Victory Meat: New Fiction from Atlantic Canada

Kimberly J. Frail is a librarian in the Science and Technology Library
at the University of Alberta.

Public Services Librarian
University of Alberta Libraries
Bibliothèque Saint-Jean

This anthology of short stories takes its name from The Victory Meat
Market, a location featured in Rabindranath Maharaj’s story “Bitches
on All Sides,” about a West Indian immigrant who lashes out against
his marginalized existence by devouring a piece of a pork. Editor and
acclaimed novelist Lynn Coady wisely selected “Bitches” as the
opening tale because it immediately challenges any preconceived notions
readers might have about Atlantic Canada or Atlantic-Canadian
fiction—it has no bagpipes, fiddlers, or quaint little fishing
villages, and the Road to Avonlea has dropped off the map.

In her introduction, Coady explains how folksy stereotypes of Atlantic
Canada can be insulting to its residents. She also points out that the
new Atlantic-Canadian fiction refuses to cater to the whims and fancies
of the literary tourist, stating that readers will enjoy it “not for
reasons of nostalgia, but because it’s just so good.” While several
of the stories feature familiar maritime locations and themes, the
writers consistently approach their subjects in ways that defy
conventional appeals to any sort of maudlin sentimentality, and that
reveal, as Coady puts it, “the less media friendly” aspect of
Atlantic Canada.

Through gory descriptions of carving up moose carcasses and the perils
of transporting pouched meat, Michael Winter in “The Second Heart”
subtly exposes the complex nature of sibling and father–son
relationships. In Lee D. Thompson’s dreamlike “The Whales,” the
world’s largest mammals slosh through suburban cul-de-sacs, hinting at
a loss of innocence and the ecological upheaval caused by human
societies. One of the most powerful stories is Lisa Moore’s
“Melody,” from her own collection of short stories, Open. Moore’s
ability to zigzag between past and present, using snippets of
conversation and brief, jarring descriptions of significant events,
allows the reader to absorb a lifetime of her characters’ thoughts and
emotions in a few short pages. Her style of writing, like that of many
others in this collection, is confrontational and unapologetic.

Victory Meat is highly recommended for anyone looking to become
acquainted with the work of the rising stars in contemporary
Atlantic-Canadian literature.