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Unexpected Arrivals
Sometimes unexpected books arrive in one’s life. From surprising sources. Through unlikely routes. About subjects one never usually reads. And then, once started, one is compelled to read right to the very end and, finally, write about. Such was the case for When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanthi. The book recently travelled from my Read more
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On the Fate of Eider Ducks
Recently, courtesy of Canada’s national television broadcaster (the CBC), I came across a historical vignette about New Brunswick’s Kent Island. The tiny island sits off the coast of Grand Manan (in the center of the Bay of Fundy). It measures about 800 metres wide (at its widest point) and three kilometres long. It’s too small Read more
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The case of the disappearing philosopher
The original title for this post was: “A Popular History of Philosophy”. My second choice had been: “Whatever happened to Maurice Kaunitz?” However, doubting either subject heading would entice anyone to read what came next, and imagining no one would ever bother opening the resulting post, I figured I’d better change it. I hope you’ll Read more
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In Praise of Little Libraries
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about Richard Nixon. But not just Nixon. I’ve also been entranced by a now-famous Botswana detective agency. And a certain well-known Belgian detective traveling on a train through pre-war Eastern Europe. And a Norwegian police detective dealing with both murder and his personal demons in Oslo. And an honourable Read more
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A Life in the Country
In my last post, I spoke about the prose and artistry of the English author, Robert Gibbings, who wrote in mid-20th century about his life along the Thames River. The only Canadian writer I know who wrote in a similar fashion to Gibbings was Bruce Hutchison (1901-92), whose A Life in the Country employs the Read more
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Till I End My Song
In the fall of 2021, over the course of two posts (September 25 and October 9, to be exact), I wrote about Cider With Rosie, Laurie Lee’s wonderful memoir about his childhood in the English Cotswolds, towards the end of the First World War. Today, I turn to another author, who wrote in a similar Read more
