Those of you who are reading here now, but not reading Alistair MacLeod’s short stories, will probably only be interested in the first couple of paragraphs after this introduction. Feel free to skip past the section that I've titled The Underneath, written with those who know the story-or other
Naomi warned me this weekend: I knew immediately which one it was, the one with the dog’s body, broken and dragging itself home after it’s been shot. Since then, I’ve been thinking about how to write about this story without reading it again. And, so, I have started with
Stories like Alistair MacLeod’s are often described as timeless, but many of them, like “Second Spring”, feel time-full. Immediately, MacLeod situates readers in time: “It was the summer after the seventh grade that saw me truly smitten with the calf club wish.” Then, he invites readers to fall into
Who Where? “Gordon Hill Press is a publisher of poetry and stylistically innovative fiction, non-fiction, and literary criticism (especially concerning poetry). We strive to include a wide diversity of writers and writing, particularly writers living with invisible disability. We want to publish exemplary writing.” (From Webpage) First Encounter?
Who? Where? “We love books. Literature matters because words lets us explore and share the best of what we think, and who we can be. Good fiction, nonfiction, and poetry grow our knowledge and imagination, take us into new lives, and illuminate truths we never knew.” (Website) Operating in the
