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Moccasin Square Gardens
Moccasin Square Gardens: Short Stories | Richard Van Camp
5 posts | 4 read | 1 to read
The characters of Moccasin Square Gardens inhabit Denendeh, the land of the people north of the sixtieth parallel. These stories are filled with in-laws, outlaws and common-laws. Get ready for illegal wrestling moves (The Camel Clutch), pinky promises, a doctored casino, extraterrestrials or Sky People, love, lust and prayers for peace. While this is Van Camps most hilarious short story collection, its also haunted by the lurking presence of the Wheetago, human-devouring monsters of legend that have returned due to global warming and the greed of humanity. The stories in Moccasin Square Gardens show that medicine power always comes with a price. To counteract this darkness, Van Camp weaves a funny and loving portrayal of the T???ch? Dene and other communities of the North, drawing from oral history techniques to perfectly capture the character and texture of everyday small-town life. Moccasin Square Gardens is the nickname of a dance hall in the town of Fort Smith that serves as a meeting place for a small but diverse community. In the same way, the collection functions as a meeting place for an assortment of characters, from shamans and time-travelling goddess warriors to pop-culture-obsessed pencil pushers, to con artists, archivists and men who just need to grow up, all seeking some form of connection.
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Creadnorthey
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This is a terrifically fast read. Van Camp‘s writing is direct and uncomplicated but rich all at the same time. These stories range from those that feel highly personal to others that should be optioned by Netflix if they aren‘t already. Needless to say with this type of range there is really something for everyone, and hardly just to be regulated to the YA category.

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llwheeler
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This is my NWT book for #ReadCanada

I really enjoyed these short stories, especially for the oral storytelling tone that was a common thread. I also appreciated the specfic elements in some of the stories. My first time reading Richard Van Camp, but I will definitely read more of his work.

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Kazzie
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Loved this book! Such funny real stories

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Lindy
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He hunts, he traps, he‘s a wildlife officer, right? He goes after the poachers. Anyone who wastes meat—holy man, good luck. You‘ll wake up with a pillow over your face at 4 in the morning with a shotgun pressing your nose. No, it‘s not that bad, but he‘s tough as they come.
[I love the way Van Camp captures oral storytelling speech patterns in his prose.]

Cathythoughts Love all of this 👍🏻❤️ 5y
51 likes2 comments
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Lindy
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Richard Van Camp wore stormtrooper moccasins today. 👍
#VWF2019

LeahBergen Awesome! 5y
Cathythoughts Cosy ♥️♥️♥️ 5y
tournevis 👍👍👍 5y
Lindy @tournevis @Cathythoughts @LeahBergen Richard is such a nice human being, with a great sense of humour. I love hearing him speak. 5y
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