Whiskey Bullets

Eloquent, poignant and witty, Garry Gottfriedson’s new collection of poetry, Whiskey Bullets, approaches an old genre with a new flare that will challenge your expectations of cowboy poetry. This edgy collection explores themes of duality that exist in the parallel worlds of cowboys and Indians. Often satirical, Whiskey Bullets is a testament to adaptability, turning tragedy into humour and pain into passion. It speaks to the unique experience of growing up aboriginal, on the Tk’emlups Reserve (Secwepemc) near Kamloops, with strong First Nation values and traditions, while at the same time immersed in the cowboy and ranching culture of the interior of BC. Gottfriedson skillfully balances his indigenous vision and contemporary concerns, creating a blend of imagery that stimulates the mind’s eye like never before. Shattering the cowboy’s code of ethics he unveils hidden truths, unspoken and often ignored, bringing to the fore inescapable issues of gender, sexuality, race and politics, infused with aboriginal attitude. Form and content are carefully conceived to celebrate the distinctive aboriginal individuality, the “shape-shifting” attitudes that are required when one lives simultaneously in two cultures — Secwepemc and white — and their two languages. Candid and challenging, Whiskey Bullets is thought-provoking and engaging.

“Heartbreakingly honest, clever and tough, Garry Gottfriedson’s poetry will move your heart and spirit forever… “— Richard Van Camp
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REVIEW
“This book has the strengths that grow from being profoundly rooted in its world – and that brings some difficulties to those not familiar with it. But its rewards are great.”
— Dream Catcher, issue 23