Douglas Walbourne-Gough
Biography
Douglas Walbourne-Gough - Photo Courtesy of Author
Douglas Walbourne-Gough is a mixed/adopted member of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation from Corner Brook, NL. He graduated from MUN’s Grenfell campus in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from UBC’s Okanagan campus. Currently, he is pursuing a Ph.D. in Creative Writing at UNB’s Fredericton campus. Walbourne-Gough’s debut collection of poetry, Crow Gulch, was published by Goose Lane Editions’ icehouse poetry imprint in 2019. The collection has been longlisted for the 2020/21 First Nation Communities READ Award as well as short-listed for the 2019 Derek Walcott Prize for Poetry, the 2020 Raymond Souster Award, and 2021 NL Reads.
Poem: Ella Josephine Campbell
Slim, slight. Sinew and bird bones.
Cords of her hands like spruce roots.
Came from Ship Cove to Crow Gulch
with little more than the child inside her,
landed in a small shack flanked by
an outhouse, train tracks. Made it work,
had to. No surviving a place like this
without some acceptance, some yield
to the blunt force of what must be done.
Lived for a dance on the weekend, game
of Bingo during the week. Draped in her
favourite sweater, blue-green swirls on black,
three times her size. Costume pearls, earrings
to match. Heading to the Palace, all tobacco
smoke and last week’s gossip. Nights she won,
she dropped by the Padarnac Lounge to chat
with her brothers, a quick rum ’n’ coke --
warms the blood for the walk home.
Get her in the woods, she was all business.
Frantic flick of the rod whipping the hackle off
the fly long before trout ever could. Peals
of laughter against the far shore. No smooth arcs
or figure-eight false casts, just enough line
in the water to get wet. A woman most at home
without ceilings, without walls.
“Ella Josephine Campbell” was originally published in Crow Gulch copyright © 2019 by Douglas Walbourne-Gough. Reproduced with the Permission of Goose Lane Editions.
Critical Analysis: Natural Resilience
Caelin Sullivan (ACPA Managing Editor 2020-2021)
Douglas Walbourne-Gough’s “Ella Josephine Campbell” describes the character of his paternal grandmother, Ella, who is established as this figure in Walbourne-Gough’s poem, “Influences.” “Ella Josephine Campbell” establishes Ella as a figure who is resourceful and independent. Ella’s resourceful nature is highlighted by the lines:
...Made it work,
Had to. No surviving a place like this
without some acceptance, some yield
to the blunt force of what must be done” (6-9)
The darkness of this stanza is contrasted by later descriptions of Ella as full of life despite the unfavourable circumstances that surround her. This darkness is revisited once more with the line, “... a quick rum ’n’ coke — / warms the blood for the walk home.” (17-18), which serves as a reminder that although Ella is a bright and warm character, she lives a difficult life in a poor town, and must reckon with that all through her existence.
The narrator shows the duality of Ella’s character and her strength and adaptability as they outline the harshness of Crow Gulch but also describes the routines and rituals that she undergoes in this town, showing her ability to survive through hardship and maintain meaningful connections. Alliteration in the poem is one of the tools that accentuate the harshness of life for Ella, as harsh sounds are repeated, such as the repetition of “c” in the line “Came from Ship Cove to Crow Gulch” (2), and the repetition of “t” in the line “an outhouse, train tracks.” (6). The rhyme of “shack” with “tracks” from lines five to six is also harsh, showing the difficulty of the life Ella lives.
Despite the cruel conditions of life in Crow Gulch, Ella finds comfort and joy in her situation, rather than living in misery. The narrator describes her routine love for dancing and bingo, and a beloved sweater that is “three times her size.” (13). This sweater serves both as a symbol for Ella’s life of poverty, as the sweater doesn’t fit her properly, but also the comfort she has found in her life’ this oversized sweater is established as her favourite. The narrator also describes her wearing “costume pearls”, which possess little economic value but serve instead to make Ella look and feel beautiful with what she does have. Though Ella is set up by the narrator as living a difficult life in a harsh town, she adapts well and finds comfort in her appearance and her favourite activities.
The other side of Ella that the reader is shown is her comfort and ease in the wilderness, where she does not have to adapt herself to feel at home. The narrator establishes Ella’s connection to nature early on, as the poem opens with the lines “...Sinew and bird bones. / Cords of her hands like spruce roots.” (1-2). These lines serve both as a description of Ella as someone who is small in stature but strong, as well as showing a connection to the birds and the trees that occupy the space of nature that she is tied to in the final stanza. Sibilance is also used in the opening lines of the poem, “Slim, slight. Sinew...” (1) which uses the repetition of ‘s’ sounds, which are soft and force the reader to begin the poem at a slow pace and consider the attributes of Ella’s character. Walbourne-Gough also uses enjambment throughout the poem, which both serves to slow down the reader at the of certain lines, encouraging them to appreciate Ella’s story.
The final stanza ties Ella back to the natural connection that is established in the very opening line of the poem. This stanza opens with “Get her in the woods, she was all business” (19), which immediately places Ella in an environment where she no longer has to fight or struggle to make things work, but knows exactly how to navigate her environment, and enjoys doing so. The narrator describes Ella’s expertise at fishing: “No smooth arcs / or figure-eight false casts, just enough line / in the water to get wet” (22-223), showing the reader that she is adept at outdoor life. The free spirit of Ella’s character is reinforced in the final lines: “A woman most at home / without ceilings, without walls.” (24-25).
Works Cited (for analysis):
Walbourne-Gough, Douglas. “Ella Josephine Campbell.” Crow Gulch. Goose Lane Editions, 2019, pp. 25.
---. “Influences.” Crow Gulch. Goose Lane Editions, 2019, pp. 26-32.
Douglas Walbourne-Gough’s “Ella Josephine Campbell” describes the character of his paternal grandmother, Ella, who is established as this figure in Walbourne-Gough’s poem, “Influences.” “Ella Josephine Campbell” establishes Ella as a figure who is resourceful and independent. Ella’s resourceful nature is highlighted by the lines:
...Made it work,
Had to. No surviving a place like this
without some acceptance, some yield
to the blunt force of what must be done” (6-9)
The darkness of this stanza is contrasted by later descriptions of Ella as full of life despite the unfavourable circumstances that surround her. This darkness is revisited once more with the line, “... a quick rum ’n’ coke — / warms the blood for the walk home.” (17-18), which serves as a reminder that although Ella is a bright and warm character, she lives a difficult life in a poor town, and must reckon with that all through her existence.
The narrator shows the duality of Ella’s character and her strength and adaptability as they outline the harshness of Crow Gulch but also describes the routines and rituals that she undergoes in this town, showing her ability to survive through hardship and maintain meaningful connections. Alliteration in the poem is one of the tools that accentuate the harshness of life for Ella, as harsh sounds are repeated, such as the repetition of “c” in the line “Came from Ship Cove to Crow Gulch” (2), and the repetition of “t” in the line “an outhouse, train tracks.” (6). The rhyme of “shack” with “tracks” from lines five to six is also harsh, showing the difficulty of the life Ella lives.
Despite the cruel conditions of life in Crow Gulch, Ella finds comfort and joy in her situation, rather than living in misery. The narrator describes her routine love for dancing and bingo, and a beloved sweater that is “three times her size.” (13). This sweater serves both as a symbol for Ella’s life of poverty, as the sweater doesn’t fit her properly, but also the comfort she has found in her life’ this oversized sweater is established as her favourite. The narrator also describes her wearing “costume pearls”, which possess little economic value but serve instead to make Ella look and feel beautiful with what she does have. Though Ella is set up by the narrator as living a difficult life in a harsh town, she adapts well and finds comfort in her appearance and her favourite activities.
The other side of Ella that the reader is shown is her comfort and ease in the wilderness, where she does not have to adapt herself to feel at home. The narrator establishes Ella’s connection to nature early on, as the poem opens with the lines “...Sinew and bird bones. / Cords of her hands like spruce roots.” (1-2). These lines serve both as a description of Ella as someone who is small in stature but strong, as well as showing a connection to the birds and the trees that occupy the space of nature that she is tied to in the final stanza. Sibilance is also used in the opening lines of the poem, “Slim, slight. Sinew...” (1) which uses the repetition of ‘s’ sounds, which are soft and force the reader to begin the poem at a slow pace and consider the attributes of Ella’s character. Walbourne-Gough also uses enjambment throughout the poem, which both serves to slow down the reader at the of certain lines, encouraging them to appreciate Ella’s story.
The final stanza ties Ella back to the natural connection that is established in the very opening line of the poem. This stanza opens with “Get her in the woods, she was all business” (19), which immediately places Ella in an environment where she no longer has to fight or struggle to make things work, but knows exactly how to navigate her environment, and enjoys doing so. The narrator describes Ella’s expertise at fishing: “No smooth arcs / or figure-eight false casts, just enough line / in the water to get wet” (22-223), showing the reader that she is adept at outdoor life. The free spirit of Ella’s character is reinforced in the final lines: “A woman most at home / without ceilings, without walls.” (24-25).
Works Cited (for analysis):
Walbourne-Gough, Douglas. “Ella Josephine Campbell.” Crow Gulch. Goose Lane Editions, 2019, pp. 25.
---. “Influences.” Crow Gulch. Goose Lane Editions, 2019, pp. 26-32.
Bibliography
Primary Sources: Poetry
Douglas Walbourne-Gough. “Cedar Cove, Revisited.” Canadian Literature, 226 (Autumn 2015): 111. WorldCat.
---. Crow Gulch. Goose Lane Editions, 2019.
---. “DB Cooper.” Newfoundland Quarterly, 106.4 (Spring 2014): 39. WorldCat.
---. “Fraught, at Best.” Newfoundland Quarterly, 111.4 (Spring 2019): 28. WorldCat.
---. “Haiku.” Newfoundland Quarterly, 106.4 (Spring 2014): 41. WorldCat.
---. “My Father and I, Fishing.” League of Canadian Poets: Poetry Pause, 2019. poets.ca.
---. “Synesthetic Response.” Corner Brook – Senior Division Poetry, 2015. gov.nl.ca.
---. “Weight.” Corner Brook – Senior Division Poetry, 2014. gov.nl.ca.
Primary Sources: Reviews
---. “Between Gods.” Rev. Newfoundland Quarterly. 107.4 (Spring 2015): 53. WorldCat.
---. “Boom Time.” Rev. Newfoundland Quarterly, 112.2 (Fall 2019): 53. WorldCat.
---. “Duke.” Rev. Newfoundland Quarterly, 108.2 (Fall 2015): 55. WorldCat.
Secondary Sources:
Bird, Lindsay. “‘The Forgotten People’ of a Razed Corner Brook Neighbourhood Revived in New Book.” CBC News, 8 Sept 2019. cbc.ca.
Callanan, Andreae. “Family and Familiarity.” Canadian Notes and Queries, 106 (Winter 2020): 13. WorldCat.
Carey, Barb. “Embrace the Life Force in These Latest Collections of Poetry.” The Toronto Star, 14 Nov 2019. thestar.com.
Dennis Unrau, Melanie. “Love on Looted Lands.” Rev. Canadian Literature, 31 Aug 2020. canlit.ca.
Ferguson, Brianna. “Douglas Walbourne-Gough Breathes New Life into Marginalized Community in ‘Crow Gulch.’” Vancouver Weekly, 9 Nov 2019. vancouverweekly.com.
Fisher, James M. “Crow Gulch: Poetry by Douglas Walbourne-Gough.” Rev by Tom Halford. The Miramichi Reader, 21 Feb 2020. mirimachireader.ca.
Fowler, Adrian. “Crow Gulch.” Rev. Newfoundland Quarterly, 112.4 (Spring 2020): 54. WorldCat.
Hiller, Bernice. “Poet Helps Rewrite History of Stigmatized Neighbourhood.” CBC News, 29 Apr 2018. cbc.ca.
MacAskill, Annick. “Poetry Debut.” Atlantic Books Today, 16 Oct 2019. atlanticbookstoday.ca.
Skov-Nielson, Emily. “‘Accept this rock, its odd love’: A Review by Emily Skov-Nielson of Douglas Walbourne-Gough’s Crow Gulch.” The Fiddlehead, 8 Jan 2021. thefiddlehead.ca.
Sullivan, Joan. “Two New N.L. Poetry Collections Explore Maps of Self and Place.” The Telegram, 16 Nov 2019. thetelegram.com.
Trainor, Kim. “‘Tell How It Really Happened’: A Rev of Douglas Walbourne-Gough’s Crow Gulch.” Prism International, 19 Dec 2019. prismmagazine.ca.
Webb-Campbell, Shannon. “Rev: Douglas Walbourne-Gough’s Crow Gulch.” Muskrat Magazine, Nov 18 2019. MuskratMagazine.com.
Douglas Walbourne-Gough. “Cedar Cove, Revisited.” Canadian Literature, 226 (Autumn 2015): 111. WorldCat.
---. Crow Gulch. Goose Lane Editions, 2019.
---. “DB Cooper.” Newfoundland Quarterly, 106.4 (Spring 2014): 39. WorldCat.
---. “Fraught, at Best.” Newfoundland Quarterly, 111.4 (Spring 2019): 28. WorldCat.
---. “Haiku.” Newfoundland Quarterly, 106.4 (Spring 2014): 41. WorldCat.
---. “My Father and I, Fishing.” League of Canadian Poets: Poetry Pause, 2019. poets.ca.
---. “Synesthetic Response.” Corner Brook – Senior Division Poetry, 2015. gov.nl.ca.
---. “Weight.” Corner Brook – Senior Division Poetry, 2014. gov.nl.ca.
Primary Sources: Reviews
---. “Between Gods.” Rev. Newfoundland Quarterly. 107.4 (Spring 2015): 53. WorldCat.
---. “Boom Time.” Rev. Newfoundland Quarterly, 112.2 (Fall 2019): 53. WorldCat.
---. “Duke.” Rev. Newfoundland Quarterly, 108.2 (Fall 2015): 55. WorldCat.
Secondary Sources:
Bird, Lindsay. “‘The Forgotten People’ of a Razed Corner Brook Neighbourhood Revived in New Book.” CBC News, 8 Sept 2019. cbc.ca.
Callanan, Andreae. “Family and Familiarity.” Canadian Notes and Queries, 106 (Winter 2020): 13. WorldCat.
Carey, Barb. “Embrace the Life Force in These Latest Collections of Poetry.” The Toronto Star, 14 Nov 2019. thestar.com.
Dennis Unrau, Melanie. “Love on Looted Lands.” Rev. Canadian Literature, 31 Aug 2020. canlit.ca.
Ferguson, Brianna. “Douglas Walbourne-Gough Breathes New Life into Marginalized Community in ‘Crow Gulch.’” Vancouver Weekly, 9 Nov 2019. vancouverweekly.com.
Fisher, James M. “Crow Gulch: Poetry by Douglas Walbourne-Gough.” Rev by Tom Halford. The Miramichi Reader, 21 Feb 2020. mirimachireader.ca.
Fowler, Adrian. “Crow Gulch.” Rev. Newfoundland Quarterly, 112.4 (Spring 2020): 54. WorldCat.
Hiller, Bernice. “Poet Helps Rewrite History of Stigmatized Neighbourhood.” CBC News, 29 Apr 2018. cbc.ca.
MacAskill, Annick. “Poetry Debut.” Atlantic Books Today, 16 Oct 2019. atlanticbookstoday.ca.
Skov-Nielson, Emily. “‘Accept this rock, its odd love’: A Review by Emily Skov-Nielson of Douglas Walbourne-Gough’s Crow Gulch.” The Fiddlehead, 8 Jan 2021. thefiddlehead.ca.
Sullivan, Joan. “Two New N.L. Poetry Collections Explore Maps of Self and Place.” The Telegram, 16 Nov 2019. thetelegram.com.
Trainor, Kim. “‘Tell How It Really Happened’: A Rev of Douglas Walbourne-Gough’s Crow Gulch.” Prism International, 19 Dec 2019. prismmagazine.ca.
Webb-Campbell, Shannon. “Rev: Douglas Walbourne-Gough’s Crow Gulch.” Muskrat Magazine, Nov 18 2019. MuskratMagazine.com.
