Relative to Wind: On Sailing, Craft, and Community

In her thoughtful first essay collection, Relative to Wind, poet Phoebe Wang reflects on her journey from complete novice to experienced sailor, and the parallels between sailing and the creative life.

A first-generation Chinese Canadian, Wang (Waking Occupations) discovered sailing almost by accident when a roommate invited her out on his "new" boat, purchased secondhand. Intrigued by the entirely new world (and language) she found out on the water, Wang began serving as a crew member for weekly races at the Queen City Yacht Club (QCYC) in Toronto, Ontario. Drawn in by the camaraderie she found aboard and the physical and mental challenges of sailing, Wang began delving into the tradition's complex history, including its precise yet oblique language, like a secret code; its roots in colonial history and exploitation; and the long, mostly oral histories of Queen City and other sailing clubs. She takes readers along as she learns to tie knots and trim sails, pores over old maps to pinpoint QCYC's original location, and relishes the adventure of life on the water.

With an eye for telling details, Wang considers the plentiful metaphors that sailing provides for life and creativity. She captures the banter of her fellow crew members, considers how sailing has shaped her adult identity and fed into her existing sense of self, and explores the contrast between an image of serenity and a more chaotic reality, as both a sailor and a writer. As she contends with challenges nautical and artistic, Wang remains devoted to sailing and writing: she is an accomplished "maker of knots, a trimmer of stories." --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams

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