That Reminds Me That Reminds Me: Canada's Authors Relive Their Most Embarrassing Moments

Elizabeth St. Jacques is a writer and poet living in Sault Ste. Marie,
Ontario.

Thirty-one celebrated Canadian authors reveal their most embarrassing
moments with an openness that brings a blush to the cheek. The way these
celebrities handle embarrassment can jiggle your giggling pin to the
point of tears.

Delightful knee-slappers are Margaret Atwood’s eternal television
moment, when a flying squirrel got a little too personal, and mystery
writer Howard Engel’s spaghetti-and-meatballs meal that mystified
important dinner guests. (See if you don’t agree that Atwood deserves
a belated Humane Society award, while Engel—if desperate some
day—could moonlight with an international glue conglomerate.)

Then there’s W.O. Mitchell’s public washroom scene, which could
explain why a certain cloth is called seersucker, and Knowlton Nash’s
unexpected solo rendition of “Auld Lang Syne” on cbc television,
which reinforced his preference for speaking. Juicy stuff.

Be sure to read how poet and critic Alan Pearson virtually “lit up”
a gorgeous woman’s life, and how associate editor and columnist Stuart
Trueman’s midnight exposé in a New Brunswick hotel may still haunt
those halls—two of the book’s best slapstick scenes. I dare you not
to howl with laughter!

However, not all live up to expectations; a few fall painfully flat.
Either the embarrassment isn’t much to write home about, or it’s
like peeling sour grapes. Or, in one case, the moment is outright
repulsive. (One wonders why anyone would reveal an incident more
shocking than funny? But, hey, celebrities can’t resist getting into
print, right?)

A comical photo or caricature of each author would have been a welcome
touch. Overall, though, this is a neatly presented collection with
large, sharp print that’s easy on the eyes. As for laughs, this is the
one you’ve been waiting for. That Reminds Me: the almost-perfect
antidote for cabin fever.