The Icelandic Canadian - 01.08.2006, Síða 44

86
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Vol. 60 #2
Canadians always give themselves” in his
review of the play 1919. The Icelandic trio
is rounded out by David Arnason himself
with his poem “Marsh Burning.”
Beyond the written word, The
Imagined City is beautifully illustrated
with photographs, drawings and maps -
some of which will be familiar to anyone
acquainted with the city’s history, while
others are newly rediscovered images of the
city’s past. The illustrations and the text
complement and reinforce each other,
yielding a volume that belongs on both the
bookshelf and the coffee table!
The editors have done a magnificent
job in pulling together this collection,
which is a praiseworthy effort to present
Winnipeg’s literary richness. David
Arnason is currently head of the English
department at the University of Manitoba
and the author or editor of dozens of
books, although he is best known for his
collections of short stories. For a time, he
was also acting head of the university’s
Icelandic Studies department. Mhari
Mackintosh is a Winnipeg writer and
Margaret Laurence scholar.
The Imagined City will be a welcome
addition to the library of anyone who loves
literature, historical photography and the
rich cultural diversity of Winnipeg.
Arnason and Mackintosh suggest that “we
can apply most of the words that define the
qualities of human beings to cities.” If this
insight is correct—and I think it is—then
The Imagined City makes the case for
describing Winnipeg as brilliant and cre-
ative, passionate and surprising. Overall,
The Imagined City is akin to the dark night
described by Lara Goodman Salverson -
“an opaque canvass against which the soul
of Winnipeg stood out a lovely and radiant
thing.”
H.P.
TERGESEN
Sons
GENERAL MERCHANT
Established 1899
Box 1818
82 1st Avenue
Gimli, Manitoba
ROC 1B0
Tel (204) 642-5958
Fax (204) 642-9017
tergesen@mts.net
ORDERS WELCOME!
All orders add GST plus mailing costs
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THE IMAGINED CITY h
A LITERARY HISTORY OF WINNIPEG I-
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: DAVID ARNASON
1 MHARI MACKINTOSH
The Imagined City
by David Arnason and
Mhari Mackintosh
Winner of the Carol
Shields Book Award. A sur-
vey of people, places and
stories that make up
Winnipeg from its earliest
days to present.
Travelling Passions: The hidden
life of Vilhjalmur Stefansson
Translated by Keneva Kunz
The private life of one of Canada’s most
controversial explorers.
$39-95