Where the Nights Are Twice as Long: Love Letters by Canadian Poets

Eso and Lynes, both poets themselves, have compiled an innovative if not entirely satisfying anthology of love letters and epistolary poems written by 130 Canadian poets. The letters are arranged according to the poet's age at the time of composition, which provides some interesting food for thought throughout the collection as readers can compare and contrast writing mediums (paper letter vs. text message) and styles of various generations. In addition, it shows how attitudes towards love and courtship have changed over time and how these attitudes change with age. However, this ordering also fragments the love affairs of individual poets, preventing the reader from focusing on any single romantic narrative. Eso and Lynes could have ameliorated this fragmentation by including annotations for the letters or introductions for the poets, but they choose to allow the letters to "speak for themselves" even when some have little to say. Although there is still much beauty to be found in letters that tell intimate, honest, and creative stories, the compilation loses its way among the practical details imposed by its arrangement. (Feb.)