Eleonore Schönmaier
Biography
Eleonore Schonmaier - Photo Courtesy of Bruce MacLennan (Writer's Federation of NS)
Eleonore Schönmaier was born in Red Lake, Ontario and raised in the nearby community of Madsen. She earned her undergraduate degree at Queen's University, as well as her MFA in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia. She has published a collection of short stories, 1994's Passion Fruit Tea, as well as a book of poetry, 1999's Treading Fast Rivers. She was the Writing Resource Centre coordinator at Mount Saint Vincent University while also teaching creative writing, and has also taught Advanced Fiction Writing at St. Mary's University. Schönmaier has won numerous awards, including the Alfred G. Bailey Prize, the Earle Birney Prize, and the Sheldon Currie Fiction Award. She divides her time between Ketch Harbour, Nova Scotia and coastal Europe.
Additional Information:
Author's Website
Author's Wikipedia page
Interview with League of Canadian Poets
Author's Website
Author's Wikipedia page
Interview with League of Canadian Poets
(Excerpts)
2
My father's
body carries
me deep
as I hold
my breath,
clasp onto
his shoulders
for as long
as I can.
His arms strong
strokes. The lake
an amniotic fluid
until my head
breaks
the surface.
7
Biting into moist softness,
my bare toes feel the garden.
It's the carrots with their
reckless hairdos that I like
the most. I can release them
and rinse the soil—the
snake-coil of the hose.
My father crouches between
the rows plucking yellow
beans and I sit shelling peas.
In the metal pail the sound
of the peas is the rain I long for;
I imagine in a downpour I could
walk away from his garden.
But during the storm I watch
from behind the windows. My hair is
weed-wild as I help preserve the vegetables.
My father's over-steamed cauliflower face
drips from kitchen heat. At sunset
I open the front door and hurl
jar after jar back into the earth, all
the laboured produce smashing, splashing
among the tidy rows.
Published in Treading Fast Rivers (Carleton University Press, 1999).
Used with permission of the author.
2
My father's
body carries
me deep
as I hold
my breath,
clasp onto
his shoulders
for as long
as I can.
His arms strong
strokes. The lake
an amniotic fluid
until my head
breaks
the surface.
7
Biting into moist softness,
my bare toes feel the garden.
It's the carrots with their
reckless hairdos that I like
the most. I can release them
and rinse the soil—the
snake-coil of the hose.
My father crouches between
the rows plucking yellow
beans and I sit shelling peas.
In the metal pail the sound
of the peas is the rain I long for;
I imagine in a downpour I could
walk away from his garden.
But during the storm I watch
from behind the windows. My hair is
weed-wild as I help preserve the vegetables.
My father's over-steamed cauliflower face
drips from kitchen heat. At sunset
I open the front door and hurl
jar after jar back into the earth, all
the laboured produce smashing, splashing
among the tidy rows.
Published in Treading Fast Rivers (Carleton University Press, 1999).
Used with permission of the author.
Critical Analysis: Eleonore Schonmaier's "Life Spinning Thinner" and the Body Narrative
Lisa Banks (for ENGL 4416: Atlantic Canadian Women Poets)
Eleonore Schönmaier's writing in "Life Spinning Thinner" presents a grounded and human approach to the body, indicating the slow progression of maturity and rebellion of the physical body against the subtle nuance of emotional abuse. "Life Spinning Thinner" is a 14-section poem, charting the speaker's relationship to herself, her environment, her community, her family, and her body. As Schönmaier's speaker matures, her relationship to her body also changes. The second section recalls a specific event, where Schönmaier's speaker passively clings to her father as he swims.
With the father in a position of authority, Schönmaier's speaker is left reliant, as "[her] father's / body carries / her" (1-3). The speaker is reliant, dependent, and at the mercy of the father. The subtle nuance of emotional abuse becomes apparent in this situation: far from overt, there exists an undercurrent of obedience in Schönmaier's presentation of the relationship between father and child. Though not an abusive relationship in the traditional sense, Schönmaier's writing conveys the roots of a love so intense it smothers her speaker.
As the language of the poem begins to shift, the speaker's relation to her father follows suit. The focus of the poem shifts from the father’s dominance over the child exploring the world around her, as evidenced by the shift from "my father's / body" (1-2), "his shoulders" (7), and "his arms" (10) to "my head" (14).
It is only after a moment of panic, however, that Schönmaier's speaker experiences this shift. In the second section of "Life Spinning Thinner," the speaker comes to see her father in a new light, as the darker recesses of humanity become apparent. While swimming, Schönmaier's speaker is surrounded by water she likens to "an amniotic fluid" (13) before her head "breaks / the surface” (15-16). While the parallels of being birthed into maturity are apparent after a cursory reading of the text, Schönmaier's language indicates a more subtle violence to the father's actions: it is not violence in the sense of attack, but instead a love so strong it smothers.
This smothering love is supported by Schönmaier's own explanation of water's presence in poetry, as it represents "sensuality, serenity, and risk" (Schönmaier 226). Water appears as a recurring image throughout "Life," though by section seven it has become contained by the “snake-coil of the hose” (7). Schönmaier’s speaker is herself contained, both by internal and external expectations. While yearning for freedom, she nonetheless remains stationary to aid her father:
I imagine in a downpour I could
walk away from his garden
But during the storm I watch
from behind the windows (13-16).
Unable to voice her discontent among her family, Schönmaier’s speaker begins to change. While the opening lines of section two of “Life” reflected the serenity of water, it is risk which becomes prevalent by the section’s end, and is echoed in section seven: risk of isolation, risk of loss, the risk of losing what one has known in order to see what else may be. There is an undercurrent of a smothering love in Schönmaier’s work, a love so strong that the speaker is left torn as to where her allegiance lies: with her family, or to herself. For the speaker, this discontent is becoming voiced through the body, with the body to articulating what language cannot. As such, the body as Schönmaier presents it must be appreciated and acknowledged.
Works Cited (for analysis):
Schönmaier, Eleonore. Interview by Jeanette Lynes. “Eleonore Schonmaier: A Conversation Fetched Home.” Words Out There: Women Poets in Atlantic Canada. Lockeport, NS: Roseway Publishing, 1999. 224-227.
---.“Life Spinning Thinner.” Treading Fast Rivers. Ottawa: Carleton UP, 1999. 3-16.
Eleonore Schönmaier's writing in "Life Spinning Thinner" presents a grounded and human approach to the body, indicating the slow progression of maturity and rebellion of the physical body against the subtle nuance of emotional abuse. "Life Spinning Thinner" is a 14-section poem, charting the speaker's relationship to herself, her environment, her community, her family, and her body. As Schönmaier's speaker matures, her relationship to her body also changes. The second section recalls a specific event, where Schönmaier's speaker passively clings to her father as he swims.
With the father in a position of authority, Schönmaier's speaker is left reliant, as "[her] father's / body carries / her" (1-3). The speaker is reliant, dependent, and at the mercy of the father. The subtle nuance of emotional abuse becomes apparent in this situation: far from overt, there exists an undercurrent of obedience in Schönmaier's presentation of the relationship between father and child. Though not an abusive relationship in the traditional sense, Schönmaier's writing conveys the roots of a love so intense it smothers her speaker.
As the language of the poem begins to shift, the speaker's relation to her father follows suit. The focus of the poem shifts from the father’s dominance over the child exploring the world around her, as evidenced by the shift from "my father's / body" (1-2), "his shoulders" (7), and "his arms" (10) to "my head" (14).
It is only after a moment of panic, however, that Schönmaier's speaker experiences this shift. In the second section of "Life Spinning Thinner," the speaker comes to see her father in a new light, as the darker recesses of humanity become apparent. While swimming, Schönmaier's speaker is surrounded by water she likens to "an amniotic fluid" (13) before her head "breaks / the surface” (15-16). While the parallels of being birthed into maturity are apparent after a cursory reading of the text, Schönmaier's language indicates a more subtle violence to the father's actions: it is not violence in the sense of attack, but instead a love so strong it smothers.
This smothering love is supported by Schönmaier's own explanation of water's presence in poetry, as it represents "sensuality, serenity, and risk" (Schönmaier 226). Water appears as a recurring image throughout "Life," though by section seven it has become contained by the “snake-coil of the hose” (7). Schönmaier’s speaker is herself contained, both by internal and external expectations. While yearning for freedom, she nonetheless remains stationary to aid her father:
I imagine in a downpour I could
walk away from his garden
But during the storm I watch
from behind the windows (13-16).
Unable to voice her discontent among her family, Schönmaier’s speaker begins to change. While the opening lines of section two of “Life” reflected the serenity of water, it is risk which becomes prevalent by the section’s end, and is echoed in section seven: risk of isolation, risk of loss, the risk of losing what one has known in order to see what else may be. There is an undercurrent of a smothering love in Schönmaier’s work, a love so strong that the speaker is left torn as to where her allegiance lies: with her family, or to herself. For the speaker, this discontent is becoming voiced through the body, with the body to articulating what language cannot. As such, the body as Schönmaier presents it must be appreciated and acknowledged.
Works Cited (for analysis):
Schönmaier, Eleonore. Interview by Jeanette Lynes. “Eleonore Schonmaier: A Conversation Fetched Home.” Words Out There: Women Poets in Atlantic Canada. Lockeport, NS: Roseway Publishing, 1999. 224-227.
---.“Life Spinning Thinner.” Treading Fast Rivers. Ottawa: Carleton UP, 1999. 3-16.
Bibliography
Primary Sources
Schönmaier, Eleonore. “Bathing of the Black Horse.” Antigonish Review 159 (2009): 20. Academic Search Premier.
---. "Conversation." League of Canadian Poets, poets.ca, 17 Dec 2018.
---. Dust Blown Side of the Journey. Montreal: McGill-Queen's UP, 2017.
---. “Evening.” Prairie Schooner 85.2 (2011): 30. EBSCO.
---. Field Guide to the Lost Flower of Crete. Montreal: McGill-Queen's UP, 2021.
---. "it didn't happen here." League of Canadian Poets, poets.ca, 21 March 2019.
---. “Globe.” Antigonish Review 137 (2004): 10-11. Literature Online.
---. "Johnny on the Spot." The Antigonish Review 199 (Autumn 2019): 44.
---. "Journey." Canadian Literature 189 (2006): 31. CBCAComplete.
---. "Migrations." League of Canadian Poets, poets.ca, 15 Nov 2018.
---. "Music." League of Canadian Poets, poets.ca. 24 June 2020.
---. "One Tree." Antigonish Review. 2016.185 (2016).
---. Passion Fruit Tea. Halifax: Nimbus, 1994.
---. "Pink." Prairie Fire 40.1 (April 2019): 154.
---. “Sidereal Time.” Antigonish Review 143 (2005): 36-46. Literature Online.
---. "The Stern Paddler." Prairie Fire. 33.1 (2012): 132.
---.”Thebes.” Antigonish Review 159 (2009): 19. Academic Search Premier.
---. “Tracks.” Antigonish Review 150 (2007): 13-14. Literature Online.
---. Treading Fast Rivers. Ottawa: Carleton University Press, 1999.
---. "Twee gedichten." Terras, tijdschriftterras.nl, 22 April 2016.
---. “Two Poems.” Antigonish Review 137 (2004): 73-74. Literature Online.
---. Wavelengths of Your Song. Montréal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2013.
---. “Weightless.” Antigonish Review 159 (2009): 21. Academic Search Premier.
---. "What Gets Blown In." Vallum Magazine, Soundcloud, soundcloud.com, 10 Oct 2017.
---. "When I Reach." League of Canadian Poets, poets.ca, 29 March 2019.
---. “While Reading Eva Hoffman’s Illuminations.” Prairie Schooner 85.2 (2011): 31-32.EBSCO.
---. "Why is Saint John's Head in my Petri Dish?" League of Canadian Poets, poets.ca. 29 April 2020.
Secondary Sources
Riegel, Christian. "Treading Fast Rivers." A Review of Treading Fast Rivers, by Eleonor Schönmaier. Antigonish Review 124 (2010): 135. WorldCat.
Schönmaier, Eleonore. Interview by Jeanette Lynes. “Eleonore Schonmaier: A Conversation Fetched Home.” Words Out There: Women Poets in Atlantic Canada. Lockeport: Roseway Publishing, 1999. 224-227.
Sharman, Andrea. “Supporting Ourselves.” A Review of Treading Fast Rivers, by Eleonore Schönmaier. Canadian Literature 166 (2000): 179-180. Academic Search Premier.
Schönmaier, Eleonore. “Bathing of the Black Horse.” Antigonish Review 159 (2009): 20. Academic Search Premier.
---. "Conversation." League of Canadian Poets, poets.ca, 17 Dec 2018.
---. Dust Blown Side of the Journey. Montreal: McGill-Queen's UP, 2017.
---. “Evening.” Prairie Schooner 85.2 (2011): 30. EBSCO.
---. Field Guide to the Lost Flower of Crete. Montreal: McGill-Queen's UP, 2021.
---. "it didn't happen here." League of Canadian Poets, poets.ca, 21 March 2019.
---. “Globe.” Antigonish Review 137 (2004): 10-11. Literature Online.
---. "Johnny on the Spot." The Antigonish Review 199 (Autumn 2019): 44.
---. "Journey." Canadian Literature 189 (2006): 31. CBCAComplete.
---. "Migrations." League of Canadian Poets, poets.ca, 15 Nov 2018.
---. "Music." League of Canadian Poets, poets.ca. 24 June 2020.
---. "One Tree." Antigonish Review. 2016.185 (2016).
---. Passion Fruit Tea. Halifax: Nimbus, 1994.
---. "Pink." Prairie Fire 40.1 (April 2019): 154.
---. “Sidereal Time.” Antigonish Review 143 (2005): 36-46. Literature Online.
---. "The Stern Paddler." Prairie Fire. 33.1 (2012): 132.
---.”Thebes.” Antigonish Review 159 (2009): 19. Academic Search Premier.
---. “Tracks.” Antigonish Review 150 (2007): 13-14. Literature Online.
---. Treading Fast Rivers. Ottawa: Carleton University Press, 1999.
---. "Twee gedichten." Terras, tijdschriftterras.nl, 22 April 2016.
---. “Two Poems.” Antigonish Review 137 (2004): 73-74. Literature Online.
---. Wavelengths of Your Song. Montréal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2013.
---. “Weightless.” Antigonish Review 159 (2009): 21. Academic Search Premier.
---. "What Gets Blown In." Vallum Magazine, Soundcloud, soundcloud.com, 10 Oct 2017.
---. "When I Reach." League of Canadian Poets, poets.ca, 29 March 2019.
---. “While Reading Eva Hoffman’s Illuminations.” Prairie Schooner 85.2 (2011): 31-32.EBSCO.
---. "Why is Saint John's Head in my Petri Dish?" League of Canadian Poets, poets.ca. 29 April 2020.
Secondary Sources
Riegel, Christian. "Treading Fast Rivers." A Review of Treading Fast Rivers, by Eleonor Schönmaier. Antigonish Review 124 (2010): 135. WorldCat.
Schönmaier, Eleonore. Interview by Jeanette Lynes. “Eleonore Schonmaier: A Conversation Fetched Home.” Words Out There: Women Poets in Atlantic Canada. Lockeport: Roseway Publishing, 1999. 224-227.
Sharman, Andrea. “Supporting Ourselves.” A Review of Treading Fast Rivers, by Eleonore Schönmaier. Canadian Literature 166 (2000): 179-180. Academic Search Premier.
