The Other Harmony: The Collected Poetry of Eli Mandel, Vol. 2

Ronald Charles Epstein is a Toronto-based freelance writer and published poet.

The Other Harmony is a two-volume compilation of the late poet Eli
Mandel’s writings. The Canadian Plains Research Center (CPRC) welcomes
all readers, but its editors serve a more educated audience. Judy
Chapman teaches at the University of Regina. Her colleague, Andrew
Stubbs, was Mandel’s student at York University, where he earned a
Ph.D. in Canadian literature. This anthology establishes the writer’s
position as author and research subject.

The collection highlights various aspects of Mandel’s Saskatchewan
Jewish identity. Specifically Jewish concerns, such as the commemoration
of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp, are skilfully
addressed. “Edmonton, 1967” and other poems reflect the poet’s
regionalism. A more integrated identity is projected in poems that
commemorate prairie Jewish settlements and soldiers. This book offers
subtle lessons about western and Jewish diversity.

The CPRC may not be a political organization, but its inclusion of a
1976 journal entry highlights the contemporary issue of western
alienation. Mandel complains that “Regina feels the cold scorn of the
mandarins and eastern politicians. Western paranoia is only a joke to
centralists, journalists.” Even this cosmopolitan moderate expresses
regional resentments.

Scholars can use this work to analyze Mandel’s literary development
and craft. One discovers a 1940s student who becomes a professor who
uses a computer to compose his drafts. Traditional verse and avant-garde
“concrete” poetry are included here. The raw material has been
collected—let the interpretation begin.

The Other Harmony is a practical tribute that honors its subject by
establishing a solid foundation for future research.