WORDS AND MUSIC
Ingonish resident releases new book, CD
Ingonish resident David Doucette releases book and CD.
Every chapter in David Doucette’s new book ends with a song — creating the need for an accompanying CD.
Doucette’s new book, “A Hard Old Love Amongst Scavengers,” was released last October by the western Canada-based publisher Thistledown Press.
Although the songs were written in Cape Breton, the album, “The Cape Breton Years,” was recorded in Qatar and mixed and mastered in Brazil, a testimony to Doucette’s globetrotting life.
“The chapters end with the main character grabbing a guitar, singing a little song, at least a verse, so this CD has some of those songs. The whole thing was conceived during the writing of the book and that’s why it was published last October but it’s taken a year to get that music recorded. So we’re ready to go,” said Doucette.
Doucette, 51, is back in Ingonish getting ready for an Atlantic Canadian tour of the book-inspired music. The tour includes a stop at the Doryman in Cheticamp later this month, to promote the CD and may be
followed by a national tour and a possible concert in Sydney at a later date.
Although born and raised in Ingonish, Doucette has travelled around the world, living for years in Brazil and for the last six years in Qatar, working as a writer and teacher on a contract basis.
He retreats for a few months of the year to the family home in Ingonish to recharge and then become re-inspired for his next project.
“A Hard Old Love Amongst Scavengers” is his third book and the new CD will be his
second.
The book is about a man who has travelled around the world but who has finally come home to Ingonish. He keeps to himself but bonds with local wildlife, including a red fox he calls Charlie, crows and a baby moose. One day he encounters a coyote pack. To find out what happens, you’ll have to read the novel for yourself.
His first two books were both nominated for the Dartmouth Book Award with the first, “Strong At The Broken Places,” winning the coveted prize in 2002. This is the cover of David Doucette’s latest book, “A Hard Old Love Amongst Scavengers.”
Doucette says he’s not the first writer to also release music to go with his writing.
“I’m discovering there are more writers who do this kind of thing than you would think,” he said. “I’ve talked to some writers and they sing and write music as well.”
While he’s taking a break from working in the Middle East for now, Doucette expects to return there and is in the process of working on a book set in that region.
“I’m going to take a nice break from this (music and book touring) and go abroad for a while and maybe work on this project. It’s written but I take a long time to rewrite the entire thing.”