Coming Attractions 00

Britta Santowski is a freelance writer in Victoria, B.C.

Coming Attractions 00 is part of a series that, since 1980, has featured
the works of many Canadian writers, including the renowned Sharon Butala
and Rohinton Mistry. This volume features short stories by Christine
Erwin, Vivette Kady, and Timothy Taylor.

Chinese influences run strong in Christine Erwin’s works.
“Children’s Chorus” explores romantic relationships with a
dreamscape backdrop of Chinese lore. “Blood Relations” depicts a
Scottish girl’s longing for Chinese heritage. In “Ha Long Bay,”
two couples reflect on the sudden death of a mutual acquaintance.
Erwin’s style has a certain vagueness to it, which contributes to the
success of the dreamscape backdrop in “Children’s Chorus.”
Sometimes, though, her vagueness borders on becoming a blinding fog, and
I was at times unsure of a story’s direction.

Vivette Kady has the talent of being able to create a new universe in
each short story, with a unique epicentre each time. A common thread is
an encounter with death. In “Return Stroke,” lightning, water, and
death permeate the narrator’s life. “Soft Spots” refers to a
newborn’s head, in reference to the welfare mom who drops her unnamed
child on its head. “Detour” witnesses aging, past relationships, and
current regrets. Kady’s stories are intricate snapshots of colorful
lives. Kady has a clear writing style with impressive attention to
detail.

Timothy Taylor’s stories strive to be deep. In “Francisco’s
Watch,” the reader travels three generations in the space of a few
pages and wades through layers of meaning. This is the most easily
navigated story of the three. Taylor inundates his stories with
intricate twists that can catapult his reader into confusing territory.
“The Resurrection Plant,” for example, is extremely difficult to
follow as there appear to be numerous boys, each with several names.
Tracking this one requires pen and paper. And “Cooper Cliff,” with
themes of property value and sabotaging programmers, left me hanging: I
did not get it. Lack of literary training or lack of interest, I guess.

Given some of the writers profiled in previous years, this year’s
volume is somewhat disappointing.