Shadowy Technicians is an anthology of new Ottawa poets edited by rob mclennan, which contains a selection of the editor’s own poetry. While it may strike some readers as a conspicuous act of self-love for an anthology’s editor to include his own work, one should forgive any presumptuousness on mclennan’s part. Quite simply, it would be unthinkable for anyone compiling an anthology of new Ottawa poets to omit mclennan.

Most notable among the other contributors is Governor General’s Award-winner Stephanie Bolster, but there are also selections from lesser-known poets Richard Carter, Laurie Fuhr, Robin Hannah, Jim Larwill, Clare Latremouille, Karen Massey, and Ian Whistle. As the title suggests, there is a unifying attention to formal technique, be it traditional, as is the case with Bolster and Carter, or experimental, as is the case with mclennan and Whistle, who seem to be cut from the same poetic cloth.

In his introduction, mclennan compares this anthology to other regional compendiums – Brad Cran’s recent Vancouver anthology Hammer & Tongs (1999), which happens to include a large sampling of Cran’s own verse, and Michael Redhill’s anthology of new Toronto poets Blues and True Concussions (1996). Shadowy Technicians and anthologies like it are addressing the problem of various writing communities working in isolation across Canada, familiarizing distant compatriots with the work being done at home, while showcasing young writers who have not yet established national reputations.

With all the emphasis on representing the local and the new, the question remains whether or not the work is actually good. Typical of young writers, most of the poets in Shadowy Technicians still seem to be finding their voices, playing with styles, the way young cats play with mice. Each of the poets here displays talent, but much of the book is chaff, and all too often the form of a poem overreaches its content. These young cats may yet become tigers, but here they’re still earning their stripes.