JOHANSON, Reg. Courage, My Love. Burnaby: Line Books, 2006. First Edition. Trade paperback. 208x140mm. 76pp. New.

As the haze of pepper spray lifted off Vancouver and KSW retreated to the Dominion Building to get their heads together, Reg Johanson saved his career with the turbo-charged menace of "Variations for Jean Carle.Ó It was that poem that inspired him to get back to the poems on Courage, My Love, subsequently redefining the art form and ushering in a four-year purple patch unmatched by any poet before or since. Johanson dug closer to the roots of his poetry than he ever had for this book, soaking in more lyric, language and pomo than an East Van toff had any right to. His desire to copy past masters proved futile - thankfully so, since Courage, My Love minted the definitive Johanson sound, which in turn defined much of the poetry that would follow.