On the night table

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Ensign BroderickSinger-songwriter (Toronto)

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/02/2018 (3102 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ensign BroderickSinger-songwriter (Toronto)

I just finished Miriam Toews’ All My Puny Sorrows, which blew me away. I had two brothers; one died when I was young, and the other is much older than me and moved out when I was young. The book spoke to me about family, and Yoli’s connection with her sister, this amazing artist, going against the grain in this small village. The notion of family was so strong and portrayed in such a beautiful way, and it’s something I didn’t really experience. The notion of death, which permeates the book, also resonates with me because one of my brothers died when I was young. It hung over our family; it was always an unspoken thing. The language Toews uses is so beautiful — it resonates so clearly. It’s not convoluted and it’s not obtuse — it’s just there.

Ivan Otis photo Ensign Broderick plays his In the Key of X show tonight at the Park Theatre.
Ivan Otis photo Ensign Broderick plays his In the Key of X show tonight at the Park Theatre.

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