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An Interview with George Bowering
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George Bowering's Stone Country uncovers Canada's past with a flair and humour sure to charm history buffs and history phobes alike. Read about Bowering's approach to Canadian history in our exclusive interview with him.
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Q: There have been many historical surveys of Canada. What makes Stone Country different?
A: I don't think that it is particularly unique, but it is unusual. I don't just mean because it starts millions of years ago, or even that Montcalm wins at the Plains of Abraham. But most important, and the only reason I wrote it, really, is the fact that people often come up to me and say, "If history had been written like this when I was going to school I would have majored in it." When my editor at Penguin blackmailed me into writing history books, she said wanted books that sounded as if they had been written by me. |
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Q: You have written acclaimed pieces in a wide variety of styles. What appealed to you about working on a non-fiction account of Canada's past?
A: I have to tell you that no matter all the grumbling, I do like the research, which for me is not all that onerous digging that real historians have to do. And, you know, the more I learn about Canadian history, the more I like Canada. I just wish I had a funnier name. Most Canadian historians have funny names.
Q: If you could document one period in Canadian history first-hand what would it be? Would you want to live in that period?
A: The experts agree that 1948 was the greatest year in the history of civilization, and I was lucky enough to live in a remote town in BC that year. I wouldn't mind going back to 1948 once a year or so. Especially if I could listen to the World Series on the radio.
Q: What is the one lesson from Canadian history we should all learn?
A: All the time that Britain was running Canada, Britain did whatever was in her own interests, and was always ready to sell Canada out to the USA, whether in regard to the United States fishing in the St. Lawrence or their claims to the Alaska panhandle. Now that the United States runs Canada, the States will always act in their own interests and will not hesitate to invade Canada again. Or, more likely, to employ protectionist trade policies to harm the Canadian economy.
Q: Each generation absorbs the past in a new way, both in terms of the message they take from history and the way in which historical narratives are shared. How do you think our children will re-envisage and re-communicate Canadian history?
A: They will likely have to depend on what they see on television to learn about Canadian history because our school systems are not much interested in Canadian history or Canadian literature. So, if there is some Canadian history on the CBC, and our children are somehow watching CBC instead of rock videos, they might learn a little in the way of historical anecdotes! |
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