Coexistence: Stories by Billy-Ray Belcourt

Publication date: May 2024
LGBTQ+ author? Queer and Indigenous
Setting: Modern Canada

This is a short story collection where the main character in each is an Indigenous man. Often queer. Often an artist. When specified, usually Cree from Northern Alberta. Often relocated to Vancouver at least temporarily.

Even when the biographical details were different, each character’s voice felt familiar. It seemed a bit like I was reading a collection of possible lives of one person.

The themes ranged from relationships with parents to marriage to having children to choosing not to have children. Some decided to live on the rez and some lived in cities. Some delved into casual sex facilitated by apps while others consciously, anxiously avoided it.

I usually have a hard time getting into short story collections, as it’s such an investment to learn new characters and new locations. The similarities between these stories made this effortless.

Every time a story ended it was like a punch in the gut. I needed to know what happened next and I now wouldn’t. I want these stories to be the start of just as many full-length novels.

This book was incredibly easy for me to connect with despite being a having little in common with the characters. The book also didn’t feel like it was written with a White settler like me in mind, in the best possible way. It didn’t overexplain anything about being Indigenous or queer. The author just told his stories and I was swept along.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy.