The idea I am putting forward is that new Canadians bring their storieswith them, and these stories then become Canadian stories. Canada’s pastlies not only in the native stories of the land itself, but also in Europe, andnow in Africa and Asia; Canadians have fought not only in the World Wars,but also in the warsContinue reading “Canadian Fiction in East Africa and India”
Author Archives: henrydecock
Tanzania redux
I just finished M.G. Vassanji’s novel, The Book of Secrets. The story takes place in Tanganyika (German East Africa) and Kenya largely during the first World War years and into the aftermath of their independence. The protagonists gravitate between the cities of Moshi, Dar-Es-Salaam and the fictional Kikono; Voi, Mombasa and Nairobi respectively. The bookContinue reading “Tanzania redux”
No Reservations
News of the 215 unmarked graves of children found at the Kamloops Residential school broke on May 27. The country was horrified with many honouring the lives lost in some form including leaving small shoes at the steps of our institutions. The tragedy was magnified six days ago when the Cowessess First Nation discovered 751Continue reading “No Reservations”
Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance
This post is not really about Zen and it is only a little about motorcycle maintenance. In my attempt to get the bike back on the road, I had to conduct a little repair and in the process surrendered to a Zen-like understanding in all things mechanical. Spring arrives later at the cottage, two hoursContinue reading “Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance”
Stop all the clocks, let the mourners come
I have been writing about my visit to Kamuli, Uganda for a submission to a memoir writing competition and in that process a re-examination of my time has led me into a deeper understanding of the events. In previous posts about my uncle, Father Kees de Cock, I had described my quest to affirm someContinue reading “Stop all the clocks, let the mourners come”
The Sun Rises in the East
The choice of Asian Canadian writers is considerable, a number of whom are ranked among the best the country has to offer. This month’s selection from my literature collection takes the reader to Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Singapore, Korea and Japan with protagonists rooted in Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto. The choices were deliberate, covering as muchContinue reading “The Sun Rises in the East”
True Confessions of The Constant Gardener
Hello. My name is Henry and I am a gardenaholic. It has been 12 days since I last planted something new into the garden. Although, I must confess, I transformed an existing clump of shrubbery into a quasi-garden yesterday. Just a little one. Really. The day started innocently with the intention of weeding the earthContinue reading “True Confessions of The Constant Gardener”
“Now we must tend to our garden.”
The measure of a life is a measure of love and respect So hard to earn, so easily burned In the fullness of time A garden to nurture and protect I love gardens in the spring for the promise they evoke, the perennial peek into the future, the hope for a beautiful and healthy bloom.Continue reading ““Now we must tend to our garden.””
Building a Mystery
Yeah you’re working Building a mystery And choosing so carefully Sarah McLachlan My first introduction to mystery novels began by attending a book launch for John Worsley Simpson’s fourth instalment in the Harry Stark series, A Debt of Death. I knew John from an annual curling event, a close friend of a friend. The readingContinue reading “Building a Mystery”
Hope they have a better understanding
Million young poets Screamin’ out their words To a world full of people Just livin’ to be heard My parents paid $9,500 in 1963 for their one and only house just outside the London city limits. They needed two mortgages in order to finance the home on Kostis Avenue and I seem to recall theContinue reading “Hope they have a better understanding”
Wonderings 