From Amazon
History informs, but rarely touches. Its language is that of actualities--of numbers and places and names--not of the heart. Story of a Nation is an attempt to make historical facts more real through the use of fiction, with 12 pieces, some by heavy-hitters like Margaret Atwood and Timothy Findley, and some by young mavericks like Hal Niedzviecki and Michael Turner. Four of the most compelling stories reduce--or elevate--a period of history to a love story. Roch Carrier’s "Gold and Sawdust," a tale set during the Klondike gold rush of two brothers and the woman both love, ends in horribly ironic tragedy. David McFarlane's "The First of July" shares with its protagonist the revelation of history being, in the end, about real people: a series of love letters proves that the old, scary woman down the road was once a young Newfoundland woman in love with a soldier who met a brutal end in the First World War. American expat Michelle Berry's attempts to come to terms with her adopted country's national obsession results in "Henderson Has Scored for Canada!", a story in which she folds the historic Canada/Russia hockey games of 1972 into a tense domestic drama. Dionne Brand's "One Down" reveals how a single act of racism, in this instance in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, in 1946, can come between two people. "Jack is not with you now, he is not in that photograph at the Hi-Hat Club on Columbus Avenue in Boston," writes Brand, who has pieced together the story of Viola Desmond and her battle with the racist Roseland Theatre using photographs and newspaper accounts. "Good as he was, a distance opened up between you that Friday in November 1946 when the Dodge broke down. Not right away, but little by little."
There are other fine tales in Story of a Nation that don’t touch on love at all—Niedzviecki's "Very Nice, Very Nice" combines two of the author's obsessions, filmmaker Arthur Lipsett and Toronto commune Rochdale. And Thomas King's "Where the Borg Are" tells of a young Native boy's attempts to understand government aboriginal policy in terms of Star Trek. Not all of the stories are as successful as these are, but more often than not this beautifully designed, heavily illustrated book finds the perfect pitch between the cold facts of history and the yearnings of the human heart. --Shawn Conner
Review
“The highly selective snapshots are sharply focused, the writing as careful and classy as the longer fiction for which most of the authors are celebrated. Certainly the short-story form is alive and well in this polished collection.” -- Victoria Times-Colonist
“Story of a Nation gives the ‘Canadian history is boring’ chorus a nice kick in the butt.” -- Chatelaine
“The writing is without exception excellent. . . . This is such a good idea.” -- The Globe and Mail
From the Trade Paperback edition.
“Story of a Nation gives the ‘Canadian history is boring’ chorus a nice kick in the butt.” -- Chatelaine
“The writing is without exception excellent. . . . This is such a good idea.” -- The Globe and Mail
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Book Description
Inspired by history, Story of a Nation is a beautifully illustrated collection of original stories from some of Canada's most celebrated and best-loved authors. Twelve of the country's finest writers, including Margaret Atwood, Roch Carrier, Timothy Findley, Antonine Maillet, Alberto Manguel and Michael Turner, when presented with the question, What are the great events in Canadian history? responded by travelling into the past to discover the moments, both familiar and unexpected, that shaped our nation.
Drawing on their skills as master storytellers, the contributors to this collection offer wonderfully imaginative accounts of what it's like to make history. Margaret Atwood casts her eye back to 1759 and brilliantly captures the journal entries of a frightened French woman, trapped in Québec City as the English forces attack. In "The First of July," David Macfarlane's youthful narrator loses himself in the papers of an elderly neighbour, and through the records of her past, experiences the heartbreaking, stunting loss of war. In Thomas King's hilarious story, "Where the Borg Are," a young boy named Milton Friendlybear offers a Star Trekkian reinterpretation of the Indian Act, linking its significance to the fate of the universe. And revisiting an occasion of huge national pride, Michelle Berry tells the story of a four-year-old girl caught up in the excitement of the 1972 Summit Series, hopeful that the passion of hockey will hold her crumbling family together.
Each of these magical stories is further brought to life by an accompanying visual narrative. Vividly illustrating the joy, sorrow, anger and passion of more than two centuries of our history, here are fifty unforgettable images: the Belgian Queen, a seductive reminder that the Klondike of Roch Carrier's story was anything but a purely masculine domain; Kurt Meyer, the SS officer who represented evil in the childhood of John Ralston Saul and of many other children whose fathers landed on Juno beach in June 1944; and Viola Desmond at the Hi-Hat Club, whose glamour and elegance contrasted starkly with the small-minded racism so powerfully chronicled by Dionne Brand.
With a preface by Rudyard Griffiths, executive director of The Dominion Institute, and introduced by distinguished historian Christopher Moore, Story of a Nation is a moving celebration of Canada's extraordinary history and our exceptional writers.
Drawing on their skills as master storytellers, the contributors to this collection offer wonderfully imaginative accounts of what it's like to make history. Margaret Atwood casts her eye back to 1759 and brilliantly captures the journal entries of a frightened French woman, trapped in Québec City as the English forces attack. In "The First of July," David Macfarlane's youthful narrator loses himself in the papers of an elderly neighbour, and through the records of her past, experiences the heartbreaking, stunting loss of war. In Thomas King's hilarious story, "Where the Borg Are," a young boy named Milton Friendlybear offers a Star Trekkian reinterpretation of the Indian Act, linking its significance to the fate of the universe. And revisiting an occasion of huge national pride, Michelle Berry tells the story of a four-year-old girl caught up in the excitement of the 1972 Summit Series, hopeful that the passion of hockey will hold her crumbling family together.
Each of these magical stories is further brought to life by an accompanying visual narrative. Vividly illustrating the joy, sorrow, anger and passion of more than two centuries of our history, here are fifty unforgettable images: the Belgian Queen, a seductive reminder that the Klondike of Roch Carrier's story was anything but a purely masculine domain; Kurt Meyer, the SS officer who represented evil in the childhood of John Ralston Saul and of many other children whose fathers landed on Juno beach in June 1944; and Viola Desmond at the Hi-Hat Club, whose glamour and elegance contrasted starkly with the small-minded racism so powerfully chronicled by Dionne Brand.
With a preface by Rudyard Griffiths, executive director of The Dominion Institute, and introduced by distinguished historian Christopher Moore, Story of a Nation is a moving celebration of Canada's extraordinary history and our exceptional writers.
From the Back Cover
“The highly selective snapshots are sharply focused, the writing as careful and classy as the longer fiction for which most of the authors are celebrated. Certainly the short-story form is alive and well in this polished collection.” -- Victoria Times-Colonist
“Story of a Nation gives the ‘Canadian history is boring’ chorus a nice kick in the butt.” -- Chatelaine
“The writing is without exception excellent. . . . This is such a good idea.” -- The Globe and Mail
From the Hardcover edition.
“Story of a Nation gives the ‘Canadian history is boring’ chorus a nice kick in the butt.” -- Chatelaine
“The writing is without exception excellent. . . . This is such a good idea.” -- The Globe and Mail
From the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
Contributors
Margaret Atwood
Michelle Berry
Dionne Brand
Roch Carrier
Timothy Findley
Thomas King
David Macfarlane
Antonine Maillet
Alberto Manguel
Hal Niedzviecki
John Ralston Saul
Michael Turner
Preface by Rudyard Griffiths, The Dominion Institute
Introduction by Christopher Moore
Margaret Atwood
Michelle Berry
Dionne Brand
Roch Carrier
Timothy Findley
Thomas King
David Macfarlane
Antonine Maillet
Alberto Manguel
Hal Niedzviecki
John Ralston Saul
Michael Turner
Preface by Rudyard Griffiths, The Dominion Institute
Introduction by Christopher Moore
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Table of Contents
Preface: Rudyard Griffiths
Introduction: Christopher Moore
Margaret Atwood: The Bombardment Continues (Translated from the French)
Antonine Maillet: The Great Disturbance and According to Bélonie
Alberto Manguel : An Act of Atonement (The Red River Colony, 1826)
Roch Carrier: Gold and Sawdust
David Macfarlane: The First of July
Michael Turner: The death of Albert “Ginger” Goodwin (As Told by a Very Old Man Who Wishes to Remain Anonymous)
Timothy Findley: The Banks of the Wabush
John Ralston Saul: D-Day
Dionne Brand: One Down
Michelle Berry: Henderson Has Scored for Canada!
Hal Niedzviecki: Very Nice, Very Nice
Thomas King: Where the Borg Are
Preface
What defines a country? Is it the values a people share or the physical possession of some specific space or territory? Is it the memory of a common heritage or allegiance to a set of present-day institutions and ideals? These questions of identity are universal to all societies at all times.
What is remarkable about modern Canada, even to the casual observer, is the striking ahistorical character of our national identity. Through much of the twentieth century we chose to mark ourselves out as a “northern nation” defined by its endless lakes, vast interiors, and harsh arctic climes. Equally, when it came to giving expression to the values we shared in common, Canadians turned not to a common historical memory, as in Britain or America, but to a set of social institutions that were seen as manifestations of our national character. Medicare and social assistance became embodiments of a Canadian ethic of care, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms the living representation of our respect for diversity.
For the vast majority of Canadians, the idea of the country as a sprawling geographic entity held together by shared institutions proved to be a potent and enduring basis for national community. Over the last quarter century, our sense of common identity has undergone a sea change. The combined forces of globalization and technological change, slowly, and then rapidly, began to undermine the touchstones that had animated our identity: the sense of ourselves as a country defined by its geography and institutions.
Canada, as we now never tire of telling ourselves, is one of the most “connected” societies in the industrial world. The very dream and reality of the virtual world has made it increasingly difficult to sustain the myth that we are a country defined by geography. With every instantaneous modem, cellular, and satellite
connection between Vancouver, Inuvik, and St. John’s, the physicality of Canada slips away. A similar unravelling of identity has occurred around our sense of being a nation that articulates its values through institutions. The permeation of the country’s government and social conventions by a growing number of international financial protocols, such as gatt and nafta, has steadily eroded Canadians’ belief that their institutions can be vehicles for collective self-determination. More and more young Canadians, rightly or wrongly, see the country’s institutions as beachheads for a global, corporatized vision of society that rings hollow with their
yearnings for authenticity and belonging.
Simply put, Canada is now experienced by many of its citizens as a shrinking and porous community. Both of which are national attributes that, if unchecked, will preclude the very idea of a sovereign country. Against these trends towards dissimilation, Canada and Canadians are in the middle of a fascinating and perilous project of recrafting the foundations of a common identity. One of the hallmarks of this ongoing search for the basis of a new, robust national identity has been Canadians’ sudden and intense interest in things historical. From the CBC’s “A People’s History” to the steady stream of non-fiction bestsellers on historical themes to the new sense of urgency surrounding Remembrance Day commemorations, Canadian history is enjoying an unexpected and far-reaching renaissance.
History and historical consciousness provide a powerful rebuttal to the carrion calls of globalization and technological change that the nation-state’s time has come and gone. History gives us a renewed sense of place and context in a world where geography matters less and less. It provides the frames of reference to conduct a coherent national conversation when each of us is a complicated amalgamation of region, ethnicity, and gender. An increased historical awareness also provides what many Canadians feel is lacking in their highly mobile and autonomous lives: the raw materials to reimagine community by connecting one’s personal narrative with the story of a larger whole. History and historical consciousness are ties that bind.
History is also a public space. It is not owned by a multinational corporation or by a government agency. At a time when the very notion of the public good seems under threat by the forces of globalization, historical memory is one of the last great reserves of collective imagination that we can tap into to more fully articulate who we are as a nation. The rash of new popular histories of Canada created by filmmakers, authors, and enthusiasts are indicative of how Canadian history has moved outside the ivory tower into mainstream social discourse to achieve just this end. And again, in a Canada where many of our institutions are permeated with agendas that lie beyond our borders, Canadian history is a rich terrain to reimagine a national identity that is an extension of our past, rather than a rupture with the traditions of tolerance and respect that stretch back to the country’s founding.
At the beginning of the twenty-first century, we are very much a country in search of a new set of reference points to construct a common identity. This is a juncture in our national story fraught with opportunity and potential disaster. We either fail to renew a national vision and jettison some 250 years of hard-won lessons about what constitutes a just society, or we articulate a new identity founded on a basis more enduring and universal than outmoded notions of shared institutions and geography.
This is why Story of a Nation is such an important book. It takes Canadian history beyond its traditional treatment as an academic subject and reconfigures our past as a vehicle not only to understand where we have come from, but what our history means to us as a country today. It shows that history is narrative. That our past is not something transfixed in amber, but a story that is open to us to create
and recreate in the image of the values we hold important as Canadians. Moreover, this process is a public activity open to everyone and not something to be left to government or corporate Canada.
Story of a Nation speaks to the seminal challenge that Canada faces in the twenty-first century. We either have the creativity to reimagine ourselves anew or what constitutes the country’s identity will fall to global forces largely outside our control. While future historians will write the ultimate outcome of this contest of identity, our newfound sense of the importance of history–its ability to craft and sustain a common public memory–will be at the heart of the struggle for a new and vibrant Canadian nationalism.
Rudyard Griffiths
Preface: Rudyard Griffiths
Introduction: Christopher Moore
Margaret Atwood: The Bombardment Continues (Translated from the French)
Antonine Maillet: The Great Disturbance and According to Bélonie
Alberto Manguel : An Act of Atonement (The Red River Colony, 1826)
Roch Carrier: Gold and Sawdust
David Macfarlane: The First of July
Michael Turner: The death of Albert “Ginger” Goodwin (As Told by a Very Old Man Who Wishes to Remain Anonymous)
Timothy Findley: The Banks of the Wabush
John Ralston Saul: D-Day
Dionne Brand: One Down
Michelle Berry: Henderson Has Scored for Canada!
Hal Niedzviecki: Very Nice, Very Nice
Thomas King: Where the Borg Are
Preface
What defines a country? Is it the values a people share or the physical possession of some specific space or territory? Is it the memory of a common heritage or allegiance to a set of present-day institutions and ideals? These questions of identity are universal to all societies at all times.
What is remarkable about modern Canada, even to the casual observer, is the striking ahistorical character of our national identity. Through much of the twentieth century we chose to mark ourselves out as a “northern nation” defined by its endless lakes, vast interiors, and harsh arctic climes. Equally, when it came to giving expression to the values we shared in common, Canadians turned not to a common historical memory, as in Britain or America, but to a set of social institutions that were seen as manifestations of our national character. Medicare and social assistance became embodiments of a Canadian ethic of care, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms the living representation of our respect for diversity.
For the vast majority of Canadians, the idea of the country as a sprawling geographic entity held together by shared institutions proved to be a potent and enduring basis for national community. Over the last quarter century, our sense of common identity has undergone a sea change. The combined forces of globalization and technological change, slowly, and then rapidly, began to undermine the touchstones that had animated our identity: the sense of ourselves as a country defined by its geography and institutions.
Canada, as we now never tire of telling ourselves, is one of the most “connected” societies in the industrial world. The very dream and reality of the virtual world has made it increasingly difficult to sustain the myth that we are a country defined by geography. With every instantaneous modem, cellular, and satellite
connection between Vancouver, Inuvik, and St. John’s, the physicality of Canada slips away. A similar unravelling of identity has occurred around our sense of being a nation that articulates its values through institutions. The permeation of the country’s government and social conventions by a growing number of international financial protocols, such as gatt and nafta, has steadily eroded Canadians’ belief that their institutions can be vehicles for collective self-determination. More and more young Canadians, rightly or wrongly, see the country’s institutions as beachheads for a global, corporatized vision of society that rings hollow with their
yearnings for authenticity and belonging.
Simply put, Canada is now experienced by many of its citizens as a shrinking and porous community. Both of which are national attributes that, if unchecked, will preclude the very idea of a sovereign country. Against these trends towards dissimilation, Canada and Canadians are in the middle of a fascinating and perilous project of recrafting the foundations of a common identity. One of the hallmarks of this ongoing search for the basis of a new, robust national identity has been Canadians’ sudden and intense interest in things historical. From the CBC’s “A People’s History” to the steady stream of non-fiction bestsellers on historical themes to the new sense of urgency surrounding Remembrance Day commemorations, Canadian history is enjoying an unexpected and far-reaching renaissance.
History and historical consciousness provide a powerful rebuttal to the carrion calls of globalization and technological change that the nation-state’s time has come and gone. History gives us a renewed sense of place and context in a world where geography matters less and less. It provides the frames of reference to conduct a coherent national conversation when each of us is a complicated amalgamation of region, ethnicity, and gender. An increased historical awareness also provides what many Canadians feel is lacking in their highly mobile and autonomous lives: the raw materials to reimagine community by connecting one’s personal narrative with the story of a larger whole. History and historical consciousness are ties that bind.
History is also a public space. It is not owned by a multinational corporation or by a government agency. At a time when the very notion of the public good seems under threat by the forces of globalization, historical memory is one of the last great reserves of collective imagination that we can tap into to more fully articulate who we are as a nation. The rash of new popular histories of Canada created by filmmakers, authors, and enthusiasts are indicative of how Canadian history has moved outside the ivory tower into mainstream social discourse to achieve just this end. And again, in a Canada where many of our institutions are permeated with agendas that lie beyond our borders, Canadian history is a rich terrain to reimagine a national identity that is an extension of our past, rather than a rupture with the traditions of tolerance and respect that stretch back to the country’s founding.
At the beginning of the twenty-first century, we are very much a country in search of a new set of reference points to construct a common identity. This is a juncture in our national story fraught with opportunity and potential disaster. We either fail to renew a national vision and jettison some 250 years of hard-won lessons about what constitutes a just society, or we articulate a new identity founded on a basis more enduring and universal than outmoded notions of shared institutions and geography.
This is why Story of a Nation is such an important book. It takes Canadian history beyond its traditional treatment as an academic subject and reconfigures our past as a vehicle not only to understand where we have come from, but what our history means to us as a country today. It shows that history is narrative. That our past is not something transfixed in amber, but a story that is open to us to create
and recreate in the image of the values we hold important as Canadians. Moreover, this process is a public activity open to everyone and not something to be left to government or corporate Canada.
Story of a Nation speaks to the seminal challenge that Canada faces in the twenty-first century. We either have the creativity to reimagine ourselves anew or what constitutes the country’s identity will fall to global forces largely outside our control. While future historians will write the ultimate outcome of this contest of identity, our newfound sense of the importance of history–its ability to craft and sustain a common public memory–will be at the heart of the struggle for a new and vibrant Canadian nationalism.
Rudyard Griffiths
