Interim:
Essays and Mediations

Patrick Friesen is a writer who has never turned away from ethical and moral concerns. Interim reveals a master in full stride, one who is prepared to take on the subjective truths of his world. At once inventive and personal, patient in observation and restlessly curious, Friesen speaks both for and beyond the poetry that is his first love as a writer. There is a natural rhythm in his prose that gives Interim a music all its own.

Whether writing about Russian poets, Canadian dancers, the haunting voice of Richard Manuel, or his own Mennonite upbringing in rural Manitoba, Friesen hooks the reader with the intensity of his language, employing the refined wordplay of the poets to exploit the analytical techniques of prose. These "essays and mediations," his first collection of nonfiction, prove as diverse as his output as a poet and playwright, and are essential to a fresh understanding of Patrick Friesen as one of Canada's most important and influential literary artists.