A pantheon of contenders have headed into the gladiator arena, variously wielding gore, gloss and groove, as they battle to tell Whistler’s story in advance of the 2010 Winter Olympics… Local journalist, Lisa Richardson, rounds up the suspects for the Vancouver Sun in Whistler’s 100 Mile Bookshelf.
After reviewing the latest offerings on the shelf, she concludes that Whistler is ready to take the next step – arguing that: “Ultimately, readers’ hearts are most enduringly won by fiction: We respond to literature’s deft turn of phrase, subtle evocation of place and timeless characters who lob into the space beneath our ribs and stick there for a while… A certain allure and emotional resonance attach to a place when it becomes embedded in fiction. Just as Las Vegas developed an extra dimension when the TV show CSI began, Whistler’s one-dimensional image as a playground for the rich and the extreme is ready to be shed for something more nuanced.”
The first chapter of Whistler’s story – its journey to the Games - has been written. Now it’s time to go deeper into story.
Enough cookbooks now. Let’s have a novel about a chef. Enough quirky memoirs of the Whistler of the 60s. Let’s have a novel about a ageing skibum who married a realtor and is now having a midlife crisis… Enough press kits… Let’s continue to support the local literary community – so they can help transition Whistler from being one-dimensional to being multi-faceted, complex and engaging…
Tags: lisa richardson, vancouver sun, whistler stories, whistler's 100 mile bookshelf, whistler's journey to the games
