happy husband and father by day author of beautifully melancholy novels by
of beautifully melancholy novels by
of beautifully melancholy novels by night hi I’m Rebecca Brayton and welcome
night hi I’m Rebecca Brayton and welcome
night hi I’m Rebecca Brayton and welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
to watchmojo.com and today we’re
to watchmojo.com and today we’re speaking with David Bergen about his
speaking with David Bergen about his
speaking with David Bergen about his latest work the retreat tell us about
latest work the retreat tell us about
latest work the retreat tell us about the retreat kind of the book and the
the retreat kind of the book and the
the retreat kind of the book and the significance of the title the retreat is
significance of the title the retreat is
significance of the title the retreat is a novel about a family of six four
a novel about a family of six four
a novel about a family of six four children and two adults who head off
children and two adults who head off
children and two adults who head off from Calgary to Canora to spend the
from Calgary to Canora to spend the
from Calgary to Canora to spend the summer in 1974 at a commune in the
summer in 1974 at a commune in the
summer in 1974 at a commune in the process of being there Lizzie the oldest
process of being there Lizzie the oldest
process of being there Lizzie the oldest who’s 17 meets a young boy called
who’s 17 meets a young boy called
who’s 17 meets a young boy called Raymond Seymour who’s 19 he’s Aboriginal
Raymond Seymour who’s 19 he’s Aboriginal
Raymond Seymour who’s 19 he’s Aboriginal Ojibwe he delivers chicken and skinned
Ojibwe he delivers chicken and skinned
Ojibwe he delivers chicken and skinned rabbits to the to the retreat for their
rabbits to the to the retreat for their
rabbits to the to the retreat for their meat what follows from that is people
meat what follows from that is people
meat what follows from that is people telling Lizzie that he shouldn’t be
telling Lizzie that he shouldn’t be
telling Lizzie that he shouldn’t be hanging out with his boy she doesn’t
hanging out with his boy she doesn’t
hanging out with his boy she doesn’t listen she really likes um he likes her
listen she really likes um he likes her
listen she really likes um he likes her and in some ways it’s a it’s a sort of a
and in some ways it’s a it’s a sort of a
and in some ways it’s a it’s a sort of a Romeo and Juliet of the 70s and with
Romeo and Juliet of the 70s and with
Romeo and Juliet of the 70s and with some tragic consequences how does your
some tragic consequences how does your
some tragic consequences how does your background affect your fiction I’m a
background affect your fiction I’m a
background affect your fiction I’m a father and very aware of how parents can
father and very aware of how parents can
father and very aware of how parents can be locked into a way of thinking and and
be locked into a way of thinking and and
be locked into a way of thinking and and children of course they’re much more
children of course they’re much more
children of course they’re much more curious and open the other thing is I’m
curious and open the other thing is I’m
curious and open the other thing is I’m I come from a religious background and
I come from a religious background and
I come from a religious background and one of the characters in this novel in
one of the characters in this novel in
one of the characters in this novel in Nelson is 19 when he’s taken away from
Nelson is 19 when he’s taken away from
Nelson is 19 when he’s taken away from his Aboriginal family he’s placed with a
his Aboriginal family he’s placed with a
his Aboriginal family he’s placed with a Mennonite family and men and their
Mennonite family and men and their
Mennonite family and men and their families were prone at that time to
families were prone at that time to
families were prone at that time to wanting to sort of take kids in and
wanting to sort of take kids in and
wanting to sort of take kids in and foster and adopt them to save them to
foster and adopt them to save them to
foster and adopt them to save them to change them or to proselytize and those
change them or to proselytize and those
change them or to proselytize and those are all dangerous things I read that you
are all dangerous things I read that you
are all dangerous things I read that you and your parents kind of agree to
and your parents kind of agree to
and your parents kind of agree to disagree about what you write it’s
disagree about what you write it’s
disagree about what you write it’s mostly my father who was a Mennonite
mostly my father who was a Mennonite
mostly my father who was a Mennonite pastor I can’t have him looking over my
pastor I can’t have him looking over my
pastor I can’t have him looking over my shoulder while I’m writing in some ways
shoulder while I’m writing in some ways
shoulder while I’m writing in some ways that that leads to tremendous friction I
that that leads to tremendous friction I
that that leads to tremendous friction I think I’ve broken away from from
think I’ve broken away from from
think I’ve broken away from from what my background is I am no longer a
what my background is I am no longer a
what my background is I am no longer a practicing when tonight you know
practicing when tonight you know
practicing when tonight you know religious person but I think it’s
religious person but I think it’s
religious person but I think it’s certainly shaped who I was it made me
certainly shaped who I was it made me
certainly shaped who I was it made me observe the world in a certain way the
observe the world in a certain way the
observe the world in a certain way the retreat uses you know a true historical
retreat uses you know a true historical
retreat uses you know a true historical story as its kind of backdrop why did
story as its kind of backdrop why did
story as its kind of backdrop why did you choose the occupation which is kind
you choose the occupation which is kind
you choose the occupation which is kind of an obscure historical reference as a
of an obscure historical reference as a
of an obscure historical reference as a piece of your novel I think that’s a
piece of your novel I think that’s a
piece of your novel I think that’s a good word it is obscure not a lot of
good word it is obscure not a lot of
good word it is obscure not a lot of people have heard of the occupation
people have heard of the occupation
people have heard of the occupation about ensign IP Park in 1974 which was
about ensign IP Park in 1974 which was
about ensign IP Park in 1974 which was over you know a month long and they were
over you know a month long and they were
over you know a month long and they were demanding very very very important
demanding very very very important
demanding very very very important rights the right not to be thrown into
rights the right not to be thrown into
rights the right not to be thrown into prison for wrote for absolutely no
prison for wrote for absolutely no
prison for wrote for absolutely no reason the right not to be beaten on the
reason the right not to be beaten on the
reason the right not to be beaten on the streets of Canora you can’t have a story
streets of Canora you can’t have a story
streets of Canora you can’t have a story about Raymond Seymour who’s the jib way
about Raymond Seymour who’s the jib way
about Raymond Seymour who’s the jib way not being aware of something that
not being aware of something that
not being aware of something that actually took place during that time
actually took place during that time
actually took place during that time guys I guess I could have changed the
guys I guess I could have changed the
guys I guess I could have changed the year but I thought well this this is
year but I thought well this this is
year but I thought well this this is very missus opportune and and so I
very missus opportune and and so I
very missus opportune and and so I exploited it why didn’t you tell us a
exploited it why didn’t you tell us a
exploited it why didn’t you tell us a bit about the virtues of fiction versus
bit about the virtues of fiction versus
bit about the virtues of fiction versus nonfiction I wrote 300 pages of a
nonfiction I wrote 300 pages of a
nonfiction I wrote 300 pages of a nonfiction based on my experience in
nonfiction based on my experience in
nonfiction based on my experience in Vietnam I showed it to an editor and he
Vietnam I showed it to an editor and he
Vietnam I showed it to an editor and he said go write a novel I also don’t find
said go write a novel I also don’t find
said go write a novel I also don’t find the same gargantuan truths in nonfiction
the same gargantuan truths in nonfiction
the same gargantuan truths in nonfiction that I will find in in in fiction which
that I will find in in in fiction which
that I will find in in in fiction which is a contradiction I know but I think
is a contradiction I know but I think
is a contradiction I know but I think it’s true that that fiction peels back
it’s true that that fiction peels back
it’s true that that fiction peels back layers in the scabs of life in a much
layers in the scabs of life in a much
layers in the scabs of life in a much greater way than nonfiction does and so
greater way than nonfiction does and so
greater way than nonfiction does and so I’m probably doing what I want to do
I’m probably doing what I want to do
I’m probably doing what I want to do that’s probably why I stick to fiction
that’s probably why I stick to fiction
that’s probably why I stick to fiction probably why I should thank you very
probably why I should thank you very
probably why I should thank you very much thank you very much
”
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