Gutted

Ronald Charles Epstein is a Toronto-based freelance writer and published poet.

Ontario poet Evie Christie was born in Peterborough and now resides in
Toronto. She incorporates her regional background and urban experiences
in Gutted, her first book.

“At Big Ross’s in the Summertime” surveys the province’s
landscape. A store sign offers “staples: bread, milk, cigarettes / and
fireworks, gasoline and worms.” The last item establishes location by
pointing out that bait is sold there. Typical small-town pleasures and
events are cited, then tinged with homesickness.

Christie examines Toronto’s class stratification in “July Is for
the Rich.” Sociology and poetry are united in the observation that
“summer / parades are for the brown, black and burdened and the east /
is congested.” The author scorns “the bohemian / intellectual /
socialist / activists” who “wish they were thin enough to be
artistic” because “it’s fun to look poor.” She bravely denounces
people who may belong to her publisher’s target audience.

The poet delivers unsentimental realism, even when it appears to be
escapist fantasy. “There Is a Place in Trois-Riviиres” describes an
establishment “where sweet boozy drinks are served in synthetic /
coconuts.” The aforementioned vessels were used in South
Pacific–themed “tiki bars” that were popular in the 1950s. Since
they are now outdated, the reader may wrongly assume that she was
describing an imaginary, or long-defunct, beverage room. She probably
visited the Bar Coconut, a contemporary tourist attraction, pointing out
its hidden realities.

Wit and whimsy are also offered. The silicone used in breast implants
is a “mammary-like / substance.” A “Zombie Love (Haikus)” verse
points out that “Not all zombies eat / Brains you know—I bet that
some / Like cherry cola.” This writer is too young to be totally
disillusioned.

Evie Christie’s work is drawn from personal observations and
experiences. One hopes that she did not completely gut her imagination
in the process.