In Quebec today, artists do not, by and large, divide up along linguistic lines. There are not separate English and French dance or visual arts scenes. Only the literary community remains a case of two solitudes, bridged occasionally by those few brave souls, the translators.

A valiant attempt at bringing English Canada up-to-date on what’s been happening in French Quebec has been undertaken by Bernard Pozier and Louise Blouin of the Trois-Rivières-based press Écrits des Forges and anglo poet D.G. Jones. (For the purposes of this volume, the “late 20th century” seems to refer to the years since the Second World War, although nowhere is this explicitly stated.) As Jones is quick to point out in his introduction to Esprits de Corps, the poets included in this volume represent a subjective “canon” of Quebec poetry according to Écrits des Forges.

Over 40 poets are featured, including icons like Anne Hébert and chansonnier Gilles Vigneault, recently deceased culture minister Gerald Godin and feminist guru Nicole Brossard. Unfortunately, the sheer number of poets included severely limits the amount of space given each one: no poet is represented by more than five poems, and many are glanced over with only one or two. And there are, in spite of the long list of names, a few inexplicable omissions, chief among them internationally acclaimed novelist and poet Marie-Claire Blais. Almost as glaring is the absence of Jacques Brault, a major voice in Québecois poetry since the 1950s. But the most intriguing omission is that of the founder of Écrits des Forges, poet Gatien Lapointe. Since co-editor Bernard Pozier has no qualms about including himself in the canon, it’s safe to assume that no high-minded ethical concerns led to Lapointe being left out.

Translators of the work include co-editor Jones, Judith Cowan, Donald Winkler, Hugh Hazelton, Daniel Sloate, and others. Their task is a perilous, some would say impossible, one. Nevertheless, Sonja Skarstedt manages to convey some of the slangy musicality of Josée Yvon’s work, and Philip Stratford’s versions of Vigneault in which he maintains
a rhyme scheme are some of the most unaffected, enjoyable pieces in the anthology. Jones is often a too-literal interpreter, translating French constructions directly into English where they can sound unintentionally lofty: “There’s but one truth,” or ridiculous: “Grasp me bodily.”

Despite these reservations, however, Esprits de Corps provides a much-needed introduction for English readers to the literary solitude that is Québecois poetry.