The Dusty Bookcase: A Journey Through Canada's Forgotten, Neglected and Suppressed Writing

by Brian Busby

Overview

Largely drawn from his columns for Canadian Notes & Queries and entries in his popular blog by the same name, Brian Busby's The Dusty Bookcase explores the fascinating world of Canada's lesser-known literary efforts: works that suffered censorship, critical neglect, or brilliant yet fleeting notoriety. These rare and quirky totems of Canadiana, collected over the last three decades, form a travel diary of sorts—yet one without maps. Covering more than 250 books, peppered with observations on the writing and publishing scenes, Busby's work explores our cultural past, questioning why certain works are celebrated and others ignored.

Brilliantly illustrated with covers and ephemera related to the titles discussed, The Dusty Bookcase draws much needed attention to unknown writing worthy of our attention, and some of our acclaim.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771961684
Publisher:	Biblioasis
Publication date:	09/19/2017
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.75(w) x 8.75(h) x (d)

About the Author

Brian Busby's books include Character Parts: Who's Really Who in CanLit, In Flanders Fields, and Other Poems of the First World War, and numerous titles written under cover of noms de plume. His proudest achievement is A Gentleman of Pleasure: One Life of John Glassco, Poet, Memoirist, Translator and Pornographer, which was shortlisted for the 2011 Gabrielle Roy Prize. He and his wife currently live in St. Mary's, Ontario.

Table of Contents

Introduction 11

Allen 17

Award-Winners 35

Bigots & Businessmen 55

Catholics & Clergymen 81

Dicks & Drugs 113

Erotica, Porn, Perversion, & Ribaldry 137

Future Past 151

Goth 169

The Millars 187

Moore 203

Politics 217

Pop & Pulp 233

Romance 271

Strange Sisters & Lavender Men 297

True Crime 309

Verse 317

War 329

The Writing Life 343

Editorial Reviews

11/06/2017
Canadian literary historian Busby (Character Parts) takes the reader on a journey through many neglected areas of Canadian literature, including pulp, porn, the political, and the postapocalyptic. Frustrated with the lack of visibility of Canadian literature, domestically and internationally, he began a search through the good, bad, and ugly. The book follows his explorations, and is a noteworthy effort to celebrate, even luxuriate in, the quirky and odd. Material covered includes the Victorian writings of Grant Allen and the sexist, sometimes menacing 1973 memoirs of hair stylist Nicholas Loupos (which also provide a revealing view of the times.) Although most entries include enough summary to effectively be plot-spoilers, Busby’s conversational commentary will help readers decide which of these obscure books it will suffice to read about and which ones to actually read. Readers who would like to acquaint themselves with Canadian literature outside the canon, as well as those who will enjoy a highly idiosyncratic and striking selection of the lesser known, would do well to pick this up. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

PRAISE FOR THE DUSTY BOOKCASE

“Even if you’re not interested in reading the books, The Dusty Bookcase’s tour through an alternate New Canadian Library is well worth reading for Busby’s insight and good humour. But if you’re the sort of person who spends time digging through used bookshop dollar bins looking for forgotten gems, this is an indispensable bibliography to the hits and misses of Canadian literature’s past.”—National Post

“And so began a lifetime of scouring bargain bins, library book sales and obscure online auctions in search of the many forgotten gems of Canada's literary history, a never-ending search Busby first documented in columns and a blog and now in the entertaining book The Dusty Bookcase.”—Toronto Star

PRAISE FOR BRIAN BUSBY

“A thorough and thoroughly entertaining study of Canada’s foremost literary charlatan.”—Geist

“Exquisitely written, and endlessly interesting.”—George Elliott Clarke

From the Publisher