"I am 3/4ths Canadian, and one 4th New Englander - I had ancestors on both sides in the Revolutionary war." - Elizabeth Bishop
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Sunday, May 15, 2011

Nova Scotia Poets' Tribute to Elizabeth Bishop

NOVA SCOTIA POETS PAY TRIBUTE TO ELIZABETH BISHOP
A reading and conversation
21 May 2011, 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Mo’s at Five Islands, 951 Highway 2
Free. Everyone welcome!
An Elizabeth Bishop Centenary, 2011 Event

~ DISSOLVE IN A DAZZLING DIALECTIC ~

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Some of Nova Scotia’s best poets gather to pay tribute to Elizabeth Bishop and celebrate her centenary. Reading from Bishop and their own poetry, and in lively conversation, these poets will highlight the idea of influence and explore the importance of poetry in our culture.

Poets include: Brian Bartlett, Rosaria Campbell, Joanne Light, Lorri Neilsen Glenn, Chad Norman, Harry Thurston, Margo Wheaton and Paul Zann. Hosted by Sandra Barry and Dick Lemon.

Five Islands, N.S., was a literal and iconic geography for Bishop, appearing in her much beloved poem “The Moose.” She knew the history and landscape well. Mo’s at Five Islands is an exciting spot on the road that runs along Cobequid Bay and Minas Basin. It has developed a reputation as a place for good food and art and lively music and literary gatherings. Come join the party on Saturday, 21 May 2011, at 1:00 p.m.

The Poets

Brian Bartlett is a Halifax poet whose recent collections are The Watchmaker's Table (Acorn-Plantos Award) and Wanting the Day: Selected Poems (Atlantic Book Award), as well as the chapbook Being Charlie. He's also edited a book of prose on the poet Don McKay and three volumes of selected poems -- by Don Domanski, James Reaney, and Robert Gibbs. Since 1990 he has taught Creative Writing and literature at Saint Mary's University.

Rosaria Campbell writes short fiction and essays and on occasion tries her hand at poetry. Originally from Campbell’s Creek, Nfld, she now lives on a small farm in Wallace Station, N.S., and works at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in Truro. She is a particular admirer of the poets from the first half of the twentieth century.

As Gillian Wallace writes, “Joanne Light speaks her poems into the audience’s air with a marvelous strength, becoming the voice she is speaking. It is so exciting to hear her. Her fusion poem with a Spanish classical guitarist that was one of the pieces I had the privilege of hearing recently was beautifully wrought, twining around the notes until I could see the images she was creating right in front of my eyes. I hadn’t been a huge fan of Spoken Word poetry until I heard her. Now I know what it can offer.”

Lorri Neilsen Glenn is a poet and essayist with four collections of poetry, the most recent being Lost Gospels (Brick Books, 2010). She was Poet Laureate for Halifax from 2005-2009, where she lives. Her collection of essays on grief and loss will be published this fall by Haglos Press.

Chad Norman enjoys the pace of living beside the Atlantic. Over the years he has published in many journals in several countries, occasionally making it into one which actually pays a few dollars. His most recent book, Ants On the Rainbow: Poems To, For, And About Children was published by Undertow Press in October 2010. His collection Hugging the Huge Father is due out in 2011.

Harry Thurston is a poet and author of more than twenty books, including Animals Of My Own Kind: New and Selected Poems and The Atlantic Coast: A Natural History, forthcoming in the fall of 2011.

Margo Wheaton lives in Halifax where she completed a Master’s degree in English at Dalhousie University. Her poetry has appeared in a number of publications including The Fiddlehead, The Antigonish Review, CV2, The New Quarterly, Prairie Fire, and Undercurrents: New Voices in Canadian Poetry. Her work received the Alfred G. Bailey award from the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick for best unpublished poetry manuscript and she is currently completing a first collection of poems.

Paul Zann is a much-published author. An adult novel, a book of poetry, three children’s novels, a collection of humorous essays, a one-person play, and a book of nonsense verses for children, illustrate the versatility of his writing interests. These books have been published by five Canadian publishers.

For more information contact Sandra Barry at slbarry@ns.sympatico.ca

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