Avenue of Champions

by Conor Kerr

Daniel is a young Métis man searching for a way to exist in a world of lateral violence, intergenerational trauma and systemic racism. Facing obstacles of his own at every turn, he observes and learns from the lived realities of his family members, friends, teachers and lovers. He finds hope in the inherent connection of Indigenous Peopls to the land, and the permanence of culture, language and ceremony in the face of displacement.

Set in Edmonton, this story considers Indigenous youth in relation to the urban constructs and colonial spaces in which they survive—from violence, whitewashing, trauma and racism to language revitalization, relationships with Elders, restaking land claims and ultimately, triumph. Based on Papaschase and Métis oral histories and lived experience, Conor Kerr’s debut novel will not soon be forgotten.

Genres: Fiction, Indigenous, Canada, Short Stories, Literary Fiction

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 23, 2021

Reviews

[Alan (on December semi-hiatus) Teder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Métis Family Saga
Review of the Nightwood Editions Kindle edition (October 23, 2021) released shortly after the paperback edition (October 1, 2021)

I should have made her prouder of her history, her people. I shouldn’t have assumed that she would take that for granted, that she wouldn’t have known the beauty and the songs of her Métis culture. Maybe then I wouldn’t have lost her to the cities. They would have all done well in a different time, Charlie, Grandpa, my girl, Granny, even Daniel. But the cities. One day we’re all young, listening to our uncles tell a story, and the next, we wake up old with skyscrapers all around us. All in one lifetime. What kind of world is that? Why can’t it be slow?

Avenue of Champions refers to Avenue 118 in Edmonton, Alberta. The nickname derives from the now defunct Northlands Coliseum ('The House that Gretzky Built') indoor sports arena which was situated at 7424 118 Avenue. Teams such as the NHL's Edmonton Oilers played at that arena. 118 Avenue also marks a dividing line between the poorer neighbourhoods of North Edmonton vs the richer neighbourhoods of South Edmonton in the context of the stories in this book.

Conor Kerr's first novel is a multigenerational family saga of a Métis family over time from living in the bush to the cities. It makes several jumps in time and POV so you have to be prepared to orient yourself accordingly. The main thing to know is that the Granny in the "Prologue: The Last Big Dance" is the grandmother to the young girl in that story, who in turn becomes the Granny to the main character Daniel in the later stories of the book. i.e. the first Granny is the Great-Great-Grandmother of Daniel. I admit to getting confused about that until later in the book.

The book collects several short stories which appeared in Canadian literary journals and anthologies from 2019 to 2021 as described in the Acknowledgements section and adds several others to assemble them together as a novel. The stories are told with good heart and humour and the two different Grannies of the saga stood out for me as the strongest characters, both striving to make a living and a future for themselves and their families even if by the so-called 'illegal' means of moonshining and marijuana cultivation. Although the Daniel character is framed as the main protagonist, his story does take a more depressing path of becoming sublimated and co-opted by bureaucracy.

Quote

The Wet’suwet’en* crisis was the tipping point. Indigenous Peoples started rising up on a scale that settler Canadians paid attention to. The government realized that they didn’t want to deal with that. Reconciliation was great when everyone got to wear a headdress and parade around with cute brown kids and learn about smudging. When it came time for equity though, fuck that. Canadian society spoke up when the protests started and they basically said that they wanted to forget Indigenous Peoples existed. The media turned on us; though they were never really on our side to begin with. The racists got louder. Even the so-called allies decided we were an inconvenience. We realized at that point that we had never actually made any progress.

* This is in reference of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation in the province of British Columbia and its protests against the Coastal GasLink Pipeline being built through its native lands without consultation. Read further about that here.

Other Reviews
Avenue of Champions by Jannie Edwards, Alberta Views, June 1, 2022.

Trivia and Links
Author Conor Kerr is interviewed at CTV Saskatoon to introduce the book here.

If you are reading this before June 27, 2023 you can still register for the Giller Book Club zoom meeting on that day where author Conor Kerr will discuss the book with Joshua Whitehead.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel focuses on Daniel—a young Métis man raised in foster homes until Granny came to get him out. As an adolescent, he chose a path different from his peers. He went to University, graduated, accepted an internship, followed by a white-collar job with the government. (Granny did not approve.) After one false start, he settled into a job managing an Indigenous Student Centre where he stayed because “I’ll be able to retire with a full pension when I’m fifty-five. Can you get more colonized than that?” He bought a nice little house with a garden, in the good part of town. He never married; no kids; lost many of the people in his life:

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t lonely. If it weren’t for the Labrador retrievers that are kicking around, I would have shot myself years ago.

Despite living what some would call a “white man’s life” he never forgot where he came from, and continued to harbour immense anger:

I don’t pretend that we’re changing anything. I don’t have illusions that our work is going to make a difference. Honestly, I should have known better at the start. But I was still under the impression that this was it. That all these stupid little Indigenous awareness sessions were going to be the change in Canada.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the book’s author feels a great deal of anger, as well, and says as much in his Acknowledgements:

Fuck you to all the teachers, cops, social workers, professors, administrators, politicians and bureaucrats that enacted and carried out inconceivable genocidal policies against Indigenous Peoples and continue to do so. The land doesn’t forget and neither do we.

Over the last few years, I’ve read several novels by Indigenous authors. I’m not exactly sure why—they all follow a similar narrative. It’s certainly not because they make me feel good, because they don’t—far from it! But something keeps drawing me back, despite the fact that, without exception, they leave me feeling deeply ashamed. Maybe it’s guilt.

The book is intense. Kerr sugar-coats nothing; he tells it just exactly the way it is, and it’s not good. Not at all, and somehow I doubt things will ever change.

5 “The-Truth-Hurts” stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal writing and storytelling! I loved every second of this book. It definitely reads not quite like a short story collection, but also like a novel in fragments, in a way (due to the timelines being not that linear, and different POVs each chapters).

Granny is such a badass queen.

[Adam Ferris · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Those of us who grew up here don't need to believe in the Avenue of Champions. We know it already."

Avenue of Champions tells the story of Daniel, who is coming of age in Edmonton and coming to terms with the harsh realities that come along with the disconnect from family, land and nation. Scraping by whatever means necessary and told through interconnected short stories from multiple perspectives, Conor Kerr presents a tragically honest and heartbreaking story filled with haunting characters as well as piss and vinegar poetic prose. Conor Kerr and the characters hold nothing back in their conflict and confusion with the colonial systems that still take more than it gives. Survival comes in many shapes and forms in this collection and the criticism of these systems has a fresh new voice in Conor Kerr.

"These stories need to be told. If they're not, then we are lost as people. All we are is memory and story. When that's gone, then we are just the land and that's okay, too. It'll be as it should be."

Nominated for this year's Giller Prize, Conor Kerr has written a book with relevant themes and mesmerizing storytelling that covers a vast array of contemporary topics. Avenue of Champions is a book that I was told about a few months ago by a friend and I kept putting it off until this past weekend. From the start I was hooked and it was unputdownable until it was finished. I brought it with me to read in bed, on the bus and in the bath. Sprawling across generations and settings, Conor Kerr has written a story that was a palpable sensation throughout. Whether Conor Kerr is shortlisted or wins the Giller is irrelevant to the magic that he has woven in Avenue of Champions.

"One day we're all young, listening to our uncles tell a story, and the next, we wake up with skyscrapers all around us. All in one lifetime. What kind of world is that?"

"It was getting harder and harder to remember the Granny of my youth. I realized that I knew the concrete better than I knew the trees or the bush. That all seemed so distant. Memories of concrete and the city started stacking up, pushing out all that I had known during my childhood."

[Darryl Suite · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last two chapters/stories made me feel so incredibly sad, especially the second to last one titled “Anytime, Anywhere.” Not going to lie, I got quite emotional. I felt like I knew these people: Daniel, Granny, and all the folks in and out of their lives. The book tackles Indigenous youth, urban life, inter-generational trauma, systemic racism, upsetting truths, the struggle and the hustle; written in a tone that is fierce and energetic. The last two chapters really bring all of these themes together, and leave us on a melancholic tone with lots to think about.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

AVENUE OF CHAMPIONS by Conor Kerr is a remarkable debut novel! I loved this book! It’s about Daniel, a young Métis man, as he navigates life in Edmonton, Alberta.
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I loved the Canadian setting and how Kerr’s lived experience shines through this story. There is delightful humour in this book as well as some truly sad moments as Daniel has to deal with systemic racism, violence, and surviving in colonial spaces. I especially loved how this novel is written in multiple perspectives so we learn not only about Daniel but also his brother and grandmother. This novel originated as short stories and totally appeals to my love of short fiction, CanLit and discovering new to me authors! So if you’re looking for your next book I highly recommend this one!
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Thank you to Nightwood Editions for my gifted review copy!

[Penny (Literary Hoarders) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fully expect this one to be on the Giller Shortlist announcement on Tuesday, September 27. It's another one that leaves you deep in thought after finishing. Great characters, great collection of interconnected stories. Great debut.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although fiction, the writer details accounts from his own life in Edmonton, Alberta. His struggles in society in being a Metis and the racism and lack of support from the community and education system as he writes of his difficult journey to complete his education and finish university to become a journalist. I do not think I would have picked up this book had it not been shortlisted for the Giller Prize this year. It is a story that needs to be told. It opened my eyes to the harsh realities of our system's treatment of our Indigenous community.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written...but also angry, depressing, violent, and even vengeful. This is not a pleasant little afternoon diversion but the writing of someone with a definite goal in mind. It's provocative and far from comfortable...but it's immensely compelling.

[Hannah Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn - this book hits in all the right ways, couldn’t put it down. Sharp yet soft, gripping, heartbreaking, funny, raw. Absolutely recommend, and maybe essential reading for anyone living in Edmonton. I won’t soon forget this book and these characters.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #3 finished off the Giller Prize longlist.

[Grace Schroeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I loved this. Unique storytelling and an immersive writing style. It’s not a fun or lighthearted read by any means. Be prepared to feel uncomfortable and challenged by the author’s candid approach. I’m so glad I read it.

[Alison Jacques · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a voice I haven't read before. Episodic — each chapter could stand alone, but the characters are the same and events are chronological, making this successful as a novel. I adored chapter 4 ("The Bake Sale").

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my usual type of book. Honestly better then I thought.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of linked short stories takes place around Alberta Ave in Edmonton and features Indigenous and Métis characters. It was funny, creative and sad and I highly recommend it, especially if you're familiar with Edmonton.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

"One day we're all young, listening to our uncles tell a story, and the next, we wake up old with skyscrapers all around us. All in one lifetime. What kind of world is that? Why can't it be slow?"

"You remember, my girl. You remember all of this. These stories need to be told. If they're not, then we are lost as people. All we are is memory and story. When that's gone, then we are just the land, and that's okay, too. It'll be as it should be."

Avenue of Champions is a collection of interconnected short stories that offer a look at the harsh realities of Indigenous life in Canada. Alternating narratives weave together in unexpected, and sometimes incredibly sad, ways, and Kerr doesn't pull any punches when discussing the systemic racism faced by Indigenous peoples.

"My friends and I hit it perfectly when we came out of our undergraduate and graduate degrees in the mid-2010s. We all got jobs nearing six figures and were invited to tables and boardrooms that historically we had been shut out from. And we hit those meetings and our positions with the intensity we had from our peoples' grassroots and community-organizing days. At each one, we started switching narratives, changing policies and procedures, the whole works. We met with senior leadership, told people to smarten the fuck up. We kept saying that Indigenous voices and lives mattered across this country. For a hot minute, we thought people were listening and that we had finally created a wave big enough that it would be unstoppable. A new reality and story for First Peoples in this country.

Then it ended. The Wet'suwet'en crisis was the tipping point. Indigenous Peoples started rising up on a scale that settler Canadians paid attention to. The government realized that they didn't want to deal with that. Reconciliation was great when everyone got to wear a headdress and parade around with cute brown kids and learn about smudging. When it came time for equity though, fuck that."

[Sarah Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I was just a little girl when the mounties came in and burned down our homes and told us we had to leave. That was the last time I saw lots of our family. They went every which way. But I do remember them still. I remember sitting with them and hearing them sing into the night. They told stories of rivers and lakes and waves the size of bison crashing down on their canoes. Oh, how I loved to hear their stories. Then they were gone. We were all gone."

What an intriguing debut from Conor Kerr! Avenue of Champions dives into Daniel and his families lives. What originated as several short stories, has turned into such an eyeopening piece of Canadian literature. We get to learn a little bit about Daniel's Metis heritage as he walks through his experiences with violence, drugs, intergenerational trauma and systematic racism. Based on history and lived experience, I found this to be a more raw and grittier look at life in Edmonton.

I flew through this short book in just over a day. I found each chapter compelling for it's own reason, though it took me a little while to find a good flow at the beginning. Granny was my favourite character. There was just something about her that I respected and I thought she was such a strong and important presence in Daniel's life.

Overall, a solid 4 stars! Definitely one I would recommend!

Thanks to Nightwood Editions for sending a copy of this book my way to review.

[Enid Wray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A most enjoyable collection of interconnected short stories.

At only 200 pages it covers an awful lot of ground. Daniel starts out as a young kid, and is (at a minimum) 43 at the end of the book. It really did feel like everything was just a little bit rushed - in as much as there was a lot of detail I did feel like there was a lot that was glossed over.

While billed as a ‘novel’ - at least six (6) of the ‘chapters’ have previously been published - individually - as short fiction… and I don’t think this - in and of itself - really knows what it wants (wanted) to be. I felt that each ‘chapter’/’story’ felt disconnected from the rest. I think, in part, that was because of the way the narration jumped around - multiple narrators, in multiple different voices (first vs. third).

While, ultimately, this is Daniel’s story - and I did enjoy the way the bits of his story kept building upon what came before - I felt more connected to his kohkum than I did to him - and kind of wished there was even more of her in the story - that she hadn’t, essentially, disappeared from the narrative as early as she did.

Notwithstanding my hesitations as noted above, this is an author who is going on my ‘new authors to watch’ list. The promise in this collection is obvious. I look forward to what comes next from Conor Kerr.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book's overall impact suffers in that there is an unevenness / lack of cohesion because of the varying POVs and the time jumps that occur in the novel, this was a really terrific read and this author is one to watch. I think this book would have fully achieved its goals had it been a little longer, if more time had been devoted to more of the characters. As an example, Jason and Charlie are very important characters, yet their presence is sporadic and their POVs appear sparingly. I would have loved to see greater character development around both these characters. Their character arcs, along with the character arcs of Granny, Daniel, Alex, felt rushed. As a reader you spend a fair bit of time in Daniel's youth via his POV, only to rush through and stop swiftly as he reveals his overall disillusionment as well as the life paths of other characters very late in the novel. I wanted to read more about them all — a lot more. This disjointedness and the rushed final chapters especially diminished what could have been a great novel into a good one. I do look forward to reading more from Conor Kerr.

[Natasha (jouljet) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling collection of short stories, woven together to tell the intergenerational story of a Métis family. Centred around Daniel, his brother, his Granny, and then Granny's Granny.

Daniel we find in a group home, with little contact with his family, and looking to run away. Next we find him at school, having his opportunities limited. His brother Charlie finds drugs, and theft, and violence.

Granny takes Daniel in, and in the most surprising and delightful story, becomes the biggest gangster in her nursing home.

Following Daniel's life, we learn of his friends' lives post group homes, and after schooling, through further studies and working lives. To trouble, homelessness, struggle, and jail.

Despite knowing almost nothing about Canadian First Nations people, it always jolts me as to how very similar the experiences of colonisation and racism are to Australian Indigenous peoples. The removals, the poverty and disadvantage, the blatant segregation and exclusion. The fight, the spiritual life, and the heart.

This is a brilliant debut, and a work to bear witness and present possibilities if young First Nations people are given the choice and chance.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

The past week, my partner and I have been talking about how we've been craving Brewster's wings and how we wanted to go on wing night to the downtown location. I laughed out loud when, near the end, the main character does, in fact, go to Brewster's downtown and has wings. Reading a book set so specifically in my city was a lot more fun than I thought it would be - I ate up every Edmonton reference.

That aside, Conor Kerr's writing and characters sucked me instantly; the story telling in this novel was excellent, and the portrayal of Metis and Indigenous living in, on, and away from their land was full of love and anger. I especially liked the parts about Granny (both Grannies!), the edibles for Vancouver or bust plot line, and the eerie ways Daniel's later life followed certain details of my own personal history.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is great storytelling here, all told in short chronological vignettes of a young mans life.
There is no doubt that Granny is the best character (at least in my opinion), she has attitude and sass. She is strong and independent. Her wealth of knowledge is incredible.
Even characters with small parts in the story are well rounded and imaginable.
I did feel like the later parts were less involving, that the people and the world kinda disappeared and became banal. Maybe this was the intent? But it didn't live up to the promise of the start of the book.

[Melissa Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
I’m not sure I’m able to write all my thoughts. But I’m glad this book was written and that I read it.

Given it’s set both in a place and time so familiar to me, but in a time when I was juts beginning (1990s Edmonton) to understand what was really going on for Indigenous peoples in Canada, it’s hard to reconcile my feet in the same areas and spaces.

Will take some time for this book to sink in. I’m super pumped it made the Giller long list.

[Carman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A knockout! Daniel is a young Métis man trying to figure out his place in the world, balancing his own expectations with his community and family. Interlinked stories (“Anytime, Anywhere” in particular is a gut punch) told from different perspectives (like “Olive Kitteridge”), this is a very impressive book. I’m looking forward to what’s next from Conor Kerr!

[Elaine van der Geld · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the audio book, which is read beautifully. It a terrific read— a novel told in fragments, tracing the life of Daniel, a young Metis man, alongside the lives of his friends and family. Kerr has a real knack for verisimilitude while the line level prose remains elegant. Kerr is the real deal- a major talent.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously - pretty amazing.

Really got emotionally invested.

Feel like this should be part of the English curriculum for Canadian High School. All of Canada, not just Alberta.

Well written, timely and relevant.

Thank you Conor Kerr.

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had some trouble getting into this book, but stuck with it and I’m glad I did. The last few chapters resonate with anyone who grew up in a Native community and ended up working for government agencies that are supposedly there to serve that population—the inner conflict, everything.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the AB and I’m glad I did. I enjoyed the very short song and the pronunciation of words that I could never do justice to.
The narrator, characters, pace and story were quite excellent.

[Bryan Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this -- it took some time to get into, but it had a lot of familiar territory in Edmonton and kept me interested.

[Bree · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5