Category: Book Review

In 2020, I read Geoff Butler’s book Lullabies for Seniors, illustrated with music notations. Hence, it was a pleasure to be able to pick up his latest self-published book A Troubadour’s Journey from medieval time to the present day and age.

In March 2020, the Kings Theatre presented a film on his art, Off the Beaten Path by DT Siddharhtha Fraser, and a second short film by Tim Wilson. I have checked online, but so far, I have been unable to find a link to either film.

Three days later, WHO announced the COVID-19 pandemic. In Butler’s Words:

‘Now in 2022, and with the phenomenal speedy development of vaccines, a new day brightens, and we can reflect, with 20/20 vision of hindsight on what we’ve been through since 2020.’ p.5.

‘My troubadour can also paint and draw as well as write songs and sing, not to mention capable of being resurrected from the dead’ p.8

‘Troubadours and like poet-musicians will continue to rise again, for there will always be need of music and rhyme.’ p.8.

Each story includes a painting, a story and a musical score.

Topics include:

A troubadour’s journey

Begone, fiend ! COVID -19

The COVID-19 skate routine

Behing the mask

Behind the glass

Clearcut

The good ship Hope

Butler combines current topics within a three dimensional artistic context: art, poetry and music. A refreshing ‘tour de force’.

Acknowledgements

The Authors Market provided the opportunity to discover self-published books. Thank you to Russell at MareGold.

References

Geoff Butler. 2020. Lullabies for Seniors : illustrated throughout with music notation. Self–published.

Geoff Butler. 2022. A Troubadour’s Journey from medieval times to the present day and age. Self-published.

Saturday afternoon, I enjoyed my regular beer with John Wightman. John had found a copy of Annapolis County Resources (1990) and thought it might be of interest. Later I checked out the document (74 pages). It contained a good description of the county, based on Statistics Canada census information. At that time Bridgetown was a separate entity.

Reviewing the document with 33 years of hindsight, I was struck by a number of items:

1. The lack of maps showing the distribution of land use, and land use change.
2. The lack of references to the role of private industry.

This caused me to check out Dick Groot’s book ‘Closure’. It provided a brief history of BRITEX in Centrelea.

‘In 1970 approximately 240 people were employed’. The company closed in 2004 despite the efforts of Sandy Archibald and his staff.

If the County commissioned a report on resources in 2023, what changes might we see? Would the focus be less on the physical infrastructure and government census data? Would we see a more detailed description of the landscape and its changing use? What about the ‘creative rural economy’? Are there new businesses in the County?

Would we see the new technologies at COGS being used to give an online picture of the available resources? It would include new start-ups, the contribution from the arts and the sciences. Would we see more emphasis on the history, and the sense of community?

Times have changed. Have we?

The best resource in the County is ‘The Bridgetown Reader ‘. Thank you, Lewis!

Meanwhile, go online and check out the Shorefast Foundation on Fogo Island.

Postscript

From the bookshelf, we have Local Logic: How to get there from Here, published by AIRO in February 2017, with survey results and recommendations on the economic future of Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, and its surrounding communities. This is a timely read. We need an update to 2023.

Acknowledgements

John Wightman provided a copy of the Annapolis County Resources. Dick Groot illustrated the changes in the Old Economy. Jane Nicholson’s significant commitment at Annapolis Investments in Rural Opportunity (AIRO). Edward added the graphics.

References

February 1990, Annapolis County Resources, 74 pp.

Dick Groot, 2018, Closure: A Photographer’s Eye on an Old Economy, Cedar Centre, Windsor, NS.

The Bridgetown Reader, www.bridgetownreader.news

Last Sunday, Heather had a Shambala meditation meeting at the Community Hall in Granville Ferry. I decided to take the drive to Victoria Beach.

At the end of the road, I checked out the gravel road towards Delaps Cove.

Two days later, I stopped at Endless Shores bookstore in Bridgetown. I was looking for door prizes for the Ernest Buckler Literary Event Society (EBLES), Reading Where We Live: a celebration of local writing, July 15th, West Dalhousie Community Hall.

On the shelf, I spied Paul Rapsey’s book, Murder on the Pony Express Way, printed by Integrity Printing in Bridgetown. This is his first fictional novel.

The other notable point of interest in Victoria Beach was the Mare Gold retreat. This links to the new bookstore in Annapolis Royal, of the same name and ownership.

After the excursion to Victoria Beach, we returned to Paradise via Highway #201. Heather wanted to check out Spurr Road in Round Hill. We navigated to Gibsons Lake on the old military road. Before turning South at West Dalhousie, back to Bridgetown and home.

Just a simple journey took us to explore the nether regions of Annapolis County.

It is truly remarkable, the number of writers, artists, and musicians who have discovered their ‘sense of place in this landscape’ ; or, in Raymond Hunter’s favourite expression, ‘Bloom where you are planted’

Acknowledgements.

Without Heather’s meeting in Granville Ferry, we would not have explored the road to Victoria Beach. Without Jennifer Crouse at Endless Shores Books, I would not have discovered Paul Rapsey’s novel. Andrew Hannam facilitated access to the collection at COGS Library. Edward added the graphics.

References

Paul Rapsey, 2023, Murder on the Pony Express Way.

Harold Horwood, 1987, Dancing on the Shore: a celebration of Life at Annapolis Basin, McClelland and Stewart.

This week has ended on a high note. After car inspection at Kings County Honda in Kentville, we went to Tides Contemporary Art Gallery.

They had on display three books by Dick Groot: one on the closure of Minas Basin Pulp and Power; a second — more biographical — on his interest in photography. I picked up the third, “Come from Away: Artists of the Minas Basin”. Dick photographed twelve local artists, all drawn to the Bay of Fundy landscape. He also references the poet John Herbin and the collection, The Marshlands and the Trail of the Tide. Herbin lived here from 1860 to 1923(see previous post “Canning Trip“)

Through Lawrencetown library I received two books by Merilyn Simonds. Gutenberg’s Fingerprint and A New Leaf. Since I am only part way through the first, I passed A New Leaf to gardener, Heather.

Gutenberg’s Fingerprint has a similar style to “Woman, Watching”. It interweaves the personal experiences of the author within the context of the book theme ‘Paper, pixels and the lasting impression of books’. To date, I am at the paper stage. How paper was invented and used through the ages. This reminded me of the look and feel of the books published by Gaspereau Press. Another hidden jewel in Kentville.

Postscript

From Nicholas Hoare, Toronto bookmark:

“A Taste for Books is the Pleasure and Glory of my Life. I would not exchange it for the Riches of the Indies.”

Acknowledgements

I look forward to Heather’s review of A New Leaf. It describes Simonds garden, outside of Kingston, Ontario.

Andrew Ronay sent me a photograph of the Under 14 rugby team at Chiswick Grammar School, shot in 1958 (Which one is the author?).

Edward applied his graphics talent.

References

Dick Groot, 2012, Come from Away: Artists of the Minas Basin, a documentary of a little known migration, Light Through Studio.

Merilyn Simonds, 2017, Gutenberg’s Fingerprint: paper, pixels and the lasting impression of books, ECW.

Merilyn Simonds, 2011, A New Leaf: Growing with my Garden, ECW.

One of the delights of visiting family is sharing reading lists. In Peterborough, this means Patrick’s interests in Scandinavia and Iceland from the perspective of culture and nature; from Emily, place-based and indigenous education. In Toronto, I can catch up with Peter’s reading. In this case, questions about ‘growing old gracefully’ or alternatively “a father and son discuss the meaning of life”.

In addition to the compilation of lists, Peterborough has an excellent set of second-hand bookstores, filled with contributions from the local academic community. Heather found ‘Flower Hunters’. It includes stories from Linnaeus to Marianne North and Joseph Hooker. I found a couple of David Quammen’s books: The Reluctant Mr. Darwin and The Boilerplate Rhino. Essays.

After the journey, we can relax with these new-to-us texts.

References

From Patrick Maher:

Meik Wiking, 2016, The Little Book of Hygge, Penguin Random House
Meik Wiking, 2017, The Little Book of Lykke, Penguin Random House
Meik Wiking, 2019, The Art of Making Memories, Penguin Random House

From Emily Root-Maher:

Naomi Krogman and April Bergstrom, 2022, The Future of Sustainability Education, U of Alberta Press.
Marcia McKenzie, et al. 2019, Fields of Green: Restoring Culture, Environment and Education, Hampton Press.
Karen Osmond, 2011, Iceland Imagined: Nature, Culture and Storytelling in the North Atlantic, U of Washington Press.
Eve Tuck and Marcia McKenzie, 2015, Place in Research Theory, Methodology and Methods, Routledge.

From Fraser Root-Maher:

Margaret Webb, 2008, Apples to Oysters: A Food Lover’s Tour of Canadian Farms, Viking Canada.

From Peter Maher:

Jean Chittiste,. 2008, The Gift Years: Growing Old Gracefully, Bluebridge Publishing
Jean-François Revel and Matthieu Ricard, 1998, The Monk and the Philosopher, Schocken.

The English Landscape with introduction by Bill Bryson. 2001. Viking Studio.

From Heather Stewart:

Mary Gribbin and John Gribbin, 2008, Flower Hunters, OUP.
David Stuart and George Stuart, 2008, Palenque: Eternal City of the Maya, Thames and Hudson.

From Robert Maher:

David Quammen, 2000, The Boilerplate Rhino, Touchstone.
David Quammen, 2006, The Reluctant Mr. Darwin, Atlas Books.

Acknowledgments.

Thanks to everyone for sharing their literary interest: Patrick, Emily, Fraser, Peter and Heather.

Thanks to Edward for enlivening the blog with suitable graphics and links.


POSTSCRIPT CARTOON by Edward

This weekend, we returned to New Glasgow for the Easter holiday. During the week, Heather had the opportunity to finish reading Merilyn Simonds ‘Woman, Watching’, a biography of Louise de Kiriline Lawrence and the Songbirds of Pimisi Bay (see post Man, Watching). I also found the book excellent. I would recommend it for a number of reasons. It emphasizes the value of citizen science, in this case in the field of ornithology.

A second thread is the importance of a sense of place.Here, Louise lived at the Loghouse Nest on Pimisi Bay, outside of North Bay, Ontario for over fifty years.

Merilyn has written a well-researched biography. It includes detailed references to letters, publications and and books by Louise. Interwoven with her own biographical experience. It represents an inspirational piece of writing.

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Before leaving the Valley, we checked out lunch at Junction Sixteen. With Anne and Bill Crossman, Roger Mosher, everyone enjoyed the pasta and the seafood. In New Glasgow, we went to the Blue Lobster Public House in Stellarton with John and Sandy Stewart. Another success.

To offset the excellent food, we took our first hike through our property on South Mountain, to the Inglisville Road. The snow has almost disappeared in the woods.

Acknowledgements

Heather selected the excellent read, Woman, Watching. We enjoyed the lunch company in both Bridgetown and Stellarton. Edward made his usual, valued contribution.

Reference

Merilyn Simonds, 2022, Woman, Watching, ECW Press.

We have been reducing our book load, with help from Endless Shores in Bridgetown. In checking the top shelf, I found a number of books that have followed me from England, including:

The Spirit and Purpose of Geography by Wooldridge and East was a school prize for Mathematics in 1962. It includes chapters on different geographies: Physical Geography, Biogeography, Historical Geography, Economic Geography, Political Geography.

On the same shelf, we have my graduate theses. M.Sc. Complexity Analysis of Vegetation Patterns in an alpine meadow, 1971 and Ph.D thesis, Inquiry into the Nature of Biogeography, 1976.

Elsewhere in the house, I found two publications from the National Museum in Ottawa.

The Rare Vascular Plants of Nova Scotia, 1977, co-authored with David White, George Argus and Paul Keddy, Syllogeus 18.

The Rare Vascular Plants of Saskatchewan, 1978, co-authored with George Argus and Vernon Harms, Syllogeus 19.

George Argus was responsible for bringing Heather and myself back to Canada from England. With some online research, I found that George died last Fall . Irwin Brodo and Erich Haber penned a wonderful tribute in the Canadian Field Naturalist.

From Wooldridge and East, Preface p.12.

‘We have tried to signpost a path which can lead the student, if he is so inclined, towards the full study of his heritage, the earth’s surface which he treads. And if he persevered along this path his journey will not prove unrewarding. For his effort will subject him to a discipline and yield him a philosophy.’

Finally, from the Alaska Dispatch News November 19, 2022, by Ned Rozell ‘George Argus, a man of the mountains and its willows’.

Acknowledgements

Heather helps me clear the shelves. Edward adds his creative touch. To Mary Argus, fond memories of Ottawa.

References

S.W.Wooldridge and W. Gordon East, 1951, The Spirit and Purpose of Geography, Hutchinson University Library.

Irwin Brodo and Erich Haber, 2022, A Tribute to George William Argus: 1929-2022, The Canadian Field-Naturalist. Vol 136 No 3.

N. Rozell Nov 19, 2022, George Argus: a man of the mountains and its willows, Alaska Dispatch News.

This week, we have started to reduce our book collection.

I had hoped to pick up Peter Wyman’s short story ‘Crossing Thames’. This will have to wait until March 11, when he will be launching the book at the Annapolis Royal Library (11am – 2pm).

Today, I made a book swap with Sandra Barry. Heather had two copies of Robie Tufts’ ‘Birds of Nova Scotia‘. Sandra had Colm Toibin’s essays ‘A Guest at the Feast’.

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Saturday, we met with Rick and Cathy Ketcheson at the Green Elephant Cafe in Kingston. Unfortunately, the cafe was closed for the staff winter holiday. We headed to Middleton to Bistro 300. Again closed. We ended up at the Capitol Pub.

Later, that evening, I met with John Wightman. One of the many topics, was Walter Morrison, Cartographer Emeritus. Walter donated his historical map collection to the COGS library.

This raised the question of retired COGS faculty who continue to make a contribution to geographic sciences, and the community. This seems normal within the university culture. Not so much, at the Nova Scotia Community College. From CORAH , I noticed that Trish LeBlanc will be speaking on historic maps in Nova Scotia at COGS. (see below)

Organizing the bookshelves, within the framework of a future house move, is a harrowing task. Many of the texts have a context from earlier research, in Canada, as well as overseas.

Acknowledgements

Heather joined me in the challenge of reducing the number of text books from different disciplines and different geographies. Sandra Barry engaged in the book swap. John Wightman continues to exemplify Major Church’s dictum ‘Never retire’. Edward contributed the graphics and links.

References

Robie Tufts, 1986, Birds of Nova Scotia, Third Edition, Nimbus, Nova Scotia Museum.

Colm Toibin, 2023, A Guest at the Feast: Essays, McClelland and Stewart.

The Blomidon Field Naturalist Society, 1992, A Natural History of Kings County, Acadia University.

Trish LeBlanc, Antique Maps of Nova Scotia, March 14 1-2 pm, NSCC COGS campus.