The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1982, Page 26

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THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
SUMMER, 1982
view, the way to develop in the younger
generation a compulsion to drink at the
springs of their ancestral culture is to put
into their hands a newspaper published in
Icelandic. A newspaper, he believes, is the
best medium for watering their racial roots;
and, as long as these roots have life in
them, the saga of Thule’s ancient glory will
be remembered with reverential pride.
The fire of a bright new civilization was
lighted by the Vikings in Iceland more than
one thousand years ago. A burning brand
from this fire was brought to this country
by descendants of the Vikings more than
one hundred years ago. As the years go by,
this brand may bum with a lesser flame,
but it will never go out, as long as there are
men like Edward Gislason: men who cherish,
deep in their souls, the cultural values on
which the greatness of Iceland, in Viking
times, was based.
THE COURIER
DIPLOMATIQUE
by Kristine Perlmutter
Courier Diplomatique, a colourful,
beautifully presented magazine featuring
matters pertaining to the various foreign
embassies located in Washington, D.C.,
has recently come to our attention. Each
issue of this magazine showcases a particu-
lar country and Iceland had its turn in the
March 1982 issue.
Besides being appealing, well laid out
and loaded with colour photographs pre-
senting many facets of Icelandic life and
scenery, the magazine’s feature articles
present timely topics of interest to Ice-
landers and Western Icelanders. Among
the variety of articles included are the
following: “The Ambassador’s Home”,
“Hans G. Andersen — Iceland’s Ambas-
sador”, “President Vigdis Finnbogadottir
of Iceland”, “Warmth in Iceland”, “Life
in Iceland”, “Iceland: A Destination for
Tourists”, “The ABC’s of Iceland”, “The
Hilda Story”, “Entrepreneur from Iceland
in U.S.A.”, “Iceland’s Industrial Devel-
opment”, and “Atlantic Salmon Fishing in
Iceland”. An article entitled “The Icelan-
dic Heritage” by Axel Vopnfjord of The
Icelandic Canadian is also included.
For those interested, Courier Diploma-
tique is based at 3-1305 Wisconsin Ave.
N.W. Washington, D.C. 20007 and the
current price per issue is $2.00.
INTERLUDE
by Kristiana Magnusson
One by one they leave
and close up shop,
fishing nets and gear
all bedded down,
as the last boat
is hoisted up
from its soft cocoon
of lapping waters,
its tattered remnants
of buoy flags
now waving
a forlorn goodbye.
Across the purple haze
of autumn mists,
the wind moans soft and low,
scattering flaming leaves
of tamarac, birch and ash.
Only the friendly chit-chat
of an idle squirrel
and the haunting call
of wild geese in the sky
breaks upon the stillness
of a fishing camp,
closed until next season.