Canadian Literature / Littérature canadienne A Quarterly of Criticism and Review Number 202, Autumn 2009, Sport and the Athletic Body Published by The University of British Columbia, Vancouver Editor: Margery Fee Associate Editors: Laura Moss (Reviews), Glenn Deer (Reviews), Larissa Lai (Poetry), Réjean Beaudoin (Francophone Writing), Judy Brown (Reviews) Past Editors: George Woodcock (1959–1977), W.H. New (1977–1995), Eva-Marie Kröller (1995–2003), Laurie Ricou (2003–2007) Editorial Board Heinz Antor Universität zu Köln Allison Calder University of Manitoba Kristina Fagan University of Saskatchewan Janice Fiamengo University of Ottawa Carole Gerson Simon Fraser University Helen Gilbert University of London Susan Gingell University of Saskatoon Faye Hammill University of Strathclyde Paul Hjartarson University of Alberta Coral Ann Howells University of Reading Smaro Kamboureli University of Guelph Jon Kertzer University of Calgary Ric Knowles University of Guelph Louise Ladouceur University of Alberta Patricia Merivale University of British Columbia Judit Molnár University of Debrecen Maureen Moynagh St. Francis Xavier University Reingard Nischik University of Constance Ian Rae King’s University College Roxanne Rimstead Université de Sherbrooke Sherry Simon Concordia University Patricia Smart Carleton University David Staines University of Ottawa Cynthia Sugars University of Ottawa Neil ten Kortenaar University of Toronto Marie Vautier University of Victoria Gillian Whitlock University of Queensland David Williams University of Manitoba Mark Williams Victoria University, New Zealand Editorial Laurie Ricou Thinking Tremolo and Backflip 6 Articles Michael Buma Soccer and the City: The Unwieldy National in Dionne Brand’s What We All Long For 12 Suzanne Zelazo Sport as Living Language: bpNichol and the Bodily Poetics of the Elite Triathlete 30 Articles, continued Joel Baetz Cricket Matters: The English Game and Rohinton Mistry’s Tales from Firozsha Baag 50 Katherine Sutherland Girl Power/Grand Prix: Sex, Speed, and the Motorcycle Racer 66 Sally Chivers Ordinary People: Reading the TransCanadian Terry Fox 80 Poems Susan McCaslin 11 Fred Wah 79 Dennis Cooley 28, 48 Renee Rodin 95 Priscila Uppal 65 Books in Review Forthcoming book reviews are available at http://www.canlit.ca Authors Reviewed Diane Giguère 112 Andre Alexis 96 Andrew Gow 127 Margaret Atwood 121 Théa Gray 124 Brian Bartlett 116 Les Green 132 Lise Bizzoni 97 Brigitte Haentjens 113 Marie-Claire Blais 99 Olaf Hanson 127 Yves Boisvert 101 Kenneth J. Harvey 114 Hervé Bouchard 134 Cara Hedley 118 George Bowering 101 Ron Hotchkiss 108 Ellen Chapco 120 Margot Irvine 115 Herménégilde Chiasson 102 Pierre Karch 115 Margaret Christakos 124 A.L. Karras 127 Nicole Côté 120 Patrick Lane 116 Colleen Craig 103 Arlene Lampert 124 Pierre Crépeau 104 Shari Lapeña 118 Craig Davidson 107 Monika Lee 124 Richard C. Davis 127 Melanie Little 116 d’bi.young.anitafrika 105 Jeanette Lynes 119 Claudia Dey 118 Annabel Lyon 103 Peter Dorrington 120 Jean Mitchell 130 Anne Dublin 108 Clément Moisan 120 Marina Endicott 136 Motion 105 Cary Fagan 103 Erín Mouré 125 Musharraf Ali Farooqi 109 A. Mary Murphy 121 Célyne Fortin 111 Barbara Nickel 125 Alma Fullerton 110 Réal Ouellet 123 Maude Smith Gagnon 111 Joanne Page 124 P.K. Page 124 Virginie Doucet 134 Elise Partridge 125 Paul Genuist 115, 123 Raymond Murray Patterson 127 Stéphane Girard 104 Sheila Petty 120 Paul Huebener 127 Dany Plourde 129 Anne L. Kaufman 101 Cécile Prévost-Thomas 97 Martin Kuester 107 Julie Rak 127 Maurice Lamothe 97 Diane Régimbald 111 Jodi Lundgren 118 Mary Henley Rubio 130 Julia Morris- Paul Savoie 129 von Luczenbacher 112 Kathryn E. Shoemaker 110 Barbara Pell 96 Raymond Souster 132 Summer Pervez 109 Denis Thériault 134 Laurent Poliquin 113 Louis-Jean Thibault 134 Antje M. Rauwerda 121 Alan Twigg 135 Laurie Ricou 135 Fred Wah 125 Kelly-Anne Riess 119 Samantha Warwick 136 Jason Ranon Uri Rotstein 125 Irene N. Watts 110 Ralph Sarkonak 99 Joanne Weber 121 Darlene Shatford 116 Cathleen With 103 Sean Somers 130 Reece Steinberg 114 Reviewers Émilie Théorêt 129 Ariane Audet 111 Ariane Tremblay 102 Lee Baxter 136 Hilary Turner 110 Emmanuel Bouchard 134 Daniel Vaillancourt 115 Marlene Briggs 132 Emily Wall 124 Jorge Calderón 120 Lynn (J.R.) Wytenbroek 103 T.L. Cowan 105 Kinga Zawada 101 Karen Crossley 108 Opinions and Notes Priscila Uppal Aesthetics of Sport: Or, Why I Started Diving and Figure Skating 138 Michael Peterman Hockey Dreams: The Importance of ‘The Game’ 141 John Moss The Journal of Canadian Fiction: A Particularly Lovely Project 150 Canadian Literature, a peer-reviewed journal, welcomes original, unpublished submissions of articles, interviews, and other commentaries relating to writers and writing in Canada, and of previously unpublished poems by Canadian writers. The journal does not publish fiction. Articles of approximately 6500 words (including Notes and Works Cited), double spaced, in 12-point font size, should be submitted in triplicate, with the author’s name deleted from two copies, and addressed to The Editor, Canadian Literature, The University of British Columbia, Buchanan E158, 1866 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z1. Submissions should include a brief biographical note (50 words), an abstract (150 words), and a self-addressed return envelope, either with Canadian stamps or accompanied by International Postal Reply Coupons. Submissions without SASE cannot be returned. Articles should follow MLA guidelines for bibliographic format. All works accepted for publication must also be available electronically. Canadian Literature, revue universitaire avec comités d’évaluation, reçoit des soumissions originales d’articles, d’entrevues et autres commentaires inédits portant sur les écrivains du Canada et sur leurs oeuvres, de même que des poèmes inédits d’auteurs canadiens. La revue ne publie aucune fiction narrative. Les manuscrits, d’une longueur approximative de 6500 mots, doivent être soumis en trois exemplaires (dont deux anonymisés), adressés au directeur de Canadian Literature, The University of British Columbia, Buchanan E158, 1866 Main Mall, Vancouver, C.-B., Canada V6T 1Z1, et accompagnés d’une note biographique (50 mots), d’un résumé (150 mots), et d’une enveloppe de retour pré-adressée et pré-affranchie (timbrée ou munie de coupons-réponse internationaux), sans quoi ils ne pourront être retournés à leurs auteurs. Les articles soumis doivent répondre aux exigences de forme bibliogra- phique définies par la MLA. Tous les textes acceptés pour publication devront être fournis électroniquement. Visit the Canadian Literature website for news, forthcoming reviews, interviews, submission guidelines, subscription information, archives, and other features: http://www.canlit.ca Copyright © 2009 The University of British Columbia Subject to the exception noted below, reproduction of the journal, or any part thereof, in any form, or transmission in any manner is strictly prohibited. Reproduction is only permitted for the purposes of research or private study in a manner that is consistent with the principle of fair dealing as stated in the Copyright Act (Canada). GST R108161779 Publication of Canadian Literature is assisted by the University of British Columbia, the Faculty of Arts (ubc), and sshrcc. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, through the Publications Assistance Program (pap), toward our mailing costs, and through the Canada Magazine Fund, toward web enhancement and promotional costs. Canadian Literature is indexed in Canadian Periodical Index, Canadian Magazine Index, Humanities International Complete, and the MLA International Bibliography, among numerous others. The journal is indexed and abstracted by ebsco, proquest, and abes. Full text of articles and reviews from 1997 is available from proquest, gale, and ebsco Publishing. The journal is available in microfilm from University Microfilm International. For subscriptions, back issues (as available), and indexes, visit our website. Publications Mail Agreement SUBSCRIPTIONS: $52.50 INDIVIDUAL; no. 40592543 $105 INSTITUTIONAL, GST INCLUDED. Registration no. 08647 OUTSIDE CANADA: US $80 INDIVIDUAL; US $130 INSTITUTIONAL. RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO ISSN 0008-4360 Canadian Literature Managing Editor: Donna Chin The University of British Columbia [email protected] Buchanan e158 - 1866 Main Mall, Production Staff: Matthew Gruman Vancouver, BC Kevin Hung Te Tjia Canada V6T 1Z1 Beth Veitch Design: George Vaitkunas TELEPHONE: (604) 822-2780 Illustrations: George Kuthan FAX: (604) 827-4040 Printing: Hignell Printing Limited E-MAIL: [email protected] Typefaces: Minion and Univers http://www.canlit.ca Paper: recycled and acid-free Editorial Thinking Tremolo and Backflip Laurie Ricou I was sitting in the campus cafeteria wondering how to introduce this issue when two Japanese students approached with a ques- tionnaire on health and fitness—part of their English-language training. Question 3 was “What is the greatest benefit of physical activity?” They are probably still puzzling over my ready answer: “It fosters an ability to appre- ciate poetry.” “Oh,” they said smiling demurely, “that’s a good answer.” Just before the shy questioners appeared, I’d been reading and re-reading Robert Kroetsch’s “Listening to the Radio: For Michael Ondaatje.” Kroetsch recreates a time when “Hockey Night in Canada” was pure sound, sound only, and the poetry of hockey was only a listening. Listening is an imagin- ing. What we hear when we