THE FIELD: George Elliott Clarke’s J’Accuse • by Shane Neilson • 1

Hamilton Arts & Letters       One of the general traits of Maritimers is to be scrappy, but in a particular way. Thinking historically, one could claim the opposite, at least in terms of the specific locale I can claim, the Saint John River Valley, for we are the descendants of Loyalists. Our – this particular ‘our’ – self-definition was conformity, it was the very fact predicating our arrival post-Revolution.             But the matter is complicated. There are Acadians to consider, whom I feel are less docile, being in a relative linguistic minority and whom have had to fight for equality, culminating in the policy of bilingualism in New Brunswick (and by no means is the cause complete). There was the Grand Dérangement, of course, and countless further indignities inflicted by the dominant colonial power. Add in too the mass exodus from Ireland during the Famine, the Irish taking up residence in the Miramichi area primarily (my mother’s people!), and one has several reasons for an orneriness that comes from disenfranchisement. Adding to this melange are more reasons than the white cases I’ve cited.    [  >>>>>   FORWARD ]   + [Distillate © HA&L + Shane Neilson {from the Greek bios} -- the course of a life.]