Childhood trauma the focus of local author

Lively City column by Dan Hilborn
Published Jan. 29, 2005


What longtime impact does childhood trauma produce? That's the focus of Inside the Parrot Cage, a new book written by Burnaby author and philosopher Dr. Gerda Wever-Rabehl.

The 100-page discourse, subtitled Dialogue and Reflections on History, Trauma and Memory, looks at the true story of a child who was trapped inside a large bird cage while visiting his aunt's hotel, and the subsequent impact that experience had after he was forced to become a soldier and then a prisoner of war during the Second World War.

"The book is for anyone who's been through trauma or loss," said publicist Kimberley Plumley, who noted the themes are particularly poignant in the aftermath of the catastrophic tsunami that killed and injured countless thousands of children in Southeast Asia.

"Pictures of suffering from the tsunami and the world wars are now engraved on Western consciousness and the book ... may give us some ideas how to repair the psychological damage that has been inflicted on these ravaged countries," Plumley wrote.

Inside the Parrot Cage includes an epilogue by Dr. Deborah Britzman, an expert on history, memory and trauma, and is available from www.iuniverse.com for $12.95 U.S.

IT WAS ONLY A PAPER TIGER

A minor amendment is needed to my recent mention of Hakam Bhaloo's photo exhibit at the Burnaby Arts Council gallery this weekend. There is, in fact, a marvellous picture of a leopard sipping water from a river in the exhibit, not a tiger as erroneously stated in this newspaper paper on Jan. 19.

My sincere apologies to the artist. And I will admit, as I get older, my inability to differentiate between stripes and spots does make it more interesting when I get dressed in the morning.

After Bhaloo's show finishes this weekend, the space will be given over to the acrylics of Zoe Clemens and photography of Norm Corridor until Feb. 27.

The Burnaby Arts Council gallery is located at 6584 Deer Lake Ave.