The Literary History of Alberta

Volumes I and II

by George Melnyk

University of Alberta Press

Threshold

edited by Srdja Pavlovic

University of Alberta Press

reviewed by paulo da costa

Alberta writers are privileged to count on the generosity of time and the community vision of George Melnyk who undertook the task of gathering the literary history of our province: from the cliffs of Writing-on-the-Stone to the threshold of the XXI century.

Volume one begins with the Aboriginal tradition and closes with World War II. The second, explores the latter half of the XX century through contributions of Albertans to different literary genres. The role of literary institutions and magazines, as well as writers in languages other than English are not overlooked. The 1994 birth of filling Station is acknowledged and Melnyk writes that the magazine has a "youthful Generation-X twist on contributions". Volume two concludes with a chapter profiling a few of the nineties' writers.

It was a revelation to learn that even in the nineteenth century, under the earlier conservative and stereotypical values of Alberta, the marginalized voices of women and gays were already being told.

The Literary History of Alberta is filled with surprising historical and anecdotal mementos ensuring a continuous return to its pages. These books are fundamental in beginning to map our literary past and establishing future points of reference, a must read for anyone pursuing the craft of writing in our province.

Unlike The Literary History of Alberta, Threshold holds no surprises. Home on the range, it is a standard fare of meat and potatoes. Disappointingly, and contrary to the dust jacket statement, claiming to cover both new and established Alberta writers, this anthology, predominantly features the well-seasoned Alberta writers.

We are served a well-done feast. Dining you can count on. Yet, considering the immense talent fermenting in the province, there would certainly be reason to wash down a few of those prime cuts with a generous gulp of fresh sparkling casts. Casts collecting dust on shelves, waiting to delight and surprise Albertans.

Ironically, it is Linda Goyette, in her essay: Imaginary Alberta, who decides to take the literary road-less-traveled. "...To find out, I scooped up five fiction magazines, one anthology of Alberta short stories, and hit an imaginary highway to new destinations. My only rule was that the stuff had to be new. I passed established writers to pick up neglected newcomers with their thumbs out. The speed limit was not respected."

The reader travels the literary highway with Goyette, from literary stop to literary stop, a journey which began at our very own filling Station.

In all, these three books are prime candidates for internal export and considering recent literary reports confirming that central and eastern Canadians seem to know beef-little about Alberta authors, these three books will make exceptional smuggling material for any revolutionary Albertan contemplating a trip to Toronto and beyond. Forget Rockies' calendars, stetson hats, two-ounce jars of oil sand (unsifted) or even an Alberta health care card clipped in half and layered in two. Imagine traveling with a suitcase full of these books and leaving them, one by one, in coffee shops, trains, walk-in clinics and Chapter's stores. Imagine people's surprise upon discovering that Albertans are not only talented with a lasso but can also juggle words while hanging from the provincial tight-rope of cost-cutting politicians.

©paulodacosta