Beyond the Park: An Anthology of Ecological Experiences Edited by Ángel Mota Berriozábal

Beyond the Park: an Anthology of Ecological Experiences // Au-delà du parc: une anthologie d’expériences écologiques

An exclusive passport from French and English writers from across Canada!

An exclusive passport from French and English writers from across Canada! Beyond the Park, edited by Ángel Mota Berriozábal, captures a distinct flavour. This anthology from award-winning publisher Laberinto Press features engaging stories that fill the reader with lingering experiences, focusing on the olfactory senses.

The sense of smell brings to readers thoughts that stir up feelings and emotions from times past or present. Many of the contributors are “immigrant settlers” and offer a unique voice. Throughout, the experiences are as diverse as those who are telling them. The stories are beautifully written, with each offering the reader much to satisfy the senses and spark the imagination.

In “Siré and I”, by Cora Siré we are taken on a lyrically-written graveyard visit criss-crossing from Buenos Aires to Estonia and finally to Ottawa. We join the search for a lost sister in the wilderness in “The Girl Who Fell Into the Sky” by Danielle Guthrie. We follow the winding journey of a woman from Uruguay to Montreal, a story completely shaped into one sentence, in “Maeve” by Hugh Hazelton. We encounter the perils of living with a condition of environmental sensitivities in “The Smell of Joy” by Elvira Truglia. There’s a delightful story of a visit by a Mexican-Canadian from Montreal to the West Coast with pup, Pepe, in “A Wild Day” by Dafne Romero. In “Ruskin Park” by Guernica Editions founder, Antonio D’Alfonso, we visit the past and experience a boyhood friendship that stirs up one’s own thoughts of childhood friends.

Since I am an English-speaking Canadian, I am reading the French stories through Google translate. There is much to be mined in these stories, and my language limitations will be overcome in order to experience the gifts offered. In “Lorsque Chloé sent les outardes” by Ángel Mota Berriozábal a mother and daughter watch a flock of birds in the autumn, which stirs up memories in the mother of her own childhood in Abitibi, where her father mined for gold for the government.

Pick up a copy of Beyond the Park and allow your senses to feast as you engage in the harmonious flow of these stories. The writings may take you on a journey far away or they may keep you close to your home. But, assuredly, you will be transported. Enjoy the experience!

Born in Mexico, Angel Mota has a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of Montreal. He was a columnist on Hispanic radio and television in Montreal. Angel has co-edited Enfasis, Hélios, Vice-Versa and Apostles Review (Montreal). Angel is guest editor at publishing house Laberinto Press. He is literary curator of the LatinArte Foundation, where he organizes round tables, literary events, conferences, and readings. His poems and short stories have been published in magazines and collections in Canada, Spain, the United States, Mexico, Italy, France and Chile.

Publisher: Laberinto Press (May 2024)
Paperback 6″ x 9″ | 120 pages
ISBN: 9781777085957

Carrie Stanton

Managing Editor

TMR’s Managing Editor Carrie Stanton has a BA in Political Science from the University of Calgary. She is the author of The Jewel and Beast Bot, and picture books, Emmie and the Fierce Dragon and The Gardener. Carrie loves to write stories that grow wings and transport readers everywhere. She reads and enjoys stories from every genre.