An Innocent in Newfoundland

In "An Innocent in Ireland (1995) and "An Innocent in Scotland (1999), poet and traveller David McFadden let the spirit of the country--and his own interests--guide his rambles. He has now done the same in Newfoundland. Zigzagging across the province in his rented car, he charts an erratic course, visiting fellow poets and publishers, wandering at dusk among the Viking mounds at L'Anse aux Meadows, rooming with a Salvation Army family in a distant outport, hanging on in a stiff wind to watch birds nesting on a cliff face, and enjoying the social life in countless bars and restaurants. It soon becomes clear that McFadden's love of a good chat is shared widely by the people he meets in Newfoundland and he is wise enough to let them tell their own stories. For, as ever, his interest is in the heart of a place--and not just its scenery.

David W. McFadden has published over twenty books of poetry and prose, including An Innocent in Scotland (1999),Great Lakes Suite (1997), An Innocent in Ireland (1995), There’ll Be Another (1995), Anonymity Suite (1992), Gypsy Guitar (1987), Canadian Sunset (1986), The Art of Darkness (1984), Animal Spirits (1983), My Body Was Eaten by Dogs (1981), On the Road Again (1978), A Knight in Dried Plums (1975), and Intense Pleasure (1972). He lives in Toronto.