The Fifth (and Probably Last) Morningside Papers

Frances Emery is an editor and writer in Nepean, Ontario.

A flood of letters reaches Peter Gzowski’s CBC “Morningside”
office every day. Regularly, Gzowski and Shelagh Rogers read a selection
of the letters. This delightful book contains the cream of the crop.
Gzowski’s familiar voice is evident from time to time, especially in
some of the “billboards”—49-second essays, he calls them—with
which he introduces each program. Rogers provides an excellent
introduction. But most of these pages belong to the people of Canada.
The letters (and a few commissioned essays) range in subject matter from
the reminiscing of devotees of the classic fountain pen to the terrors
of modern technology; from poetry to recipes (did you know that
“butter tarts” are a truly Canadian invention?); from discussions of
our rugged Canadian landscape to personal tales about some of our
national heroes. Two letters about Christmases long past would tempt the
most jaded to believe again in Santa Claus. This wonderful book is
concrete evidence of the unity of spirit that underlies our
multicultural nation.