Inspired by her time working in isolated construction camps in northern Alberta, Lindsay Bird’s BOOM TIME describes the unruly social space of the work camps and the ‘in-between’ state of existence that they create. Her characters have both immediacy and inevitability; their complexities presented with little explication, judgement or endorsement, their stories narrated with compassion and humour. Bird doesn’t shy away from the more troubling aspects of life in camp, touching on subjects like workplace safety, harassment, gendered violence, over-indulgence and infidelity. Deep in the oilpatch, the luxuries of civilization—things like rules and objective facts—sometimes seem in short supply. These poems attempt to chart a place where there “isn’t a decent map to be had”, sketching the blurry boundaries between truth and talk.

- Gaspereau Press

Still want to know more?

Buy the book!

Alternately, listen to this episode of the lovely Bookings Podcast wherein I yak about Boom Time with hosts Jesse and Paul.

Check out Joan Sullivan’s lovely review in The Telegram.

Or read this little news piece from CBC: Working in the Fort McMurray oilsands, told through poetry in journalist's debut collection 

Where to buy

Through your local, lovely independent bookstore, such as Broken Books in St. John’s, King’s Co-op Bookstore in Halifax, Pages on Kensington in Calgary, or Audrey’s Books in Edmonton.

Or online, via Gaspereau Press, here.