Frogs and Other Stories

Judith Brady was a poet, writer, and librarian with the Toronto Public Library.

It is unfortunate that the well crafted stories of this talented Alberta writer appear in such an unattractive paperback edition. The amateurish illustrations of strange frogs under a lamplight and the small frog sketches which precede each story fail to indicate the adult emotional voyage within.

The title story “Frogs” is structured in an interesting way. The lack of personal details about the characters, however, leaves the reader somewhat detached from the emotional ending. This story about single people, sexual commitment and personal commitment in relationships between women and men and women and women is repeated throughout the collection. In the second story, “The Long Way Home,” a reunion between two old friends reveals the truth of their past and present. Editing of clumsy language — “muddle along unspectacularly,” and “obligatory orange vinyl, distressingly conventional” — would have helped the pace and fluidity of the story. The intimacy, the revelations and the competitiveness of Ruth and Mary, all parts of women relating to each other, are well portrayed. But I wanted to hear more about these two women, and even resented the intrusion of Andrea and her problems into the fabric of the story. Another problem is that the author has not concluded what Ruth really feels about such things as marriage, men, and women friends, so that at the end of the story, when Ruth returns home alone, it’s hard to feel strongly about Ruth or her future.

“First Things First,” a story that moves from cats and childhood to high school boyfriends and sexual encounters, illustrates the author at her best in clear, direct and often humorous prose. The description of her father sleeping on the couch reveals her gentle humour: “Snoring with his mouth open, bubbly a bit, and heaving around. I couldn’t even look at him.” There is a nice transition as she moves from the sleeping father to her lover who, despite promises, “slept so much that he’d never have time to do anything.” I like the story’s honesty and the questioning of what is important, and the ending makes you want to return and savour the telling once more.

I look forward to reading more in what promises to be a bright future for this unique author.