The Third Macmillan Anthology

Don Precosky teaches English at the College of New Caledonia in Prince
George.

In theory, this is the kind of book I would love to find in my Christmas
stocking every December 25—an anthology, compiled by two respected
writers and editors, of the best of the new writing in Canada over the
past 12 months. But something has gone wrong with this Third Macmillan
Anthology, for it is badly off balance. For one thing, it is dominated
by short fiction, the genre practiced by its editors. There are 16 short
stories and one story-length piece from a novel-in-progress. In
contrast, there are selections from only four poets, no work from
dramatists, and nothing in translation from French Canada. It is also
over-loaded with writing from Ontario and anglophone Quebec. There is
considerable reflection of Canada’s multicultural nature (with the
exception of French Canada), but little of its regional character. These
two excesses would be forgivable if the work included was so obviously
wonderful that its exclusion would have been a grave injustice; this is
not the case. Kevin Connolly, reviewing the year’s work in poetry (and
a grotesquely cruel, foolish, and unfair review it is too), says that
“there is a doddering sameness to our ‘distinctive’ Canadian
voices.” The irony is that his observation applies more aptly to many
of the prose pieces in this anthology, particularly those by Douglas
Glover (why he has two selections in here is a mystery), Hugh Hood, Leon
Rooke, and Ray Smith, than it does to the poetry he attacks. These are
tired, aging men who should give their pens a rest. That they are
present at all is an example of an old tradition in CanLit circles:
publishing your buddies first.

Fortunately there is some good work: Tony German’s “Bloody
Brits,” Ann Diamond’s “Zen in America” (a look at cult life from
the inside), and Diane Schoemperlen’s “The Look of the Lightning,
the Sound of the Birds” are all strong offerings.

Even more fortunately, there are four wonderful poems by Irving Layton.
Hilarious self-satire from Layton?

This annual anthology is a great idea, but its editors should develop a
more eclectic inclusion policy.