Canadian Writers at Work

Guy Parkinson was a graduate student in philosophy at the University of Toronto.

Literary interviews can so easily be awful that one tends to be wary of them. After all, authors get their real chance to speak in their fiction; one hates to have a good impression gained from a good story or novel ruined by the author’s inept or irrelevant replies to inept and irrelevant questions. A good literary interview, however, can be a delightful thing. It is entirely to his credit, then, that Geoff Hancock, editor of Canadian Fiction Magazine and reputable literary journalist, hits so much more often than he misses in the interviews collected in Canadian Writers At Work — ten of the best interviews that have appeared in CFM. Credit in this matter is, of course, shared with the writers interviewed; Hancock is blessed with strong subjects: Margaret Atwood, Clark Blaise, Mavis Gallant, Jack Hodgins, Robert Kroetsch, Bharati Mukherjee, Alice Munro, Leon Rooke, Jane Rule, and Josef Skvorecky.

Hancock’s questions focus on the process and strategies of writing — what is behind creation: influence, attitude, habit, and intent. He leads his subjects into questions gracefully, not abruptly, and entertains personal discussion and digression. He also manages quite admirably to avoid too many lofty, professional questions of the sort critics incline to; as he says in his introduction, “The essential questions are simple ones, about the daily writing routine, methods of revision, early attempts at writing, and favourite authors.” He is largely correct in saying, “Simple questions lead to profound subjects.”

The interviews differ in tone according to the personality of the subject, but all follow a similar route (with the pleasing exception of Skvorecky). One finds, as one expects, similarities and differences among the writers concerning influence, attitude to style, character development, etc.; their answers are interesting but will not create a revolution in critical attitudes to the “creative process.” By far the most interesting part of each interview is that filled with more or less personal chat and exchange of opinion. Hancock is interested, as the title suggests, in the Canadian element in the work of those interviewed. Though nothing very new is said on this subject, it is refreshing to find the national / regional sense of place not flogged endlessly for a change; indeed, it is refreshing to find that most of the authors interviewed are not overly interested in the nationality of their work — though, of course, few are actually indifferent.

Overall, Canadian Writers At Work is an interesting and, more important, entertaining book — worth reading for the interviews with Mavis Gallant and Alice Munro alone.