March 23, 1999

LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

Over The Edge Page 9

HIRES / RS

LYKE LAC

+s

Threadbare Like

Lace

by Jaqueline Baldwin
published by Caitlin
Press

Threadbare Like Lace is
compilation of beautiful,
image intensive poetry.
Strongly rooted in the
north the author conveys
her deep love for the
environment. Baldwin
writes characters and
scenes that are easily
relatable to anyone. Each
poem though not long in
length carries an exquis-
ite picture of life. Through

st

her poetry
Baldwin
makes you
b aware of her
opinion with-
out forcing it
down = _ your
throat.
Balwin's
poetry is as
expressive
as it is involv-
ing. Some of
the poems
are written so
that the
wording does
not flow as
nicely as it

poems
have a nice rhythmn. The
issues dealt with in her
poetry are heavy and
socially significant. Topics
covered include domestic
abuse, hunting, pollution
and the destruction of the
environment. There is a
definate feminist
approach to relation-
ships, an example being
in "Tuesday Night at the
Popcorn Stand."

The opinions in these
pieces are not hidden
and are articulately writ-
ten. Despite the heavy
tones of many of the
poems there is no lack of
humor either. Baldwin's

lets her sense of humor
lets loose and turns a
twist on the little stories
that are her poems.
Baldwin also writes
about her children, an
apparent stormy relation-
ship with their father,
mental illness and a
major topic is nature. The
titles are interesting and
match the creative poetry
in an odd way.
| liked this book because
| could relate to a woman
who appreciates the
beauty in the world
around her. The images
of the frozen wilderness
instill ideas of pioneer
times long gone.
Baldwin's sense _ of
humor makes me laugh
like in "Big Al's Buddy"

“ about the new jacket Al

bought.

The characters are por-
trayed in a real to life
manner that makes them
likeable and endearing.
The situations they find
themselves in are some-
times amusing, some-
times bittersweet. This is
a book | highly recom-
mend for anyone who
would like to be pulled
into escaping into the fas-
cinating world of this
author for a while.

Kristina Redlon

The Colour of
Water
by Luanne Armstrong

published by Caitlin
Press

Luanne Armstrong **

EA

recreates life in a rural
British Columbian com

munity complete witht

emotion and texture.
Her insight into the

decline of the agricul-§

tural lifestyle and th
changes that
sents to the family she

Startelingly accurate

repre-am

a wandering nomad is
coloured with only two
objectives, the need to
paint and her love for
Rob, the son she left

and paralells the per-jaime

Mangerton family.

The narrative centers
on the upcoming deat
of Kathryn, the mar
tiarch of the Mangerto:
Family. Woven through
this story line, with the
creativity and complexi-
ty of a mediveal tapes-
try, is the story of Mary,
Kathryn's deceased
daughter. With the use
of Mary's journals and
several flashbacks
Armstrong explains
Mary's history and the
events surrounding her
untimely death, while
interweaving the emo-
tions of her son, her
mother and even the
grandson she never got
the chance to meet.
Mary's existance, one of

| } t
—~ Neer7z7ie .

behind so she could
pursue her dream of
becoming an artist. All
of Armstrong's main
characters are _ fully
developed giving the
reader a chance to get
to know them through
their thoughts and their
interactions with other
characters. Memories
and experiences are
throughly played out,
which combined with
Armstrong's close
attention to detail add
complex emotions to
everyday actions and

Aorist rt ng

thoughts.

Armstrong fleshes our
her narriative with the
tiniest detail, from the
taste of a raspberry to
sees the colour of the

canoe without bog-
ging the narriative
d ow i on

"Armstrong's expo-
sitiory style cre-
hates a cohesive
= atmosphere into
which the reader
scan quietly delve
§ without the fear of
being jolted out by
man unnecessary
fae, scene or action.

7 Armstrong plays
with complex
themes of rape,
addiction, love and
rebellion in a real-
istic and intelligent man-
ner making complex
social issues part of the
everyday experience of
the average person.
She lays out emotion
and expects the reader
to respond without hold-
ing their hand through
the entire experience.

The Colour of Water
dives into the changing
face of rural life with an
intensity of emotion and
an attention to detail
rarely seen.

ieee water flowing in

f f (i =the wake of a
CLOUT’ 2
~

By Nicole Larson

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