About a year ago Doug Coupland called his mother on a Tuesday morning and said, "Mom, I'm going to be there in a half-hour with a photographer to document your kitchen. Don't touch anything."; His Mom shrugged and thought to herself, "Well, he does manage to feed himself by doing all this crazy stuff,"; and left the kitchen unsullied. As a result, Doug's Mom's pantry has been recorded for posterity in Souvenir of Canada 2 (Douglas & McIntyre $29.95), his second album of commentaries and photos that extol the pleasing distinctiveness of Canadian life. Coupland's albums of Canadian life are art exhibits on paper with minimal pretence. Jeff Wall mates with a Massey-Ferguson tractor and everyone benefits. Even if it sometimes borders on piffle, it sure as heck beats those dopey Why I Hate Canadians books or attempts at humour on Air Farce. Each page is like some Lay's potato chip ad gone artsy. Betcha can't eat just one.

It's all strangely moving. We are not Americans. We are not Americans. Great God Almighty, we are not Americans.

Not yet, anyway.

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