Available Light is a critically acclaimed collection of haunting and unforgettable meditations from one of Acadie’s best-loved poets. Moving from playful erudition to melancholy, Chiasson explores essential questions about art and creativity, while at the same time delving into the roots of the Acadian experience. Touching on the lives and work of numerous artists, including Rimbaud, Kerouac, Picasso, Giotto, Cendrars, and Duchamp, Chiasson offers a modernist perspective on the masterpieces of the past. With essays extending from art to literature, from memory to a child’s crayons, he explores his subjects with the rich palette of a poet, bringing together a collection of “récits des apprentissages,” which comment on the panoply of human experience.