What Is Eleanor About?

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closeup of the prague astronomical clock
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Last Tuesday, Lou Anne R. mused “What is Eleanor About?” while discussing the works of Eleanor Catton. Lou Anne discovered Ms. Catton while searching for an author for her first presentation to the club. On the recommendation of a local bookstore, she started the works of Catton by reading Birnam Wood (2024) and worked her way back through The Luminaries (2013) to Catton’s first novel, The Rehearsal (2008).

Birnam Wood is a satire of the idealizations of youth, following a group of people who long for a live off the land lifestyle in a remote area of New Zealand. Like their predecessors of the 1960’s, the characters discuss important subjects, rail against capitalism while failing to be self sufficient, and promote the least use of resources while consuming excessive recreational drugs. The young commune moves on to the land of a knighted cynic and … “Read the book. It’s good. It has a surprising ending!” (Lou Anne R.).

Eleanor Catton won the Man Booker prize for her book The Luminaries. It is, in simple summary, a murder mystery set in the 1860’s New Zealand gold rush. On a deeper level, 12 characters represent the western Zodiac. Other characters represent heavenly bodies moving through each sign. Chapter titles give hints of this. This is a thoughtful, multi-layered book that takes time to work through.

Finally, Lou Anne tackled The Rehearsal, written as Catton’s graduate thesis. For Lou Anne (and for her friend), the start of the book was disgusting, with characters whose thoughts were repugnant. Lou Anne kept at this book – she found the author dwells on people with dysfunctional personalities. Nonetheless, in the final analysis Lou Anne found this book to be well worth it – it arouses emotions that stick with you after you turn the last page.

“Catton is an acquired taste – like blue cheese”. These books are complex, intellectual and rewarding to the patient reader. Like many admirers around the world, Lou Anne has acquired a taste for this author. The characters from these books seemed to live in Lou Anne’s house while she prepared her presentation – perhaps now they will move on peacefully.

We have one more presentation this spring. On Tuesday April 24, 2024 member Natashia H. will be presenting on author Brené Brown. Join us as guest on Tuesday or during our fall session by clicking on Contact Us.

“It’s all Greek to me.” Or maybe not…

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emotionless man in sheet and wreath on stone
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On April 9, 2024, member Anna Q. presented American novelist Madeline Miller, one of many who are retelling classical literature from modern perspectives. If after High School you gladly had shaken off classical literature, then Miller and other contemporary authors may turn you into a fan after all.

The author herself seems extraordinary. At age five, her mother read her The Iliad, and she loved it. She toured classical exhibits in New York City and Philadelphia where she grew up. She studied the Classics in University, along with Shakespeare, and has taught Latin, Greek and Shakespeare to High School students.

Miller’s first novel, The Song of Achilles, was inspired by Shakespeare’s play Troilus and Cressida, based on The Iliad. The story is retold by Patroclus, who shared a deep friendship and love with epic hero Achilles, during the Trojan War. The epic war story becomes a love story.

In Circe, Miller has re-imagined a minor character from Homer’s Odyssey (nonetheless, a goddess, enchantress and witch!) to tell the tale from a woman’s perspective.

Both of Miller’s novels are bestsellers and multiple award winners. Anna also recommends Miller’s two short stories, “Galatea” and “Heracles Bow.” Miller is working on a new novel, Persephone.

Anna recommends these contemporary authors for bringing Classical literature to life, while staying true to the original tales.

  • Natalie Haynes – A Thousand Ships; Stone Blind; Pandora’s Jar; The Children of Jocasta
  • Pat Barker – The Silence of the Girls; The Women of Troy
  • Stephen Fry – Greek myth trilogy: Mythos; Heroes; Troy ; Comings soon: The Odyssey
  • Charlotte Higgins – Greek myths: a new retelling; It’s all Greek to me
  • Jennifer Saint – Ariadne; Elektra; Atalanta
  • Mary Renault – Alexander the Great trilogy: Fire from Heaven; The Persian Boy; Funeral
  • Games
  • Anne Carson- Autobiography of Red; Red Doc; Eros the Bittersweet; Grief Lessons

Janet H.

Next week, member Lou Anne R. will present on the works of author Eleanor Catton. Click on Contact Us to attend as a guest or learn more about the club.

“Like Putting Together a Puzzle…”

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jigsaw puzzle
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On April 2, 2024 member Janet H. gave her 6th excellent presentation to the club on author Tom Rachman. Rachman is a former journalist known for books that are often a mosaic of vignettes from different times and places, knitting together the lives of characters to make a complete story. Janet was introduced to Mr. Rachman’s work through a December 2023 review of The Imposters (2023).

Through a number of readings, Janet showed how Rachman covers the range of human emotional experience using a cast of ordinary characters who yet have fascinating lives. The Imposters is not chronological and some chapters have challenging subject matter (“The Man Who Took The Books Away”). When you put it all together, a picture of a novelist’s life is formed. Are writers the imposters?

Next, Janet gave readings from The Imperfectionists (2010), about the rise and decline of a Roman newspaper from the mid 1950’s to the late 1970’s. Each chapter revolves around a character. The flavour of old school journalism lives in the novel.

The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers (2014) is reportedly the favourite of the author and the least favourite of the presenter. In this novel, the jump back and forth in time between chapters made the threads of the book challenging to knit together. A young woman travels the world, putting her past together.

In 2016, Rachman’s wrote a book of short stories set during the Trump vs. Clinton campaign, Basket of Deplorables. Janet and the group discussed whether these snapshots of an era will be meaningful moving forward.

In The Italian Teacher (2018), Rachman sticks to a straight chronology. The novel is divided into the four phases of the protagonists life: childhood, youth, adulthood and old age. Once again, Janet was drawn into the complex story by the characters. Without spoilers, she told the group that the climax of the story was excellent.

In conclusion, Tom Rachman’s puzzles are worth putting together. Janet loved his ordinary characters that grow as the pieces fit together. She also loved that he tells stories that show the impact that writers can have on the world.

Next week, member Anna Q. will give her first presentation to the club on author Madeline Miller.

Interested? Click on Contact Us and join us as a guest.

You Never Know What to Expect Next

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Exploring the limits of literature with Sheila Heti.

Suomalainen madonna, Joseph Alanen
Image from Openverse, March 2024

On March 27, 2024 member Katja W. presented on the works of Canadian author Sheila Heti. Katja observed that besides Margaret Atwood, Sheila Heti’s work Motherhood made her the most visible Canadian author in Germany. She decided to learn about Heti and her unusual approach to writing.

Ms. Heti. “does not tell stories”, believes that traditional novels and storytelling are dead, and wants to “calm her mind an create a better world”. In her presentation, Katja explored for us what Heti’s world might look like.

Her first work was Ticknor (2005), which explored the inner world of a real life biographical writer, Ticknor. The book has stream of consciousness section where the narrator talks to himself in the first and third person, while trying to go to a dinner with the subject of his biography (William Prescott). While the alternation is challenging for the reader, Heti shows she can readily switch from one perspective to another.

Next, Heti wrote the boldly titled How Should a Person Be? (2010). The novel is described as infused with levity. The protagonist/narrator is involved in an ugly painting contest. While the narrator has many similarities to Heti, the author rejects the “autofiction” label for this work (or any of her works). The novel moves between straight narrative and theatre style dialog, reflecting Heti’s background as a playwright.

Next came Motherhood (2018), which arose from Heti’s interviewing her friends on the question of should a woman have children. Chapters in the novel are titled after phases of the menses. The novel explores motherhood and grandmotherhood, asking if people have children because they want to or because it is expected. The I-Ching features prominently as a decision making tool (faith in blind fate or in the supernatural). Katja believes Heti gave words to the thoughts of many young women facing this decision.

Heti followed up this very successful book with Pure Colour (2022), which won the Governor General’s Award and the Jewish Writer’s Award. Described as “a contemporary Bible”, God is likened to an artist considering restarting his work. The characters, who wish to become art critics, are ascribed to three personality types: a bird, a fish or a bear. This is a surreal book and the reader should suspend their need for plot.

In 2023, Sheila Heti wrote a piece for the New Yorker which can be considered a collaboration with a chatbot. In According to Alice, Heti documented the answers a chatbot gave her over months of questioning – the reader is not provided with the questions. More unusual work followed in Alphabet Diaries (2024), a book of Heti’s diaries with the sentences arranged alphabetically rather than chronologically. This can be poetic, philosophical or banal.

It is hard to label Sheila Heti’s work – in Katja’s words it is short and sharp, covering all human emotions. It emphasizes thought and considered decisions. While this author continues to find new ways of telling a story, she looks at the the big questions without providing the answers.

Member Sandra E. thanked the speaker for opening the door to this innovative author.

We welcomed a new member this week and we would love to welcome you as a guest or new member. Click on Contact Us to learn more. Next week, member Janet H. will present on author Tom Rachman.

Exploring Zadie Smith 24 years on

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On March 19, 2024 member Sandra E. presented on the works of Zadie Smith, who hit the literary scene running with her debut novel in 2000, written while she was a student. That novel, White Teeth, still resonates with readers in the more polarized political world of 2024. In the years since, Sandra posits that Ms. Smith has continued to explore community and race with truth and humour.

“Reading is an addiction for which there is no cure…” with those words Sandra started her talk. She went on to show how Zadie Smith (a fellow addict) writes books that have a straightforward, often comedic turn but also provide the reader with more if they want it.

Sandra gave a reading from the essay North West London Blues, about the importance of a library to a community, particularly to its children. This is a point that many in our club would second. A reader and writer from an early age, Smith completed her first novel, when she was 21. White Teeth explores the relationships between immigrants, the English, and the children of immigrants in this novel of life in the northwest London community of Kilburn. While this is her background, Ms. Smith has said the book is not about her life.

Next, there was a reading from On Beauty, a novel mirroring Howard’s End set in modern day Massachusetts. E.M. Forster is one of Zadie Smith’s major influences. In this case, she wanted to explore middle class life – a life that she always thought must be different from her own. As it turns out, middle class life has it’s troubles.

NW is a novel told in a different voice in each section. While set in Kilburn, it is a departure from Smith’s previous work. Swingtime, also set in Kilburn explores competitiveness between 2 young women. The Fraud, Zadie Smith’s most recent novel is a fictional retelling of a significant Victorian news story.

Sandra next discussed Feel Free, a book of essays. In it Smith highlights how her love of dance and dancers of all genres has helped her as a writer.

As is often the case, our meeting ran by quickly, with time seeming too short to fully explore Zadie Smith’s novels, essays, podcasts and media interviews. Using readings and quotes from Smith, Sandra showed how Smith is a writer that can be read quickly for fun but upon rereading shows great nuance.

Join us next week when member Katja W. will discuss the works of Canadian author Sheila Heti.

We welcome guests and new members. Click on Contact Us and share a meeting with us.

Guest Speaker Francine Cunningham

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On March 12, 2024 the Calgary Women’s Literary Club hosted Francine Cunningham. She is the current Canadian Writer-In-Residence of the University of Calgary Distinguished Writer Program.

Her debut book of poems On/Me (Caitlin Press) was nominated for The BC and Yukon Book Prize, The Indigenous Voices Award, and The Vancouver Book Award. Her debut book of short stories God Isn’t Here Today (Invisible Publishing) is out now and is a book of speculative fiction and horror and was longlisted for The inaugural Carol Shield’s Prize for Fiction, was a finalist for the 2023 Indigenous Voices Award, and won the 2023 ReLit award for short fiction. Her first children’s book What if bedtime didn’t exist (Annick Press) will be out in March 2024. Francine also writes for television with credits including the teen reality show THAT’S AWSM! among others and was a recipient of a Telus StoryHive grant to make a web-series. Her fiction, non-fiction, and poetry have also appeared in The Best Canadian Short Stories, The Best Canadian Non-Fiction, in Grain Magazine as the 2018 Short Prose Award winner, on The Malahat Review’s Far Horizon’s Prose shortlist, and on the 2022 CBC Poetry Prize longlist among others. You can find out more about her at https://www.francinecunningham.ca/about. (Biographical information courtesy of F. Cunningham).

Ms. Cunningham read two of her poems and one short story, connected by the theme of loss and mourning. First, she read “On Grief/Hospital Visit“, a moving piece about the illness and death of her mother. We felt her grief and rage over the racism within the healthcare system that delayed her mother’s diagnosis, and the pain of losing a loved one too soon.

Next, she read “On Family/Grandmother“, which dealt with her grandmother’s experience as a residential school survivor.

The two poetry readings were followed by a discussion session, with members and guests asking questions about her writing process (“she always has ideas bubbling in her back brain”); how her poetry is now being used to make nursing students aware of systemic racism (“you never know where your words will go”); how she organized her book of poetry; and how she visualizes her work before it’s written.

Next, she read the short story “Asleep Til You’re Awake“. This ghost story reflects loss, grief, the difficulty of reaching back to a lost parent, and anger with a ‘dead-eyed’ medical system. After the reading, Cunningham answered more questions about her work. In particular, she discussed the use of lavender and lemons to tie together her short stories and future works in the fictional universe she is developing.

On behalf of the club, Robin S. thanked the speaker for the moving readings she shared and for generously addressing questions from the group.

Next Tuesday, member Sandra E. will present on author Zadie Smith. Curious? Click on Contact Us. We welcomed 7 guests and a new member at our last meeting.

First Presentation of 2024

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On March 5, 2024 member and Vice President Barbara R. presented on Métis author, Cherie Dimaline.  The presentation’s descriptions and analyses of her 10 books began with Dimaline’s children’s books, then young adult books, and finally adult books.  Barbara highlighted the impressive breadth of the author’s work.  The subjects of the books vary widely, including a futuristic dystopia, a horror story based on the Métis Rogarou legend, re-contextualization of two “classic” children’s and young adult books, a collection of short stories, and an autobiographical story about living with anxiety. 

Photo by Jp Valery on Unsplash

In various online interviews and blogs, Dimaline explains her goals of writing relevant and realistic books about indigenous lives for indigenous readers, something missing when she was growing up, as well as writing for non-indigenous readers.  Barbara R. discussed her own concerns about her ability to understand, let alone critique, the literary works of a person belonging to another culture.  To help answer these concerns, she found guidance in various articles and online websites about literary criticism and culture.  Since she did not yet feel knowledgeable enough about traditional and contemporary indigenous lives and values to adequately use the cultural literary theory of critique, she chose other theories, such as formalism, reader-response and feminist theory when evaluating Dimaline’s work. 

Barbara highly commended Dimaline’s writing talents which include creative plots and settings, nuanced characters, clear and evocative writing, and inclusion of real indigenous histories, communities, and perspectives.  A lively discussion followed with many members contributing insightful questions and perspectives.

Barbara R. & Shawna M.

On March 12, we will be joined by guest speaker Francine Cunningham. Ms. Cunningham is currently the Distinguished Writer in Residence at the University of Calgary.

Interested in joining us as a guest? Click on Contact Us here or on the menu.

Celebrating 118 Years of Literature and Friendship

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On February 9, 1906 a group of women who wanted to bring the love of books to Calgary held the first meeting of the Calgary Women’s Literary Club. Those women helped to bring the first library to Calgary (learn more here.)

Photo by S. Mattison

This February, club Historian Sandra E. invited members and friends of the Calgary Women’s Literary Club to an informal lunch commemorating that first meeting. The group met at the The Inn on Officer’s Garden (formerly the Officers’ Mess) of the historic Currie Barracks.

Among those who joined us were Dorothy L., who has been a member since 1955 and is currently an honorary member, three of our newest members, and two members who are currently on leave of absence.   Fifteen of our current active members were also in attendance.   

It was a lively afternoon – we still love talking about literature.

Our formal program resumes on March 5, 2024 when member Barbara R. presents on the works of Cherie Dimaline.

If you love books, talking about books, and want to be a part of Calgary’s history click this link to join us as a guest.

On the “Formerly, Great American Novelist” with a special guest

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On November 21, 2023 member Robin S. presented on the works of Jonathan Franzen. In 2010 Time magazine declared Franzen “The Great American Novelist”. By 2021, the BBC called him America’s most divisive novelist. Robin looked at the author’s evolution and by the end of her talk, she made a good case for picking up one of Franzen’s novels. Robin started by introducing her special guest, Coffee. Coffee is a service dog in-training.

Photo by S. Mattison

Jonathan Franzen is a prolific fiction and non-fiction writer. His novels The Corrections, Freedom, and Crossroads look at unhappy family life in middle America. He has written a memoir, The Discomfort Zone, which is really 6 essays about his life. For the speaker, Franzen’s detailing of his teenage angst was in the discomfort zone.

In addition he has authored a number of essays on a wide range of topics, frequently in a confrontational style. His essays and interviews frequently go a step to far and have landed him in controversies with Oprah fans, environmental groups, and the Audubon Society (among others). In his interviews and essays, Franzen has shown his intense personality. He is a compulsive bird watcher and has advocated for protecting birds from high-rise glass.

Robin briefly outlined Franzen’s biography and gave readings from his essays. She then went on to his fictional works, which she prefers. She descried them as big social novels – family sagas that address current trends and critique American culture and politics. His style is clean, with limited use of metaphor or simile (unkind reviewers might say a lack of style). Robin gave readings from all of Mr. Franzen’s novels to illustrate his spare style.

The Corrections (2001) is a sometimes autobiographical parody of a dysfunctional American family. It was a hit, and won several prizes including The National Book Award. His success got him invited to the Oprah show. However, his negative comments about Oprah’s book club soon got him uninvited. In 2010, his next novel Freedom (Robin’s favourite) was published, again to critical acclaim. After public apologies to Oprah, Franzen this time joined her on her show. However, the universal praise for his book was used on social media as an example of bias of the literary world toward white male authors.

Crossroads (2021) is Franzen’s latest novel, and reading it led Robin to choose this author for her presentation. Again, an unhappy American family is profiled. Critical reception has been mixed.

At the end of Robin’s talk, I was ready to dive into these family sagas. I might also check out one of Franzen’s essays (or a podcast) and see why he describes himself as “Mr. Difficult“.

At this meeting, we welcomed new member Eudy J. This was the last presentation of our fall session, but if you are interested in joining in the spring, click here. Our updated presentation schedule is here.

Marcie R. Rendon- Prairie Gothic Mysteries and More

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Photo S. Mattison

Shawna’s presentation was accompanied by a slideshow, with the first intriguing image being an aged black and white photo. Shawna explained it was taken on her family farm near Richdale, Alberta. We would soon find out its connection to her talk.

While she was suffering Covid’s lingering “brain fog,” Shawna discovered Marcie R. Rendon, an Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) author from the White Earth Nation in Minnesota. Seeking “lighter” reading, Shawna became hooked on mysteries and read at least forty.

Shawna has an affinity for Ms. Rendon’s Cash Blackbear Series (2018- .) Shawna related to the author’s descriptions of farm settings in Minnesota and North Dakota, which seem not unlike Alberta’s. She also related to the 1970s timeframe. A creepy atmosphere, so important to mysteries, can be found in rural landscapes that include lonely and somewhat dilapidated farmhouses, burnt down buildings, and more.

Shawna read some selections which mirrored her own rural experiences – e.g. “She lifted four fingers off the steering wheel in a courtesy wave.” However, many of the Indigenous experiences Ms. Rendon writes about would be outside our knowledge and experience. As one example of the darkness to be discovered in the books, Shawna read a disturbing excerpt describing a child tasked with collecting eggs.

Cash, the 20-year-old Ojibwe protagonist, is sometimes led by visions, and is full of spirit and grit having survived a brutal foster care system. She has fought bigotry as an orphan working hard on a farm, as Indigenous, and as a young woman who is now a truck driver. Cash and the other fascinating, well-developed characters in the novels highlight many important issues Indigenous people deal with.

Shawna briefly summarized Ms. Rendon’s other works, including poetry, plays, short stories and children’s books. They touch on the same themes, but it is the Cash Blackbear series that will reach a wider audience, heightening people’s awareness of Indigenous experiences through an intriguing mystery.

Janet H.

Next week member Robin S. will present on author Jonathan Franzen.

Curious about Calgary’s longest running book club? We would love to meet you -guests are welcome. Go to Contact Us.