Shelagh Rogers’ Recommended Book
Changing the Face of Canadian Literature:
a diverse Canadian anthology
This anthology is animated by many voices and they all seem to speak to each other across the pages. Dane Swan’s foreword is provocative and imaginative, for instance asking the reader to consider what classrooms would be like if The Dub Poets were taught alongside/instead of The Confederation Poets.
I mean, WoW! The opening essay concludes with ‘Congratulations, Canada, you finally have a literature that looks like the people who inhabit you. Do not take this moment for granted.’ A great read and a call to action and accountability.
Needless to say, moments like now, when the hurdles to becoming a respected author are at their lowest. When the only hurdles to being published are the quality of your writing and your patience to deal with certain less and less important gatekeepers. Moments in history like this, must be acknowledged and celebrated. That’s what this anthology is: It’s a celebration. A moment to cry out, “Look how many of us have a voice! There are stories, and poetry in this country that are about people like me! I am not alone!”
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