In Close to Spider Man?which won a Danuta Gleed Literary Award?readers were introduced to the crystalline storytelling voice of Ivan Coyote. The talent evident in that first collection is confirmed with One Man's Trash, a series of connected stories about searching out new frontiers, and being on the road.
The characters in One Man's Trash make evident the child in all of us, when heroes and superheroes won the day. Tales of being on the road: to the northern tundra or the southern desert, through cities and towns, on horses, in trucks and vans, with friends, family, and lovers.
This is a collection of journeys, adventures, and quests. The moral of these stories is that the games people play are not much different than those played by children. In achingly personal tones, Ivan Coyote paints beautiful and honest portraits of life, the road, and the spirits within.
Now in its second printing
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It's simply a small treasure of storytelling existence.
?Quill & Quire
. . . Coyote is to CanLit what k.d. lang is to country music: a beautifully odd fixture.
?Ottawa X Press
. . . it's very easy to go with Coyote's flow. There's something weirdly comfortable about being in her narrative orbit even though she happily operates on the fringe.
?NOW Magazine
. . .with just a few brief strokes, Ivan E. Coyote entertains us; she moves us and makes us think. And she always leaves us wanting more.
?Books in Canada
I strongly recommend this book. . .
?Broken Pencil
Without question, the stories are enjoyable, and Coyote's persona is attractive.
?subTerrain
Where other authors would tend towards either a victim mentality or almost mindless anger at their situations, Coyote's understated wit and almost "down home" feel come through well.
?Gay People's Chronicle
One Man's Trash is certainly a collection that I will treasure for a long time to come.
?Lambda Book Report
. . . I found myself seduced by her experiences. . .
?Girlfriends Magazine
. . . razor sharp. . .
?BC Bookworld
You know you've read too many overwrought, over-workshopped stories when it comes as a shock to hear the sound of a human voice simply telling a tale in prose.
?The Vancouver Sun
. . . beautifully written. . .
?>Outline Magazine
[Ivan] proves to be a natural-born storyteller.
?The Globe and Mail
The stories are imbued with a deep-felthonesty, the kind that doesn't need to indulge in 'woe is me' self-reference. . .
?Event
With this collection, Coyote confirms that she's a literate, funny person. . .
?The Georgia Straight
[A] must-read collection of short stories. . .
?Hour Magazine
. . . a pure, honest style that pulls the reader in. . .
?Westender
What makes Coyote's stories special?her humour, her humanity, her talent for sketching the bizarre in the everyday'soars beyond cliche.
?Toronto Star
