Canadian Writers in 1984 is a special double length,hardback edition of the 100th issue of Canadian Literature. The booknot only celebrates a publishing landmark in the history of the journalbut also reflects the incredible richness of Canada's contemporaryliterary scene. The collection features the work of outstanding newwriters as well as poems and essays written especially for this issueby Canada's most famous poets, novelists, dramatists, andessayists.
Among the 29 essayists are Matt Cohen, Timothy Findley, Naim Kattan,Irving Layton, Dorothy Livesay, Eli Mandel, Jane Rule, Aritha Van Herk,and George Woodcock. The writings exhibit a diversity of styles andthemes: Margaret Laurence on war and peace, Eric Nicol on commercialwriting, Marian Engel on starting a new novel, James Reaney onregionalism, David Watmough on places, and David Helwig on arguing withGod.
The poets comprise a virtual "Who's Who" in Canadianpoetry today: Margaret Atwood, Bill Bissett, Barry Dempster, JoyKogawa, Dennis Lee, George McWhirter, Susan Musgrave, Michael Ondaatje,Al Purdy, Robin Skelton, Raymond Souster, and Tom Wayman are among over60 of the poets represented.
Prefaces to the book have been contributed by Governor GeneralEdward Schreyer; Dr. George Pederson, President of the University ofBritish Columbia; and Canada's grand man of letters, MavorMoore.
Preface By the Rt. Hon. Edward R. Schreyer (3), MavorMoore (4), K. George Pedersen (6)
Editorial: Rhythms of Discovery
Articles
Clark Blaise Portrait of the Artist as Young Pup
Nicole Brossard Journal Intime
Matt Cohen Notes on Realism in Modern English CanadianFiction
Michael Cook Culture as Cairiacture; Reflections on acontinuing obsession: Newfoundland
Marian Engel Why and How and Why Not and What is This,About Starting Another Novel...
Timothy Findley The Countries of Invention
Keath Fraser Notes Toward a Supreme Fiction
Don Gutterridge Local Culture and the National Will
David Helwig Mere Self
Paul Hiebert Avenues of Research Suggested by the FletchersCastoria Box
Hugh Hood The End of Emma
Naim Kattan Le Jardin Reve
Henry Kreisel "Has Anyone Here Heard of MarjoriePickthall?" Discovering the Canadian Literary Landscape
Margaret Laurence My Final Hour
Dorothy Livesay All Aboa-r-rd!
Andre Major Petite Histoire d'une Obsession
Eli Mandel Auschwitz: Poetry of Alienation
Daphne Marlatt Entering In: The Immigrant Imagination
Eric Nicol Confessions of a Commercial Writer
James Reaney Ontario Culture and-What?
Jane Rule The Canadian Climate
Stephen Scobie Amelia, or: Who Do You Think You Are?Documentary and Identity in Canadian Literature
Josef Skvorecky Are Canadians Politically Naive? SomeObservations by a New Canadian from the Old World
Audrey Thomas Basmati Rice; An Essay about Words
Guy Vanderhaege Influences
Aritha Van Herk The Art of Blackmail: Secrets andSeeing
David Watmough On Coming to British Columbia: Some Personal& Literary Reflections
Rudy Wiebe On Death and Writing
George Woodcock A Cycle of Ind
