Vuiko Yurko: Second-Hand Stories

Myroslav Shkandrij is head of the Department of German and Slavic
Studies at the University of Manitoba and editor of The Cultural
Renaissance in Ukraine: Polemical Pamphlets, 1925–1926.

Danny Evanishen has made a career of collecting stories as ethnographic
material. This book weaves his newest anecdotes into episodes in the
life of “Uncle Yurko.” It is a curious genre, something between the
reports of a folklore gatherer and the compositions of a story writer.
The book’s weakness lies in the unfinished and uncrafted nature of the
episodes, but this flaw is offset by the charm of certain moments and by
the feel of authenticity and immediacy. The car, the still, the horse,
the post office, the preacher, the general store, and the school figure
are the orientation points in this evocation of a rural world now almost
gone. Recalled with nostalgia and a gentle humor, the stories are a
direct link, through oral tradition, with what was a vibrant past. At
times the portrayal comes dangerously close to stereotyping the rural
“ethnic” as the country bumpkin. Some focus on the resourcefulness
of the pioneers, which helps keep their image from sinking into low-brow
comedy. The use of old photographs adds a whimsical quality to the
volume, enforcing the keepsake character of an album, an evocative
collection of memories thrown together by chance.