this is a small northern town

by Rosanna Deerchild

this is a small northern town is the long-awaited, first full-length collection of poems by Rosanna Deerchild. These are poems what it means to be from the north; a town divided along color lines; and a family dealing with its history of secrets. At its core, this collection is about the life of a Cree girl and the places she finds comfort and escape.

Genres: Poetry, Indigenous, Canada

96 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2008

Reviews

[kautaru · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first poetry book. I don't have anything to compare this to (except for the minimal poetry I've read in English class) but I think this is a masterpiece. Not sure if I should be happy or sad about that, because I think my standards for poetry have just skyrocketed.
I'm not gonna bother listing the poems I liked cuz I'd basically be listing half the poems. But here are some things I liked about this collection: it's written in generally simple language. I don't mean that it doesn't have rich vocabulary (it definitely does) I just think that it has a conversational tone, so if anyone reads this collection, they'd be able to understand it. Which is so nice. I do think that using elevated vocabulary is nice, but I feel like some people take it to the extent that poetry feels like an elitist thing. Like all other forms of literature, poetry should be able to convey something, and if it can reach more people, why not? Isn't that better?
Ambiguity is definitely something that's present in a lot of poems. As in, the way words are placed and the sentences are broken in such a way that it could mean one thing or another, but both meanings are applicable, which is so cool.
I also like the way the words are placed on the page. Separating some words from others really places emphasis on them and also creates an interesting rhythm (can you tell I take English courses? All that's left for me is to make a thesis statement).
Emotions, even complex and conflicting ones, were presented so well. I could go on and on about this but I'll spare whoever's reading this.
Great collection, will definitely read more works by this author.

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of poems explores the tensions of being between worlds. The speaker of these poems is a young Cree girl whose mother has married a white Mormon, and much of the focus is on the experience of being between these worlds and wanting to escape the alienness of her stepfather's culture for the more natural world of the woods, streams, and even the stars. Many of the poems explore the difficulties of being an Indigenous Canadian in white dominated towns--ironically on Cree traditional land--and the alienation and shame the speaker feels when taunted with racial slurs.
https://youtu.be/AeOYnLFheVE

[Lucile Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

132. This Is A Small Northern Town by Rosanna Deerchild
A collection of poems by one of our newest CBC personalities. The poems are set in Thompson, Manitoba. The town is divided on racial lines. Rosanna, being Cree, is on the receiving end of slurs and poverty. She shows her vulnerabilities, as well as her strengths. You can see the love she has for her family. While most of her poems are gentle, she does not gloss over the problems in her community. One of her protest poems, directed at Stephen Harper, is included in the Idle No More Anthology. Mother Hood talks about the missing and murdered women from an urban neighborhood. Deerchild started out as a storyteller, and she has brought these skills to her poetry. She has also performed at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival and the humor in her poems comes through.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful, sharp collection of poetry that depicts the tightrope walk children from oppressed communities must execute daily when living in colonized space and how that forms their consciousness and self-esteem, but at the same time capturing lovely everyday moments of appreciation for their own culture and introspection into their family dynamics. You hate and love Thompson, Manitoba right along with Rosanna the child but you also come to see how it has formed the strong woman she becomes.

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of stripped-down, poignant poems hit me in the gut. I devoured this is a small northern town in one sitting--and I will go back and read these poems again and again.

[Niki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a fan of Rosanna Deerchild's later collections of poems, I added her debut collection, this is a small northern town to my bookshelf. It is still hauntingly beautiful, but, to be honest, didn't wrench my heart quite the same as her later poems. Not sure if it is the topics or a maturity that developed that I appreciated more. Regardless, this is a small northern town is worth the read.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quietly powerful book of poems that capture the beauty and wonder but also the pain and heartbreak of the author's childhood.

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keAmY...

[Margaret]

I'm going to see this inspiring poet tonight. These are poems that connect to the heart-told through the eyes of a growing young girl.