*a paid advertisment*

 

This book is worth reading for two reasons.

The first one, of course, being the fact that it
was edited by Terry Glavin, the first editor of
the Other Press, whom you had the privilege to
meet last issue.

The second reason is Andrew Struthers’
wonderful, twisted sense of humour, which,
while not overbearing, never lets up. That alone
keeps this book above water, which it is often
in grave danger of sinking under, and not just in
the geographical sense.

A brief glance over the outside of this book
may lead you to believe that its subject is the
friction between loggers and environmentalists
in the little town of Tofino. Well, it’s not. This is
a book about Andrew Struthers, which happens
to have some loggers and environmentalists in
it. Perhaps I’m being a bit unfair. The naval-
gazing schitzophrenic confusion of our
protagonist is very BC, if we have such a thing
as a provincial character. I don’t mean the
surface gloss of it, I mean what you get when
you peel back the surface and make this land
spill out its guts. The part of BC that remembers
it was wild country a human lifetime ago. The
kind of emotional uncertainty that is to be
expected from an adolescent society.

Anyway, back to Struthers. We get to hear
about his childhood, and his relationship with a

 

Alien autopsy in Other
Press office?

Shocking new photos!

   
 
  
 
   
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
   
 
 
   
    
  
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
  
   
 
 
  
 

The Green
Shadow
New Star
Books

Andrew
Struthers

Review by Corene

nice young witch, and his discovery of his inner
woman, and his therapist. Although he doesn’t
dwell too long on any of these plot twists. This
book is not in danger of being heavy reading.
There are some bits about blockading and
watching strippers, make that a stripper (small
town), with the local loggers. But Struthers’ angst
just isn’t of the ‘should I cut down this tree or
hug it’ variety.

The biggest qualm I have with this book is that
Struthers doesn’t include the climax. Which has
always struck me as being a pretty important part
of a story. Like maybe its reason to exist in the
first place. He sets up for the climax nicely, and the ~

then he politely tells us that it’s none of our Bh P
er rress

business and gives us a bit of vague analogy which
Call for Submissions

doesn’t do the trick. Of course it isn t any of our
Sexuality Issue

business. Except that we have a right, as readers,
to expect such things, to need such things, and
Copy deadline Wed Sept 25
midnight

There’s a bizzarre corpse in the OP darkroom, says an employee, who refused to give her name. “I
really disgusting looking.”

According to our anonymous source, two men performed an autopsy on the corpse, while she filmed
proceedings on 1940s film stock, which explains the low quality of the images. The corpse exhibit
extreme damage to it’s lower apendages. “It was really, really disgusting,” she added.

The corpse was reportedly discovered in Burns Bog a few months ago. Apparently, the UFO cra
landed and exploded, causing the large conflagaration that raged out of control earlier this summer.

After the autopsy, the remains were delivered to the cafeteria, where CIA agents, disguised as ICL worke'
spirited the alien to a top-secret government base.

Is this the truth? Or a cleverly staged hoax? You be the judge.

Join the conspiracy.

Struthers lets us down. He may achieve catharsis,
but the reader doesn’t.

Butit’s still a funny book. Although sometimes
the fact that you’re laughing makes you worry.
Struthers’ failure to take himself straightforward
and serious perhaps undermines what he is trying
to say. But perhaps we need to laugh more than
we need to hear what that is. And maybe that’s
the point, after all.

room 1020

 

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anywhere...anytime! te ; : : ,
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CALL NOW Sept.28-30 Production
Giselle Ennis @ 669-8816 Tuesday, Oct. 1 New Issue!!!
ae Wednesday, Oct.2 Staff Meeting 4pm 1808
Page Me@ 844-8167 Monday, Oct. 8 “The bus goes beep beep.”
Order by September 15/96 and your Ist month is FREE A production seminar 4pm 1020

 

 

 

12 September 17 1996 The Other Press