July 12, 2012
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Summer reading top 10s Summer reading top 10s Summer reading top 10s Summer reading top 10s Summer reading top 10s Summer
summer Reading blockbuster American-born, English writer Henry James’s declaration, “Summer afternoon — summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language,” never feels more true than when one of those afternoons is spread out before you and the solitary item on your agenda is to sit in your backyard and dip into the book saved for that very moment. This summer, I’ve finally taken the plunge into James’s works, and I am also reading those of his great admirer and interpreter, the wonderful Irish writer Colm Tóibín, whose book The Master imagines James’s life through his lowest points and his soaring literary successes. Other worthy reads recently encountered include Fransesca Segal’s lovely debut, The Innocents, a contemporary re-imagining of Wharton’s The Age of Innocence, and sun-dappled and swoonworthy Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (this one is stocked by the bookstore, I noticed). Walter’s sixth novel places Old Hollywood alongside new, and weaves a story set on the Italian coastline visited by a dying American actress in 1962 with a contemporary one that boasts unforgettable characters you don’t want to leave behind. Just begun are the so-far delicious and unconventional novelcum-literary speculation, A Monster’s Notes, by poet Laurie Sheck, which revivifies Mary Shelley’s “monster” from Frankenstein, and the blackly funny and fierce, Pulitzer Prize-winning play, August: Osage County, by American playwright and actor Tracy Letts. To launch your own summer reading right and for fun, we’ve added multiple “Top 10” lists to our summer book recommendations from members of our university community. In fact, we received so much great material, some of it has overflowed to U of M’s Facebook site, and you can join the conversation there. Also stay tuned next issue for an interview about his favourite books with the always-fascinating George Toles, distinguished professor in the department of English, film and theatre at the U of M. Happy summer afternoon reading, everyone! - Mariianne Mays Wiebe Twenty-five years ago it would be easy to come up with a complete “top ten” list of Aboriginal literatures across Canada; now one finds exceptional collections by genre alone. In this vein — and in no particular order — here is an array of some of today’s best in Indigenous expression and a great and entertaining
entryway for anyone’s summer reading list. Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair is a faculty member in the department of Native Studies at the U of M and is the co-editor of collected anthology Manitowapow: Aboriginal Writings from the Land of Water.
Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair.
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Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair’s Top 10 list of Aboriginal literatures
Native Poetry in Canada: A Contemporary Anthology edited by Jeanette Armstrong. Broadview, 2001: Poetry. The only Canadian collection of its kind, this gorgeous book brings together iconic artists such as Lee Maracle, Duncan Mercredi, and Gregory Scofield while displaying their ability to make worlds out of words and inspire laughter, tears and an engagement with a dynamic, living world. Richard Wagamese. One Native Life. Douglas & Mcintyre, 2008: Autobiography. In this collection of rich pieces in the editorial style he has become famous for, Wagamese artistically reflects on his life as Sixties Scoop adoptee, a lover of baseball, and complex existence as an Ojibway. Without Reservation: Indigenous Erotica. Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, ed. Kegedonce, 2003: Erotica. A trailblazing anthology, this dynamic collection of love and sex (and everything in-between) features the hottest writing – literally and figuratively – by some of the best Indigenous writers across Turtle Island. Think Indian by Basil Johnston. Kegendonce, 2010: Speeches. A collection covering three decades in the career of one of Canada’s most eminent thinkers, this book is a journey through Aboriginal political movements from the 1970s to today, Hollywood stereotypes, ancestral language revitalization, and a vision for the future. The Moon of Letting Go by Richard Van Camp. Enfield & Wizenty, 2009: Short Stories. An eloquent and humorous storyteller with a keen eye for detail and compassion, these stories not only paint a world of love, relationships, and community but deliver a complex sense of life in the Northwest Territories – and beyond. The Nanabush Book Series by Daphne Odjig. Odjig Arts, 2011: Children’s literature. Originally published in 1971 but now re-issued and available directly from the author, this ten-book series brings a love the world of the Anishinaabe hero Nanabush through story, humour, and beautiful illustrations drawn by one of Canada’s foremost artists. Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden. Penguin, 2005. Novel: Weaving the story of two Oji-Cree soldiers in World War One and their relative who cares for them in northern Ontario, this rich and sharp novel delivers an epic portrait of war, life on the land, and family during a turbulent time in Canadian history. Dancing on Our Turtle’s Back: Stories of Nishnaabeg Re-Creation, Resurgence, and a New Emergence by Leanne Simpson. Arbeiter Ring, 2011: Political non-fiction. A creative study of traditional practices of community building and story – including an incredibly nuanced sense of mothering – Simpson suggests how a lasting cultural and political reconciliation can be forged in Canada. 7 Generations by David Robertson. Highwater Press, 2011: Graphic Novels. In this four-issue series we are introduced to Edwin, a Cree boy who learns about his family’s experiences over three centuries and seven generations – helping him make a choice that will affect his life forever. Restoring the Balance: First Nations Women, Community, and Culture by Gail Guthrie Valaskakis, Madeline Dion Stout, and Eric Guimond, eds. U of Manitoba Press, 2009: Non-fiction. Through essays, first person narratives, and other stories, this collection illustrates how Aboriginal women continue to create and maintain communities through their tireless work, resiliency, and advocacy.
Have an all-time favourite book or an engrossing read to recommend? Join our summer reading conversations on Twitter and Facebook! add your picks to the top ten lists, Contribute your summer reading picks and reading places here: Facebook.com/umanitoba or here: twitter @umanitoba You and you, members of the U of M Book Lovers Club
email your suggestion for a “Top 10” books list to: bulletin@umanitoba.ca