酷我-北美枫

[anna]

1.) What was the genesis of PurdyFest?


Chris: In the summer 1986 poet James Deahl and professor/philosopher/author Terry Barker visited me in the village of Marmora. James and Terry had coordinated a number of symposium "controversies" on the current state of Canadian People's Poetry, that is poetry in the tradition of Milton Acorn and many others. James and I had been comrades in the Canadian Liberation Movement with Milton Acorn, while Terry has published several books on Acorn.


James and Terry suggested we hold the next "Controversy" on People's Poetry in Marmora, to broaden the geographic scope of these meetings, and to honour the legacy of Al Purdy, "The Voice of Canada", who had lived in the Quite region. The three of us wandered around the village, admiring Marmora's scenic riverfront parks and the dam. On our ramble I suggested poetry readings should be included in the controversies, and while on the islet in the dam, James remarked that this would be the perfect spot to hold a poetry reading. And the First Dam Poetry Reading was born.


James had also visited Al Purdy at his A-frame cottage in Amerliasburgh. During these visits Big Al had suggested enlarging and formalizing his famous house party poetry gatherings. James envisioned Purdy Country Literary Festivals as the fulfillment of Purdy's wish.


1.) What makes the Quinte region unique as a literary destination?


Chris: Definitely Al and Eurithe Purdy's presence in Ameliasburgh and their above-mentioned gatherings of a generation of Canada's best known authors. Once I was given a tour of the upper floor of the Belleville Public Library, where a young Farley Mowat lived. And Susannah Moodie wrote some of her seminal works about this area, including "Life in the Clearings" about Belleville.


The northern part of the Quinte/Hastings County region is the foot of the Canadian Shield, an icon of spiritual and physical presence in Canadian art via the Group of Seven, and often a metaphor in much Canadian literature. James Deahl has written an insightful essay on this legacy. And one of the first books I read on moving here from Toronto in 1989 was Jane Urquhart's powerful tale of Irish settlers, "Away".


3.) What are you most looking forward to at this year's festival?


Chris: The camaraderie and camping at ZenRiver Gardens. There are many poets who return to PurdyFest year after year: Jeff Seffinga, Simon De Abreu, Tai Grove, Anna Plesums, Jim Larwill, Katharine Beeman, RD Roy, Kent Bowman, Allan Briesmaster, Pearl Pirie, Paulos Ioannou, Peter Rowe - the list of regulars continues to grow. And Ottawa poet Jim Larwill always makes the dozen or so campers at ZenRiver Gardens feel immediately welcome to the rocky toenails of The Shield along the banks of the Upper Moira. This year Jim will be launching his new CD of shaman chants, and Morley Ellis will again introduce the dam readings with his guitar laying and singing. The annual Friday night potluck supper. Terry Barker and Anna Yin honouring Raymond Souster. Tai Grove MCing the Canada-Cuba Literary Alliance reading.


4.) What is the role of the late great Al Purdy's poetry in the festival?


Chris: I'm sure Big Al's poem "The Country North of Belleville" has played a substantial role in luring PurdyFesters to the Marmora area.


5.) What do you forsee for the future of the festival?


Chris: This will be PurdyFest #5, and this summer we'll be honouring seminal modernist poet Raymond Souster. To date about a dozen poetry collections have been launched at our fests, and the Hidden Brook Press' anthology about Purdy, "And Left a Place to Stand On", was conceived at an early fest. Dozens, more likely hundreds, of poems have been written during fests, and the friendships created have helped establish an ongoing link and bond between generations of Canadian poets. Each year a few more poets, and lovers of poetry, join to celebrate Canadian People's Poetry. Perhaps PurdyFests will continue to grow, maybe the emotional and attendance highpoint already peaked with last summer's 'love-in' for Toronto poet Ted Plantos, but no matter the future of PurdyFests, Canadian poetry will continue to grow and evolve in the grand traditions of Milton Acorn, Al Purdy, Dorothy Livesay and so many others.


Chris Faiers
Marmora, Ontario
July 13, 2011
_________________
---------------------

Anna Yin

《爱的灯塔-星子安娜双语诗选》
<Nightlights> <Seven Nights with the Chinese Zodiac> ...

http://annapoetry.com

[[星子安娜]]

1.) What was the genesis of PurdyFest?


Chris: In the summer 1986 poet James Deahl and professor/philosopher/author Terry Barker visited me in the village of Marmora. James and Terry had coordinated a number of symposium "controversies" on the current state of Canadian People's Poetry, that is poetry in the tradition of Milton Acorn and many others. James and I had been comrades in the Canadian Liberation Movement with Milton Acorn, while Terry has published several books on Acorn.


James and Terry suggested we hold the next "Controversy" on People's Poetry in Marmora, to broaden the geographic scope of these meetings, and to honour the legacy of Al Purdy, "The Voice of Canada", who had lived in the Quite region. The three of us wandered around the village, admiring Marmora's scenic riverfront parks and the dam. On our ramble I suggested poetry readings should be included in the controversies, and while on the islet in the dam, James remarked that this would be the perfect spot to hold a poetry reading. And the First Dam Poetry Reading was born.


James had also visited Al Purdy at his A-frame cottage in Amerliasburgh. During these visits Big Al had suggested enlarging and formalizing his famous house party poetry gatherings. James envisioned Purdy Country Literary Festivals as the fulfillment of Purdy's wish.


1.) What makes the Quinte region unique as a literary destination?


Chris: Definitely Al and Eurithe Purdy's presence in Ameliasburgh and their above-mentioned gatherings of a generation of Canada's best known authors. Once I was given a tour of the upper floor of the Belleville Public Library, where a young Farley Mowat lived. And Susannah Moodie wrote some of her seminal works about this area, including "Life in the Clearings" about Belleville.


The northern part of the Quinte/Hastings County region is the foot of the Canadian Shield, an icon of spiritual and physical presence in Canadian art via the Group of Seven, and often a metaphor in much Canadian literature. James Deahl has written an insightful essay on this legacy. And one of the first books I read on moving here from Toronto in 1989 was Jane Urquhart's powerful tale of Irish settlers, "Away".


3.) What are you most looking forward to at this year's festival?


Chris: The camaraderie and camping at ZenRiver Gardens. There are many poets who return to PurdyFest year after year: Jeff Seffinga, Simon De Abreu, Tai Grove, Anna Plesums, Jim Larwill, Katharine Beeman, RD Roy, Kent Bowman, Allan Briesmaster, Pearl Pirie, Paulos Ioannou, Peter Rowe - the list of regulars continues to grow. And Ottawa poet Jim Larwill always makes the dozen or so campers at ZenRiver Gardens feel immediately welcome to the rocky toenails of The Shield along the banks of the Upper Moira. This year Jim will be launching his new CD of shaman chants, and Morley Ellis will again introduce the dam readings with his guitar laying and singing. The annual Friday night potluck supper. Terry Barker and Anna Yin honouring Raymond Souster. Tai Grove MCing the Canada-Cuba Literary Alliance reading.


4.) What is the role of the late great Al Purdy's poetry in the festival?


Chris: I'm sure Big Al's poem "The Country North of Belleville" has played a substantial role in luring PurdyFesters to the Marmora area.


5.) What do you forsee for the future of the festival?


Chris: This will be PurdyFest #5, and this summer we'll be honouring seminal modernist poet Raymond Souster. To date about a dozen poetry collections have been launched at our fests, and the Hidden Brook Press' anthology about Purdy, "And Left a Place to Stand On", was conceived at an early fest. Dozens, more likely hundreds, of poems have been written during fests, and the friendships created have helped establish an ongoing link and bond between generations of Canadian poets. Each year a few more poets, and lovers of poetry, join to celebrate Canadian People's Poetry. Perhaps PurdyFests will continue to grow, maybe the emotional and attendance highpoint already peaked with last summer's 'love-in' for Toronto poet Ted Plantos, but no matter the future of PurdyFests, Canadian poetry will continue to grow and evolve in the grand traditions of Milton Acorn, Al Purdy, Dorothy Livesay and so many others.


Chris Faiers
Marmora, Ontario
July 13, 2011
_________________
---------------------

Anna Yin

《爱的灯塔-星子安娜双语诗选》
<Nightlights> <Seven Nights with the Chinese Zodiac> ...

http://annapoetry.com

[anna]

Dear PurdyFesters and Friends,

Perhaps this summer's fest really began yesterday, when poets Jim Christy and Len Gasparini, and visual artist Virginia Dixon, spent the afternoon at ZenRiver Gardens. We tried to beat the heat wave by dangling our toes in the Upper Moira, swapping stories and memories of friends and literary comrades past and present. bill bissett's European tour (yep, bill's alive and well). Ted Plantos, Tom Clement and Steel Rail Publishing. Murdered carny roustabouts, Mickey Rourke knocking out wrestler Chris Jericho ... eventually we wandered upstream through the cedar grove to the flat rocks. Then we hopped rock to rock in the drought dry riverbed, where Virginia found treasure, an ancient glass inkwell, miraculously its jagged cap nearby. This is the ongoing spirit of Purdy Country Literary Festivals. Camaraderie, art, literary discussions and inspiration on the edge of the Canadian Shield.

Emails are arriving daily, announcing the first of the ZenRiver Gardens campers. Jim Larwill will show Thursday, then Anna Yin and family, and Simon and Melanie from Dundas. There are still some campsites, so if you are interested in the ZenRiver Gardens camping experience, please email me: [email protected].

Late Friday afternoon, July 29, we'll have our annual POTLUCK SUPPER at ZRG. Anna Plesums will bring her homemade bread all the way from Egbert, Ontario. The ZRG picnic tables will be full of other goodies brought from far and wide. After feasting last year we were treated to Jim Larwill's performance of "Wilbur Walnut". Larwill may surprise us again this year, possibly with a debut of some chants from his new CD, "Birdman Stoneman Incantations".

On Saturday we'll be celebrating seminal Canadian poet Raymond Souster at the SYMPOSIUM. This will be held from noon to 2 pm in the William Shannon Room of the Marmora Library Building. Author/philospher Terry Barker will emcee and present his paper, "Moderate Modern: Raymond Souster, the Troubador of Toronto". Widely published poet, Anna Yin, will entertain with a multi-media powerpoint show (thank you Typhany for the projector). Everyone is invited to attend and participate, and we plan to conclude the Symposium with readings from Souster's many collections.

We have some new people for ANOTHER DAM POETRY READING. As always, this will be held on the islet in the middle of the Marmora Dam, upstream from the main Marmora park, where "Celebrate Marmora" events will be on display all weekend. Musician and singer Sue Hutton will lead off around 3:30, followed by Jim Larwill launching his CD BIRDMAN STONEMAN INCANTATIONS. Popular Marmora guitarist/singer Morley Ellis will entertain with country/rock/folk favourites. We'll finish the afternoon with a ROUND ROBIN poetry reading, where everyone present reads one poem at a time, around and around the audience circle, until no poets are left standing : )

On Saturday evening, I believe at 7:30 pm, a travelling theatre group will present Shakespeare's MACBETH in the main park.

On Sunday afternoon, Tai Grove, President of the Canada-Cuba Literary Alliance, will host a group reading at ZenRiver Gardens in the hamlet of Malone.

Several campers have planned to stay after the weekend to explore our beautiful area. We hope to visit nearby Callahan's Rapids Conservation Area, and in years past, festers have also visited Petroglyphs Provincial Park and Bon Echo Prov. Park. Both parks have powerful First Nations' imagery, and the spiritual energy is palpable at all these parks.
Ask around, and you may be able to hitch a ride to the Purdys' A-frame in Ameliasburgh, or engage in some other adventure or exploration.

You can read about past PurdyFests on my blog, "Riffs & Ripples from ZenRiver Gardens":

http://riffsandripplesfromzenrivergardens.blogspot.com/

The People's Poetry tribe is about to make its annual magic ...
if you need directions, have any questions, or suggestions, please email Chris Faiers:

[email protected]
_________________
---------------------

Anna Yin

《爱的灯塔-星子安娜双语诗选》
<Nightlights> <Seven Nights with the Chinese Zodiac> ...

http://annapoetry.com

[[星子安娜]]

Dear PurdyFesters and Friends,

Perhaps this summer's fest really began yesterday, when poets Jim Christy and Len Gasparini, and visual artist Virginia Dixon, spent the afternoon at ZenRiver Gardens. We tried to beat the heat wave by dangling our toes in the Upper Moira, swapping stories and memories of friends and literary comrades past and present. bill bissett's European tour (yep, bill's alive and well). Ted Plantos, Tom Clement and Steel Rail Publishing. Murdered carny roustabouts, Mickey Rourke knocking out wrestler Chris Jericho ... eventually we wandered upstream through the cedar grove to the flat rocks. Then we hopped rock to rock in the drought dry riverbed, where Virginia found treasure, an ancient glass inkwell, miraculously its jagged cap nearby. This is the ongoing spirit of Purdy Country Literary Festivals. Camaraderie, art, literary discussions and inspiration on the edge of the Canadian Shield.

Emails are arriving daily, announcing the first of the ZenRiver Gardens campers. Jim Larwill will show Thursday, then Anna Yin and family, and Simon and Melanie from Dundas. There are still some campsites, so if you are interested in the ZenRiver Gardens camping experience, please email me: [email protected].

Late Friday afternoon, July 29, we'll have our annual POTLUCK SUPPER at ZRG. Anna Plesums will bring her homemade bread all the way from Egbert, Ontario. The ZRG picnic tables will be full of other goodies brought from far and wide. After feasting last year we were treated to Jim Larwill's performance of "Wilbur Walnut". Larwill may surprise us again this year, possibly with a debut of some chants from his new CD, "Birdman Stoneman Incantations".

On Saturday we'll be celebrating seminal Canadian poet Raymond Souster at the SYMPOSIUM. This will be held from noon to 2 pm in the William Shannon Room of the Marmora Library Building. Author/philospher Terry Barker will emcee and present his paper, "Moderate Modern: Raymond Souster, the Troubador of Toronto". Widely published poet, Anna Yin, will entertain with a multi-media powerpoint show (thank you Typhany for the projector). Everyone is invited to attend and participate, and we plan to conclude the Symposium with readings from Souster's many collections.

We have some new people for ANOTHER DAM POETRY READING. As always, this will be held on the islet in the middle of the Marmora Dam, upstream from the main Marmora park, where "Celebrate Marmora" events will be on display all weekend. Musician and singer Sue Hutton will lead off around 3:30, followed by Jim Larwill launching his CD BIRDMAN STONEMAN INCANTATIONS. Popular Marmora guitarist/singer Morley Ellis will entertain with country/rock/folk favourites. We'll finish the afternoon with a ROUND ROBIN poetry reading, where everyone present reads one poem at a time, around and around the audience circle, until no poets are left standing : )

On Saturday evening, I believe at 7:30 pm, a travelling theatre group will present Shakespeare's MACBETH in the main park.

On Sunday afternoon, Tai Grove, President of the Canada-Cuba Literary Alliance, will host a group reading at ZenRiver Gardens in the hamlet of Malone.

Several campers have planned to stay after the weekend to explore our beautiful area. We hope to visit nearby Callahan's Rapids Conservation Area, and in years past, festers have also visited Petroglyphs Provincial Park and Bon Echo Prov. Park. Both parks have powerful First Nations' imagery, and the spiritual energy is palpable at all these parks.
Ask around, and you may be able to hitch a ride to the Purdys' A-frame in Ameliasburgh, or engage in some other adventure or exploration.

You can read about past PurdyFests on my blog, "Riffs & Ripples from ZenRiver Gardens":

http://riffsandripplesfromzenrivergardens.blogspot.com/

The People's Poetry tribe is about to make its annual magic ...
if you need directions, have any questions, or suggestions, please email Chris Faiers:

[email protected]
_________________
---------------------

Anna Yin

《爱的灯塔-星子安娜双语诗选》
<Nightlights> <Seven Nights with the Chinese Zodiac> ...

http://annapoetry.com