Black Ice and Yellow Snow: On Digging into Canuck Pulp Fiction.

This article examines the marginalization of Canadian "pulp fiction" genres—including erotica, true crime, and sensationalist literature—within anglophone Canadian literary criticism, attributing this to a colonial British-influenced elitism that distrusts popular taste and sensational content. Through case studies of works by Marian Engel, John Glassco, Dorothy Proctor, Stephen Vizinczey, and Stephen Williams, the article highlights how texts featuring explicit sexuality, crime, and subversion receive limited canonical recognition despite acknowledged literary merit. It argues that this critical reluctance perpetuates the exclusion of racially, sexually, and socioeconomically marginalized Canadian writers and that embracing pulp literature can enrich understandings of Canadian culture and identity. The article also situates Canadian pulp within broader North American and European contexts, noting its complex interplay with highbrow literary traditions and popular culture.