Published by University of Toronto Press
Hardcover
March 31, 2016, 140 pages
Summary
(Rozmova Book Club discussion summary follows.)
What does it mean to be Ukrainian in contemporary Canada? The Ukrainian Canadian writers in Unbound challenge the conventions of genre – memoir, fiction, poetry, biography, essay – and the boundaries that separate ethnic and authorial identities and fictional and non-fictional narratives. These intersections become the sites of new, thought-provoking and poignant creative writing by some of Canada’s best-known Ukrainian Canadian authors.
To complement the creative writing, editors Lisa Grekul and Lindy Ledohowski offer an overview of the history of Ukrainian settlement in Canada and an extensive bibliography of Ukrainian Canadian literature in English. Unbound is the first such exploration of Ukrainian Canadian literature and a book that should be on the shelves of Canadian literature fans and those interested in the study of ethnic, postcolonial, and diasporic literature.
Source: https://www.amazon.ca/Unbound-Ukrainian-Canadians-Writing-Home/dp/1442631090
See Lisa Grekul's blog on the book.
Summary of the Rozmova Discussion
(Rozmova Book Club discussion summary follows.)
What does it mean to be Ukrainian in contemporary Canada? The Ukrainian Canadian writers in Unbound challenge the conventions of genre – memoir, fiction, poetry, biography, essay – and the boundaries that separate ethnic and authorial identities and fictional and non-fictional narratives. These intersections become the sites of new, thought-provoking and poignant creative writing by some of Canada’s best-known Ukrainian Canadian authors.
To complement the creative writing, editors Lisa Grekul and Lindy Ledohowski offer an overview of the history of Ukrainian settlement in Canada and an extensive bibliography of Ukrainian Canadian literature in English. Unbound is the first such exploration of Ukrainian Canadian literature and a book that should be on the shelves of Canadian literature fans and those interested in the study of ethnic, postcolonial, and diasporic literature.
Source: https://www.amazon.ca/Unbound-Ukrainian-Canadians-Writing-Home/dp/1442631090
See Lisa Grekul's blog on the book.
Summary of the Rozmova Discussion
Our Rozmova Book Club had a lively
discussion centred on the subject of Ukrainian Canadian identity based on our
reading of Unbound – Ukrainian Canadians Writing Home. While the eight
“poet pedagogue” authors of the book’s essays express
a variety of conflicts related to being Ukrainian Canadian, our group was
divided on the issue. The two native Québecers in the group said that
despite being born in Québec, they were more comfortable with their Ukrainian Canadian
identity than with their Québec roots. They said that even if you speak French, you’re still
considered an outsider unless you are pure laine.
Our member who was born in
Germany and came to the U.S. as a three-year-old, said that she felt at home in
the strong Ukrainian community in Cleveland, Ohio. She embraced her culture and
felt it was integral to her life.
Our two members from Edmonton and Winnipeg also felt included by their respective communities, and were enriched by their participation in cultural activities. In Edmonton, our member was encouraged by her parents to participate in activities outside the community to round out her experience.
Our three members from Toronto had varied experiences. As the daughter of WW II immigrants, one member and her family felt they had the duty and responsibility to support Ukrainian culture and language. The community also provided social support to newcomers and offered a form of liberation that they couldn’t enjoy in their homeland at the time. She mentioned, however, the divides among the community. If you were a member of UNF, CYM, PLAST, ODYM and Orthodox or Catholic, you were in competition and made to feel excluded. She also cited the continued divides among those from the various waves of immigration to Canada.
In Oshawa, our member felt at home within the community, and even with parents born in Canada, she participated in all aspects of Ukrainian cultural life. In West Toronto, our member, whose parents were also born in Canada, participated in religious and cultural activities, but never felt she mastered the language enough to be accepted by first generation Ukrainians, or those in the strongly nationalistic organizations. She said that perhaps she had what Northrup Frye called the Canadian inferiority complex but applied to her Ukrainian identify. She thought that the authors in the essays perhaps had the same complex.
Maxim Tarnawsky, Associate Professor of Ukrainian Literature, Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, joined our discussion and informed us that the book was sparked by a conference on the subject of Ukrainian Canadian identity in literature. He said that it’s curious that the authors in this collection are all women as the call for essays was open. Women tend to write more on identity issues than men, he said, “they feel a need to fit in”. “They are often challenging something or have an axe to grind,” he added. He contrasted the authors with Canadian poet Andrew Suknaski from Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan, whose perspective is more positive and focused on the adventure and goodness of life.
Our two members from Edmonton and Winnipeg also felt included by their respective communities, and were enriched by their participation in cultural activities. In Edmonton, our member was encouraged by her parents to participate in activities outside the community to round out her experience.
Our three members from Toronto had varied experiences. As the daughter of WW II immigrants, one member and her family felt they had the duty and responsibility to support Ukrainian culture and language. The community also provided social support to newcomers and offered a form of liberation that they couldn’t enjoy in their homeland at the time. She mentioned, however, the divides among the community. If you were a member of UNF, CYM, PLAST, ODYM and Orthodox or Catholic, you were in competition and made to feel excluded. She also cited the continued divides among those from the various waves of immigration to Canada.
In Oshawa, our member felt at home within the community, and even with parents born in Canada, she participated in all aspects of Ukrainian cultural life. In West Toronto, our member, whose parents were also born in Canada, participated in religious and cultural activities, but never felt she mastered the language enough to be accepted by first generation Ukrainians, or those in the strongly nationalistic organizations. She said that perhaps she had what Northrup Frye called the Canadian inferiority complex but applied to her Ukrainian identify. She thought that the authors in the essays perhaps had the same complex.
Maxim Tarnawsky, Associate Professor of Ukrainian Literature, Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, joined our discussion and informed us that the book was sparked by a conference on the subject of Ukrainian Canadian identity in literature. He said that it’s curious that the authors in this collection are all women as the call for essays was open. Women tend to write more on identity issues than men, he said, “they feel a need to fit in”. “They are often challenging something or have an axe to grind,” he added. He contrasted the authors with Canadian poet Andrew Suknaski from Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan, whose perspective is more positive and focused on the adventure and goodness of life.
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