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How do we make culture and how does culture make us? Canadian Cultural Poesis takes a comprehensive approach toward Canadian culture from a variety of provocative perspectives. Centred on the notion of culture as social identity, it offers original essays on cultural issues of urgent concern to Canadians: gender, technology, cultural ethnicity, and regionalism. From a broad range of disciplines, contributors consider these issues in the contexts of media, individual and national identity, language, and cultural dissent. Providing an excellent introduction to current debates in Canadian culture, Canadian Cultural Poesis will appeal not only to readers looking for an overview of Canadian culture but also to those interested in cultural studies and interdisciplinarity, as well as scholars in film, art, literature, sociology, communication, and womens studies. This book offers new insights into how we make and are made by Canadian culture, each essay contributing to this poetics, inventing new ways to welcome cultural differences of all kinds fo the Canadian cultural community.
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canadian cultural poesis essays on canadian culture Garry Sherbert, Annie Gérin, and Sheila Petty, editors
Canadian Cultural Poesis Essays on Canadian Culture
Garry Sherbert, Annie Gérin, and Sheila Petty, editors
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program for our publishing activities.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Canadian cultural poesis : essays on Canadian culture / Garry Sherbert, Annie Gérin, and Sheila Petty, editors. (Cultural studies series) Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn–10: 0-88920-486-1 isbn–13: 978-0-88920-486-7 1. Culture — Canada. 2. Mass media and culture — Canada. 3. Arts and society — Canada. 4. Minorities — Canada. i. Sherbert, Garry Herald, 1957– ii. Gérin, Annie, 1969– iii. Petty, Sheila iv. Series: Cultural studies series (Waterloo, Ont.) fc95.5c35 2006
306'. 0971
c2005- 906167- 7
© 2006 Garry Sherbert, Annie Gérin, and Sheila Petty Cover based on Belle Sauvage by Lori Blondeau. Cover and text design by P.J. Woodland. Every reasonable effort has been made to acquire permission for copyright material used in this text, and to acknowledge all such indebtedness accurately. Any errors and omissions called to the publisher’s attention will be corrected in future printings. ∞ ● Printed in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher or a licence from The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). For an Access Copyright licence, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or call toll free to 1-800-893-5777. Excerpt on page 62 taken from “The Only Tourist in Havana Turns His Thoughts Homeward” from Flowers for Hitler by Leonard Cohen. Used by permission of McClelland and Stewart. Excerpt on page 106 taken from Mike Bocking, “Step by Gruesome Step, One Man’s Killing Spree,” Vancouver Sun 8 April 1996, b 2. Courtesy Vancouver Sun. Excerpt on pages 107 and 108 taken from Mike Crawley, “Shooting Victim ‘Let Down’ by Vernon rcmp: Shooting Victim Isn’t Looking to Blame Police, but Wants Protection for Women,” Vancouver Sun 15 April 1996, a 1. Courtesy Mike Crawley / Vancouver Sun.
Dedicated to the memory of Irene Elizabeth Sherbert
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations / ix Preface / xi Garry Sherbert Acknowledgements / xiii Introduction A Poetics of Canadian Culture / 1 Garry Sherbert
I Media and Its (Dis)Contents Frances Dorsey, My Grandmother’s Violin / 26 1 (Im)Possible Exchanges / 31 The Arts of Counter-Surveillance Gary Genosko 2 Canadian Humour and National Culture / 51 Move Ov