indigenous Affairs Coordinator at Mount Allison University and a proud Shale Gas Land Defender.
Alexia Major reviews a beautiful and vulnerable body of work “no boundaries, no critics/ beyond words and definitions” There is a certain reverence evoked when someone offers to share their experience with trauma. Almost immediately, you are displaced to empathy; you are humbled to share in their hurt, their struggle and their resilience. Veronica Eley offers her heart and her whole self in The Blue Dragonfly. She hides none of her scars and none of her insecurities. This book of poetry presents Eley’s journey through a turbulent life of mental illness, childhood trauma and the challenges these experiences impose on parenthood. A showcase of these themes appears in “humane but not ethical.” This poem knocked the wind out of me upon the first read. The defenselessness of Eley washed over me as I read: “with scientific expanded knowledge / they should be able / to thumbprint a bipolar woman / then she could willingly be sterilized / putting an end to / traumatized children.”
These poignant lines rang in my head days after reading them. To say that Eley crafted these words would discount the raw beauty of her courageous choice to share herself with the reader. From the poem, “humane but not ethical,” I realized the magnitude of Eley’s poetic collection: to share so much of one’s
traumatic history is to offer healing and solidarity to another. The full title of this body of work is The Blue Dragonfly: healing through poetry. The general symbolism of a blue dragonfly signifies communication through self-expression. Fittingly, Eley presents a body of work in which she bares her life, withholding no shortcomings, though she seems tempted as seen in “secret monsters”: “in some ways / I live a life of pretence / hidden/shameful / feeding the snake within / with disgusting morsels.” However, Eley pushes through these misgivings to present a beautiful and vulnerable body of work that I am sure will offer solace and healing to many. ■ ALEXIA MAJOR is an English Studies graduate of Mount Saint Vincent University. Alexia has a love for books and rainy weather. Most often, she can be found enjoying the poetry of Emily Dickinson or composing poetry of her own.
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Atlantic Books Today REVIEWS Atlantic Books Today NEWS FEATURE
MA R K ET P LAC E
Chocolate River Publishing www.chocolateriver.ca
Every child deserves a good book
From the author of Africville comes a new gospel-infused play that explores the complex relationship between two brothers strained over twenty years of secrecy, deception, and dishonour. Available now on playwrightscanada.com or at your favourite local bookstore.
The Unconventional Nancy Ruth by Ramona Lumpkin “The book succeeds [...in...] ensuring that Nancy Ruth’s remarkable story receives its place in Canadian history." - Quill & Quire Written by Dr. Ramona Lumpkin, interim President and Vice-Chancellor at Mount Saint Vincent University, this portrait of the philanthropist, feminist, and first openly lesbian senator in Canada is as rich in nuance and surprises as Nancy herself.
New from Second Story Press A Terrible Tide by Suzanne Meade “…the tale will transfix readers with both the adventure of the tidal wave and its aftermath, and the many historical details that bring to life an isolated but close-knit fishing community.” - Kirkus STARRED Review Based on the true story of an earthquake that shook Newfoundland's Burin Peninsula, A Terrible Tide tells the tale of this forgotten disaster from the point of view of a young girl whose life is turned upside down.
AN ECLECTIC SHOWCASE FOR THE DISCRIMINATING Literature • Original Visual Art from Atlantic Canada • First Nations Privateers Upper Water Privat a eers Wharf Historic Properties, 1869 Up at U per Wa W ater St. at Halifax NS. B3J 1S9 | 902.423.2940 | carrefouratlantic@bellaliant.com www.carrefouratlantique.ca Newfoundland EmporiumAntique & Souvenir Shop 11 Broadway Street. Corner Brook, NL 709.634.9376 | www.NewfoundlandEmporium.ca
Atlantic Books Today AFTERWORD
Fireside fiction STILL MORE STUBBORN STARS
ALONE ON THE TRAIL
Renée Belliveau Nimbus Publishing
Emily Hepditch Flanker Press
A character study of an eccentric power broker of rural western Prince Edward Island and a rollicking tale of East Coast and small-island life in the 20th century, Paul Gallant’s— best known for his work as editor of the LGBTQ+ publication Xtra—highly anticipated debut novel is funny and powerful.
A beautifully written work of historical fiction based on a 1941 fire that devastated the Mount Allison University men’s residence in Sackville, New Brunswick, killing four. Belliveau makes the most of shifting perspectives, showing us Canada during the Second World War through the eyes of students, faculty and staff, a journalist, and the fire itself.
Featuring evocative, sensory language taking us deep into the scene, wailing at whatever lurks around the next tree. By rolling between the points of view of four friends, Hepditch slowly reveals new plot and character details, ramping up the tension as she goes.
THE LOVE OLYMPICS
Claire Wilkshire Breakwater Books
Seasoned short story writer Claire Wilkshire knows how to build a compelling character worth cheering for, despite whatever foibles they may possess. She’s also got excellent control, maximizing each word’s impact. These stories never fail to surprise. THE HANGED WOMAN’S DAUGHTER
Nellie Strowbridge Flanker Press
This engrossing tale of trauma, shame and mystery within a family features characters who embody all the contradictions and charm of Newfoundland. Strowbridge, who has won a record 17 NL Arts and Letters Awards, turns a phrase too: “her body heavy as a killick dragged along a stony seabed.” Whoa!
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THE SOUND OF FIRE
Paul Gallant Acorn Press
THE BLUE MOTH MOTEL
Olivia Robinson Breakwater Books
Family dynamics, grief and home. The mysterious arrival of blue moths at the motel where Ingrid and Norah are raised by their two mothers. Years later, when Ingrid, now a budding solo vocalist in England, loses her voice, she must make a difficult decision, a need that points her homeward.
BENEATH HER SKIN
CS Porter Nimbus Publishing
A mystery written by a mystery—CS Porter, that is, who according to the book jacket, “is rumoured [to have] once [been] involved in crime investigation.” Age, gender and origin unknown. Starring hard, relentless and unbending homicide detective Kes Morris, who uncovers a web of gruesome crimes going back decades. MY FATHER’S SON
THREE FOR TRINITY
Kevin Major Breakwater Books
Third installment in Governor-General Award winner Kevin Major’s popular Sebastian Synard Mystery series, which combines laughaloud humour with fingernail-clenching suspense. Sebastian is trying to keep his business afloat through a global pandemic when he’s forced to risk everything going undercover to solve a local murder.
Tom Moore Flanker Press
In her review for atlanticbooks.ca, Stephanie Collins noted Walter Ryan as an unforgettable driving force of this novel. “Everyone knows a Walter, but it is his crusade and dynamic personality that drives the story, helping us realize the importance of standing up for what is right.”
AFTERWORD
Atlantic Books Today
Teasers D
arlene and Tiffany left Boston at 6:00 p.m., changed flights in Toronto, and boarded the three-hour flight to St. John’s. To calm her nervousness, Darlene took out her mother’s family tree printout. She had close to memorized it over the last week, but now confusion was setting in. “Grandma’s grandparents, that would make them your what?” “My great-great-grandparents,” Tiffany said quietly. “So, according to Grandma’s research and this DNA Strands website, a Mary Rourke was born in John’s Pond and got married there in her twenties to a Peter Nolan, also from John’s Pond.” She pulled out a map and pointed to the red “X” marked on the island of Newfoundland. Tiffany nodded. “The Nolans were both doctors. Mary went to university in Boston. Aunt Ammie was born there, too.” “Okay,” Tiffany said as she stifled a yawn. “We’ll figure it out when we get there.” “Tiffany Emma Carter,” Darlene said. “Pay attention.” “I get it, lots of Boston connections. And whatever the relationship, I’ll call her Aunt Ammie without the air quotes.” Tiffany stuffed her hands in her hoodie’s pocket and grinned as her fingers moved beneath the fabric. Darlene squeezed them through the pouch and smiled. “Besides, what could be so interesting about any of them? I mean, beyond great-great-almost-a-hundred-and-one-year-oldaunt-slash-cousin interesting?” Darlene shook her head and laughed. “I’m sure Aunt Ammie will remember lots of stories. Mary died sometime in the 1950s or ’60s.” “Grandma certainly had lots of questions,” Tiffany observed. “Grandma’s ‘evidence,’” Darlene said as she air-quoted. At the bottom of the last sheet, Darlene tapped the capitalized word JOURNALS, which was followed by a red circled “Mary and Peter.” —Excerpted from The Stolen Ones by Ida Linehan Young. © by Ida Linehan Young. Published by Flanker Press. flankerpress.com
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ou would never think that I would be a sex worker. This goes to show that too many people out there already know a sex worker and have no idea, because we’re just regular people, the same as everyone else. We all have hopes and dreams, and goals—all of us. We have good days and bad days in our jobs, just like everyone else. Sexual harassment and rape can happen in any workplace, not just ours. We bleed the same blood.” –Anonymous “We should be making sure that sex workers are ok, and being taken care of, and just as safe as everyone else, and have the same human rights that we’re entitled to that get taken away. People need to know that it’s the oldest profession in the world and it’s not going to go away ... We all have different stories and different experiences and if you would listen to that, you would understand more maybe why people are doing the things they’re doing.” –Lydia, “Our Rights Get Stripped Away” —Excerpted from Rock Paper Sex Volume II: Trigger Warning, by Kerri Cull. © by Kerri Cull. Published by Breakwater Books. breakwaterbooks.com
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Atlantic Books Today AFTERWORD
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sunamis can do more damage than the earthquakes that trigger them, but we know more about the land under our feet than the floor under the waves. The data discrepancy between land and sea is especially concerning right along the coast. The Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station on the New Brunswick side of the Bay of Fundy is a good example. In a licence-renewal hearing in 2017, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission considered all sorts of hazards that could conceivably cause trouble at Canada’s only nuclear plant on an ocean coastline, from meteor strikes to plane crashes to dam failures. Earthquake and tsunami hazards were also taken into account. A moderate earthquake, estimated as magnitude 5.9, shook St. Stephen, centred about ninety kilometres down the coast and at the border with Maine, in 1904. The nuclear facility is built only fourteen metres above the Bay of Fundy, which, as any New Brunswicker worth their salt will tell you, has the world’s highest tides. NB Power, the electric utility that owns Point Lepreau, insists the plant can endure a large earthquake and is high enough to withstand a tsunami. Nuclear critics are skeptical: fourteen metres is roughly the same height as the tsunami wave that crippled the Fukushima Daiichi plant. NB Power argues the Bay of Fundy is more protected than the open coast, because Nova Scotia and Sable Island will act as natural breakwaters and protect the bay from a tsunami’s worst effects. But Ronald Babin, a Université de Moncton social scientist and nuclear critic, notes that Japanese nuclear officials believed Fukushima was safe, too. —Excerpted from On Borrowed Time: North America’s Next Big Quake by Gregor Craigie. © by Gregor Craigie. Published by Goose Lane Editions. gooselane.com
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ow can it be that, after having spent almost $13 billion on energy security, the provincial government must now seek revenue from another source, or assistance from the federal government to subsidize electrical rates and protect citizens from the Frankenstein-like creation of its own Crown agency? Considered on their own, the many distinct problems that have beleaguered the dam might each be attributed to local accidents of mismanagement, cost overrun, “optimism bias,” or even corruption and crime. But taken together, the logistics and means which brought Muskrat Falls to life fit the profile of an increasingly familiar kind of crisis, visible across Canada and around the world today, where public means of providing vital services and infrastructural security—that is, access to heat, water, food, energy, shelter—are changed into collateral for risky, speculative enterprises, with often disastrous results. The Chalillo Dam built in Belize by Newfoundland’s Fortis Inc., The Irish Water Corporation, the airport in Freetown Sierra Leone, the Site C Dam in British Columbia, and the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka are all recent projects that, like Muskrat Falls, promised to reinvigorate failing public infrastructure through new forms of investment finance. Instead, each has arguably diminished the public benefit of these utilities because, as with Muskrat Falls, the mechanisms and means that guarantee profit for global investment houses and international construction firms directly undermine long-term public health and the infrastructural security of citizens. —Excerpted from “Introduction: How a Public Utility Became a Predatory Formation” by Stephen Crocker in Muskrat Falls: How a Mega Dam Became a Predatory Formation, edited by Stephen Crocker and Lisa Moore. © Stephen Crocker. Published by Memorial University Press. memorialuniversitypress.ca
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AFTERWORD
Atlantic Books Today
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ne evening in early March 1936 a very frustrated Sir John Hope Simpson sat down at his writing desk in the little office next to his bedroom in the Newfoundland Hotel and wrote a letter to his son, Ian. In it, he vented about his job as Commissioner of Natural Resources in the recently organized Commission of Government. Sworn in on 16 February 1934, it was comprised of six Britishappointed Commissioners — three from the United Kingdom, and three from Newfoundland — with the Governor acting as chairman. The Commission of Government aimed to resolve Newfoundland’s immediate fiscal crisis and to bring the economy out of the Great Depression, following the relinquishment of self-rule in 1933. As Commissioner of Natural Resources, Hope Simpson — a seasoned British administrator with over 20 years’ experience in the Indian Civil Service — was charged with governing and modernizing Newfoundland’s key resource industries: fishing, pulp and paper production, and mining. This was a daunting task that demanded a gruelling work schedule, a real intellectual and physical challenge, especially for someone on the verge of retirement. “I am tired frequently,” he wrote, “...I almost said ‘generally,’ and that would be true at the end of the day.” In his letter to Ian, Hope Simpson complained that Newfoundlanders refused to acknowledge that living conditions in Newfoundland would continue to be deplorable until circumstances improved in the country’s primary industry: the export of salted and dried cod to Southern Europe and Latin America. —Excerpted from Fishing Measures: A Critique of Desk-bound Reason, by Daniel Banoub. © Daniel Banoub. Published by Memorial University Press. memorialuniversitypress.ca
Excerpted from Dying for Attention: A Graphic Memoir of Nursing Home Care by Susan MacLeod. © Susan MacLeod. Published by Conundrum Press. conundrumpress.com
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