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Jonestown: A Poem
"Telling their story, redeeming the demonic, Sutherland makes the sinister and the heartrending inextricable, and the banality of evil spellbinding."
168 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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About the author
Fraser Sutherland
26 booksFraser Sutherland’s published fiction, poetry and criticism include books such as Madwomen (Black Moss, 1978), John Glassco: An Essay and Bibliography (ECW Press, 1984), The Monthly Epic: A History Of Canadian Magazines, 1789 1989 (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1989), Jonestown (McClelland & Stewart, 1996), and Manual for Emigrants (Tightrope Books, 2007).
His diverse works have been published worldwide in numerous magazines and anthologies both in print and online, and he has been translated into French, Italian, Albanian, Serbo-Croatian, and Farsi. Having written and edited for many dictionaries in three countries, Sutherland may be the only Canadian poet who is also a lexicographer.
After earning his Bachelor of Journalism from Carelton University in 1969, Sutherland worked as a reporter and staff writer for several major newspapers and magazines, among them the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, and the Wall Street Journal. He became a freelance writer and editor in 1970, and was the founding editor of Northern Journey from 1971-1976, a columnist for Quill & Quire, and the managing editor of Books in Canada. He served as the Writer-in-Residence at the University of Edinburgh, and in 1982-83 he taught at David Thompson University Centre.
Born in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Sutherland now lives in Toronto.
His diverse works have been published worldwide in numerous magazines and anthologies both in print and online, and he has been translated into French, Italian, Albanian, Serbo-Croatian, and Farsi. Having written and edited for many dictionaries in three countries, Sutherland may be the only Canadian poet who is also a lexicographer.
After earning his Bachelor of Journalism from Carelton University in 1969, Sutherland worked as a reporter and staff writer for several major newspapers and magazines, among them the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, and the Wall Street Journal. He became a freelance writer and editor in 1970, and was the founding editor of Northern Journey from 1971-1976, a columnist for Quill & Quire, and the managing editor of Books in Canada. He served as the Writer-in-Residence at the University of Edinburgh, and in 1982-83 he taught at David Thompson University Centre.
Born in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Sutherland now lives in Toronto.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 6, 2011
I don't consider myself very knowledgeable about poetry. The best I can say is that I know what I like, and I liked this. The 168 page book is one poem divided into five sections. It covers the life of the Reverend Jim Jones, from his childhood in Indiana, through the geographical moves of his church group, to the end of Peoples Temple in Guyana on November 18th, 1978.
A more than passing familiarity with Jones, Peoples Temple, and Jonestown is in my opinion essential to understanding and enjoying this work. There is a "Table of Principal Characters" in the back of the book, but I think that's not nearly enough information to understand the references to people, places, and events in the book.
A more than passing familiarity with Jones, Peoples Temple, and Jonestown is in my opinion essential to understanding and enjoying this work. There is a "Table of Principal Characters" in the back of the book, but I think that's not nearly enough information to understand the references to people, places, and events in the book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review