This article posits weak hope, which I characterize as a combination of resignation, optimism, and generative delusion, as a productive framework through which to listen to Winnipeg singer-songwriter John K. Samson’s 2016 album Winter Wheat. In turn, I suggest that engaging closely with Samson’s lyrics offers up a kind of weak, tenuous hope for the listener—though we may not know exactly “what survival means” (“Confessions of a Futon Revolutionist”), we can—in fact, we must—“recommit [ourselves] to the healing of the world” and “pursue a practice that will strengthen [our] heart[s] (“Postdoc Blues”). For the attentive listener, the very act of engaging with the weak hope audible in and enacted by Samson’s lyrics can form part of a practice that “strengthen[s our] heart[s],” by listening closely and imaginatively to the radical, unflinching empathy that Samson models in his precise, demanding song lyrics.
To read the full article online, visit our OJS site
Please note that works on the Canadian Literature website may not be the final versions as they appear in the journal, as additional editing may take place between the web and print versions. If you are quoting reviews, articles, and/or poems from the Canadian Literature website, please indicate the date of access.