Please,
      do
      not
      be
      deceived
      by
      the
     
     
      granite
      that
      I
      have
      in
      my
      possession,
      since
     
     
      I
      am
      still
      Jennifer
      from
      your
      neighbour-
     
     
      hood.
      At
      one
      time,
      I
      was
      not
      as
      affluent
      as
     
     
      I
      now
      am,
      however,
      my
      fiscal
      status
      has
     
     
      improved
      tremendously.
      This
      has
      not
     
     
      inflated
      my
      ego,
      since
      notwithstanding
     
     
      where
      my
      impressive
      finances
      propel
      me,
      I
     
     
      am
      aware
      of
      the
      borough
      from
      which
      |
     
     
      developed.
      As
      I
      said,
      I
      am
      still
      Jennifer
     
     
      from
      your
      neighbourhood.
     
    

    
     
      From
      my
      early,
      low-paying
      and
     
     
      demeaning
      jobs
      to
      my
      recent
      artistic
      suc-
     
     
      cesses,
      I
      remained
      level-headed
      and
      fiscal-
     
     
      ly
      responsible.
      This
      is
      an
      accurate,
      mimetic
     
     
      representation
      of
      my
      life
      why
      would
      I
      tell
     
     
      you
      otherwise?
      I
      have
      hobnobbed
      with
     
     
      very
      important
      people,
      and
      these
      people
     
     
      have
      seen
      that
      I
      am
      what
      I
      state
      I
      am.
      Do
     
     
      not
      critique
      or
      chastise
      my
      way
      of
      life,
      as
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Stenson
      Speaks
     
     
      (Continued
      from
      page
      3)
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      window.
      Guy
      Vanderhaeghe's
      achieve-
     
     
      ment
      with
      "Last
      Crossing"
      shows
      that
     
     
      isn't
      so."
     
    

    
     
      On
      the
      contrast
      between
      eastern
     
     
      and
      western
      Canadian
      literature,
      he
     
     
      believes
      that
      the
      similarities
      outshine
      the
     
     
      differences.
     
    

    
     
      "In
      English
      Canada
      there's
      four
     
     
      regions
      of
      writing:
      BC,
      the
      Prairies,
     
     
      Ontario
      and
      Eastern
      Canada.
      Toronto
      and
     
     
      the
      west
      coast
      have
      similar
      values:
      they
     
     
      tend
      to
      prefer
      contemporary
      to
      historical,
     
     
      pop
      culture
      is
      the
      focus,
      the
      hip
      is
      more
     
     
      interesting.
      The
      Maritimes
      and
      the
     
     
      Prairies
      have
      very
      similar
      tones:
      they're
     
     
      powerfully
      influenced
      by
      the
      landscape,
     
     
      they're
      more
      working
      class
      and
      rural.
      I'm
     
     
      very
      comfortable
      here,
      I
      don't
      worry
      that
     
     
      they're
      not
      going
      to
      get
      it
      because
      I'm
     
     
      from
      the
      Prairies.
      I
      do
      sometimes
      feel
      in
     
     
      Ontario
      like
      I'll
      ever
      make
      a
      dent,
      and
      in
     
     
      some
      ways
      I
      don't
      think
      I
      care.
      I
      find
     
     
      Toronto
      very
      inward-looking,
      if
      you're
     
     
      like
      them
      they'll
      look
      at
      you
      but
      if
      you're
     
     
      not
      they
      won't.
      That's
      fine,
      I
      don't
      have
      to
     
     
      go
      there
      -
      I
      can
      do
      without
      them.
      I
      would
     
     
      love
      to
      be
      better
      known
      out
      here
      because
     
     
      it's
      a
      natural
      audience
      -
      David
      Adams
     
     
      Richard
      is
      loved
      where
      I
      come
      from.
      I
     
     
      don't
      think
      the
      Maritimes
      and
      Prairies
      are
     
     
      at
      odds
      in
      any
      way,
      our
      values
      are
      very
     
     
      similar.
      We
      believe
      in
      the
      regional,
      we're
     
     
      not
      always
      desperately
      trying
      to
      find
      the
     
     
      bizarre
      glitzy
      rich
      man
      story.
      Not
      only
     
     
      are
      we
      not
      writing
      it,
      but
      we're
      not
      read-
     
     
      ing
      it."
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Diary
      of
      Jennifer
      L.
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
          
     
    
   
   
    
     
      my
      behaviour
      is
      an
     
     
      outward
      manifestation
      of
      my
      internal
     
     
      thought
      processes.
     
    

    
     
      Again,
      my
      sandstone
      should
      not
     
     
      be
      a
      source
      of
      confusion
      to
      you
      I
      continue
     
     
      to
      be
      Jennifer
      from
      your
      neighbourhood.
      I
     
     
      was
      once
      poor,
      but
      now
      I
      am
      wealthy;
      my
     
     
      ancestral
      home
      is
      still
      dear
      to
      me.
     
    

    
     
      Due
      to
      my
      many
      wise
      business
     
     
      decisions,
      I
      have
      matured
      greatly
      in
      a
      short
     
     
      period
      of
      time.
      I
      gleefully
      control
      my
     
     
      investments,
      and
      rumours
      purporting
      to
     
     
      speak
      for
      me
      are
      treated
      as
      naught
      but
     
    
   
   
    
     
      petty
      a
     
     
      quips.
      I
      enjoy
      my
      life
     
     
      and
      my
      hangers-on.
      I
      worship
      a
      higher
     
     
      power
      regularly.
      Staying
      close
      to
      my
      roots
     
     
      is
      as
      essential
      to
      my
      life
      as
      breathing.
     
    

    
     
      To
      reiterate:
      my
      assortment
      of
     
     
      boulders
      should
      by
      no
      means
      cause
      you
     
     
      any
      distress.
      I
      am,
      and
      will
      always
      be,
     
     
      Jennifer
      from
      your
      area,
      cognizant
      of
      my
     
     
      humble
      beginnings,
      and
      incredibly
      pros-
     
     
      perous.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      UPEI
      Career
      Development
      Centre
      presents:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Maritime
      Education
      Job
      Fair
      2003
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Charlottetown
      -
      A
      Rodd
      Classic
      Hotel
     
     
      75
      Kent
      Street,
      Charlottetown,
      PE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Friday,
      February
      14
      (10
      a.m.
      -
      5
      p.m.)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Saturday,
      February
      15
      -
      Interviews
     
    
   
   
    
     
      An
      excellent
      opportunity
      for
      graduating
      students
      and
      recent
      gradu-
     
     
      ates
      of
      teaching
      programs
      to
      discuss
      employment
      opportunities
     
     
      with
      Canadian
      and
      International
      school
      board
      representatives.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      No
      admission
      fee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      For
      more
      information:
     
     
      http://www.upei.ca/careers/html/edujobfair.html
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Funding
      provided
      by
      the
      Canada/PEI
      Labour
      Market
     
     
      Development
      Agreement,
      co-managed
      by
      Human
      Resources
     
     
      Development
      Canada
      and
      the
      provincial
      Department
      of
     
     
      Development
      and
      Technology
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It
      requires
      an
      impressive
      amount
     
     
      of
      effort
      to
      make
      the
      kind
      of
      money
      that
      I
     
     
      current
      earn,
      but
      do
      not
      be
      perplexed
      by
     
     
      my
      material
      possessions.
      My
      vocation
      is
      a
     
     
      financial
      venture
      —
      And
      if
      I
      did
      not
      suc-
     
     
      ceed,
      I
      would
      be
      forced
      to
      return
      to
      my
     
     
      previous
      life.
      Once
      one
      becomes
      accus-
     
     
      tomed
      to
      the
      life
      of
      the
      rich
      and
      famous,
     
     
      one
      knows
      that
      it
      is
      preferable
      to
      socialize
     
     
      with
      those
      acquaintances
      that
      one
      feels
     
     
      comfortable
      with
      and
      shares
      the
      same
      out-
     
     
      look
      on
      life.
      Remaining
      inconspicuous
      is
     
     
      paramount.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      Again,
      my
      sandstone
      should
      not
     
     
      _be
      a
      source
      of
      confusion
      to
      you
      I
     
     
      continue
      to
      be
      Jennifer
      from
      your
     
     
      _
      neighbourhood.
      I
      was
      once
      poor,
     
     
      Tam
      wealthy;
      my
      ances-
     
     
      still
      dear
      to
      me.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
       
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Finally,
      I
      must
      remind
      you
      that
     
     
      you
      should
      not
      find
      difficulty
      accepting
     
     
      my
      assorted
     
    

    
     
      stones.
      Iam,
      now
      and
      forever,
      Jennifer
     
     
      from
      your
      neighbourhood.
      My
      personal
     
     
      riches
      were
      once
      slim,
      yet
      now
      I
      am
     
     
      impossibly
      well-off.
      No
      matter
      what,
      I
     
     
      know
      where
      I
      came
      from:
      the
      Bronx.