Of dogs and harassment
Pat St. Germain highlights new memoirs.
And a Dog Called Fig: Solitude, Connection, the Writing Life
Helen Humphreys Harpercollins Canada
During a period of intense grief in her life, Helen Humphreys found comfort in the company of a dog named Charlotte. A Hungarian vizsla, Charlotte was the most beloved of many dogs Humphreys had known in her 60 years, and when Charlotte died, Humphreys deeply felt the void she left. The house was empty, life was lonely, “walking was pointless.”
And so, after five months, a vizsla puppy named Fig takes up residence in Humphreys's home, if not immediately her heart.
Fig needs much attention, along with a lap and quiet time for naps, so Humphreys (Rabbit Foot Bill, Machine Without Horses) tailors her days to accommodate her new companion. Since she can't devote uninterrupted hours to researching and writing a novel, she begins a puppy diary, which grows into this engaging memoir of her working life and the dogs who have shared it. She includes anecdotes about other writers' relationships with their pets — Thomas Hardy's fabulously spoiled dog was allowed to walk down the table, snatching up whatever he pleased at dinner parties — and recalls happy times with Charlotte, and Charlotte's predecessors, as she and Fig embark on a new chapter.
It Should Be Easy to Fix
Bonnie Robichaud Between the Lines
In 1977, Bonnie Robichaud landed a civilian job as a cleaner with the Department of National Defence (DND). A married mother of five, she felt lucky to have steady hours and a healthy paycheque, but she didn't enjoy it for long. Subjected to relentless sexual harassment from a supervisor, she filed a complaint, then faced endless repercussions on the job.
Robichaud persevered, finally going to the Supreme Court of Canada, which delivered a unanimous decision in her favour in 1989, essentially ruling that employers are responsible for maintaining harassment-free workplaces.
Unfortunately, not everyone got the memo. A 2020 report found that a toxic culture within the RCMP “encourages, or at least tolerates, misogynist, racist and homophobic attitudes.”
The DND is pretty much scandal central and just last month, news reports outed the Lethbridge Police Service as a hotbed of harassment. While Robichaud's fortitude is inspiring, the long-term impact is disheartening, even in the wake of the #Metoo movement. It should be easy to fix — it really should be.