If you have a hard time figuring out what to get for your father or father figure in your life, you might consider a new book by award-winning author Heather O’Neill. Wisdom in Nonsense is full of wry and witty stories of unconventional mentors that provided the foundation of O’Neill’s writing life.
“[Heather O’Neill’s] father shared hard-earned wisdom culled from early years as a petty criminal through to his work as a kind of philosopher-janitor. Unfortunately, his enthusiasm for dispensing life advice was in direct opposition to its practical application. But it certainly makes for good reading…. [This] collection, like all of her work, is filled with humour, moments of joy, sudden bursts of deep emotion and heartbreaking sincerity… The lesson in Wisdom in Nonsense is how a writer uses autobiography to inform fiction.” Michael Melgaard, National Post, February 17, 2018
Read how she made sense of lessons such as “Learn to Play the Tuba,” “Never Watch a Paul Newman Movie,” or “Never Tell Anyone What Your Parents Do for a Living.” At the end of the book, there is room to jot down the lessons you learned from your father, mother, or other parent figure in your life.
The book is available at Chapters/Indigo and at your favourite independent bookstore and is $12 or under.