The Heart Does Break
Canadian Writers on Grief and Mourning
edited by George Bowering and Jen Baird
A HEARTBREAKING, COMFORTING AND BEAUTIFUL COLLECTION OF TRUE STORIES ABOUT GRIEF AND MOURNING FROM SOME OF CANADA’S BEST-KNOWN WRITERS
When Jean Baird’s daughter, Bronwyn, died suddenly, Jean’s deep instinct was to turn to books to help her in her time of sudden loss. Although she found that the thoughts of counselors, psychologists, Buddhists, and self-help gurus were perhaps some help, the works that truly reached to the heart of the matter were by literary writers, largely from the UK and the US. Scanning the Canadian landscape, Jean and her husband George Bowering found elegies and tributes, but little from our writers about the person who is left behind to mourn or what it takes to endure grieving. The Heart Does Break—an anthology of twenty original pieces—sets out to fill that gap.
Contributors include: Austin Clarke, Jill Frayne, Marni Jackson, Paul Quarrington, George Elliot Clarke, Catherine Bush, William Whitehead, and more.
PRAISE FOR THE HEART DOES BREAK
“Each essay is compelling; the writing throughout the collection is honest and highly skilled.” — QUILL & QUIRE, starred review
“[A]n anthology that contains stories of pathos, rage, joy, humour and wisdom … [R]ead this book – for enlightenment and entertainment, for good writing about a tough subject.” — THE GLOBE AND MAIL
“Some of those being mourned are well known, but most are not. Some who mourn are well known, while others are less so. They all have light to shed on this most difficult subject.” — NATIONAL POST
“Thought-provoking memoirs … Readers who have mourned the loss of someone dear will find solace and validation within the pages of this anthology.” — WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
“A stirring anthology…” — OTTAWA CITIZEN
Read an excerpt
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See also
georgebowering.com
RIGHTS SOLD
Canada: Random House
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
GEORGE BOWERING is a poet, novelist, essayist, critic, historian and editor. In 2002 he was appointed Canada’s first Parliamentary Poet Laureate. He is an officer of the Order of Canada and has been inducted into the Order of British Columbia. He has authored and edited many books, including several that have earned major awards.
JEAN BAIRD has been an English professor, program director for an arts facility, managing editor for business publications, consultant for non-profit organizations, and creative director of Canada Book Week for the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Most recently she has been working on a BC-based project about the use of Canadian literature in secondary schools.
(Photo courtesy of the authors)