Canada Reads 2012; Final Answer

Canada Reads took quite a beating last week as it was hit by some of the harshest criticism ever in its 11-year lifespan. First of all, there was much controversy over the ill-judged comments of one of the panellists. People were unhappy, and expressed their outrage in print and electronically. Never have there been so many articles, blogs and tweets written about Canada Reads.


But there were other types of criticism as well. Some thought the scope of the program was too broad, others too narrow; there should be more thought put into the choice of panellists; there should be an author or two on the panel, the way there used to be; it’s a ridiculous, condescending idea—how can there be one book that every Canadian “should” read?


Any change is bound to provoke reaction and criticism and Canada Reads has certainly evolved over the years, with changes in format, makeup of the panel, type of books discussed, and viewer participation. For the first time since its inception, this year, nonfiction books were chosen instead of fiction, and it was quite a diverse selection. Here’s a very brief synopsis of the books, in the order they were voted out:


The Prisoner of Tehran, by Marina Nemat. This is a memoir of a young girl in Iran during the time of Khomeini, who, at the age of 16, speaks out against the government and is imprisoned and tortured in the infamous Evin Prison.

The Tiger, by John Vaillant. Vaillant takes us on a hunt for a man-eating tiger in Eastern Russia; suspenseful, informative, thought-provoking, with an important message about the fragile balance of nature and our effects on it.

On a Cold Road, by Dave Bidini. We travel with Bidini on a colourful cross-country tour and see Canada from the unique perspective of a young rock band, The Rheostatics, with anecdotal snapshots from other Canadian rock musicians.

The Game, by Ken Dryden. Dryden was goalie for the Montreal Canadiens for eight years and won six Stanley Cups! This is a thoughtful account of his last season with them in 1979.

Something Fierce, by Carmen Aguirre. This is a brave, passionate story, told from the point of view of a young woman in South America in the 80s, involved in the resistance movement to oust Pinochet from Chile.

Widening the scope to include nonfiction broadened the range of discussion dramatically, because for the first time (I think), much of the debate dealt with what constitutes a truly Canadian book. Is it important for the book to be set in Canada for it to resonate with the Canadian public, or is it enough that it be written by a Canadian and is a well-written story with an important message? The final vote, between The Game and Something Fierce, underlined that debate, with two such different stories and perspectives. In the end, Something Fierce came out on top, Mme. Goldwater having been persuaded, over the course of the debates, that this was an important book to read, regardless of one’s own political perspective. I found that singular accomplishment extremely heartening, and hope that the debates had similar effects on listeners, giving them reasons to try something they might not have considered before the program.

The panellists were probably as diverse as the celebrity parameter will allow. It is not a literary panel and does not claim to be so. This is a group of Canadian personalities who like to read and are willing to defend a book that they believe in, on air and in front of a studio audience. This year’s panel included a singer, an actor, a model, a lawyer, and a businessperson. While none of them write literary nonfiction, four of the five panellists do write: one has written a book; one writes song lyrics; one writes comedy; one writes legal arguments. All five are used to being in the public eye and “perform” in one way or another; at least two have to be quick on their feet to assess a situation, respond to it, and persuade others to their point of view. All love to read and had obviously read and thought about the books, and some had done outside reading to back up their position or refute the others. They all understand the power and importance of words, and took the role of defending their book quite seriously.

As Canada Reads evolves, each year brings something new, with aspirations of broadening its scope and increasing its audience. But changes that some find interesting will be problematic for others. Nevertheless, along with all the controversy and complaints this year, there was also very high praise. Some claimed that it was the best Canada Reads ever; many had ambitions of reading at least some, if not all, of the books from this year’s debates, not just the winner. A clear victory for Canada Reads.

Overall, Canada Reads 2012 was a definite success. Whether laudatory or disparaging, there have been many conversations about Canadian nonfiction. Great! Let’s count on many, many more such discussions. I am confident that Canada Reads will continue to try new things, to grow and improve, to be controversial, to garner both praise and criticism, and to keep people talking about Canadian books.

1 comment:

  1. Hi - I've taken a look at your blog, glad to hear about your experience with sweet Charlie - I have a disabled friend with service dogs and they're a real help to her, especially when she gets stressed out. Interested to read about Canada Reads, too - we face many of the same debates in the States.

    I'm Cristina Deptula with Synchronized Chaos International Magazine, and we've discovered a new and  interesting author, Dr. Loretta Breuning. She's created a nonfiction book, Meet Your Happy Chemicals, about understanding the neurotransmitters in the mammalian brain responsible for positive emotions and maximizing your happiness in healthy and sustainable ways.

    Her book aims to help ordinary people understand how to feel happier  without relying on alcohol, drugs, or other potentially addictive and  damaging behavior, and to show us how to harness our mammalian biology  in healthy ways.

    She also demystifies aspects of neuroscience for the  general public, with
    compassion and insight.

    Dr. Breuning is the Professor Emeritus of International Development at Cal State University East Bay, and is a graduate of Cornell and Tufts. She has a background in development work through the  United Nations, and began studying mammal sociology to better understand  how to work with world governments without succumbing to pressure to  pay bribes or participate in corruption. Dr. Breuning currently serves  as a docent for the Oakland Zoo and gives tours of animal habitat areas informed by mammalian psychology.

    We're  offering you a free copy of the book (released a few months ago) if
    you would like to write a review in your blog - preferably a PDF, although
    hard copies are available if you prefer. Please reply and let us know if you would be interested, and we will get the book off to you!

    You may learn more about Dr. Loretta Breuning and her book, and see the cover art, on the book's website:
    http://meetyourhappychemicals.com/Meet_Your_Happy_Chemicals/home.html

    Meet Your Happy Chemicals
    Author    Dr. Loretta Breuning
    Publisher    CreateSpace
    ISBN    978-1463790929
    Length  210 pages
    Subjects    Nonfiction, Science, General Interest

    Thank you very much,

    Cristina Deptula

    Synchronized Chaos International Magazine

    www.synchchaos.com

    510-589-8252

    ReplyDelete