B.C. novel. captures the adolescent era”

: HISTORICALLY British
- Columbia’s publishing °

“~ houses have not been noted

"for much ofan interest in
“the area of fiction; essays ©

~ into this-field have been
“sporadic at best-with

: publishers offering:little .
‘more than a token involve-
ment with western novelists.’

During the past few. years a wor-,°

rying trend towards simply reprin-

sting older works has also emerged,
to the detriment of local writers. In.
short, if you had a novel with”
commercial potential you were.
more likely to'see your boo

_ British Columbia) are of far less
‘importance than the staggering

ability of the author to capture the ©

essence of the emotional upheaval :
and emerging social awareness of

* adolescents. ~ :
vIn fact, Harlow’'s central charac-

ter, Chris Waterton; is portrayed
© authentically that he could be
‘everyteen’, 2 young boy equally:
‘recognizable and truc to form in’

- any modern decade, including the .

“present. one. .

MIKE |
‘STEELE

Oddly Enough, this bodk's sen
‘sitive handling of the awkward and

“:sometimes painful rites of passage a

of adolescence guarantee it accep:
tance by. both adult and younger

Bs sand experiences as teenagers. i
dolescents will od their heads i in,

the erin, oe endured suspended be
weal childhood, and’ the adult:

‘inceting the expectations of our.
parents and at el the awesomn

steer 2 course between what Our -
bodies felt and desired and the

‘figures.
ay. call to mind such

gh the
Tn some no! o-smiall ' ‘way it

” Books in Relief

like’ and that, no, they are not:
unique in their turmoil and experi-

ence,

I'll go.one-step further: so im: °

pressed was I with The Saxophone —
: Winter that i would strongly urge
“that it be included in any course’of

modern Canadian literature. .
- Harlow has certainly proven
himself a writer of considerable

* ability and this, his latest book, ..
Might well be described asa‘: |

definitive work on the rigors and —

. pitfalls, the successes and disasters:
: of adolescence. : .

1

There is also some good news

“this week for fans of works dealing

with the Pacific Coast. Harbour
Publishers has just released a new
line of juvenile fiction by onc of |
Canada’s most prolific and best-_

-known authors of children’s

books, Anne Cameron.’

ist:Nelic (Olsen) legends tha
offer sxplanation sof.such things
0

Opera on the Go oe
chases after talent

“THE NORTH. Shore's, Opera on

the’ Go is looking -for talented
singers to join the. group ‘in. its
next round of touring programs.

. Successful candidates will go on
to- star, in well-known’ perfor-
mances such as ‘scenes from the
Magic Flute * and Hansel. and

* Gretel.

Tatiana Vasilieva- ‘Markoff, ‘the

‘company’s artistic director, said
anyone can join the group after a
successful audition, but those with
‘the most vocal training will have a
7 better chance. . :

. Vasilieva-Markoff. has been in-
volved in opera all her life in the

_U.S.-and Europe, graduating from

the. University of Toronto with a
diploma in voice and opera.

The workshop. will -be held six
days a week for four hours daily’
beginning on June 27 until July 10,

’ when performances take place.

Because she wants to spend a jot
of “time. with each. person,

- Vasilieva-Markoff will be limiting -

the workshop to 10 people. 2
“We'll be doing many . things”
and ! want'to concentrate, on each
one," she said:
Opera on the Go has performed

lin Lower® Mainland schools. and.
community centres for eight years..

This summer: the, group ‘will
travel to Vancouver. Islarid and the”

we seafood ‘Gna | tandfood). So. if you te doin
business oF pleasure or Just doing. lunch