Cassidy McFadzean and her Riddlehoard

Riddlehoard — delightfully mysterious, by Cassidy McFadzean

Today, I discovered Cassidy McFadzean selling copies of her new poetry chapbook, Riddlehoard, at the True Knit Art Show in downtown Regina. The chapbook is not only delightfully weird — Johah McFadzean's illustrations would have delighted Hieronymous Bosch — it's also compellingly mysterious.


Riddlehoard echoes the Old English tradition of poems that describe an animal, an object, a natural phenomenon — and who knows what else? I regret to say that so far, I haven't solved any of the eight poem riddles she presents. (Nor does Cassidy provide the answers, although she gives a way to find them. But for now, I'm going to resist that temptation and enjoy the read.)

It's a book, it's a game, it's a fascinating poetry collection —  and also a medieval-style manuscript and a hoard of riddles. What could be more fun?

Artists, crafters, writers and shoppers. April 9, 2011

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