Source Material

Contemporary writers may be naturally curious about their predecessors, the lucky and talented who managed to pen works that resonate after their deaths. More questionable is whether the lives of canon creators make for good material. The last few years have seen a surprising number of prominent Quebec authors publish books about friendships among the icons of American letters. Like highbrow versions of Marvel adaptations, such projects have the advantage of familiarity, appealing to established audiences who will pick up on the allusions. And like one Avengers movie too many, they run the risk of being derivative, veering into the territory of self-indulgent fan fiction.

Thankfully, recent books by Louis Hamelin, Dominique Fortier, and Mélikah Abdelmoumen all have something going for them, even if their strengths and motives vary. Hamelin narrates Henry David Thoreau’s stay at Walden Pond and his relationship with Ralph Waldo Emerson to investigate the...