Moving South

David E. Kemp is head of the Drama Department at Queen’s University.

Born in Timmins, Ontario, Bonnell now lives in Scarborough; it is hardly
surprising, then, that some of the most effective poems in this
collection are whimsical and nostalgic recollections of his childhood in
Northern Ontario and the culture shock that accompanied his move to
Toronto. If one had to find an overall thematic title for this
collection, it would have to be something along the lines of memory and
history. Bonnell obviously knows what to celebrate and keep in his own
life, and he shares these poems with us in a positive, direct, and
uncluttered way.

The animal poems “Badger,” “The Bear,” “Garden Recital,”
and “Wolf” are wonderfully evocative and perceptive. Bonnell’s dry
and quite delightful sense of humor is seen at its best in “Moving
South” and “One More Hitler Story.” In a completely different
vein, “Career Officer” is beautifully structured and deeply moving.

This collection is a fine one, nostalgic, funny, moving, and profound.
An impressive debut.