King Novel Popular in Canadian Literature Courses

By Stacey Curry Gunn

A novel by Prof. Thomas King, Literatures and Performance Studies in English, has the distinction of being taught in more undergraduate Canadian literature courses across the country than any other work.

Green Grass, Running Water is taught in 15 Can lit courses, according to a survey by Quill & Quire magazine published in its November 2001 issue. The magazine examined reading lists for the 2000/2001 academic year from 29 Canadian universities, including Guelph. The next runner-up was Joy Kogawa's Obasan, taught in 13 courses.

King ranked fourth behind Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje and Margaret Laurence in total number of works taught in Can lit courses.

Ten Atwood novels appear on reading lists in a total of 37 courses. Her novel Alias Grace, studied in nine courses, was the one most frequently taught. Seven Ondaatje novels are studied in 29 courses, and five Laurence works are studied in 26 courses.

A total of 24 Can lit courses featured works by King, including his novels Medicine River, Truth & Bright Water and One Good Story, That One.

The rest of the list of 20 authors whose works appear most frequently on undergraduate reading lists includes Alice Munro, Carol Shields, Tomson Highway, Mordecai Richler, Robertson Davies and Timothy Findley.

Green Grass, Running Water and other King novels are taught in numerous courses at Guelph in addition to Canadian literature surveys. They are also studied in history, religion, geography, anthropology and native studies courses.

Prof. Ajay Heble, Literatures and Performance Studies in English, has taught Green Grass, Running Water in a fourth-year Canadian literature seminar and a graduate course.

The story is about five Blackfoot Indians leading seemingly separate lives who discover their paths are connected in unexpected ways.

Heble says the novel is popular for "its use of satire and its innovative engagement with questions of history. It treats complex cultural issues with humour. I think students really appreciate that."

A 1999 Quill & Quire survey ranked Green Grass, Running Water 15th in the top 40 "most interesting, important and influential" books published in the 20th century.