3 minute read
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).
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.
Danny Joseph works to protect his community from a global pandemic. From We Rise Again by Len Wagg and Angela Mombourquette (Nimbus Publishing). 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).
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).
Source: HVS, Cape Breton County Death Register, 1918, Book 30, Page 47, Number 273.
