| Introduction
It was our good fortune to be invited by the Prison Arts Foundation
and by Seraphim Editions to select these writings in French and
English, along with reproductions of works of art, by inmates and
parolees of Canada's prisons. Taken together, this work is a varied
and always artistically skillful and authentic expression of the
creative spirit. In making our selection, we had the initial advantage
of drawing from work whose merits had already been recognized in
a series of contests run by the Foundation. Considerations of length
and accurate imaging prevented a few fine pieces of writing, painting
and graphics being included. However, thanks to the Foundation,
and especially to Michelle Hill, we had a substantial body of strong,
well-crafted material to choose from. This anthology reflects very
loosely the demographics of the prison population. Some of the artists
and writers are young offenders, others aboriginal Canadians and
new Canadians. There are several women, and a sizeable segment is
in French. The work comes from all regions of the country. The main
consideration, though, was to ensure that the literary work, in
particular, satisfies the age-old criteria of being a pleasure to
read, instructive and enlightening. The life-situations of the creators
lend an undeniable shading to our responses as readers, both in
coming to
the work in the first place, and in our reflections on it afterward.
But
whether or not one has had direct exposure to life in prison or
encountered
anybody who has been there, all the work in My
Spirit Wonders has the ability to move, to entertain, and
- often in sobering and cautionary ways - to expand awareness. It
holds its own alongside comparable work coming "from outside."
With the visual art, if there is one common keynote, it is that,
by and large, it presents an intuitive symbolism. Whether an industrialized
abstract of a state of mind, a swirling mandala-form, a still landscape,
or a figure caught in disintegration, the images have insistent
power and unusual beauty. The techniques and media range from computer-generation,
fine draughtmanship with coloured pencils, and delicately modulated
watercolours, to bold acrylics and oils. The choices of subject
show inventiveness and originality, and the command of the media
themselves is assured and versatile. Each image offers an individual,
not generic, world-view: one still "in process," be it
a suffering face confronting us head-on, a man fused ambiguously
with a wolf, or a serene heron at one with its habitat.
The short stories (with the notable exception of the "Tuh-Wheen"
fable drawn from aboriginal sources), and a few pieces of creative
non-fiction, convincingly mirror life before, during, and after
prison. With compelling realism and psychological insight, the writers
present conflicts and behaviours "from the inside," that
ring darkly true. Abuse of drugs and alcohol, low self-esteem, self-destructiveness,
and the frequent threat of violence will hardly surprise readers,
but the dramatizations here will grip them nonetheless. Story authors
Rafferty, S.B., Tapley, and Ternowetsky all possess the gift of
generating suspense and ominous atmospheres, taking us deep within
troubled minds, and to the brink of doom. The authors of "My
Reality" and "The Last Lost Soul" achieve equivalent,
compact portrayals of derangement and near despair in the first
person. There is plenty of grim directness from the poets too, counterbalanced
overall by the poignant wistfulness of the first two poems, and
by the various combinations of humour, fantasy, longing, and sarcasm
elsewhere - including the half dozen poems at the close. From the
latter set, we gain a sense of unconventional equilibrium wrought
through a blend of tones, jaunty and adroit rhymes and rhythms,
and striking turns of phrase.
To express oneself forcefully and coherently through art, in such
a way as to convince others of the validity of one's vision, is,
even "under the
Iron Tepee," a far greater and more lasting victory than the
bleak one
claimed by the inmate Stevens in the story "Any Man's Death."
While none of
the writers and artists here has succumbed to a self-deceiving optimism
any
more than to trite sentimentality, the authentic rendering of their
subjects stands, in each case, as a significant, life-affirming
achievement
in and of itself. Thus we are grateful for all their artistry, and
believe
that the many readers of this extraordinary anthology will be so
as well.
Allan Briesmaster
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| Préambule
Nous sommes heureux d'avoir été invité par
la Fondation des arts dans les prisons et par les Éditions
Seraphim à sélectionner ces écrits et ces reproductions
d'uvres d'art créés par des détenus des prisons
canadiennes. Nous avons aussi eu le privilège de puiser parmi
des uvres qui ont déjà été reconnues
par la Fondation lors de différents concours. Nous désirons
remercier la Fondation de nous avoir fourni une si vaste collection
de matériel parmi laquelle choisir mais nous avons été
malheureusement contraints d'omettre certaines pièces soumises,
non pas pour leur manque d'inspiration ou d'imagination, mais plutôt
pour la concision de ce recueil.
Cette anthologie reflète sans trop de rigueur la structure
démographique de la population des prisons. Certains des
artistes et auteurs sont des jeunes délinquants, des autochtones
et des nouveaux canadiens. Les ouvres proviennent de tous les coins
du pays. Néanmoins, le but principal de ce recueil, notamment
en ce qui a trait aux ¦uvres littéraires, est de satisfaire,
d'intéresser et de renseigner le lecteur. Qu'on ait vécu
l'emprisonnement ou non, ou connu une personne incarcérée,
Mon esprit s'envole sait impressionner, divertir et sensibiliser.
En ce qui a trait aux uvres d'art, chacune d'elles exploite différents
médiums qui nous ouvrent vers un univers à la fois
symbolique et spirituel. Elles dégagent une multitude de
sensations et de passions tout en reflétant la sensibilité
et la créativité de l'artiste. Une collection au langage
coloré qui traite sur des thèmes variés d'une
manière tout à fait personnelle. Les textes témoignent
de la vie avant, pendant et après la prison. Dans ce monde
clôt, les auteurs donnent libre cours à leur imagination,
racontent des histoires personnelles, des tranches de vie et des
expériences. On peut facilement se placer "entre quatre
murs". "Le Miroir" de l'auteur Dan Dagenais est un
exemple parfait de l'intensité qu'un détenu peut ressentir
vis à vis sa solitude. Parallèlement, l'auteur Gérald
M. Désilus nous invite à goûter une lueur d'espoir
et à trouver refuge dans "Le soleil de mon salut".
"Le sortilège de la vieille dame" de Conrad Vigneault
est un conte émouvant et magique décrivant la vie
d'un jeune homme qui, après avoir traîner le fardeau
de ses erreurs toute sa vie, se libère enfin en venant à
l'aide de son prochain.
Mon esprit s'envole est un voyage au
cur de la cellule. Nous sommes reconnaissant envers les écrivains
et les artistes qui nous permettent de jeter un coup d'il sur l'autre
côté et nous sommes persuadés que les lecteurs
de cette merveilleuse anthologie le seront aussi.
Michelle Poulin
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