Summer reading

The past weekend was full of books – tempting distractions during these first few days of summer when the heat brings on a terrible laziness. A casual stop at Vancouver’s venerable MacLeod’s Books on Saturday saw me walk away with five volumes ranging from a quirky 1943 primer for U.S. soldiers on Serbo-Croatian to poet Peter Sanger’s latest release from Gaspereau Press, Aiken Drum. The latter is of interest not only for Sanger’s skill with words, but also his treatment of the tale of notorious 19th-century Maritime escape artist Henry More Smith.

On Friday night I attended the launch of Richard Henriquez: Selected Works, 1964-2005, which was attended by a goodly gathering of local notables. The reception was buzzing and book contributor Geoffrey Smedley ensured the panel assembled for the occasion did Henriquez justice.

But of my recent reading, the most important were the articles I read online last week regarding the relationship between technology use and power capabilities, and the shrinkage of social circles in the U.S. (and, I should think, North America generally) over the past 20 years. The articles were thoughtful items about issues of real consequence.