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About the Book
When Vincent Massey, Canada’s first native-born governor general, wrote On Being Canadian in 1948, he acknowledged the importance of the arts to education and the production of good Canadian citizens. What he did not consider was what the arts and artists can tell us about being Canadian or about being ourselves.
In On the Art of Being Canadian Sherrill Grace begins with the premise that the arts have shaped and continue to inform Canadian identity. Drawing upon a wealth of artistic expression that spans over a century of painting, fiction, poetry, drama, and film, she then traces how the arts and artists have contributed to three fields of representation, or themes, that are staples in Canadian culture, commemoration, and myth making – the North, war, and iconic national figures such as Louis Riel, Emily Carr, Tom Thomson, and Mina Hubbard.
By telling stories in their chosen medium and genre about life here or about events and figures from the past, she shows that artists help us to understand the Canadian landscape and to create a shared history. All students of Canada, whether at home or abroad, will find much to savour, enjoy, and reflect on in this beautifully illustrated volume.
About the Author(s)
Sherrill Grace is Professor of English at the University of British Columbia. The author of more than twenty books, she was awarded the Canada Council Killam Prize in Humanities in 2008. Her most recent book is the biography Making Theatre: A Life of Sharon Pollock.
Table of Contents
Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction: On Being Canadian
1. Creating a Northern Nation
2. Theatres of War: Battle Fronts and Home Fronts
3. Inventing Iconic Figures
Epilogue: Listening for the Heartbeat of a Country
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Reviews
Rather than re-visiting the old conundrum of "What is a Canadian?" Sherrill Grace asks the infinitely more complex and compelling question, "What is the process of being Canadian?"... This passionate and evocative study teaches us how to enjoy the cold, how to vanish, and how to celebrate our elusive state of "being" in the magnificent imaginative construct we call Canada.
-- Aritha van Herk
Through the prisms of space (the North), time (the Wars), and people (our National Icons), Sherrill Grace brilliantly and compellingly demonstrates that Canadian art has not only reflected but has also created the Canadian experience. On the Art of Being Canadian is an accessible and powerful articulation of Sherrill Grace’s commanding interdisciplinary understanding of Canada.
-- Christl Verduyn
Sample Chapter
Download Front Matter and Chapter One (PDF)
Related Topics
History > Canada
Cultural Studies
Literature
Other Ways To Order
In Canada, order your copy of On the Art of Being Canadian from UTP Distribution at:
UTP Distribution
5201 Dufferin Street
Toronto, Ontario
M3H 5T8
Phone orders: 1(800)565-9523 or (416)667-7791
Fax orders: 1(800)221-9985 or (416)667-7832
Email: utpbooks@utpress.utoronto.ca
Ordering information for customers outside Canada
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