Louis Dudek: Texts & Essays Open Letter ed. by Frank Davey, bpNichol, and: Louis Dudek & Raymond Souster by Frank Davey, and: Twelve Voices: Interviews with Canadian Poets ed. by Jon Pearce (review)

HUMANITIES 457 the name of any distinguished Canadian contemporary of his, out of indifference - or simply ignorance - or perhaps envy.' Here we have refutation writ large, the unanswerable testimonial of four decades of warm, perceptive, and intelligentconsiderationofCanadian achievement in literature and the theatre. Davies did not, however, indulge in mindless boosterism: he said hard things about Canadian art and criticism when necessary, singling out (and I trust we all savour the irony of this) academics for 'dishonest,' 'unpassionate/ and 'unimaginative' evaluations , citing as one egregious instance E. K. Brown's treatment of Watson Kirkconnell's TheFlying Bull in the first appearance of 'Letters in Canada.' But Davies did prefer, as a point of prinCiple, to concentrate on Canadian artists and productions he could honestly admire: and so we have candid and accurate assessments of writers like Ross, MacLennan, LePan, Roy, Laurence, Leacock, and Gallant, and of directors like Hirsch and actors like Gerussi. And we encounter currents of emotion, delight with the artistry of Emily Carr's writing, zest for the exuberance of Layton and Richler, compassion for the harsh life of Grove. It should be not only gratifying to Canadians but also instructive to critics to see how well the work of a critic committed to a generous - rather than censorious - stance can withstand Dr Johnson's test of time. The merits of the work conceded, it should be added that the collection is not without imperfections. I would have excised material readily available elsewhere, like the Marchbanks humour which combines redundancy with a jarring note of frivolity. And yet, take it for all in all, this is a book we should not allow to pass unnoticed in our literary history. (WILFRED CUDE) Frank Davey and bpNichol, editors. Louis Dudek: Texts & Essays Open Letter, fourth series, Nos 8-9 (Spring and Summer 1981). 320, illus. $7.00 paper Frank Davey. Louis Dudek & R1Iymond Souster Studies in Canadian Literature Douglas & Mcintyre 1980. '99. $5.95 paper Jon Pearce, editor. Twelve Voices: Interviews with Canadian Poets Borealis Press. viii, 202, illus. $21.95, $13.95 paper Three books on contemporary Canadian poetry - all worthwhile! The most important, unquestionably, is the special issue of Open Letter devoted to Louis Dudek. As Frank Davey notes in his introduction, 'we have tried to present the whole Dudek, not only critic, commentator, and lyricist, but modernist theoretician, author of four extraordinary long 458 LEITERS IN CANADA 1981 poems, editor and energizerofa decade of Canadian writing.' Some of the material is reprinted from magazines, newspapers, and books, but much of it -lectures, addresses, manuscript notes, letters - appears in print for the first time. One of the most interesting of the new pieces, 'Questions (Some Answers),' consists of a response by Dudek to a number of questions sent to him by four younger contemporary poets - George Bowering, Steve McCaffery, and the two editors. It is a fascinating exchange because Dudek, in the addresses printed later in the book, had spoken harshly of the 'barbarism' of modern popular and even not so popular culture yet sees himself also as a champion of experiment, especially of what he calls 'mainstream modernism.' The four younger men question him firmly but with respect, recognizing his achievement as a precursor but aware that he dislikes much that he seems to have influenced. Dudek's replies are patient, guarded, good-humoured; he sticks to his basic attitudes but always avoids the rigidity of the closed position. This is an essential symposium about poetry in Canada now. Dudek has now established himself, 1 suspect, as the most distingulshed Canadian poet of his generation. Others (Layton, Souster, Purdy) have shown greater brilliance in shortbursts, but none displays so great a range or so much staying power. Dudek, we might say, has endured the loneliness of the long-distance runner. At last, however, despite going so resolutely against the grain of contemporary fashion, he seems to be coming into his own. To put the matter bluntly, he is a poet who always emphasizes intellect, reason, and hard thinking. Reading him, one wonders if any previous (or subsequent) Canadian poet has ever put so high a premium on thought, on poetry as a medium for intellectual debate...