National Network for Equitable Library Service

Great Canadian Poems for the Aged Vol. 1 Illus. Ed. dares to go where no book of Canadian poetry has gone before - deep into the heart of darkness epitomized by the idea of the Great White North. Except white is not dark. And the heart thing was a bit overused even by the time Conrad got around to it. In any case, recalling the fundamental elements of the Canadian struggle for identity, when he can recall anything at all, Michael Boughn takes his few, select readers on a tour through the midden heap of Canadian culture that turns into a unique confrontation with the profound questions facing the nation, like, "What's a Doukhobor," "Did Nelson Eddy and Jeanette McDonald really do it in a canoe," and "What was Wyndham Lewis doing in Wawa?" No one actually able to finish this book will remain untouched by the subtle lyric voice that weaves together disparate, irrelevant, and often offensive elements of the Canadian experience into an unforgettable poem for the aged.