It seems we can thank Ontario’s neo-conservative politicians for one thing: they seem to have helped spur a small publishing explosion of left-wing books this fall, with books coming out by former NDP premier Bob Rae (reviewed in Q&Q’s September issue) and longtime leftist writer James Laxer (reviewed in the August issue). It ought to be the perfect time to pick up a refreshing set of ideas on revitalizing Canada’s progressive movements.

Politically Speaking has too few of those ideas. Consisting of a long, multi-part conversation between Judy Rebick – former chair of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women – and Kiké Roach – a black activist and law student at Queen’s University – the book is posed as a unique frisson between the traditional, sixties-style left and new, young, progressives. And indeed, the creative dissonance between the two does spark some interesting exchanges, particularly when they wander into the monster-truck-pull arenas of identity politics or partisan politics – two issues that have mightily challenged the left in recent years.

However, left-wing readers probably won’t find much new or invigorating in the book: Rebick and Roach mostly stick to stating their stances on various issues, only very occasionally challenging each other – or themselves – to re-examine an idea. Politically Speaking skates over issues too quickly, and this is possibly a structural problem with the book. Dialogues between even the most compelling thinkers can stumble simply because most conversations are rarely tight or focused enough to make for a meaty political read. “Speaking,” even politically, doesn’t make a book.

That said, a persistent reader can extricate a few gems here and there. Rebick and Roach’s discussion of why activism has become too focused on professional lobbying, rather than on grassroots action, is an extremely fresh take on an ignored topic. And their persistent complaints about the mainstream media are utterly fascinating – if only because it’s mildly alarming to realize how these activists are focused on dealing with as compromised and damaged an instrument as the media.