Land Of Many Shores ~ Edited by Ainsley Hawthorn

 

We are all familiar with the Newfoundland and Labrador tourism ads that flash across our television screens every Spring;  loaves of Nan's homemade bread cooling on the kitchen table while, just outside the window, colorful quilts dance in the warm breeze against a backdrop of the cool Atlantic Ocean slapping happily against million year old granite. The sun is shining, the grass is a brilliant hue of green and Skipper up the road is on the front bridge tapping his toe to the fiddle. A 40 minute drive "up the shore" or "past the overpass" will confirm that our Irish and English ancestry is still very much alive as evidenced in our dialect, friendliness, and Friday night kitchen parties. This is what we are famous for. This life is what tourists pay to experience. But Newfoundland and Labrador is so much more than just cod fish, colorful houses, and George Street. Land of Many Shores edited by Ainsley Hawthorn and published by Breakwater Books is a personal glimpse into the lives of other Newfoundlanders and Labradorians; citizens whose identities and viewpoints have been misconstrued, neglected or underrepresented. It is a true celebration of the diverse population that inhabits our land. 

Land of Many Shores is an anthology of poetry, essays and short narratives written by 24 authors who call, or have called, Newfoundland and Labrador home.  Through their own words they paint a portrait of their lived experience as Indigenous people and as people living with physical or mental disabilities. Their stories examine the importance and need for community and culture as marginalized and underrepresented peoples.  As workers in the sex industry and as members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community these authors explore the heartbreak of being misunderstood and the resilience required to survive. Yet other authors offer praise for the character that the Newfoundland people have become famous for but lament feeling left out of the "proverbial wolf pack". The narratives are wonderfully written, offering unique perspectives while at the same time broaching the elephant in the room; who do we want to become?

Newfoundland taught me to be proud of who I am and where I come from. Not to feel the need to assimilate to others and maintain the status quo. It also showed me that by being myself, I could create the best connections with people. Connections based on authenticity and sincerity, instead of the fear and ignorance that can prevail when people see each other as anonymous members of large groups instead of individuals. 

                                       From Salaam B'y ~ A Story of a Muslim Newfoundlander

                                                                                                              by Aatif Baskanderi 

Land of Many Shores ~ Perspectives From A Diverse Newfoundland and Labrador is a deeply personal and thought provoking read. Each story provided a source of reflection and caused me to question my own lived experience as a Newfoundlander. Throughout the anthology I found myself constantly questioning my own thoughts and belief systems about the Newfoundland culture, those of the community that I identify with and those of the larger populace. Some of the stories baffled me, others touched me deeply, and others saddened and angered me. I have come to realize that "our" traditional story as the ancestors of Irish and English settlers is important and we must celebrate and hang on to that history but our story continues to be written...it is not stuck in time. 

Some of us play the accordion, step dance, and eat Jiggs' Dinner. Others play the qilaut, dance salsa, or eat shawarma. Some of us roll down Broadway in our wheelchairs instead of strolling on foot. Some of us go to work in the sex trade instead of in an office in Atlantic Place. All of these experiences make us who we are as a people. To dismiss them is to erase the richness of our culture, to discount our collective wisdom, and to alienate members of our own communities. To dismiss these experiences is to impoverish ourselves.

                                               From Mapping A Diverse Newfoundland and Labrador 

                                                                                                            by Ainsley Hawthorn

Land of Many Shores: Perspectives From a Diverse Newfoundland and Labrador is a Breakwater Books publication. 

Angels Crying ~ A True Story of Secrecy and Tragedy by Tom Moore

 

Angels Crying by Tom Moore is the heart wrenching true story of Tammy King, a bright and beautiful child, born in St. John's, Newfoundland on November 9, 1972.  Tammy, along with her siblings,  were brought into a world of poverty and alcoholism to parents who both had a family history of substance abuse, addiction and unemployment. Unable to  properly care for the children they brought into the world, the foster care system stepped in to protect them; to give them a life that their natural born parents simply could not provide. For a time the children thrived in their new homes supported by loving individuals, until 1986, when Tammy and her younger sister were moved to a new home; a home afflicted by generations of lewd and wanton behaviour that was shrouded in secrecy disguised as love and concern. How did Tammy, society's most precious resource, come to view her life as hopeless and decide that it was just not worth living anymore?  Angel's Crying by Tom Moore is an expertly researched narrative that exposes the inadequacies of society's polite assumptions and lifts the veil of silence on how a nation treats its most vulnerable and disadvantaged members.

The three little girls stared in awe as the stewardess explained the safety regulations in English and then in French. The motors were roaring and the plane soon started down the Torbay runway at unbelievable speed. It was their first plane ride and the first time away from St. John's.

The lady in the seat beside them was a social worker, a stranger to the three small travellers. They zoomed down the runway faster than thought, faster than hope, faster than love. They hurtled away from the mother and father they loved in spite of everything. ... 

They were on their way to their new home in Deer Lake, on the western side of the island. 

 

Self published in 1994, Angel's Crying is Moore's second national bestseller.  Based upon 3 years of well-documented research garnered from Royal Commission files, court transcripts and personal interviews, the author presents the true story of a student who once sat in his classroom. Driven by a desire to uncover the truth and dispel the rumors that were circulating throughout the small bay community during the fall of 1988,  Moore notes that "no one seemed to be pursuing the obvious questions about her death. The silence was deafening." In the Preface to the 2nd edition, Moore states that "the story had to be told and the ogre of secrecy challenged."  As a result, the author does an excellent job of conveying not only Tammy's narrative, but also the stories of those who had been placed in the same foster home before her.  In an attempt to understand the role that the criminal justice system and the social welfare system played in its failure to protect these young girls, Moore pens a gripping and oftentimes disturbing tale that was difficult to put down.  In so doing he presents a strong and highly detailed condemnation of all levels of Newfoundland government and the RCMP and highlights a system plagued by human frailties and the desire of most people to remain comfortable within their dome of silence.  It is this silence and the misery that it ultimately inflicts upon the young victims of sexual abuse that this book is written. 

Angels Crying ~ A True Story of Secrecy and Tragedy by Tom Moore is a must read. As an educator, I applaud Moore's sensitive approach and skill in his valiant attempt to slay the ogre of silence and bring justice to the victims of sexual abuse! Well done, sir! Copies of this novel can be obtained from Flanker Press.