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U of S : Communications : OCN : Sep 5, 1997
Subtitled Aboriginal Spirituality and Symbolic Healing in Canadian Prisons, the 224-page book traces the history of Aboriginal spirituality in and out of prison and examines incarceration practices that have not always made it easy for inmates to explore their spiritual yearnings.
On the other hand, Waldram asks tough questions about whether this form of therapy actually makes a difference.
The Way of the Pipe combines scholarly study with extensive narratives by both elders and inmates to provide insights into the issues of healing through spiritual questing and of prison rehabilitation. On a broader level, the book offers glimpses into the cultural divide between communities both behind the wall and beyond.
Dr. Beatrice Medicine, California State University, says The Way of the Pipe makes "a notable contribution to the social sciences and is a tribute to Aboriginal cultures and their adaptive strategies."
The University Extension Press recently published two books: Mushrooms of
the Boreal Forest, by wildlife biologist Eugene Bossenmaier, and Creating
the Prairie Xeriscape: Low Maintenance, Water-Efficient Gardening, by U of
S horticultural specialist Sara Williams.
"We put a lot of effort into reproducing the illustrations for both the books," says Peter Jonker, a program coordinator in Extension.
Mushrooms of the Boreal Forest is not just about Saskatchewan mushrooms, Jonker notes. "It's about mushrooms in all boreal forests, which are found in most provinces, part of the United States, and in Asia and Europe." The book, printed on heavy paper and with rounded corners so as to fit into a backpack, provides easy correlations between picture and text. It also includes anecdotal information such as folklore or additional facts on the edibility, or lack of it, of each mushroom.
Prairie Xeriscape: Low Maintenance, Water-Efficient Gardening addresses the six major principles of xeriscape gardening - design, soil, irrigation, mulch, lawns, and a selection of plant material, the largest section being devoted to appropriate plant material: trees, shrubs, perennials, vines, bulbs, annuals and native plants.
"A xeriscape landscape is not visually different from a conventional landscape," says Bruce Hobin, a coordinator in the University's Extension Division. "It can be just as green and lush as if you spent hours with the hose every day. It's all a matter of proper plants and design."
Prairie Xeriscape sells for $35.55; Mushrooms, for $24.85, both prices including GST, shipping, and handling.
FMI phone the U-Learn Centre at 966-5565.
Banjo Lessons (Coteau Books, Regina) is a coming-of-age novel which, as Guy Vanderhaeghe puts it, "captures in elegant, lucid prose the funny, sad, painful business of discovering the person you were meant to be."
Young Tim Fisher comes to terms with his abilities, limitations, and emotions as he faces life's ambiguities and mysteries. The setting, mid-century Alberta, includes the "blowing in" of Atlantic Richfield Number One, the oil well that ignited Alberta's cultural and economic boom, and extends to various Alberta locales in the chaotic '60s. Along the way, Tim learns how to play the banjo, fish for trout, and embrace the challenges of an artist's way of life.
Carpenter also plays the banjo, is an authority on trout fishing, and lived in Alberta for 30 years. His previous books of fiction include Jewels, Jokes for the Apocalypse, and God's Bedfellows. Writing Home and Courting Saskatchewan are books of essays. Fishing in the West is a how-to and where-to book.
Carpenter won the 1988 Canadian Novella Contest sponsored by Descant magazine and has received several Western Magazine awards for stories and articles. His work has also appeared in many periodicals and anthologies.
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