Tragically Hip; Or, Everything New Is Old Again-Blake Allmendingere Ten Most Wanted: The New Western Literature

E s s a y R e v ie w T r a g i c a l l y H i p ; o r , E v e r y t h i n g N e w I s O l d A g a i n B l a k e A l l m e n d i n g e r ’s Ten Most W ant ed: The New W est er n Lit er at ur e Ro ber t Thac ker A lic e M u n r o , t h e N e w Y o rk e r w r it e r fr o m W in g h a m , O n t a r io (a b a c k w a t e r if t h e r e e v e r w a s o n e ) o n c e t o o k so m e o f h e r e a r ly st o r ie s t o a c r e a t iv e - w r it in g p r o fe sso r a t t h e U n iv e r sit y o f V ic t o r ia . T h is w as w h e n sh e w a s m a in ly a h o u se w ife a n d m o t h e r , a n d b e fo r e sh e b e c a m e a w r it e r fo r t h e N e w Y o rk e r a n d b e fo r e h e r b o o k s r e c e iv e d ly r ic a l r e v ie w s o r w e r e fe a t u r e d in c o v e r r e v ie w s in t h e N e w Y o rk T im e s B o o k R e v ie w . A n y w a y , a ft e r t h is p r o fe sso r r e a d h e r st o r ie s, h e t o ld h e r t h a t h e u se d t o w r it e lik e t h a t w h e n h e w as fift e e n , b u t w h e n h e g o t o ld e r , h e gr e w o u t o f it . M u n r o d id n o t gr o w o u t o f it, h o w ­ e v e r ; sh e ig n o r e d t h e se c o m m e n t s a n d k e p t w r it in g in t h e sa m e v e in . S h e d id g e t e v e n , t h o u g h , in a st o r y c a lle d “M a t e r ia l,” w h e r e sh e w r o t e : “P e o p le w ill g o ” t o t h e u n iv e r sit y t o list e n t o p r o fe sso r s o f lit- R ober t Thacker 4 5 1 e r a t u r e t a lk , e v e n t h o u g h t h e y a r e “v a in , q u a r r e lso m e m e n ,” “ [b ]lo a t e d , o p in io n a t e d , u n t id y m e n . . . c o sse t e d b...