Donairs, Donairs, Donair

Chapbook, Colin Smith, 200 Coverdale BJ., Riverview NB, E�B 3H9, colr.smith@gmail.com, $6

"Unedited!" announces a slightly skewed starburst disclaimer on the cover of this collection of short fiction, and indeed the writing is rough around the edges. Intermittent spelling errors aside, in many instances the prose is slack and the ideas unpolished; these vignettes occasionally read more like sketches and notes toward narratives than finished stories. Enthusiastic but careless, with seemingly little concern for potential readers, they leave the distinct impression of someone typing in an echo chamber. Though it can be lively, the writing is also often too plain, too abrupt or too offhand to establish a rapport.

These drawbacks notwithstanding, there are some memorable moments. The most striking stories are often the shortest, among them the brief fable/parable "The Smoke that said No to Smoking" and the even briefer cubical scene "Doug." In this latter sketch - a charged and idiosyncratic workplace dialogue - the humour does not have time to dissipate, as it tends to do in lengthier pieces. Still, even the best of Smith's vignettes would benefit from some editing. (Daniel Marrone)