John Johansen reviews What the Bear Said by W.D. Valgardson in the latest issue of the ALECC (Association for Literature, Environment, and Culture in Canada)'s The Goose Issue 11 2012. About the collection of stories / folk tales, Johansen notes, "...many of the tales make it clear that poverty, hunger, cold, and disease afflicted Icelanders as much in the new as in the old Iceland." The reviewer goes on to liken Valgardson's role as storyteller to Stephan G. Stephansson's role as "one of the greatest poets in Icelandic": "What is also clear—and remarkable—is that among the struggling farmers and fishermen who immigrated, and even in such grim circumstances, there were poets and singers (“What the Bear Said,” “Loftur,” “The Poet from Arnes,” “The New World”). Alberta’s Stephan G. Stephansson, one of the greatest poets in Icelandic, was also one of these, and Valgardson himself is perhaps their cultural and spiritual descendant." To read the full review, click here and scroll to page 98.
John Johansen reviews What the Bear Said by W.D. Valgardson in the latest issue of the ALECC (Association for Literature, Environment, and Culture in Canada)'s The Goose Issue 11 2012. About the collection of stories / folk tales, Johansen notes, "...many of the tales make it clear that poverty, hunger, cold, and disease afflicted Icelanders as much in the new as in the old Iceland." The reviewer goes on to liken Valgardson's role as storyteller to Stephan G. Stephansson's role as "one of the greatest poets in Icelandic": "What is also clear—and remarkable—is that among the struggling farmers and fishermen who immigrated, and even in such grim circumstances, there were poets and singers (“What the Bear Said,” “Loftur,” “The Poet from Arnes,” “The New World”). Alberta’s Stephan G. Stephansson, one of the greatest poets in Icelandic, was also one of these, and Valgardson himself is perhaps their cultural and spiritual descendant." To read the full review, click here and scroll to page 98.
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