The Burgess Shale
By
Publisher Description
In this short work, Margaret Atwood, author of
and "Canada's most famous writer" (
), compares the Canadian literary landscape of the 1960s to the Burgess Shale, a geological formation that contains the fossils of many strange prehistoric life forms.
is not entirely about writing itself, however: Atwood also provides some insight into the meager writing infrastructure of that time, taking a lighthearted look at the early days of the institutions we take for granted today—from writers' organizations, prizes, and grant programs to book tours and festivals.
"Allows the reader a brief glimpse into the mind of a great writer and her perspective and experience living through what would now seem to many the Stone Age of the Canadian writing scene . . . invaluable and very readable." —
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