Shane Beehan is in the second semester of his MA.
If you’ve ever woken up with sand in your underwear or you’ve been blinded by saltwater-and you come to think of these things as comfort feelings-there is a good chance you’ll never be able to leave the coastal life. Born in St. John’s, raised in Nova Scotia, and traveled across the continent, I feel a sense of belonging here out east more than anywhere else in the world. Memorial was my first choice for graduate studies, because among other reasons, St. John’s offers the perfect combination of isolation and community connectedness.
I came to Memorial to study Atlantic Canadian literature because the resources the university and the city offer are unmatched anywhere else in the country. When I’m not studying or avoiding potholes and errant drivers on my bike, I’m usually at Rob’s* drinking some Dominion Ale or down at
The Ship for some great music. My favorite dinner in town (when Rob’s wife, Deanna, isn’t cooking) is
India Gate. I never would have imagined St. John’s would offer me the finest Indian meal I’ve ever had, but this city is full of surprises.
If you were to sneak into my bedroom (I wouldn’t mind, really) you’d probably find multiple dog-eared collections of short stories lying by my bed. The best stories become new again with re-readings, so I’m always coming back to Lorrie Moore’s
Self-Help, David Bezmozgis’
Natasha, and Lisa Moore’s
Open. Before I go to bed and when I wake up in the morning I always try to read a single poem. I’m currently enjoying Sue Goyette’s
Outskirts and Johanna Skibrud’s
I Do Not Think I Could Love A Human Being. But my free time for personal reading is becomimg less and less, and, ironically, one of my
current classes is to blame ... for introducing me to
Deadwood.
Where will my MA take me? I’m not entirely sure yet, but it has already brought me here to St. John’s and introduced me to some amazing people. My degree is just a bonus.
*Fellow graduate student Robert Williams, profile coming soon.
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