Hi.
My name is Jaclyn. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Cinema Studies from the University of Toronto. As a writer of prose and criticism, my work has been featured in a variety of publications, including Acta Victoriana and FreeFall Magazine. In 2022, I was awarded the Lorne Tepperman Prize in Public Writing. I served as an editor of the literary magazine Hart House Review from 2020 to 2024. My debut novel, Sweet Crude, is forthcoming from Beaumont House Press in 2027.
ABOUT SWEET CRUDE BOOK
Sweet Crude is a 2027 novella by J. Pahl published by Beaumont House Press.
SYNOPSIS
Myra is an adjunct professor at the City University of New York. She is writing an article on Wittgenstein’s notion of the inexpressible but cannot finish it. She would conclude her argument if it were not for a sad, strange form of silence that seems to emanate from her late father, Peter, who died while working in the Alberta oil sands. Driven by the unrelenting sound, Myra departs for the province and soon finds that travelling north is like being transported into the past. Alberta is a mythical terrain, where the Rubicon must be crossed, pawnbrokers are saints, and the flesh is capable of dramatic transmogrification. Her consciousness unfurling with the road, Myra slips into lyric time. She wakes in a motel room as a man and re-names herself, after an advertisement for cigarettes, Marl. He meets a group of roughnecks and spends with them a raucous night. In the sobering light of dawn, Marl continues his journey.
Layered and incisive, Sweet Crude gestures to the frenetic works of the Beat generation even as it marks a turning point in literature, lending a uniquely powerful mythology to the rural Canadian landscape.
See sweetcrudebook.com/where-to-purchase for where to buy a copy.
"Both a road narrative and a poetic tribute to the Beat generation, Sweet Crude captures the restlessness of travel alongside an attentive fascination with rural life. Those familiar with Jack Kerouac’s On the Road will recognize its interest in movement, landscape, and searching, while Pahl’s voice remains distinctly her own. " — CANREADS BOOK REVIEW
"Readers drawn to Alberta, Western Canada, the Beat generation, or stylistically ambitious literary fiction will find much to admire here. Lyrical, surprising, and philosophically rich, Sweet Crude announces the arrival of an exciting Canadian literary voice. For those searching for a writer with the potential to become one of Canada’s next great talents, consider this a sign to pick up Sweet Crude." — CANREADS BOOK REVIEW
"Pahl’s sometimes-surreal story features some majestic phrases" — Kirkus Book Reviews
"Early chapters enjoyably drop in philosophical queries." — Kirkus Book Reviews
"Pahl’s prose is the novella’s defining strength. Lush yet cutting, her language makes even ordinary objects and passing sights feel newly strange and worthy of attention. Although Pahl is new to the literary scene, she possesses the skill of a seasoned writer, weaving complex themes and philosophies into discussions of life and labour in the oil sands without ever seeming out of place."