As he wrestled with depression and even contemplated taking his own life, veteran Hamilton Spectator contributor Peter Fleming dug deep and pulled himself out of that pit. While he did it, he compiled stories and essays that reflected on these experiences and took a life on their own. The resulting book, Insignificant Others, is a meditative, irreverent and humorous compilation that encompasses the author’s struggle and ultimate triumph over suicide.
Insignificant Others is a collection of pieces Fleming wrote during his recovery from clinical depression. In that period, he wrote 60 works, and he selected what he felt was the best of those for Insignificant Others. Those with an Irish theme were collected in his first book An Irish Tale and Other Stories. Fleming treats readers to a tapestry of intertwined stories and essays, masterfully arranged to invoke the serendipitous nature of human experience. One of the stories is an excruciatingly hilarious depiction of the author’s hip replacement, showing how the author coped with the process.
Peter Fleming is a longtime writer, starting in student publications before pursuing his craft professionally. He started out freelancing for local magazines and newspapers, had a play produced by Brock University’s Department of English and Drama, and became a writer and editor for a local advertising agency. He also taught special education for the Hamilton/Wentworth board of education. ◊
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