To Live Deliberately

“What drew you to Oxford?”
“The smell of first edition old books,” said Anna.

Few films I would re-watch immediately and “My Oxford Year” was one of them. This Netflix rom-com blends the magnificent architecture of Oxford, Victorian poetry and English classic cars (that Jaguar E-type) with a sprinkle of dark academia.

The film made constant reference to Henry David Thoreau’s book, Walden (1854).

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately……, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

In 1960’s, a young man wanted to start a printing business in Toronto. He was promised a space at Rochdale but not yet available at the time.

While waiting for the space, he rented an old coach house. Built during the Victorian era, it was a stable for horses hauling wood from lumber yards and delivering them to local carpenters.

By 1960’s the 70-year-old building was a bit run down. The young printer installed wiring, plumbing, windows, doors and the antique 1880’s Challenge Gordon platen pedal press bought $100 from a street vendor.

Since then, Coach House Books changed management. In 1996, government cut funding and once again, the original owner resurrected the business again.

In the film, as Jamie was dying, he explained his view of “living deliberately”. Life has a way of derailing even the best-laid plans. The best bits of life are often the messiest. In those moments we discover what truly matters, and memories that are meaningful.

Coach House Books had a motto in 1960’s, “Printed in Canada on Canadian paper by mindless acid freaks.”

This spontaneous mindset of passion in a way, echoes the poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay in the film.

“My candle burns at both ends
It will not last the night
But, ah my foes, and, oh my friends
It gives a lovely light”

Inadvertently, the young printer might have saved the coach house from future developers. In return, the coach house provides a sanctuary for Canadian writers, poets and artists, “in the midst of urban madness”.

80 bpNichol Lane, University of Toronto

Excerpts of Followers’ Comments from Instagram Post

@robertanderson448 Victor Coleman was the editor who brought a lot of first rate Canadian, American and British poets to the press.

Video from YouTube about Coach House Books (Source, Ontario Art Awards)