Weave and Spin

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

On the outside back cover, editor Dion briefly informs that this
collection of nonfiction and fiction is largely the work of “writers
living in or close to the Hamilton (Ontario) region.” While grateful
for this information, a brief biographical sketch of each of the 19
writers would have been most welcomed, if only to learn where one might
find other works by the more capable authors.

For the most part, this is an impressive collection. It is comprised of
13 nonfiction pieces and 6 fictional stories that deal with a wide range
of subjects spanning the range from serious to spooky to hilarious.

The majority of works here are beautifully crafted and superbly
expressed. In the more serious subjects, one meets, among others, Circe
the beautiful Greek enchantress, a granddaughter who discovers “the
magic of her Grandpa” before it’s too late, a family reunited after
being separated in childhood, a former real-estate agent “unworthy of
his own dreams,” an eerie tale of true love, and an unemployed man who
undergoes a personal security check on a sunny afternoon in war-torn
Ireland.

“Milligans Spike” is intended to be humorous, but to get through
its insanity, one needs a stiff drink (or two). On the other hand,
“Revenge of the Phone Company” and “Mummy, Sunny and Lulu” are
absolutely hilarious, while “The Gravediggers,” an irreverent dig at
how a gravedigger earns his daily bread, is a chuckler.

While a few stories disappoint because of skimpy dialogue,
over-dramatization, weak endings, or dull presentation, the best work
weaves and spins together so well that this collection is strong enough
to endure for years to come.