king's(mere)

An imaginative and audacious interpretation of the life of William Lyon Mackenzie King, Canada's 10th and longest-serving Prime Minister.

In his debut collection, Nathan Dueck takes the tradition of the long prairie poem and morphs it into political (auto)biography. Through séances, letters, diary entries and faux bible scripture, all written by William King, he explores the realm where poetry and prose meet.

Dueck presents King as a young man who seeks, and sees, himself reflected through his mother, Isabel. He writes her letters, confessing his fondness for visiting "the stroll" in search of companionship, and his affinity for spirits and scripture. These lengthy letters are not delivered to Isabel, as her mailman intercepts them and interprets King's writings on his own.

king's(mère) does not offer us the William Lyon Mackenzie King of our school books, but a character "ashamed/to record it all."