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Memories of Studying Canadian Lit

© Paula E. Kirman

This article was inspired by the fact that students head back to class shortly. I always think back to my own years of education at this time of the year.

Most students in Canada, regardless of their level of education, will be studying Canadian literature to some extent. In high schools, Canadian works make up a certain percentage of the year's English program. In colleges and universities, there are entire courses in Canadian fiction, drama, and poetry.

My introduction to Canadian literature came through my formal education. I don't remember very well the authors or books I studied in high school, except for Shakespeare. I do remember taking two half-year courses in University -- one in contemporary Canadian fiction, and one in contemporary Canadian poetry. I had to take at least a half-year of Canadian literature in order to get my English degree.

It was then that I read Leonard Cohen's Beautiful Losers for the first time. I remember one older woman in my class telling me that she read some of our required reading before the course began -- and that when she read Beautiful Losers she considered dropping the course!

Another memorable moment in my Canadian literature studies was when we spent the final portion of our contemporary Canadian lit class examining Harlequin romances. Yes, you read that correctly. It is a little known fact that Harlequin got started in Winnipeg. Our instructor told us that any study of Canadian literature would not be complete without taking a look at the world's largest book publisher. We could pick any romance we wanted -- I got mine in the ten-cent clearance bin at the local library.

Contemporary Canadian Poetry saw me write a disastrous paper on the Judaic imagery in the works of Irving Layton and A. M. Klein. Poetry has always been an interest of mine, and I regret that I did not do better in that course.

Canadian Literature should be a part of any major survey of English language literature. I am not sure if introductory English classes in other parts of the world study Canadian authors, but now that writers such as Michael Ondaatje and Margaret Atwood have international reputations it is likely that at least those major names are examined.

Well, it's time to get back to the books!