When I first started hearing of Richard Wagamese, it was during the upsurgence of awareness concerning indigenous writers in the last couple of years. Then when he passed away in March of 2017, his tributes all spoke of his kindness and gentle nature through all the difficulties he'd had in life. Indian Horse is a composite of everything that is beautiful about the man, as well as a testament to his survival. It is written with a lush but simple language, with a powerful spirituality throughout even the most dark and secular scenes. It also professes an affectionate understanding and deep love for hockey.
I used to think that Paul Quarrington once wrote the most beautiful passage about hockey in history in his own book, King Leary, but Richard surpasses Paul, multiple times, with intricate descriptions of the finer details of the game as well as sweeping odes to its beauty. Hockey is the mortar that holds the two worlds of Indian Horse in place, the spiritual and the secular, holding both in balance. It all makes Indian Horse a perfectly balanced story, as any life can hope to be.
About Me
- Kees Kapteyn
- Most recently, Kees Kapteyn has self published an e-novella 'individe' which can be found on Amazon. He also has a flash fiction chapbook entitled "Temperance Ave.", published by Grey Borders Press. He has also has been published in such magazines as flo., Wordbusker, In My Bed, blue skies, ditch and other literary journals. He lives in Ottawa, Ontario where he works as an educational assistant.
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