Narratives of Encounters in the North Atlantic Triangle

by David Staines (Editor), Waldemar Zacharasiewicz (Editor)

In original and thought-provoking essays in English and French, the present volume brings together 23 distinguished critics and scholars from Europe and North America to probe and reveal the dynamic interplay among the nations of this triangle. From the perspectives of various academic disciplines they comment on significant developments in art and literature, history and society, medicine and politics. Their unique discoveries offer seminal ways of looking at the fluidity of cultural resources and their interconnectedness in the shared collective experiences of Europe and North America. The wide spectrum of topics treated ranges from the investigation of the professional training of North American medical women in Europe before and after 1900 to the enlightened accounts of the literary achievements of major thinkers and writers of the 20th century encountered by visitors in the other hemisphere. The mediating role of American artists, critics and translators of French texts (such as Malcolm Cowley) is revealed, and surprising revelations about the accomplishments of artists such as John La Farge or fabulators such as Friedrich Armand Strubberg in the 19th century, and for example, the work of emigre fiction writers such as Marguerite Anderson and Lore Segal are offered. Little-known relationships between important personalities in Canada, the USA and Europe thus receive full attention as part of the North Atlantic Triangle.

411 pages, Paperback

Published August 28, 2015

About the author

David Staines is a Canadian literary critic, university professor, writer, and editor. Staines studied at the University of Toronto, where he obtained a BA in 1967, and at Harvard University, where he obtained an MA in 1968 and a PhD in 1973.

He currently serves as a Professor of English at the University of Ottawa. He has written or edited more than 15 books on medieval culture and literature, and on Canadian culture and literature. He is now engaged in the arduous task of reading and writing on “The History and Development of Canadian Fiction.” Staines is a member of the Board of Trustees of the RBC Taylor Prize.

In 2011, he was awarded the Order of Ontario for helping to establish the Giller Prize, Canada's highest award for fiction, and the Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction. In 2011, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada "for his contributions as a champion of Canadian literature and mentor to young writers."