p. 1

ex ce rp ts · re vi ew fr s· ee bo o k w s ne fall 2011 · no 67 publications mail agreement 40038836 word on the water halifax book and magazine festival goes seaside sunday september 25 tanya davis is not so lonely musician spoken word artist and poet laureate inside her creative space words of wisdom advice all writers should take from alexander macleod sheree fitch steve vernon and more feast your eyes on canadianbookshelf.com an all-you-can-read buffet page 16 creative nests when musicians and authors flock together

[close]

p. 2

[close]

p. 3

[close]

p. 4

atlantic books today contents contents atlantic books today · number 67 features 16 canadian bookshelf an all-you-can read buffet 22 creative nests when the musician and the writer live under the same roof on the cover 24 word on the water halifax book and magazine festival goes seaside sunday september 25 word on the water 26 words of wisdom advice all writers should take 28 the antagonist cape breton native lynn coady on the origins of her new novel the antagonist creativity and her atlantic canadian roots 29 the protagonist newfoundland s edward riche on the origins of his new novel easy to like creativity and his atlantic canadian roots 30 reluctant to read finding ways to engage and excite children are keys to igniting a love of reading the word on the street book and magazine festival takes place on the halifax waterfront surrounding the maritime museum of the atlantic and across the harbour at alderney landing in dartmouth a celebration of literacy and the written word tanya davis cover image and tanya davis photo on this page kelly clark fotography typicalgirl.com in halifax n.s taken on the halifax waterfront home of the 2011 the word on the street halifax book and magazine festival in halifax n.s 2 fall 2011 atlantic books today

[close]

p. 5

atlantic books today contents in every issue 7 our contributors steven w beattie is the review editor at quill quire he administers the literary website that shakespearean rag alec bruce received two golds in the 2011 atlantic journalism awards one for magazine article and the other for commentary michelle brunet is a freelance writer and esl teacher based in halifax n.s paul butler is the st john s-based author of cupids and hero stephen clare is a freelance writer and musician living in halifax n.s jodi delong is a freelance writer whose sanctuary is scotts bay n.s her book plants for atlantic gardens was recently published by nimbus lisa doucet is a children s bookseller at woozles in halifax n s margaret patricia eaton s third poetry collection vision voice in collaboration with artist angelica de benedetti was released in july by eagle wings press moncton sue carter flinn is the former arts and deputy editor for halifax s the coast currently working in toronto as web editor for quill quire skana gee is a halifax-based freelance writer editor and communications consultant who spends a week each summer at argyle shore p.e.i maura hanrahan s novel sheilagh s brush inanna won an independent press award this past may ralph higgins is a writer columnist and book/movie reviewer living in nova scotia s annapolis valley sharon hunt is a freelance writer and editor living in st john s n.l sandy macdonald is a halifax-based freelance writer and a weekend musician rosalie maceachern is a freelance writer living in stellarton n.s joanna manning writes and teaches yoga in moncton n.b don mcleod is a retired air force colonel with forty-seven years service with the canadian forces and the department of national defence laurie glenn norris writes and lives in lower kingsclear n.b with her husband barry many cats and lots of books clare o connor is a freelance writer living in halifax n.s elizabeth patterson is a writer musician and broadcaster based in sydney n.s chad pelley is a multi-award-winning author from st john s and the founder of salty ink jacques poitras is the provincial affairs reporter for cbc news in new brunswick and the author of beaverbrook a shattered legacy his newest book is imaginary line life on an unfinished border jon tattrie is a freelance journalist and the author of black snow and the hermit of africville pottersfield press len wagg is the author of nova scotia landmarks wild nova scotia and nova scotia he is a photography columnist for the chronicle herald kate watson is a freelance writer and theatre critic for the coast living in dartmouth n.s atlantic books today interview with an author poet sue goyette completes abt s proust questionnaire 8 book excerpts mind over mussels a shores mystery nothing big ever happens in the shores ceilidhs yes killings no that all changes when amateur sleuth hy mcallister trips over a body on the beach and stumbles head first into a murder case the devil and the deep blue sea an-depth crime investigation by steven laffoley as he travels the tough streets of 1896 halifax to the courtrooms of boston in search of a killer along the way he discovers that nothing in this case is what it first seems danny williams please come back a collection of social and political commentaries written by bill rowe published from 2005 to 2007 in the st john s telegram and the corner brook western star 14 inside the author s studio musician and spoken word performer tanya davis takes to the page with her debut collection of poems at first lonely 18 children s books the best of new children s and young adult books 21 guest editorial on canlit book blogging steven w beattie tries to answer the question why blog 32 book reviews a selection of fiction history non-fiction and local interest 45 events a list of upcoming atlantic book-related events 46 book news all the latest from the atlantic book world 48 book giveaway enter to win a beautiful basket of atlantic canadian books fall 2011 3

[close]

p. 6

atlantic books today where to find us abt can be found in many libraries bookstores and cafés throughout atlantic canada and here are a few new brunswick bathurst · bathurst book gallery dieppe · chapters champlain place fredericton · chapters regent mall · maritime writers workshop · owl s nest bookstore · read s newstand united book exchange · strange adventures · unb bookstore · westminster books · york regional library fundy guild national park · fundy guild bookstore miramichi · books inn moncton · centre d etudes acadiennes · moncton public library · rags of time books and crafts · read s newstand united book exchange oromocto · sharla books plaster rock · blue mountain pharmacy book gallery riverview · cover to cover rothesay · benjamin s books sackville · rags of time books and crafts · tidewater books saint john · chapters indigo point · coles brunswick square · coles lancaster mall · coles mcallister place · inprint · saint john regional library · scheherazade books and music · the museum shop · trinity enterprise bookstore · unbsj bookstore st andrews · boutique la baleine the whale store woodstock · owl books and gifts newfoundland corner brook · coles corner brook plaza · family bookstore · newfoundland emporium · sir wilfred grenfell college bookstore gander · the book worm grand falls-windsor · the bookmark st john s · chapters · coles avalon mall · coles village shopping centre · downhomer · memorial university bookstore 4 fall 2011 · newfoundland public library · the bookery on signal hill · writers alliance of newfoundland and labrador stephenville · beavercraft nova scotia amherst · amy s used books · coles amherst shopping centre · pugsley s pharmacy ltd annapolis royal · bainton tannery outlet mad hatter books antigonish · antigonish 5c to the $1.00 · bookends · coles antigonish mall · word by word bookstore baddeck · blue heron gift shop ltd bear rvier · bear river bargains and books bedford · coles bedford place mall · smithbooks sunnyside mall bridgewater · coles bridgewater mall · sagors bookstore dartmouth · chapters mic mac mall · coles penhorn shopping centre · tattletales books digby · magasin campus bookstore eastern passage · dockside treasures enfield · ns tourism and information booth · relay books greenwood · the inside story halifax · atlantic news · back pages · bookmark ii · buy the book and more ltd · carrefour atlantique emporium · chapters bayers lake · coles halifax shopping centre · coles scotia square · dal tech bookstore · dalhousie university bookstore · diocesan bookroom · etc press · jade w · king s bookstore cooperative ltd · little mysteries bookstore · maps and more · mount saint vincent university bookstore · ns provincial libraries · ns visitor and information centre · nscc bookstore · pier 21 giftshop · schooner books · st mary s university bookstore · strange adventures · trident booksellers · united book stores · woozles children s bookstore · writers federation of nova scotia kentville · r.d chisholm ltd liverpool · snug harbour books gourmet shop lunenburg · admiral benbow trading company · bluenose ii company store · elizabeth s books · salt store gift shop · the black duck mahone bay · biscuit eater books and café · bluestone magik · simple things booksellers and gift shop new glasgow · coles · downtown book exchange new minas · coles county fair mall port hawkesbury · the nautical institute library shelburne · the whirligig book shop stewiacke · the ridge shop sydney · coles mayflower mall · reynolds bookshop · cape breton university bookstore · cape breton university library tatamagouche · hanna s books · tatamagouche centre truro · bookstore of the nova scotia agricultural college · coles truro mall · nscc bookstore · nscc library · the book nook wolfville · acadia university bookstore · box of delights yarmouth · at the sign of the whale · coles yarmouth mall · mast head gift shop prince edward island charlottetown · bookmark confederation court mall · bookmark publisher s outlet · holland college · indigo charlottetown · university of pei bookstore cornwall · booktales morell · pei provincial library · the bookmark summerside · avonlea bookstore · coles county fair mall atlantic books today is published by the atlantic publishers marketing association www.atlanticpublishers.ca which gratefully acknowledges the financial assistance of the canada council for the arts and the canada book fund of the department of canadian heritage opinions expressed in articles in atlantic books today do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the board of the atlantic publishers marketing association publisher atlantic publishers marketing association peggy walt executive director managing editor heather fegan editorial advisory committee heidi hallett kristina parlee advertising sales regional peggy walt 902 420.0711 pwalt@atlanticpublishers.ca national michael wile 416 531.1483 ads@lrcreview.com design meghan rushton ­ design@atlanticpublishers.ca printed in canada this is issue number 67 fall 2011 atlantic books today is published three times a year all issues are numbered in sequence total atlantic-wide circulation 60,000 issn 1192-3652 one-year subscriptions to abt are available for $15 17.25 including hst please make cheques payable to the atlantic publishers marketing association and mail to address below or contact heather fegan for subscription inquiries publications mail agreement no 40038836 return undeliverable canadian addresses to atlantic publishers marketing association atlantic books today 1484 carlton street halifax ns b3h 3b7 e-mail apma.admin@atlanticpublishers.ca phone 902 420.0711 fax 902 423.4302 www.atlanticpublishers.ca atlantic books today

[close]

p. 7

atlantic books today editors message dear reader you may notice some changes with this issue of abt only because we like to take into consideration what you our dear readers have to say according to our 2010 readers survey our in the author s studio section is one of the most popular we have so we ve decided to give you more this section has expanded to two pages and our hope is to take you even deeper into the creative minds and spaces of atlantic canadian authors and illustrators this issue we re dropping by the at-home studio of tanya davis the musician spoken word performer and poet who graces our cover with ease more on that in a moment we ve also changed up our interview with an author section now you ll find the abt edition of the proust questionnaire this survey includes questions that marcel proust answered in the 1880s the questionnaire was a popular parisian parlour game among the novelist s bourgeois crowd we can t believe we didn t think of this before a perfect fit for abt we hope you enjoy our interrogations into the personal lives of some of your favourite authors we know we ll come across some humourous and creative answers along the way the word on the street book and magazine festival is going seaside this year with a move to a new location on the halifax waterfront in and around the maritime museum of the atlantic and we have all the details page twenty-four our cover girl tanya davis dropped by the new venue for a photo shoot you may recognize halifax s new poet laureate from the hit how to be alone video-poem which has garnered over three million hits since going viral on youtube davis will take to the stage at word on the street on september 25 with fellow poets sue gyoette our first respondent to abt s proust questionnaire page seven and george elliott clarke also appearing are linden macintyre alexander macleod sheree fitch and dozens more for all our aspiring writers these authors and others offer up invaluable wisdom learned from their trade page twenty-five based on the popularity of pitch the publisher back at the festival for another round this year there are many of you with the desire to be published take note this is soughtafter advice all writers should hear hope to see you at word on the street and don t forget you can check in with us anytime on twitter abtmagazine facebook or on our website atlanticbookstoday.ca heather fegan peggy walt atlantic books today atlantic books today fall 2011 5

[close]

p. 8

how does a printing company in a small nova scotia town become a major force in the atlantic canadian print industry and a hands-down favourite for clients roots work ethic ability diversity desire www.advocateprinting.com 1-800-236-9526 pictou ns dartmouth ns st stephen nb moncton nb our goal is simple be indispensable 6 fall 2011 atlantic books today

[close]

p. 9

atlantic books today interview abt s proust questionnaire sue goyette sue goyette s poetry has appeared on the toronto subway system in wedding vows and spray-painted on a sidewalk with three collections of poetry published including the most recent tour de force outskirts brick books she s been nominated for several awards here the halifax poet contemplates misery happiness and life as a dancer sue goyette what do you consider your best quality if you could be someone else for a day who my enthusiasm though it s not always a would it be i d like to be a dancer in a marie chouinard good thing on the dance floor choreographed performance with all of the physical strength and grace that would a quality you desire in a partner a sense of humour and a sense of direction require it would be amazing to feel that kind of leap and play and to be in a body what do you appreciate most about your that is capable of that or maybe a biologist working with packs of wolves and coyotes friends that they re willing to disagree with me it would be fascinating to be familiar with the habitats and habits of that kind of wiland that they laugh at the right time derness and to be able to track a pack your worst quality the dark side of my enthusiasm which can favourite colour orange and raspberry next to each other make me operatic or single-minded your favourite occupation i really like being a poet what is your idea of happiness august my backyard and its trees the tiny lights in them friends my record player and a good box of records favourite animal wolves and foxes owls bats your favourite poets there are so many poets who ve been essential to me walt whitman elizabeth bishop rené char rilke paul celan saint denys garneau more currently dean young c.d wright amy gerstler your real life heroes the dalai lama people who ride their bikes in halifax organic farmers teachers activists artists people who work with children or seniors nurses kids standing up for other kids people who talk and listen to teenagers your favourite food and drink sweet potato tempura and udon noodles and i really like real lemonade though some days it s a poutine and a kilkenny what is your greatest fear having a greatest fear is my greatest fear the idea of a greatest fear totally freaks me out i d be on the look-out for its long shadow all the time and it would be out there like the ocean skulking a natural talent you would like to possess i d like to be able to sing to really sing but then i d be unbearable one big constant vegas act how you want to die peacefully elderly surrounded by family and dear friends your present state of mind i m pretty relaxed and happy favourite or personal motto goethe s do not hurry do not rest abt your idea of misery besides the obvious hunger poverty war the inability to do what i love not being favourite authors able to see my kids and step-kids and roch carrier italo calvino katherine way at the bottom of the list mosquitos mansfield william faulkner and tippy canoes your favourite fictional heroes i still think of hagar shipley from margaret where would you most like to live somewhere sustainable but urban i like the laurence s the stone angel her spiciness energy of a well-run city i was just in new and bewilderment in the face of aging still york and it was pretty amazing i like it rings vivid and true and i read that book here because the atlantic keeps me humble many years ago atlantic books today fall 2011 7

[close]

p. 10

atlantic books today book excerpt abt book excerpt mind over mussels a shores mystery by hilary macleod excerpted from mind over mussels by hilary macleod the acorn press $22.95 pb 320 pp 978-1-894838-60-3 september 2011 nothing big ever happens in the shores ceilidhs yes killings no that all changes when amateur sleuth hy mcallister trips over a body on the beach and stumbles head first into a murder case as hurricane angus storms up the coast hy must vie against the elements to uncover the murderer in a village where almost everyone has something to hide new fiction from the acorn press an unusual mix of gulls and crows was circling low over the shore cawing screaming battling for their trophies with a greater fuss than usual it struck gus mack as odd when she lumbered to the back room the one that used to be a porch the sky was grey and angry the storm was moving in hurricane angus they were calling it except here in the shores it was hurricane gus the neighbours teasing her because she was afraid of storms she who d seen so many of them whose shock of white hair looked as if she d been hit by lightning her greatest fear there was a storm coming no doubt of that it had been brooding around the shores for days after a month of sunshine the skies hung heavy over red island encouraging carpenter harold maclean to pronounce storm coming every night for a week now people wanted it to come just to shut him up the longer it takes the worse it will be gus kept saying unlike harold she was usually right about the weather she d lived so long she d seen it all gus gazed on the green fields the red cliffs and the shore washed today by steelgrey water spiked with whitecaps her 8 fall 2011 neighbours found her fascination with the coast peculiar they preferred to scan the road to see who was driving by when and why gus looked at the road too from her big purple recliner beside the large picture window that looked out on the crossroads she saw everything that came and went through the village what was left of it the hall the empty lots where the school and general store used to be one of the most dramatic moments had been when an explosion sent her husband abel flying out of the old store a drunken farmer had backed into a fuel pump after the tank had just been filled a pop machine and several cartons of canned food cleared a path for abel out the shop window he landed on his feet unharmed that was abel all over good luck stalked him in spite of this and other entertainments provided by the road view gus liked to look out the back way to see the ocean in its many moods and to keep track of the new cottages popping up along the capes one had literally popped up overnight have you looked out your back window came the call last may from her neighbour estelle joudry to her chagrin gus had not go have a look i ll hang on gus went to the back porch good godfrey she stared at the dome a white dome it had appeared overnight it looked like a scientific research station in the arctic or a snack bar definitely not a cottage gus was so shocked she never did go back to the phone leaving the old-fashioned receiver hanging on its cord for most of the day frustrating neighbours who wanted to share their outrage at the oddity but when they learned there were only a few like it in the world and one of them was right here in the shores they watched with pride as the outer coating was applied over the white bladder before the owner moved in most of them had been up the cape to peek in the porthole windows gus stepped out onto the stoop she d gazed at the water land and sky every morning since she d come here as a bride sixty years ago and she didn t tire of it she knew the shore and its wildlife as well as she knew any of her eight children so you d think the way those birds were acting she d have known something was wrong but rich as her life had been gus mack had very little experience of murder hy mcallister almost missed him atlantic books today

[close]

p. 11

atlantic books today book excerpt one of the most dramatic moments had been when an explosion sent her husband abel flying out of the old store a drunken farmer had backed into a fuel pump after the tank had just been filled a pop machine and several cartons of canned food cleared a path for abel out the shop window he landed on his feet unharmed that was abel all over good luck stalked him she was running at the water s edge the damp air turning her red curls into a frizzy mass a stopwatch bobbing around her neck beach treasures swinging in a makeshift fishnet bag from a washed-up lobster trap her camera slung across her chest was thumping up and down there was a great photo now a thin sun peeking through a bank of clouds its glow reflected in pools of water the sun over and over and over again in the sand and water click she got it and it was gone there had been something else footprints she couldn t see them now odd who d have been here before her she shivered at a gust of wind from the water pasting her jacket to her thin body her feet sinking into wet sand as she ran toby the beach dog a black lab with a bleached red stripe down his back dashed along beside her darting back and forth spraying up wet sand from his big feet when she stopped to pick up a rock toby tore off toward the cape hy went sprinting after him and tripped thump she came down on all fours shells scattering in the sand she hauled herself up cursing she was always falling then she saw him he lay sprawled out a crow pecking at the back of his head a half-dozen gulls hovering above he wore a lime-green bandana an orange dashiki and bellbottoms an afro wig was askew on his head in one hand he held a sign that read no trespassing he looked like jimi hendrix but it was lance lord clinging to his property even in death hy shuddered she was looking at a corpse she d fallen on a dead man she began to heave and threw up all over lord s leg toby licked the vomit tobeeeeeee she shooed him off she was disoriented the day becoming dark under black clouds the wind whining in her ears she grabbed her bag and began gathering up the shells and rocks that had spilled out she didn t know why she did it trying to feel normal she clung to the bag as tightly as lance lord was clutching death and that pathetic sign she looked at him again was that a lobster on his head she closed her eyes opened them not a lobster a crow sat on lord s head a carrion eater she almost retched again the crow flew off and she saw the wound black and green it had to be murder and where there was murder there was a murderer her mind raced was he still out here on the shore thank god for toby except he was showing as much interest as the birds in the contents of lance lord s head she dragged him away with a beach rope tied to his collar and stumbled up to lord s cottage she kept looking around when had it happened was the murderer watching her right now abt about the author hilary macleod is a writer and former journalist and broadcaster who divides her time between a cabin in the woods near ameliasburgh ontario and a house in sea view prince edward island a house that was once inhabited by the hired hand on l m montgomery s uncle george campbell s farm she is a professor of media studies at loyalist college and spends her free time plotting what her next murder will be her first book revenge of the lobster lover won the cbc book club bookies award for best mystery check out her website at hilarymacleod.ca atlantic books today fall 2011 9

[close]

p. 12

atlantic books today book excerpt abt book excerpt the devil and the deep blue sea by steven laffoley excerpted from the devil and the deep blue sea by steven laffoley pottersfield press $19.95 pb 223 pp 978-1-897426027-2 september 2011 investigating murder is grim business this is particularly true if the murder happened more than a hundred years ago in the cramped cabin of an old schooner later torpedoed and sunk think about it everybody involved in the case is dead and the important clues to the mystery are buried somewhere beneath the ocean sand and so begins another in-depth crime investigation by writer steven laffoley as he travels the tough streets of halifax to the courtrooms of boston in search of a killer along the way he explores the world of 1896 and discovers that nothing in this case is what it first seems new creative non-fiction from pottersfield press lester hawthorne monks awoke with a start in the near-darkness of his cabin he sat up in his narrow berth his heart racing and he listened he listened intently around him he could hear the familiar sounds of the ship and the sea the groans of the schooner s wooden hull rolling against the waves the creak of the thick cordage tightening and slackening against the mainsails and the faint slap of the ship s bow cutting deeply into the cold skin of the north atlantic nothing it seemed was out of place nothing was amiss and yet his heart raced he took a deep breath and shifted gently in his berth as he did the fog of sleep receded and he remembered the scream he d heard a woman s scream a terrifying shrill howl of pain or had he he wondered had the cry been part of a dream some distant siren s song in the grey shadows of sleep or had it been a true flesh-and-blood scream a scream of fear of horror of pain in the stillness and silence of the cabin he couldn t be sure he listened again listened carefully still he heard nothing 10 fall 2011 so he pulled back his blanket swung his feet to the floor and looked about the room the space was small eight feet by six feet with a ladderback chair in one corner and a chest of drawers in the other the walls ceiling and floor were bathed in a dim diffused moonlight that drifted gently through a small porthole above his berth on the wall opposite was a door that led to the main cabin where the officers gathered around a simple wooden table to eat or chat above the table was a skylight and next to that a hook on which hung a small oil lamp that burned into the night even now monks could see the lamp s faint yellow glow in a thin line along the doorframe to monks s left just past the head of his berth was another door that led to the chartroom where the captain spent much of his time working and where sometimes he would sleep to monks s right just beyond the foot of his berth was the third door in his cabin which led to the room occupied by captain s wife it was at this door that monks stared hard after all he had heard a woman s scream he listened silence then to his left he heard a rasp or gurgle so he turned so his ear toward the chart room door again he heard the sound low and muffled captain nash monks called out another sound more silence dread welled up in monk s chest again he called out captain nash and again came the thick watery gurgle then silence monks retrieved a shirt that lay across the back of the chair and pulled it over his head he found his shoes and slipped them on then he crossed to the chest of drawers and removed a box of cartridges he returned to his berth there carefully he slipped a hand under his pillow until he found the metal of a gun he withdrew it loaded it and turned toward the chartroom door his heart still raced with an outstretched hand he groped for the copper latch when he found it he lifted the hook and opened the door tentatively he leaned his head into the gloom as in his cabin diffused moonlight passed through a small porthole painting the chartroom ceiling floor and walls with faint grey and black shadows textured and jagged monks looked left where the captain s narrow bunk ran along the wall and where the captain would often sit reading a atlantic books today

[close]

p. 13

atlantic books today book excerpt to monks s left just past the head of his berth was another door that led to the chartroom where the captain spent much of his time working and where sometimes he would sleep to monks s right just beyond the foot of his berth was the third door in his cabin which led to the room occupied by captain s wife it was at this door that monks stared hard after all he had heard a woman s scream he listened silence book or smoking a pipe despite the darkness monks could make out the contours of the berth it was empty then monks heard the gurgle again low and rich and he looked down amid the moon-crafted shadows he saw something on the floor at first it looked like a pile of canvas or rope or clothing strewn below the berth but when the gurgle came again this time louder and more laboured he knew it was the captain he took two steps forward and knelt by the figure he held the gun low and with his free hand reached out and touched the captain s shoulder the body was stone still confused by sleep or by fear or by the darkness monks tried to make sense of the scene the captain he thought had somehow fallen from his berth and folded himself into this position on the floor maybe but no matter what had happened the captain was injured terribly injured and he needed help so monks pulled back his hand and stood as he did he was conscious of wetness on his fingertips he looked down even in the gloom he could see the blood his heart now pounded fear rose to panic he recoiled and staggered backward his eyes darting left and right he searched the room for danger pointing his gun recklessly at the shadows first right then left then right again until finally he retreated from the chartroom he backed into his own berth then turned and headed toward the room of the captain s wife at her door he frantically groped for the copper latch slid it up and pushed open the door he entered a faint light from the main cabin s oil lamp radiated through a second door that opened into laura nash s room the glow was timid and much of her room remained in stubborn darkness so monks moved cautiously in the shadows his free hand outstretched mrs nash he called as he stepped forward only silence responded when he reached the berth he put his hand on the pillow it too was sticky and wet he withdrew his hand and froze then he remembered the scream abt about the author a writer and teacher in halifax steven laffoley is a cold-case detective investigating mysteries and murders from nova scotia s rich history his books include hunting halifax where he s hot on the trail of an 1853 murder and death ship of halifax harbour where he explores mcnabs island in search of an 1866 cholera epidemic atlantic books today fall 2011 11

[close]

p. 14

atlantic books today book excerpt abt book excerpt danny williams please come back by bill rowe excerpt from danny williams please come back by bill rowe flanker press $19.95 pb 288 pp 978-1-92688-118-8 september 2011 danny williams please come back is a collection of social and political commentaries written by bill rowe and published from 2005 to 2007 in the st john s telegram and the corner brook western star rowe writes using a lot of humour with a strong emphasis on political commentary municipal provincial federal and global levels new non-fiction from flanker press stephen harper bless his little heart flies down to gander to speak at the tory convention the next thing the honoured guest at the banquet knows his own cojones are being skewered on the shish kebab you ve got to love our world-famous newfoundland hospitality evidently something harper didn t say made our colourful premier mad enough to launch another onslaught against yet another prime minister of canada it was as good as a skit but what was danny really up to theories are flowing freely the one that seems to have curried most favour locally is that danny was right and sincere and harper deserved everything he got [williams attacked harper for reneging on his written election commitment to remove our non-renewable resources e.g offshore oil from the equalization formula but here s another when a political leader is heading for trouble at home he must divert attention from it and rally the ragged-arsed artillery by declaring war against an outside enemy machiavelli had some instructive tips on the subject but as usual shakespeare makes the point best king henry v of england was facing problems at home himself his father had 12 fall 2011 stolen the throne from the legitimate king his cousin richard ii so when henry inherited that wobbly usurped throne from daddy he didn t feel his future was too secure solution concoct a claim to the french crown declare war and invade france the daring exploit had all the good stuff the home crowd loved henry s englishmen hopelessly outnumbered by the french once more unto the breach dear friends once more we few we happy few we band of brothers then a miraculous victory by the english over the french at agincourt with the cream of french nobility cut down or taken hostage for hefty ransom and little loss of notable english lives all england rallied around their henry and he became the national hero rickety throne shored up problem solved henry s tactic worked beautifully for him unfortunately for us i say unfortunately because henry s success has encouraged every generation of political leaders since whether anointed elected or power-grabbing to follow his ploy to prop up popularity even here in our little outpost of democracy the examples have been numerous and striking and who has become the outside enemy against whom our premiers have declared war all the time take a guess joey smallwood after a decade as premier with singular lack of success in his industrial development schemes seized upon term 29 and its $8 million a year cut by prime minister john diefenbaker to declare war on the federal tory government our people rallied including even some opposition members and fresh electoral success for joey s liberals shortly followed brian peckford made himself the bad boy of confederation during his tenure as premier you d need a calculator to keep count of the elections he won by declaring war every couple of years against the feds whether grit or tory on the offshore oil then clyde wells after barely getting his first government elected in fact he lost the popular vote soon made himself a provincial hero and a national hero outside quebec by going to war against brian mulroney over meech lake his next election was a cakewalk and now during this provincial election year it s danny williams s turn again the only problem with this brilliant theory though is that danny is not facing political trouble at home his success with the atlantic accord his first war with ottawa atlantic books today

[close]

p. 15

atlantic books today book excerpt when a political leader is heading for trouble at home he must divert attention from it and rally the ragged-arsed artillery by declaring war against an outside enemy still has him riding high three-quarters of the province say they re satisfied with his government so what s his game in declaring war on the feds again now the word from confederation hill is that he wants to make history here by winning every single seat in the house of assembly and this new war against the outside enemy is just the ticket to do that perhaps or then again maybe he s just genuinely outraged that the prime minister would renege on a solemn commitment to this province take your pick own destruction take joey smallwood in the election of september 1966 he strove mightily for total unconditional success among other popular high-profile deeds he recruited as candidates powerful new names like john crosbie clyde wells bill callahan and ed roberts and he all but achieved his aim of winning every seat only the three tory stalwarts tom hickey ank murphy and gerry ottenheimer staved off his absolute domination of the political scene then not two years later the cracks appeared that led to joey s downfall the loss of the by-election in the formerly safe liberal gander district the hubris that kept him ramming ahead with the come by chance oil refinery and the stephenville linerboard mill despite alarming financial implications the defections of important ministers next election the best he could achieve was to half-win and half-lose within months he was driven out of the province to temporary exile in florida and the once formidable liberal party was reduced to eight seats it s much the same story wherever you look the success of rene levesque s separatist parti québécois in forming the government of quebec in the seventies came only one term after robert bourassa s federalist liberals had won an overwhelming victory in the previous election brian mulroney s progressive conservatives won a record number of seats in the federal election of 1984 but despite impressive achievements in government a couple of elections later the party utterly collapsed and was pushed out of existence altogether only now are revisionist historians bringing mulroney back from political disgrace can danny williams profit from those painful lessons of history it s going to be hard because he s in a bind on the one hand he needs to show stephen harper and the feds how strongly the electorate down here supports his stand against them the more seats he wins in october the stronger the message he sends on the other hand if he wins every seat or nearly every seat wait for the horrific backlash in a year or two as expectations are not met and visceral disappointment sets in i m not saying he will destroy his party as mulroney did but he could well push his party into the outer darkness for a couple of decades as joey did so while he drives towards massive victory in october danny might well remember that leaders as lovable and powerful as he now is incredible as that now seems sowed the seeds of ruin by their overweening success abt remember when caffeine and candy and booze were bad for you now evidently scientific studies show that coffee along with dark chocolate and red wine have suddenly become the best things going for your heart and your brain but as good as consuming those delights may be for you in moderation we all know people who will be encouraged by the studies to climb the walls in a caffeine-fuelled frenzy unless they re already too bloated or drunk to move after gorging on chocolate and vino i had an alcoholic friend once who was doing well staying clear of the booze then one of these famous scientific studies came on the news there s no rational reason it claimed why alcoholics cannot enjoy a glass of white wine in moderation now and then buoyed by the science my friend started to enjoy a glass of white wine in moderation now and then the next time i saw him he d been picked up for drunk driving and was in hospital drying out under the tender mercies of his old buddy delirium tremens before being sentenced to some months of farming under guard in salmonier these unfortunate immoderate compulsions of life remind me of politics there s an unrestrained impulse for overwhelming success among many involved in that allconsuming racket success in moderation is not sufficient it has to be absolute overthe-top success even though such total triumph often carries with it the seeds of its about the author born in newfoundland bill rowe graduated in english from memorial university and attended oxford university as a rhodes scholar obtaining an honours ma in law elected five times to the house of assembly rowe served as a minister in the government of newfoundland and labrador and as leader of the official opposition he practised law in st john s for many years and he has been a long-time public affairs commentator appearing regularly on national and local television as well as hosting a daily radio call-in show and writing weekly newspaper columns he is married to penelope ayre rowe cm of st john s they have a son dorian a daughter toby and three grandchildren atlantic books today fall 2011 13

[close]