Poetry often presents tiny glimpses into the honest, raw, and, sometimes painful, aspects of life, inviting readers to take a look inside a writer’s thoughts and relive their most vivid memories alongside them. The first book of its kind for decades, Tamaracks: Canadian Poetry For the 21st Century contains poems that offer descriptive biographical and bibliographical information on the wide array of Canadian writers featured. Commonly expressed topics in the collection include heavy-hitting subject matter, such as Canadian involvement in past wars, losing family members to tragic events, and staying faithful to God during pressing times. Poems like Ian McCulloch’s “Poppa” - I listened for some echo of the concussion that had pressed him, still only a boy, into a premature and crowded grave - remind us of the thin line that separates life from death, while others, such as Joseph A. Farina’s “Morning Essence” - The sun has not risen, the darkness still owns us outside in the pre-dawn, spirits are waiting, I hear them like music stirring my soul - emphasize the importance of anticipating the blessings that await us even in the midst of tragedy and devastation. Highlighting the works of 113 Canadian poets, this contemporary anthology of poetry successfully paints a complete picture of life in all its forms, giving light to untold stories that reveal the barest of human emotion.
------ Allison Hastings
Allison Hastings is a freshman at Endicott College in Beverly, MA, working towards her
bachelor's in English/Creative Writing. On campus she is involved in Pep
Band and two writing clubs: Her Campus, which is an online magazine
targeted towards the female college student demographic, and the
Endicott Review, which publishes a collection of student's writing and
artwork every spring.
