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Books On Marriage, Resilience, Tension, And Poetry That Sneaks Up On You

Constantine-3

Read This details book selections by local authorities, luminaries, institutions, and locals that share deep affections for the written word. This week, we asked Cristina Melo, Arielle Spence, and Clea Young of the Vancouver Writers Fest to give us four titles that would sweeten our summer…

1. In Another Country, Selected Stories by David Constantine, Biblioasis
recommended by Judith Walker

Like a luxurious balsamic reduction, a great short story is painstaking to create, full of flavour and the first taste tells you it’s a masterful creation. UK author David Constantine, celebrated in his homeland but virtually unknown in North America, begins his collection, In Another Country, with the title story that opens: “When Mrs. Mercer came in she found her husband looking poorly. What’s the matter now? she asked.” That simple “now” adds layers of tension, history and chill to the marriage, a masterful touch fully on display in just two short sentences. The entire collection comprises richly rewarding, unforgettable stories gathered from over four books and two decades of work. BTW, this year’s VIFF film 45 Years is based on Constantine’s title short story.

2. The Outside Circle, Patti LaBoucane-Benson and Kelly Mellings, House of Anansi
recommended by Arielle Spence

For many, the concept of reconciliation is nebulous — what would it actually take to put a stop to, and heal from, the violence of colonialism? In The Outside Circle, LaBoucane-Benson makes reconciliation personal through the story of Pete and Joey, brothers who struggle through homelessness, gang violence and the prison system. Accompanied by Mellings’ heart-wrenching artwork, LaBoucane-Benson uses the boys’ personal experiences to deliver a political punch: here, the Canadian government’s efforts to decimate Indigenous nations are laid bare. Yet the book also demonstrates the resilience of Indigenous people; to heal from this violence, Pete and Joey must re-learn the value of community and tradition. Overall, an important story from a promising new voice.

3. Application for Release from the Dream, Tony Hoagland, Graywolf Press
recommended by Clea Young

Tony Hoagland says “the first illusion that any poet has to dispel…is that poetry is for sissies, or that poetry is for people who are specially qualified…” Anyone reading his fifth collection will find such illusions dispelled poem after poem. Take the opening of “Don’t Tell Anyone”:

We had been married for six or seven years
when my wife, standing in the kitchen one afternoon, told me
that she screams underwater when she swims

You’re into the poem before you know it. No struggle, no confusion. This is Hoagland pushing you into poetry’s deep end to show you a) that you can swim, and b) that the water feels good. Unpretentious, funny, moving and contemporary, Hoagland is a poet for us all.

4. Fates and Furies, Lauren Groff, Penguin Random House
recommended by Ann McDonell

Lauren Goff has written a fearless, exhilarating, tragic and visceral portrait of two people and a marriage. Fates and Furies begins with a scene of youthful passion: Mathilde and Lotto are in love, uncompromising, lusty and fierce. They’ve just graduated from college and have eloped. They seem destined for greatness, but even from the beginning, Mathilde understands a tragic truth: “The gods love to fuck with us.” Their story is compelling, full of desire, dark secrets and stunning revelations, told from Mathilde and Lotto’s alternating points of view over twenty-four years.

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VIWF_logo-red-(1)The Vancouver Writers Fest is a celebration of story, told by authors, poets, spoken word performers, and graphic novelists. Each October we present 6 days of events on Granville Island for readers of all interests – readings, interviews, discussions and performances –with 100+ acclaimed and emerging writers from around the world.

Scout Book Club, Vol. 10

We like consuming words on the page almost as much as we like consuming food on the plate. Welcome to the Scout Book Club: a brief and regular rundown of what we're reading, what's staring at us from the bookshelf begging to be read next, and what we've already read and recommend.

Scout Book Club, Vol. 9

We like consuming words on the page almost as much as we like consuming food on the plate. Welcome to the Scout Book Club: a brief and regular rundown of what we're reading, what's staring at us from the bookshelf begging to be read next, and what we've already read and recommend.

Scout Book Club, Vol. 8

We like consuming words on the page almost as much as we like consuming food on the plate. Welcome to the Scout Book Club: a brief and regular rundown of what we're reading, what's staring at us from the bookshelf begging to be read next, and what we've already read and recommend.

Scout Book Club, Vol. 7

We like consuming words on the page almost as much as we like consuming food on the plate. Welcome to the Scout Book Club: a brief and regular rundown of what we're reading, what's staring at us from the bookshelf begging to be read next, and what we've already read and recommend.