Description
Book SynopsisAlberta''s contradictory landscape has fired the imaginative energies of writers for centuries. The sweep of the plains, the thrust of the Rockies, and the long roll of the woodlands have left vivid impressions on all of Alberta''s writers--both those who passed through Alberta in search of other horizons and those who made it their home. The Literary History of Alberta surveys writing in and about Alberta from prehistory to the middle of the twentieth century. It includes profiles of dozens of writers (from the earnestly intended to the truly gifted) and their texts (from the commercial to the arcane). It reminds us of long-forgotten names and faces, figures who quietly--or not so quietly--wrote the books that underpin Alberta''s thriving literary culture today. Melnyk also discusses the institutions that have shaped Alberta''s literary culture. The Literary History of Alberta is an essential text for any reader interested in the cultural history of western Canada, and a landmark achi
Trade Review"Both volumes sit on my desk and sometimes get daily reference. I can say or give no better endorsement to this second volume than to say it made me want to read the books discussed." Gordon Morash, Edmonton Journal
"poses a radical challenge to the literary status quo.. The Literary History of Alberta offers tantalizing glimpses into previously unfamiliar prairie literary terrain and provides an initial step in the incorporation of early Native oral, incised, and painted 'texts' into that terrain. Of equal importance, The Literary History of Alberta challenges the hegemony within Canada of the combined literatures of just two other provinces -Ontario and Quebec- which still today often masquerade under the pseudonym of 'The Canadian Literary Tradition.' George Melnyk's book marks a significant contribution to the study and appreciation of the literature of the North American Plains." Pamela Banting, Great Plains Quarterly (U of Nebraska)
Table of ContentsIntroduction: Toward a Literary History of Alberta; Writing-on-Stone: The Aboriginal Tradition; Exploration Literature: 1754-1869; Territorial Literature: 1870-1904; Provincial Literature: 1905-1929; Depression and War: 1930-1945; Francophone and Other Literatures: 1820-1945; Early Literary Institutions; Conclusion: Establishing a Canon; Index.
