Book Review of A Newfoundland Journal
Janet MacFadyen Kept a Poetry Log to Describe Her Provincial Travels
May 3, 2009
In A Newfoundland Journal, MacFadyen has kept a journal of her visit to the western reaches of the island of Newfoundland. She has recorded this journal in poetry, creating images that cause the reader to pause and roll the words around in her mind, reflecting on the wonderful accuracy of the metaphor just read.
Author Janet MacFadyen
Janet MacFadyen lives in Shutesbury, Massachusetts. Her poetry has been published in The Malahat Review in Canada, and The Atlantic Monthly and Poetry in The United States. She is also the author of a chapbook, In Defense of Stones.
MacFadyen holds degrees in both geology and English, giving her the perfect background to write poetry about an area that is known for having some of the oldest rocks in the world. The stunning landscape of Gros Morne National Park, made a World Heritage Site in 1987, and Janet MacFadyen’s interests are a perfect literary marriage.
Diverse Images
A Newfoundland Journal contains images that range from hoards of tourists on a crowded ferry, to the personal history of a local inhabitant, to the history of Newfoundland itself.
MacFadyen’s use of metaphors create in the reader an urge to share how perfectly a particular landscape or scene has been described. For example, "At Green Point someone has gone to work with pinking shears. The cliffs are trimmed with rows of rickrack."
The poem is divided into the days of a journal, recording MacFadyen’s travels from place to place. This allows her to present and describe the different scenes that each place portrays. She uses the voices of local people to show how the history of each area was shaped by the environment.
The Sense of Connection and Belonging
The author has used her own point of view, as well as that of Newfoundlanders, to show an emotional connection to the rugged and weather beaten environment. For all its ruggedness, there is a clear message of belonging and being connected to the natural surroundings of this place.
MacFadyen uses the voices of local people to portray the stubborn clinging to a harsh environment over a long period of time, creating roots and a place called home – a place shared intimately with the local flora and fauna.
A Newfoundland Journal is a wonderful tribute to a unique and diverse area of the province that provides a fascinating experience. This journal would make a terrific addition to the poetry collection of anyone who loves writing that can stir the imagination with moving images of a rugged and magnificent environment.
Title: A Newfoundland Journal
Author: Janet MacFadyen
Publisher: Killick Press (an imprint of Creative Publishers), 64 pages, $14.95 CAD
ISBN: 1-897174-37-3
For other book reviews of books from Newfoundland publishers see A Book Review of Freddy’s Day at the Races, Book Review of Moocher in the Lun by Tom Dawe and How Dog Became A Friend by Paul O’Neill.
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