The secretive man behind surreal works such as The LSD Leacock and A Tentacled Mother is explored in these critical yet affectionate essays. Contributors include David Berry, Barry Callaghan, Sharon Abron Drache, Ada Donati, Italo Evangelisti, Jean Greenberg, Diane Keating, Susan Musgrave, Catherine Owen, Phyllis Reeve, Alfredo Rizzardi, Alan Safarik, and Faye Smith.

By laying out the structure of children's lives and their childhood experiences in such settings as the home, the classroom, the church, and on streets and in the playground, the author describes how English-Canadian children grew up in 'modern' Canada.

In the paradox between achieving your goals and achieving the Impossible Dream, which is preferable? Meanwhile, given a choice, should you opt for cathartic or therapeutic? The Guest House revives old acquaintances and reviews friendships that can’t have a second life, while answering the question of whether it is ever too late to be part of your own coming of age novel. A Minsky Moment? Perhaps, but which Minsky? The Guest House examines the future through the looking glass of the past, without losing sight of the present. And I’m still convinced the inventor of the mute button deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.

Ripe with love, money, and power, the story of 35-year-old Rudolf--set in a fast-paced, urban environment--begs the question Do we only think we exist? Rudolf and his wife work day and night hoping for a better life--he is a philosophy graduate student and the manager of a car dealership. He also keeps up a heart-wrenching relationship with the chic Wanda. Then there is Nina, who studies logic but is secretly a prostitute, and Alfred, owner of a car-leasing company, seemingly upright, but actually an embezzler. Each character conceals something. Be it in Hungary or North America, the craving for existential clarity remains strong.

Focusing on the universe of beauty and dreams with an intensity that delves into self-recognition, these stories written over the last 15 years engage the reader with questions about our public and private lives. The stories touch on questions of identity and belief, the phantoms of memory, and the oppositions of beauty to experiences. Told in a language of brilliant power, these tales enable the reader with their enigmatic and dreamlike quality.

Anthology of French and English speaking Canadian stories.

This highly acclaimed anthology is an unexpected and discerning mix of traditional short stories and untraditional tales, as selected by one of Canada's most beloved writers, Michael Ondaatje. He has chosen 49 stories by a wide array of writers including Alistair MacLeod, Margaret Laurence, Carol Shields, Dionne Brand, Mavis Gallant, Stephen Leacock, Glenn Gould, Alice Munro, Rohinton Mistry, David Adams Richards and many more. Full of diversity and surprise, these writings reveal the geographical, emotional and literary range of the country. Above all, Michael Ondaatje's personal selection offers good reading and great entertainment.