Originally published on hobby blog on 15 June 2018
For transparency: I have met David at various poetry events in London in the past
Peninsula Sinking is a collection of short stories that look at small pieces of a diverse cast of characters’ lives. “Enigma,” the first story of the collection, won the 2016 CBC Short Story Prize, “Silicone Giddy” was shortlisted for the 2015 Peter Hinchcliffe Fiction Award, and an early version of “Drift” was longlisted for The Fiddlehead’s 2017 Short Fiction Prize. In my humble opinion, they are very well deserved.
While the stories talk about a wide variety of topics, from the main character of “Suture”, Theo, making the decision to neuter his dog, to “How Your Life’s” Callie trying to get into running, to “Maxi’s” Judy having a crush on one of the prisoners at the prison she works at, there are common threads in theme. While many of the stories could have their plots boiled down to a single sentence, they are complicated in their execution, often jumping between the main plot and some memory or idea that may seem only vaguely connected at first until it weaves together with the main plot at the end. For example, in “Sitzpinkler,” Miles may be dealing with the fears and anxieties of entering a submarine to listen to sonar for the military and ends up detecting a hostile whaling vessel, but these anxieties are interwoven with his relationship with his mother, who recently died, as well as his distant relationship with his father. While the plots may not be complex on the surface, Huebert dives deep into the characters’ psyches in a way that makes these fictional characters feel real. Themes of animals’ relationships with humans and Nova Scotia’s place in Canada (such as characters deciding to stay or leave for better job prospects) are ideas that are also frequently returned to.
I can’t help but be reminded of one of my favourite authors, Angela Carter, while reading these stories. Angela Carter and David Huebert may have virtually nothing in common, as people or in the content they write, but there is a quality to the writing that makes the read utter word porn. Carter does this with her brilliant use of image, subversion, and vocabulary, but Huebert manages the same while keeping the language simple and essay to process. After finishing reading Peninsula Sinking, I attempted to turn to the next book on my pile, but I found myself unable. Peninsula Sinking needed space in my mind to breath and digest.
I feel like Peninsula Sinking is a read best experienced instead of explained. This collection of short fiction was like eating a batch of home made stew: thick and difficult to chew at times, but certainly worth the effort for the taste.
Some Quick Stats:
Author: David Huebert
Published: 2017, Biblioasis
Pages: 204