War Is Here
The Vietnam War and Canadian Literature
How a war Canada did not fight profoundly changed the nation’s writing and identity.
La description
Canada did not fight in the Vietnam War, but the conflict seized the Canadian imagination with an energy that has persisted. In War Is Here, McGill explains how the war contributed to a golden age for writing in Canada. As authors addressed the conflict, they helped to construct an enduring myth of Canada as liberal, hospitable, and humanitarian. For many writers, the war was one that Canadians could and should fight against, if not in person, then on the page. McGill observes how celebrated books of the era channel Vietnam, sometimes in subtle but pervasive ways.
Reviews
“A crucial primer, not only on the political and aesthetic nuances that distinguish Canadian and American literatures and societies, but also on how Canadians have historically reacted to crises linked to American militarism and racism. War Is Here connects a thousand dots in the existing criticism and will serve as the bedrock for future studies in the field. ” Ian Rae, King’s University College, Western University
“An accessible exploration of the effect of the Vietnam War on Canadian writers, and how that conflict is embedded in our sense of Canada as a positive alternative to America. ” The Toronto Star
"McGill builds a compelling argument for the importance of the Vietnam War to Canadian literature's depictions of Canadian identity. Clearly written and cogently argued. " CHOICE
“War Is Here: The Vietnam War and Canadian Literature shows readers that, because of the formal experimentation and political critiques, this collection of Canadian literature belongs among the robust conversations on the cultural representations of the Vietnam War. Expanding the field in this way, McGill’s book is necessary reading for interdisciplinary scholars working in the areas of war fiction, literary studies, war studies, or more broadly, American studies.” H-War