December 18, 2023
We Go Far Back in Time: The Letters of Earle Birney and Al Purdy, 1947-1987 Edited by Nicholas Bradley Harbour Publishing 480 pages, $39.95 Reviewed by Candace Fertile Being able to read the private correspondence of two notable Canadian poets feels a bit like getting away with something, even though Earle Birney and Al Purdy […]
September 29, 2024
House Made of Rain By Pamela Porter Ronsdale Press 98 pages, $15.95 Reviewed by Candace Fertile House Made of Rain is Pamela Porter’s fifth collection of poetry for adults in five years, and the subject and style of most of the book will be familiar to her readers. Pervaded by religious imagery, these poems grapple […]
March 18, 2024
Mirό: The Experience of Seeing Seattle Art Museum until May 25, 2024 http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/ Reviewed by Candace Fertile The Seattle Art Museum presents the later work of Spanish artist Joan Mirό (1893-1983) in its current special exhibition. About 50 paintings and sculptures 1963-1981 are on display, along with two fascinating videos. The artworks are from the […]
October 31, 2024
Peru: Kingdoms of the Sun and the Moon Seattle Art Museum, until January 5, 2024 Closed Mondays and Tuesdays Audio tours free-download app from website (http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/), download podcast from website, audio guide wands available at SAM (also has extended visual descriptions) Reviewed by Candace Fertile The Seattle Art Museum is the only United States museum […]
October 22, 2024
The Place of Scraps By Jordan Abel, Talon 272 pages, $19.95 Reviewed by Candace Fertile The Place of Scraps by Nisga’a writer Jordan Abel is a collection of poetry with an intriguing premise: Abel has started with Totem Poles, a foundation text by noted anthropologist Marius Barbeau, extricated passages, and created word pictures and images […]
September 20, 2024
Pilgrimage By Diana Davidson Brindle and Glass 280 pages, $19.95 Reviewed by Candace Fertile Given the climate, people had huge challenges surviving in the late-nineteenth century in small communities on the Candian prairies. But the struggles with cold, heat, and bugs, to name just a few, are almost minor compared to the problems created by […]
August 24, 2024
Future Beauty: Thirty Years of Japanese Fashion Until September 8 at Seattle Art Museum Simonyi Special Exhibition Galleries Wednesday: 10 am–5 pm Thursday: 10 am–9 pm Friday–Sunday: 10 am–5 Tickets: 17$, includes admission to special exhibit and rest of gallery More Information: http://seattleartmuseum.org/ Reviewed by Candace Fertile Anyone contemplating an end-of-summer dash to […]
July 18, 2024
Poems from Planet Earth Edited by Yvonne Blomer and Cynthia Woodman Kerkham Leaf Press, 208 pages, $20 Reviewed by Candace Fertile Planet Earth Poetry is a reading series at the Moka House in Victoria, and over the years many poets have offered their work to an appreciative audience. Editors Yvonne Blomer (who runs the reading […]
June 19, 2024
Island Wineries of British Columbia (updated and expanded) Edited by Gary Hynes Contributors from EAT Magazine Photographs by Rebecca Wellman TouchWood Editions, 256 pages, $29.95. Reviewed by Candace Fertile This book was first published in 2011 and won the 2012 Gourmand International Wine Books Award for Canada, among other accolades. That a revised edition was […]
June 6, 2024
Dances with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Ballet Victoria, Royal Theatre, Victoria May 30-31 Reviewed by Candace Fertile Ballet Victoria is known for its innovative, eclectic choreography, and Dances with Wolfgang effectively demonstrates the fusion of classic and contemporary. Paul Destrooper, the artistic director of the company, choreographed this latest offering. His personal touch is evident not only […]