Day, Peter and Linda Lewis. ART IN EVERYDAY LIFE: OBSERVATIONS IN CONTEMPORARY CANADIAN DESIGN. Toronto, Summerhill Press, 1988. 176pp, paper, $24.95, ISBN 0-290197-65-5. CIP
Grades 9 and up
Art in Everyday Life had the potential to be a highly respected, required book for every high school art class and design centre in Canada. Instead, like the authors' lament for Expo 67, the book falls far short of its potential.
Peter Day and Linda Lewis are successful to a certain extent in that they do point out some of the excellent design work being produced throughout Canada. If they had continued in this vein with more information on the designs, their successes in the marketplace, and the reasons the designs were so successful, they would have had an excellent book. Instead, they lose themselves in self-pity about how Canadians do not care enough about the Canadian design industry.
They return again and again to their favourite theme, Expo 67, the greatness of it, and the lack of development out of that potential. Expo 86 they write off as an innovative design desert. This is a clear indication of the lack of objectivity the two writers have brought to their work. Having been to both Expos, 1 can vouch for the good and bad features of both, something these two authors seemingly cannot do.
This is a book that I cannot recommend.
William F. Benson, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.
Gibbs, Len. IMAGES: STORIES BY THIRTY FAVORITE AUTHORS. Paintings by Len Gibbs. Toronto, NC Press, 1988. 128pp, cloth, $34.95, ISBN 1-55021-007-6. CIP
Grades 6 and up
This book is a charming and successful blend of art and literature. Thirty short
Illustration from Images: Stories by Thirty Favorite Authors
vignettes, stories and personal experiences were chosen in a celebration of rural life. Included are works by Morley Callaghan, W.O. Mitchell, Parley Mowat, Max Braithwaite and other distinguished writers. Special moments with children, growing up, and dealing with animals and the elements are shared with the reader. The writings have a universal appeal. They could be read to children; they could be read one at a time to be pondered and savoured for the moment.
Interwoven around the writing is a beautiful collection of paintings by one of Canada's foremost realist artists, Len Gibbs. Paintings of farmers, fishermen, cowboys, and especially children show an introspective intensity rarely found in contemporary work. Each painting has a gentle drama shown on the faces. Newborn chicks, sand between toes, weathered rope all become props for a gallery of human emotion. Although there is no attempt to illustrate the stories, the paintings complement the writing well.
This book is a joy from cover to cover. Beautiful reproductions, readable layout and strong binding make this book a must for any library.
Gory Robertson, Thorn Collegiate, Regina, Sask.
Reid, Dennis. A CONCISE HISTORY OF CANADIAN PAINTING, 2ND EDITION. Toronto, Oxford University Press, 1988. 418pp, cloth, $29.95, ISBN 0-19-540664-8. CIP.
Grades 10 and up
The first edition of A Concise History of Canadian Painting (Oxford University Press, 1973) has been one of the chief sources of information and opinion on an important aspect of Canadian culture. The appearance of the second edition will only make the book's position more secure.
While minor changes in wording, attribution and interpretation appear frequently—in the case of syntax, often for the better—what establishes the second edition's significance is an eighty-three-page final chapter, "The Death and Rebirth of Painting," which reports on activity from 1965 to 1980, a period that saw some of the most stimulating production and presentation in Canadian art.
Dennis Reid's account of both the period and its forerunners is urbane, meticulous and often engaging in its anecdotal detail. One wishes that more colour reproductions had been added to reflect the vibrancy of the post-Biography
Centennial years; only two out of twenty-five do so. Reid is remarkably deft at describing absent compositions; It's unfortunate that he has to Illustrate his talent so regularly.
It must be remembered, however, that this Is a concise history (although not the "handbook" the publishers claim it to be on the dust jacket). This means that omissions of all kinds have to be made. Some of us would have liked more generous treatment of paintings out west and down east, as well as more surprises in the cast. What there is, though, is good, entertaining and authoritative.
J.E. Simpson, Edmonton Public Schools, Edmonton, Alto.
Biography
Ample, Annie. THE BARE FACTS: MY LIFE AS A STRIPPER. Toronto, Key Porter Books, 1988. 192pp, cloth, $19.95, ISBN 1-55013-094-3. CIP
Grades 12 and up
Taking one's clothes off and exposing one's body so that bar patrons can ogle the merchandise and become sexually aroused has been elevated to a talent as described in Annie Ample's The Bare Facts.
Stripping for money is made to appear almost virtuous in the early 1980s, but by 1987 (when Annie decided to quit) it's portrayed as slightly slimy. Opportunities to earn big bucks by appearing naked before a variety of audiences, from bars to magazines to private clubs, are described In detail, always with a certain joie de vivre.
From a confused maelstrom called home, Annie grew to become an attention-seeking child In an adult body. Rejection and verbal abuse played their distinctive parts In the formation of an adolescent mind that saw affection in abusive, alcoholic lovers and love in the eyes of customers who paid to see the outside shell of a hurting little girl.
However, the pain is not portrayed in a sensitive and believable manner. In the writing of the book, structure, maturity and coherence are secondary to sensationalism and exploitation. In essence, the book is a series of random thoughts grouped under eleven headings.
Indeed, it would be very difficult to recommend this book to any audience. At best, the descriptions and accounts might be used in a first year psychology course when studying the effects of childhood trauma on future life choices and relationship building.
As some have said, Annie's book Is tragic. I agree—tragic that it was written and published.
Catharine Joan MacDonneU, St Patrick School Kitchener, Ont
Edgeller, Evelyn. MARY BELLE BARCLAY: FOUNDER OF CANADIAN HOSTELLING. Calgary, Detselig Enterprises, 1988. 91pp, paper, $10.95, ISBN 0-920490-79-4. CIP
Grades 10 and up
Mary Belle Barclay describes her life from her humble beginnings as a homesteader in Alberta, her struggle to become a worthy teacher, and finally, because of her great love of the outdoors, her efforts to set up the beginning of hostelling in Canada.
For those interested in the intimate details of day-to-day life on the homestead during the early 1900s, this book Is fascinating. One marvels at the dogged determination and grit of these people and their optimism in the face of great hardship.
The tone of the book is old-fashioned —lessons in life are always seen as an uplifting experience and are always turned to advantage. One is aware of the high moral standards that lie behind every word and every sentence.
Mary Belle Barclay was a tough-minded woman who exacted the most from herself, and yet this was never enough. Though a dedicated teacher, Barclay never felt she really succeeded in her quest to become an excellent teacher. She never gave up her struggle.
however, and succeeded in two other significant areas—conducting nature tours and instituting parents' involvement In the classroom.
This personal account is meant for the layperson but would have some interest for documentors of Canadian history. It is meant as a companion to Fifty Years of Canadian Hostelling by the Canadian Hostelling Association (Detselig Enterprises, 1988). The black-and-white photographs are a suitable addition to the text.
Kathryn Hanson, Toronto, Ont
Gzowski, Peter. THE PRIVATE VOICE: A JOURNAL OF REFLECTIONS. Toronto, McClelland and Stewart (A Douglas GibsonBook), 1988. 327pp, cloth, $24.95, ISBN 0-7710-3749-X. CIP
Grades 11 and up
The Private Voice is a look at various events in the life of Peter Gzowski as told by him. The question is, was the book necessary? Personally, I don't think so.
I became aware of Peter Gzowski when he hosted the disastrous "90 Minutes Live" talk show, from which he received a great deal of publicity, albeit negative. I attempted to put that out of my mind while reading this book.
The few bright moments in the book were overshadowed by the detailed and somewhat boring recollection of the occurrences in Gzowskt's life. Regardless of whether he Is a successful media personality or not, I found nothing that would make the story of his life interesting. Many people marry, have Biography
children, divorce, marry again and have a career, but I don't feel compelled to read about itl This book would have been more enjoyable had Gzowski shared further information on his encounters with the famous people he has interviewed.
I like to read about someone who has had an impact on society or who has had his or her life altered by events in history. Gzowski's book does not fit into either category.
His colleagues may be able to relate to a lot of his recollections, but not an ordinary reader. Maybe the book could be required reading for a journalism course.
On a positive note, the diary style makes this book quite easy to read. It also progresses well through the events.
Mcaiene Wylychenko, The Pas, Man,
eof Ethel Wilson MARY MCALPINE
McAlpine, Mary. THE OTHER SIDE OF SILENCE: A LIFE OF ETHEL WILSON. Madeira Park (B.C.), Harbour Publishing, 1988. 230pp. cloth, $26.95, ISBN 0-920080-95-2. CIP
Grades 12 and up
Mary McAlpine is a Canadian writer, Journalist and television producer who was a friend of Ethel Wilson's for thirty years. The Other Side of Silence is a thoroughly absorbing account of an unforgettable person. Anyone who is not aware of Ethel Wilson's novels, novellas and short stories will want to search local library shelves immediately after reading the story of her life.
Born in South Africa to English parents in 1888, Ethel Wilson was orphaned when she was nine. Well-meaning maternal aunts and uncles in England looked after her until her maternal grandmother brought Ethel to live with her in Vancouver in 1898.
Wilson taught school for thirteen years and at thirty-one she wrote a series of children's stories called The Surprising Adventures of Peter. Marriage to Dr. Wallace Wilson interrupted any thoughts she had about further writing at that time, and it was not until almost twenty years later that her first adult short story, "I Just Love Dogs," was published in the New Statesman and Nation. She found escape from the pressures of being a doctor's wife in her writing, and one by one her novels appeared—Hetty Dorval (London: Macmillan, 1948), The Innocent Traveller (McClelland and Stewart, 1982), Swamp Angel (McClelland and Stewart, 1962) and Love and Salt Water (New York: St. Martin's, 1956).
Frequent insertions of quotations from Ethel Wilson's writings lend conviction to the account. Those who knew this gifted writer will read this book with nostalgia; those who are meeting her for the first time will use it to further their acquaintance.
Joan Payzant, Dartmouth, N.S.
McCaffery, Dan. BILLY BISHOP, CANADIAN HERO. Toronto, James Lorimer, 1988. 225pp, cloth, $24.95, ISBN 1-55028-095-3. CIP
Grades 10 and up
Dan McCaffery is the editor of the Samia Gazette and is an aviation history buff. He began research for this book in 1980, but was spurred on to set the record straight on Billy Bishop's aviation career after the National Film Board's controversial production, The Kid Who Couldn't Miss.fa.me out in 1982.
This film portrayed Bishop as a liar and a fraud who was unworthy of the honours bestowed upon him. McCaffery wanted to get to the truth about the victories of the Canadian war hero, whether positive or negative. Through extensive research in military archives, aviation history books and interviews with Bishop's acquaintances and friends, McCaffery has been able to put together an interesting portrait of Bishop's aviation career.
This book is more comprehensive and objective than other biographical books on Billy Bishop. It includes background information on his personality traits that explains how and why he achieved the standing that he did. The book is very well written and makes for compelling reading. It focuses primarily on Bishop's
Don McCaffery
career. There is an extensive bibliography, which would be helpful for further research, but the lack of an index makes it difficult to pin-point specific events. This book would be a very good addition to library shelves because the -/author makes Bishop come alive for the reader. It would be a good book to suggest to someone who enjoys Canadian history or military history.
Lynne McAvoy, Ottawa, Ont.
Rasky, Harry. STRATAS. Toronto, Oxford University Press, 1988. 112pp, cloth, $19.95, ISBN 0-19-540598-6. CIP
Grades 8 and up
Harry Rasky makes extraordinarily good films about extraordinary people, among them, Marc Chagall, Tennessee Williams and, in 1983, Teresa Stratas. Out of that Emmy winning film, StratasSphere, came this short but uncannily telling portrait of one of the great stars of our century.
Rasky writes as well as he makes movies, and Stratas bears the hallmark of the truly great biographies: you don't have to have any previous interest in the subject to enjoy it. A knowledge of opera will add to the reader's appreciation of the scope of Stratas' singing and acting talents, but ultimately the book is about "a person who happens to be a woman who happens to be an opera singer" (the soprano's own words).