- Words by Angela Cowan Photographs by Don Denton
A journalist, poet, musician, composer and self-proclaimed 害羞草研究所渟erial artist,害羞草研究所� Barbara Black recently ticked another box in her lifelong exploration of the arts: author.
Black害羞草研究所檚 short story collection, Music from a Strange Planet, came out last May, the culmination of more than a decade of musing and writing. With a full writing career already under her belt害羞草研究所攊ncluding writing reviews and a column for a North Vancouver newspaper, working with various government ministries, and any number of projects working in public relations and for the arts community害羞草研究所擝arbara, an Oak Bay resident for 30 years, finally turned her gaze inward and began writing creatively.
害羞草研究所淚t started in my 40s,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淚 kept saying I wanted to write a book害羞草研究所hat germinated for a while害羞草研究所nd in my 50s, I started writing.害羞草研究所�
Already attracted to the short story form, Barbara began reading and rereading her favourite short fiction collections and designed what she calls a 害羞草研究所渄o-it-yourself MFA.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚t took me a little while to figure out where to start the story,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淚 was learning to find my author voice and to trust my instincts more because my previous background was a journalistic-type voice.害羞草研究所�
Short fiction particularly attracted her because of the concise nature of the language and the potential ambiguity of its narratives.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a very encapsulated form. You don害羞草研究所檛 always have to explain everything, and when you push it into that surreal envelope, the story has an extra sheen to it,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淚n a short story, you can get away with not resolving everything. You害羞草研究所檙e pulling things out of their ordinary-ness, making them more interesting, or maybe more understandable. If it害羞草研究所檚 in a story form, you might be more willing to accept it.害羞草研究所�
And indeed, many of the stories in Music have emotionally ambiguous notes. In 害羞草研究所淒arkling Beetle,害羞草研究所� a mother struggles to understand and accept her awkward daughter, a girl who envisions herself as more insect than human. In 害羞草研究所淣ight People,害羞草研究所� a woman who 肠补苍害羞草研究所檛 sleep and a man who 飞辞苍害羞草研究所檛 sleep find their paths crossing in the dark and lonely hours of the night.
The tone in 害羞草研究所淕hosts on Pale Stalks害羞草研究所� seems to be light, joking, almost fatalistic towards aging and the passage of time, but the true害羞草研究所攁nd unexpected害羞草研究所攇rieving nature of the narrator害羞草研究所檚 cabin holiday quickly becomes clear.
As different as the stories are, there害羞草研究所檚 a quiet intensity that runs through each of them. This is partly due to the characters themselves, but partly because of Barbara害羞草研究所檚 ability to infuse her narratives with small, visceral details of the natural world. There are moths described in great detail, rain-soaked forests, slippery tangles of seaweed and a rabid raccoon with a penchant for olives.
害羞草研究所淲hen I was little, I already had this fascination with the small things and the natural world,害羞草研究所� she explains. 害羞草研究所淚 loved all creatures and insects. I would project myself into their little environments.害羞草研究所�
Around the same time that she began thinking about writing a book, Barbara took up gardening and found endless inspiration in being immersed in those 害羞草研究所渓ittle worlds.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚 started being more in the world instead of being so much in my head,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 also interested in putting myself into the perspective of an insect or an animal, or even a plant, and to be in their world, and see their world the way they see it. That pushes a little bit into the realm of surrealism.害羞草研究所�
Music from a Strange Planet has been very well received since its publication, and Barbara is currently working on a collection of flash fiction also to be released by Caitlin Press, set for release in winter 2022.
With these pieces coming in at fewer than 500 words, they 害羞草研究所渁lmost blur a little into poetic prose,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e very concise. You have to be economic with your language, and I really like that innovative use of language.害羞草研究所�
After spending so much time living in the literary part of her brain, Barbara has also recently reengaged with music. After well over a decade of performing classically as a soloist and in ensembles, she害羞草研究所檚 coming at it from a more organic, personal perspective.
害羞草研究所淲hen you do classical, you害羞草研究所檙e constantly singing off the score, so you don害羞草研究所檛 really have a chance to get it into your body,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淚 want to be able to sing and be myself. And I really want to be able to tell a story through song. It害羞草研究所檚 different when someone is singing from their emotional centre, and they害羞草研究所檙e feeling it, and that害羞草研究所檚 what I害羞草研究所檓 aiming for.害羞草研究所�
Her two passions will come together this fall, with the premiere of a comic chamber opera in Vancouver, based on one of her flash fiction pieces.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 about a woman named Miss Evans in the Victorian times; she害羞草研究所檚 a woman who害羞草研究所檚 being punished for being too intelligent,害羞草研究所� says Barbara, who wrote the libretto, while composer Katerina Gimon has written the music for the show. 害羞草研究所淭he Erato Ensemble is premiering it, and that害羞草研究所檚 going to be very exciting.
害羞草研究所淭his connection with Katerina came out of a decision to say 害羞草研究所榶es害羞草研究所� to everything,害羞草研究所� adds Barbara, who met Katerina at Art Song Lab, a week-long workshop where writers are paired with composers to create new songs. 害羞草研究所淎nd when you say 害羞草研究所榶es害羞草研究所� to things, it leads to more.害羞草研究所�
