James M. Fisher
by James M. Fisher Within the past year, there have been two significant book releases by local Miramichi authors, and both have something for young and old alike. Death Between the Walls: An Old Manse Mystery by Alexa BowieNewcomer Alexa Bowie is the alter ego of Chuck Bowie, an author that is well-known in these…
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Book review by James M. Fisher. Winter Road is the newest collection of Wayne Curtis’ fictional short stories and is a continuation of his 2017 collection, Homecoming: The Road Less Travelled. The classic Wayne Curtis is all here: reminiscences of glory days gone by, of a world that has changed, of growing older, though perhaps…
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By James M. Fisher At a recent Words on Water event at the Newcastle Public Library, a series of engraved wood plaques crafted by local artist Gloria Savoie was unveiled. They are to mark the “indoor” portion of the Miramichi Literary Trail. In attendance were the authors Sandra Bunting, Chuck Bowie, Doug Underhill, and Wayne…
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One of the greatest joys in reviewing books is the unexpected pleasure of discovering an excellent story when you least expect it. Such was the case with Between Rothko and 3 Windows (2016, Quattro Books).
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July 2, 2017, marked the eightieth year of Amelia Earhart’s disappearance while flying over the Pacific Ocean. Ms Earhart was not alone; along with her was navigator Fred Noonan. I was eager to read Flightpaths (2017, Caitlin Press) a structured prose-with-poetry composition by Ms Greco subtitled The Lost Journals of Amelia Earhart.
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December 6, 2017, signals the 100th anniversary of the Halifax Explosion, Canada’s worst Maritime tragedy to date. In mere seconds, a large portion of Halifax’s North End and waterfront were obliterated when the damaged munitions ship Mont Blanc exploded, killing 2,000 people and injuring thousands more.
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Down Inside is the memoir of Robert Clark whose entire working career was spent with the Canadian Correction Service (CSC). When he retired in 2009, he was serving as a deputy warden and a few years later sat down to write about his experiences in the hope of inciting change in the current system.
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The Miramichi Folksong Festival has been held continuously for 60 years now, making it the longest standing folk song festival in Canada. Its director (and a performer) of the past 35 years is the irrepressible Susan Butler, a true “Miramichier” if there ever was one. Now, she has compiled the Festival’s history as well as her own in a self-published book entitled For the Love of It: 60 Years of the Miramichi Folksong Festival.
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Set during the time of the Acadian expulsion in 1755 from what is now Nova Scotia. “Promises to Keep” contains a stronger, deeper story than its romantic cover art might suggest.
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Subtitled My Adventures with Billy Bishop’s Ghost, Diana Bishop’s memoirs of her grandfather, WWI Canadian flying ace Billy Bishop, is an insightful, moving look at growing up in the shadow of a legend.
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New Brunswick’s resident writer of fantastic realism, Ian H. McKinley, has just released Harbinger, Book 1 of his Northern Fire series. It is firmly rooted in Nordic myth and legend, a time of swords, spears, axes, bow and arrow and fearless sea raiders that pillage enemy villages along the coasts and fjords of the Northlands.
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Canada has the highest rate of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the world, with an estimated 100,000 Canadians living with the disease. While it is most often diagnosed in young adults aged 15 to 40, younger children and older adults are also diagnosed with the disease. MS can occur at any age. Working as an MRI technologist, I often scan patients to rule out MS or to track the progression of the disease in known MS sufferers. To date, I have never encountered someone as crippled by MS as Jen Powley is.
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Miramichi’s unofficial poet laureate Sandra Bunting, has just released her first collection of short stories entitled The Effect of Frost on Southern Vines (2016, Gaelog Press). Having lived abroad for many years, Ms Bunting returned to Miramichi in 2011. The stories that make up this volume are primarily set in Ireland, but some, such as the title story are set on … Read more…
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