Just as "Jesse and Meribeth" seems to be a story about MaryBeth but really reveals so much more about Jessie herself, "Eskimo" appears to be about all the people on the plane with Mary Jo, but it's really all about Mary Jo. Nonetheless, it begins with talk of the passengers
"Being 16 is officially the worst thing I've ever been." That's Kimberly Keiko Cameron (aka Skim) speaking. "Why do the students call you Skim?" her English teacher, Ms Archer asks. "Because I'm not," Skim answers. Adolescence is such a horrid time: you're called what you're not, you want
Indie presses folding. Mega-presses consolidating. Indie shops closing. Mega-stores dictating terms to publishers. It sounds grim if you're a reader who loves to browse in bookshops and wants a variety of good reading. But what to do? I am a single reader. Here's what I did: I made lists. Because that's what
Friendships between schoolgirls like Jessie and MaryBeth -- for that is how their names are properly spelled, although they like to pretend to be Jesse and Meribeth -- are complicated. It's not the first time Alice Munro has grappled with the subject. The intricacies of relationships between schoolchildren also feature
It recalls Sharon Butala's love of the prairie, reverence for the land. It brings to mind Lee Maracle's focus on relationships between women, love and friendship and sustenance. And it reminds me of Louise Erdrich's unflinching consideration of violence against women and the world. But Alanda Greene's Napi's
