Hawksley Burns for Isadora

Susan McKnight is an administrator of the Courts Technology Integrated Justice Project at the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General.

These strange, enigmatic letters, originally published in the classified
sections of two Toronto newspapers, defy classification as either poetry
or prose. They are brought together in critically acclaimed musician
Hawksley Workman’s first book, and exquisitely complemented by the
paintings of Beverley Hawksley.

The letters describe a lover’s overwhelming passion for someone who
may or may not be a part of the writer’s life. It is hard to determine
whether the relationship actually exists or if it’s some far-fetched
dream and hope on the part of the writer. In either case, the love and
passion extend well beyond normal bounds. Although the images are
sometimes nonsensical when taken out of context, the overall effect is
brilliant, emotionally charged and constantly shifting.

Beverley Hawksley describes her paintings as follows: “Feminine based
imagery documents beauty literally and symbolically through ample space,
texture, bellies and organic elements ... giving substance to time.”
This description applies equally to the words of Hawksley as letter
writer.