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did this book render me mute story after story and dealt me with emotional damage that i’ll probably never recover from? yes!

is this the best short story collection i’ve ever read? also yes, a most definite yes!!!

this is how you write a short story collection or this is probably my template for a good short story collection, but really, what’s the difference?

belcourt injects us in to the middle of these seemingly innocent lives of indigenous people, but it never feels abrupt or foreign, you feel like you’ve entered an old friend’s house to get a drink, the prose is that warm and the level of attention he lent to each of his characters is unparalleled!

each with their own voice and troubles colored by them being indigenous and queer, some trying to run away from the hand they’re dealt with, some trying to make do and have a fresh start, but central to each of these stories is the title, coexistence, a very literal theme in some stories and is added to the story only to enhance the importance of human connection and intimacy or the lack there of!

and to explore such dire themes such as grief, racism, queerness and indigeneity (especially in canada) with the kind of subtle irony and so much love for his characters that they’re brimming with it, and doing such a tremendous job at it too, belcourt is definitely a go-to author for me now and i promise you’ll find something to hold onto and love in each of these stories!

my favorites are definitely
1. one woman’s memories
2. lived experience
3. poetry class
5. young adults
6. literary festival
10. various people