Reader's Diary #809- Clea Young: Dock Day

Do you follow CBC's Canada Writes? I've not in the past, and don't see it becoming something I regularly keep up with, but I do respect its aims. Yesterday when looking for an online Canadian short story, I stumbled upon Clea Young's "Dock Day," which has just been shortlisted for this year's edition of Canada Writes so I thought I'd give it a shot.

"Dock Day" is about a couple of families spending a summer day at a dock. The story alternates between the children and adults.

The contrast between their two worlds is what makes the story so interesting. Both are playing games, games with slightly sinister overtones-- just slightly enough to lead to a sense of discomfort in an otherwise idyllic setting.

I enjoyed the story a lot, though I found the child characters more believable than the adults. The ending might not be for everyone looking for a clean resolution, but it's one of the few times I'd accept such an implied ellipsis. It leads to the air of dangerous uncertainty. Maybe this will turn out to be a mundane day, but the brief exposure to these lives is more interesting.

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