PurdyFest #8: Focus on Pauline Johnson and First Nations Art and History

PURDYFEST #8: Focus on Pauline Johnson and First Nations Art & History
 


This will be the eighth summer that poets will gather on the August long weekend in the greater Marmora area to share and celebrate. Many activities will take place at ZenRiver Gardens in the hamlet of Malone, other events will be held in the Marmora Library Building and on the Marmora dam. Everyone is invited to all these free events, and all participants are encouraged to share their poetry, music and art.

Activities begin late Friday afternoon, August 1st, with a Potluck Supper at ZenRiver Gardens by the shaman shack. Free 'rough camping' is available for the weekend.

PurdyFest Symposiums have been focusing on the life, art and legacies of Canada's major "People's Poets". To date these symposiums have examined the work of poets Al Purdy, Ted Plantos, Milton Acorn, Raymond Souster and Dorothy Livesay. We are working our way back through Canadian history, and this summer we'll examine and celebrate the life and legacy of Mohawk poet Pauline Johnson, who made her contributions a century ago. The symposium on Pauline Johnson will be held in The William Shannon Room of the Marmora Library Building from noon to 2 pm on Saturday, August 2nd.

After the Symposium poets, friends and summer visitors will gather on the islet in the Marmora Dam for ANOTHER DAM POETRY READING. Marmora singer/guitarist/poet Morley Ellis will lead off the round robin readings, with everyone attending encouraged to share their art.

Events continue early Sunday afternoon at ZenRiver Gardens. Tai Grove is both the publisher of Hidden Brook Press and the President of The Canada-Cuba Literary Alliance. Tai will host readings by these two groups, and there is always time for all poets attending to present a poem or two of their own, whether a member of these groups or not.

For further information on Purdy Country Literary Festival #8 please contact Chris Faiers:

zenriver@sympatico.ca
613-472-6186.




Message from CCLA Prez Tai Grove about Sunday readings:


Purdy Fest CCLA Reading – Sunday, August 3rd, 2014 – 1pm to 3:30pm Come early at 12 noon and stay late to hang out. As usual the CCLA reading at Chris Faiers’ ZenRiver Gardens is about communing with friends and fellow poets. It is about camaraderie under the tent of poetry. Come with your refreshments and snacks if you like and re-connect with fellow poets. There is no feature reader. We will read in a round robin. Once all of the signed up CCLA participants have read we will go around the circle as an open non-mic as many times as we still have readers. Some will read from the middle of the river – you are invited to join us. Some might have to leave but we will keep reading as long as we have readers. Come with an entourage and a lawn chair. 
 /prez tai

– John Hamley - 
– Ann Peacock -
– Keith and René Inman -
– Tara Kainer -
– Wayne Schlepp -
– Jim Ronson -
 – Patrick Connors - 
– Graham and Stella Ducker -
– Deb Panko -  
– Colin Morton - 
– Mary Lee Bragg -
 

 

     



Pauline Johnson

         
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On 2014-04-30, at 4:35 PM, Lindi Pierce wrote:

Hi Chris
I have had a draft of a Purdy blog post about you and the Purdy Fests going for awhile.
(I've begun a series on Friends of the A-frame, and you are one of the oldest - as in, you've been in the fraternity longest :-)
Can I use the text above as part of a post? - I can give the Umbrella a plug at the same time, to repay the favour.
Lindi


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Hi Lindi,
Please use it! And any other stuff from my blog  ;  ) 

And I'm proud to be one of the oldest A-framers - both in membership tenure AND human decades!

It's a bit frustrating that QAC is having to cut back on publishing UMBRELLA from 6 to 4 times a year. I feel we're finally starting to crank up the artistic/tourism/cultural/spiritual vibe here in Purdy Country. Chase & I just returned from our riverside afternoon walk, somewhat dripping, & while strolling we met a young local returnee who's now working on tourism promo for the area. Her boss, & her boss' hubby, are both also poets - her boss works for Coach House Press in TO, & I've got some old connections there. So we're getting quite a cultural confab going in - of all places - The Marm!

Lots of local cultural excitement gearing up for this summer - maybe the Great Moira River Flood of 2014 washed away some cultural & spiritual detritus as well as the usual riverbank flotsam & jetsam ;  )

peace & poetry power!
Chris & Chase Wrfffffffffffffshivvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvrrrr  (damn, drizzle on a freshly defurred dog is no fun!)

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On 2014-04-30, at 5:31 PM, Anna Plesums wrote:

Chris,
I am getting to be 90 at the Purdy fest time, but if I am still as good as I am today I will participate as much as I will be capable.Send me the dates and times for activities. I  am sorry, but I will not bake any bread this time, my hands can not handle anything bigger than a wine glass (ha - ha! I wont miss that).
Hope to hear soon.
Anna
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Hi Anna,
That's great that you're planning on attending PF #8! But ... 90 candles on our annual Potluck Supper chocolate cake might risk burning down the shaman shack  ;  )

We'll miss your delicious home baked breads, but maybe someone else can learn to knead the dough. Events start on Friday aft, Aug. 1st.

See you then.
peace & poetry power!
Chris ... & Chase Wrffffffffffffffffffffffffff!   (man, I'm 16 in human years, which is 112 in doggy years!)



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Dennis Robillard has left a new comment on your post "PurdyFest #8: Focus on Pauline Johnson and First N...":

Hi Folks. Im interested in maybe attending the Purdyfest festivities down at the dam this year. Do we have to sign up anywhere to do readings or is that a first come first in rotation? Also do the readings have to center around Pauline? I do have some Purdy-type poems I wouldn't mind reading. Please let me know.



Posted by Dennis Robillard to Riffs & Ripples from ZenRiver Gardens at 4 June 2014 15:49

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Hi Dennis,
Thanks for your interest in PurdyFest  ;  )  Everyone is welcome to read whatever they wish to read at ANOTHER DAM POETRY READING on the Marmora Dam. No sign up required. The focus doesn't have to be on Pauline Johnson, or Al Purdy, or whatever - just read what you want to share. The readings are very democratic - we go around & around the reading circle (well, people are spread all over the islet on blankets & lawn chairs, but there is some sense of a poetry circle). Readers are asked to read one poem at a time, or a brief sort story, or even a song. We share our poetry until everyone's read & shared everything they wish to! Often people wander off for a walk, or to find the LCBO & then return ... and informal readings, discussions, singing, guitar playing, story telling & lies etc. continue long into the evening at ZenRiver Gardens in the hamlet of Malone - where the entertainment continues (or devolves!) around campfires, roasting marshmallows, nature hikes,  dinner & refreshments (bring your own, please).   Hope this helps ...
peace & poetry power!
Chris

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