The Canadian literary canon: does it matter to the general reader? Does the buzz about just what texts are first, Canadian, and, second, worthy of being included within the canon as must-reads interest anybody but academics? Is canonicity one of those quaint academic preoccupations like Marxism and tenure that will never gain any legs beyond the Senior Common Room?
The subject certainly engrosses the trade press. From 1987 until now, from conferences in Calgary to courses taught in grad schools to doctoral dissertations (Carleton, McGill, University of British Columbia, University of Victoria) to books published in New Delhi (2003), the literary canon and its sites are under construction. Again I ask, what does any of this mean to the common reader?
To that question, three replies. Assigning canonicity, as we say in my field, affects the Canadian reader in three ways:
through what gets taught, through how it gets taught, and, through this...Dennis Duffy has been reviewing books in various Toronto media outlets for more than fifty years. He also delivers occasional art talks at the Toronto Public Library.
Advertisement
Advertisement