Talking excrement PAGE 6 $6.50 Vol. 21, No. 6 July/August 2013 Suanne Kelman A Self-Made Queen Margaret Atwood and the hard work of literary celebrity ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Geoffrey Cameron The Baha’i exodus to Canada Sarah Elton vs. Pierre Desrochers Food fight for the planet Rudy Buttignol Can the CBC be saved? PLUS: NON-FICTION Hugh Segal on one of Canada’s most genial immigrants + Frances Henry on black power in Montreal + Rinaldo Walcott on book burnings and other anti-racist gestures + Christopher Pennington on Canadians in the U.S. Civil War + Sophie McCall on Grey Owl’s forgotten wife + Michael Taube on Canada’s forgotten royal + Laura Robinson on residential Publications Mail Agreement #40032362 schools + Barbara Yaffe on Ontario as seen from Quebec Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to LRC, Circulation Dept. FICTION Marian Botsford Fraser on Flee, Fly, Flown + Deborah Kirshner on The Blue Guitar PO Box 8, Station K Toronto, ON M4P 2G1 POETRY Elana Wolff + Kirsteen MacLeod + Maureen Hynes + Ruth Roach Pierson + Mary Rykov New from UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS Across the Aisle Margaret Atwood and the Pathogens for War Opposition in Canadian Politics Labour of Literary Celebrity Biological Weapons, Canadian Life Scientists, and North American Biodefence by David E. Smith by Lorraine York by Donald Avery How do opposition parties influence How does internationally renowned author Canadian politics? Across the Aisle Margaret Atwood maintain her celebrity Donald Avery investigates the challenges of illuminates both the historical evolution status? This book explores the ways bioterrorism, Canada’s secret involvement and recent developments of opposition in which careers of famous writers are with biological warfare, and presents new politics in Canada. managed and maintained by the scores of insights into the peril of bioweapons – one individuals working behind the scenes. of today’s greatest threats to world peace. The Colonization of Mi’kmaw Merry Hell Joe Salsberg Memory and History, 1794–1928 The Story of the 25th Battalion A Life of Commitment The King v. Gabriel Sylliboy (Nova Scotia Regiment), by Gerald Tulchinsky Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1914–1919 by William C. Wicken Gerald Tulchinsky traces the life and by Captain Robert N Clements, MC Winner of Canadian Historical Association’s intellectual journey of Joe Salsberg, who edited by Brian Douglas Tennyson Macdonald Prize and Clio Atlantic Prize became a major figure of the Ontario Merry Hell is a captivating tale for those Left, a leading voice for human rights in In this award winning book, Wicken uses who enjoy stories of war and battle, the Ontario legislature, and an important the testimony of six Mi’kmaq men in the and one that will entertain readers with journalist in the Jewish community. 1928 Sylliboy court case to explore how Clements’s richly colourful anecdotes and individuals and communities remember key witty poems, none of which have been events in their past. published before. Also available as E-books at utppublishing.com Literary Review of Canada 170 Bloor St West, Suite 710 Toronto ON M5S 1T9 email: [email protected] reviewcanada.ca T: 416-531-1483 • F: 416-531-1612 Charitable number: 848431490RR0001 Vol. 21, No. 6 • July/August 2013 To donate, visit reviewcanada.ca/support EDITOR Bronwyn Drainie 3 The Politics on Our Plates 20 The Cultural Queen of Canada [email protected] A debate A review of Margaret Atwood and the Labour CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Sarah Elton and Pierre Desrochers of Literary Celebrity, by Lorraine York Mark Lovewell, Molly Peacock, Anthony Westell 6 What Goes In Must Come Out Suanne Kelman ASSOCIATE EDITOR A review of The Origin of Feces: What 22 Are Book Burners Always Villains? Robin Roger Excrement Tells Us About Evolution, Ecology A review of Dear Sir, I Intend to Burn Your POETRY EDITOR and a Sustainable Society, by David Waltner- Book: An Anatomy of a Book Burning, by Moira MacDougall Toews Lawrence Hill COPY EDITOR Tim Sly Rinaldo Walcott Madeline Koch 8 A Quiet Exodus 24 Black Power in Montreal ONLINE EDITORS Diana Kuprel, Jack Mitchell, An essay A review of Fear of a Black Nation: Race, Sex Donald Rickerd, C.M. Geoffrey Cameron and Security in Sixties Montreal, by David PROOFREADERS Austin 11 Bountiful Diversity Mike Lipsius, Robert Simone, Heather Frances Henry A review of Ontario in Transition: Achievements Schultz, Rob Tilley and Challenges, by Jean-Louis Roy 26 From Zlín to the Royal Society RESEARCH Rob Tilley Barbara Yaffe A review of A Life of Learning and Other Pleasures, by John Meisel EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS 13 Blood in the Water Aimee Burnett, Joshua Greenspon, Hugh Segal A review of Saving the CBC: Balancing Profit Lindsay Jolivet, Rahel Nega, Samir and Public Service, by Wade Rowland 27 Chilling Lessons Siddiqui Rudy Buttignol A review of They Called Me Number One: DESIGN James Harbeck 16 Sunshaft Secrets and Survival at an Indian Residential School, by Bev Sellars ADVERTISING/SALES A poem Michael Wile Laura Robinson Elana Wolff [email protected] Grey Owl’s Wife DIRECTOR, SPECIAL PROJECTS 16 Letter to a Fallen Angel 28 A review of Anahareo: A Wilderness Spirit, by Michael Booth A poem Kristin Gleeson PUBLISHERS Kirsteen MacLeod Sophie McCall Alastair Cheng 16 Jewel Beetle Dress [email protected] 29 From Confederacy to Confederation Helen Walsh A poem A review of Blood and Daring: How Canada [email protected] Maureen Hynes Fought the American Civil War and Forged a BOARD OF DIRECTORS John Honderich, C.M., Vanity Fair’s Lucian Freud Nation, by John Boyko 17 J. Alexander Houston, Frances Lankin, A poem Christopher Pennington Trina McQueen, Jack Mintz Ruth Roach Pierson 31 A Neglected Royal ADVISORY COUNCIL 17 Tosca A review of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent: Michael Adams, Ronald G. Atkey, P.C., Q.C., Alan Broadbent, C.M., Chris Ellis, A poem Father of the Canadian Crown, by Nathan Drew Fagan, James Gillies, C.M., Mary Rykov Tidridge Carol Hansell, Donald Macdonald, Michael Taube P.C., C.C., Susan Reisler, Grant Reuber, 18 Old on the Road O.C., Don Rickerd, C.M., Rana Sarkar, A review of Flee, Fly, Flown, by Janet Hepburn 32 Letters and Responses Mark Sarner, Bernard Schiff, Marian Botsford Fraser Barry Riddell, Anne Giardini, Royce Reed Scowen MacGillivray POETRY SUBMISSIONS 19 Prodigies under Pressure For poetry submission guidelines, please see A review of The Blue Guitar, by Ann Ireland <reviewcanada.ca>. Deborah Kirshner Cover art and pictures throughout the issue by LRC design concept by Jackie Young/INK Founded in 1991 by P.A. 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