My Husband Suspects

Giovanni Boccaccio brought human experience to life with wit, realism, and a deep appreciation for storytelling. Born in 1313 in Italy, he lived during a time of cultural renewal and crisis, including the devastation of the Black Death. A belief in human emotion, intelligence, and the richness of everyday life shaped his philosophy and literary voice.Narrative variety and lively characterization define the heart of his work. In works such as The Decameron, he presented a collection of stories that explore love, fortune, wit, and human behavior within a cohesive and fluid framework. Engaging storytelling reveals how humor, desire, and resilience intertwine, offering both entertainment and insight into the human condition.Enduring influence has made him a central figure of the Italian Renaissance. Writers across centuries have drawn inspiration from his style, themes, and narrative structure. Today, his work remains widely read, valued for its vitality, insight, and lasting impact on literature.

Often referred to as the father of English poetry, Geoffrey Chaucer was a fourteenth-century philosopher, alchemist, astrologer, bureaucrat, diplomat, and author of many significant poems. Chaucer’s writing was influential in English literary tradition, as it introduced new rhyming schemes and helped develop the vernacular tradition—the use of everyday English—rather than the literary French and Latin, which were common in written works of the time. Chaucer’s best-known—and most imitated—works include The Canterbury Tales, Troilus and Criseyde, The Book of the Duchess, and The House of Fame.

Robert MacLean was born in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada. He lived in Kyoto for twenty-five years, where he taught at Ritsumeikan University, meanwhile continuing his lifelong zazen practice. He has studied and sat with Robert Aitken Rōshi and Jōshū Sasaki Rōshi, and latterly at Tōfukuji in Kyoto, where Keidō Fukushima Rōshi was abbot. He now lives in British Columbia with his wife and young daughter. His book Waking to Snow (Isobar Press, 2020) was chosen in 2021 by Lorna Crozier as one of her Poetry Picks for Canada's 23rd National Poetry Month.