The Lamppost» Wayne Johnston

Top 5 Canadian Storytellers

Brad W — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:10:12 +0000

My wife recently complained that Canadian Literature has really become like the Emperor’s New Clothes — we expect a book to be brilliant and then overlook the fact that many of these novels fail to tell a story at all. In contemporary literature, it appears fashionable to completely disregard the plot; authors seem caught up in a play of words that present a series of images which us readers are then expected to string together. These authors are more tricksters than guides. We’re expected to scratch our heads at the story and simply applaud the author’s erudite phrases; we’re expected to lead ourselves down the garden path.

Where is the Robertson Davies or Mordecai Richler of today?

Well, for the record, here are my Top 5 Canadian authors that I happen to think are still doing an admirable job of telling our stories:

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Image by Canada Reads

Top 5 Literary Dinner Guests

Brad W — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:39:11 +0000

When I read Edmund Morris’ memoir of Ronald Reagan a couple of years ago, I was struck by the dinner described in the introduction, hosted by the President and attended by political historians. How wonderful it would be to share a meal with so many writers! I’ve since daydreamed about the authors that I’d invite over for a luncheon should my address ever be 24 Sussex Dr.

While I suppose it would be important to have Richard J. Gwyn, Adam Daifallah, Margaret Macmillan, Andrew Cohen, and Conrad Black over to discuss political history, I think that my first get-together would have to be in honour of fiction.

Therefore, while I would be sure to invite W.H. New, Robert Fulford, Yann Martel, and Rex Murphy to keep the conversation both literary and entertaining, the Top 5 authors that I would dine with would be:

Sandwiches, chips, and ale at the Prime Minister’s house, anyone?

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Image by 416style

The David Adams Richards Book Club

Brad W — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 12:31:24 +0000

With the madness of September well behind us and a waning October moon, it is time to turn our thoughts back to the staff book club, time to meet and chat about the books that we read this past summer, and select a few potential reads for the winter.

Our staff book club meets infrequently and we select a few titles in the hopes that everyone will be able to pick up at least one of them. Then, during the following months, it is fun to see teachers carrying identical books through the halls. The students notice too: “Hey! I just saw Mr. K. reading that book. Is it good?”

Here’s a checklist of our last two years.

Our focus has obviously been Canadian Literature, and we are drawn to David Adams Richards titles — it was the discovery that several of us wanted to read Mercy Among the Children that gave rise to the book club in the first place.

Now, with Fall Break approaching, I think that it is time to gather the 20 fellow teachers, to express our grief (and rage) that The Lost Highway and Asylum were excluded from the Giller Prize shortlist, to find out if anyone read The Letter Opener, and to see if anyone loved The Yiddish Policemen’s Union as much as I did.