A Salty Ink Introduction to Lesley Choyce and The Republic of Nothing
Lesley Choyce, TV show host for Off the Page, has written more than fifty books, ranging from fiction to poetry, and non-fiction to children’s lit. He is also runs Pottersfield Press, teaches at Dalhousie University, is a recording musician, and is known for his year-round surfing in the Atlantic Ocean. With so many books under his belt, he has won the same award more than once. (Examples: The Dartmouth Book Award for Fiction and the Ann Connor Brimer Award.) The people of Halifax have voted for him as their best writer six years in a row (2001-2006) in the hip, arts-friendly newspaper, The Coast.
Dubbed a “triple-decker of a yarn” by The Globe & Mail, and “a national treasure” by The Ottawa Citizen, The Republic of Nothing won the Dartmouth Book Award, and is a bestseller that continues to find new readers over a decade since its initial release in 1994. Goose Lane Re-released it as a Reader’s Guide edition in 2007, with an afterword by Neil Peart.
“The fact that the book has lasted for 10 years is a testimony to its popularity in these days when few books retain any life or fame after a year.” – The Chronicle Herald
From Goose Lane’s Website: A small Canadian island declares its independence to the world and benign anarchy reigns. The island’s inhabitants are drawn into politics, the Vietnam War, and the peace movement. Sound impossible? Not on Whalebone Island, aka the Republic of Nothing. Where else can a dead circus elephant, a long-dead Viking, the discovery of uranium, a raven-haired castaway who may be psychic, an anarchist turned politician, and refugees fleeing from the United States all be part of everyday life? Where else is eccentricity embraced with such open arms? Lesley Choyce’s novel about resilience, independence, and anarchy comes alive, leading readers to discover once again that everything is nothing and nothing is everything.
The Republic of Nothing was nominated by, and will be defended by, Stephen Patrick Clare
Stephen Patrick Clare is a journalist, author, poet, photographer, broadcaster, musician, and activist in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
His work has appeared over 120 local, regional, national and international publications.
He is the co-author of Atlantic Canada’s 100 Greatest Books.
(Follow the Contest Here: http://saltyink.com/atlantic-canada-reads-competition/)
Related posts:
Twitter