The stories in Destiny’s Telescope are separated into three empirical sections: the Principles of Motion, the Rules of Attraction and the Power of Destiny. Aside from being heavily into the fates, this collection is very Canadian. In “Symbols,” Ottawa is where country boy Theodore goes to find meaning in his life. “The Doppler Effect” takes place on the edge of the Transcontinental Highway overlooking the Prairies and in “Traffic Jam” a businessman abandons his car on a busy downtown Toronto freeway. One of my favourite stories of the collection, “The Twilight Girl,” is set in a typical Toronto neighbourhood and is about Luna, a young girl born with a fatal allergic reaction to the sun. You would think such an affliction would leave you bitter and resentful of the world, but Luna finds beauty in the light she sees from a distance. In “The Sweeper,” part of the Rules of Attraction section, love finds a way to bring two people together, in this circumstance through the power of heavy machinery. Destiny’s Telescope is a strong collection about morals and fate. Worth picking up. (Andrea Nene)
by Richard Scarsbrook, $17.95, 152 pgs Turnstone Press, Art Space Building 07-100 Arthur Street, Winnipeg, MB, R3H 1H3, turnstonepress.com