Imagined lands

>> Shining at the Bottom of the Sea is a
brilliantly skewed history of Sanjania

by Juliet Waters

Until the publication of Stephen Marche’s anthology, Shining at the Bottom of the Sea, little was known about Sanjanian literature. A tiny dot of an island in the North Atlantic, Sanjania was first colonized by the Spanish then abandoned to the British in the mid-18th century. So little is known about the country’s history that most people outside of Sanjania would be surprised to learn that it only became a republic in 1994.

Though it shares some cultural features with Iceland (a 100 per cent literacy rate) and perhaps Belize (an anglo Caribbean population cultivated in the 18th and 19th centuries through the practice of slave dumping), Sanjania shares some very significant cultural challenges with Canada. Foremost, it has an insecurity about itself that becomes even more obvious in anthologies that seek to celebrate and promote its strengths. (See The Very Richness of That Past: Canada Through the Eyes of Foreign Writers, Vol. 2, ed. Greg Gatenby.)

Like Canada, there’s a good argument to be made that some of its earliest literature has survived more out of curiosity than merit. It’s easy to see why the true author of “Pigeon Blackheart,” a Christian pamphlet about a redeemed prostitute, remains contested. What author would actually leave historical proof of having written the line “his eyes shone like a glisten of sharp pearls?”

But much has changed with the emergence of a new generation of writers, best represented by the eclectic talents of Cato Dekkerman. “A Wedding in Restitution,” Dekkerman’s recent tour-de-force is, of course, the inspiration for the acclaimed film of the same title. To read Dekkerman so early in his career is a feeling that must rival having read a young Gabriel Garcia Marquez. “Wedding” is an irresistible, chaotic tale of love and magic in a bizarro neo-nautical village, a story that fades gorgeously into “the hour of the snail and the nighthawk” (and which can be read in the latest issue of Maisonneuve).

If there is a significant difference between Canada and Sanjania, it’s probably that Canada exists and Sanjania doesn’t. The New York Times recently dubbed Marche’s fictional anthology one of “the pearls” of late summer fiction. Indeed it is-a sharp pearl and a parody of post-colonial criticism that glistens with relentless brilliance.

The most enjoyable way to learn about Sanjania is to buy this hilarious book, though the information at Sanjania.com (complete with travel deals on Sanjair) is useful and amusing too. (You might also try and get in touch someone from Sanjacan, a Toronto association of Sanjanian immigrants. Good luck.) If, however, you’re free on Thursday, Sept. 13, don’t miss Maisonneuve’s launch party at Ye Olde Orchard Pub (1189 de la Montagne). Marche will be arriving from New York or Toronto (where he divides his time) to host this event on our own bizarro little island.

According to Maisonneuve’s editor Derek Webster, Marche seemed the perfect fit for this event. The launch of the latest issue is also a celebration of five years in the life of a literary magazine that really has beat some dire odds of survival. Much like Sanjania, but with more National Magazine Awards (38 by last count.)

Though Webster doesn’t seem to have actually met Marche in person, when Marche offered to host a pub quiz in place of the usual reading, Webster threw caution to the wind and decided to bet that he actually exists. It’s a good bet, based on the (actual) critical acclaim for his first novel, Raymond and Hannah. And it’s a great deal. For $5, you get a party with a promise of no readings, a free copy of the latest issue of Maisonneuve, and according to the promotional material, “a wee bag of fish and chips.” If you’re imagining a tiny bag of battered minnows, don’t worry; Webster assures me that the piece of fish will be at least wallet-sized. The fun starts somewhere around the hour of the snail and the nighthawk at 7:30 p.m.

Shining at The Bottom of The Sea by Stephen
Marche, Viking Canada, hc, 256pp, $32.00