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Wise Acres (Raincoast $19.95)
As his 'free range reflection on the rural route,' Michael Kluckner's 13th book is Wise Acres (Raincoast $19.95), a title derived from the Old Dutch term for smartass.
Kluckner's barnyard homage was going to be called Farm Noir "because there's lots of sex and death down on the farm,"; but that moniker was deemed too obscure.
Before Farm Noir, Kluckner--never one to be sheepish about using a pun--figured he'd come up with the ideal title for his sequel to The Pullet Surprise, his story about a couple converting to farm life in the Fraser Valley.
"This one was going to be called Embraceable Ewe,"; he says. "I was sure the implications of sheep-shagging would appeal to the CBC and the Globe & Mail. Bestiality being the last frontier, we thought we could get maximal airtime on Arthur Black.";
Kluckner's second instalment about two plucky urbanites in gumboots is mainly from the perspectives of the barnyard animals. Jethro and Bev are geese; Bruce the duck murders four of his offspring.
As he and his wife Christine Allen try to cope from duck pond crisis to chicken coop mayhem, the sheep enjoy pop songs like 'Born To Be Mild' and 'We're Here For A Good Time, Not A Long Time'.
Ever the wisecracker, Kluckner watches from the sidelines with one chapter called A Ruminant With A View.
He describes how country living has affected his wife's diet. "Christine was a vegetarian,"; he says, "but I've convinced her that chickens are vegetables."; 1-55192-304-1
[BCBW AUTUMN 2000]
Kluckner's barnyard homage was going to be called Farm Noir "because there's lots of sex and death down on the farm,"; but that moniker was deemed too obscure.
Before Farm Noir, Kluckner--never one to be sheepish about using a pun--figured he'd come up with the ideal title for his sequel to The Pullet Surprise, his story about a couple converting to farm life in the Fraser Valley.
"This one was going to be called Embraceable Ewe,"; he says. "I was sure the implications of sheep-shagging would appeal to the CBC and the Globe & Mail. Bestiality being the last frontier, we thought we could get maximal airtime on Arthur Black.";
Kluckner's second instalment about two plucky urbanites in gumboots is mainly from the perspectives of the barnyard animals. Jethro and Bev are geese; Bruce the duck murders four of his offspring.
As he and his wife Christine Allen try to cope from duck pond crisis to chicken coop mayhem, the sheep enjoy pop songs like 'Born To Be Mild' and 'We're Here For A Good Time, Not A Long Time'.
Ever the wisecracker, Kluckner watches from the sidelines with one chapter called A Ruminant With A View.
He describes how country living has affected his wife's diet. "Christine was a vegetarian,"; he says, "but I've convinced her that chickens are vegetables."; 1-55192-304-1
[BCBW AUTUMN 2000]
Submitted on July 3, 2003 in By David.
