Unsettled

by Zachariah Wells

Not since Al Purdy's North of Summer has a Canadian poet written so compellingly about life in the frozen arctic. The poems in Zachariah Wells' debut collection range through territories as vast as the north itself, from explorations of ancient myths to modern tales of courage and survival, from lyrical meditations on nature to searing poems about the daily grind of manual labour. This book reminds us why our nation's consciousness is pervaded by the idea of why we fear it and why we inhabit it, how it can be explored and colonized but never conquered, never truly settled.

Genres: Poetry

112 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2000

Reviews

[Rennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creative and evocative poems depicting a generally bleak environment with some very resilient people. The ones I liked: Inflation, The Colonel and Sauniq which reminded me of Harold Johnson's book "Corvus".

[Katrina L · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of poetry was both riveting and gritty with it's use of surreal and often intriguing use of language. The poems set up a landscape in the Canadian setting of the frozen arctic and the challenges faced while working certain jobs in the cold. Some of the poems recount horrendous work incidents and camaraderie between workers. It was a highly enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to readers who are looking for a fresh take with this collection where the reader is transported to a place that is more or less 'unsettled'.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a book I would ever pick up (this is why Atkinson Reads is so important). I really enjoyed these poems. They transport me, the reader, to an Arctic I have never seen in a way that other more wordy novels might not be able to do. Beautiful poems about unbeautiful things.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of poetry, I really enjoyed ‘Jake’, ‘ The Aurora’ and ‘Sonnet’. I love the depiction of Northern Canada, not many people use that region in literature and I found it refreshing.

(3.5*)

[Pooker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a poetry kind of gal for the most part. I don't care for waxing on eloquently about wine and roses or walking in beauty and all that frilliness, but I loved these poems. There's no eau de joie. These poems are raw and hard and as biting as, I suspect, the arctic cold and, for that matter, the landscape.

I have a friend who used to work up north for months at time. He was required to come back to Winnipeg every few months to become "civilized" again, because he would (all his co-workers would) become a little bit unglued, unsettled, up there. Notwithstanding, he loved it up there. These poems remind me of him and why he loved it and why he had to leave it sometimes.