PurdyFest #4 will be centered around the July 31st with events in the Marmora, Ontario area, with free rough camping nearby at ZenRiver Gardens. This will be the main ‘formal’ day for PF #4, but as we all know, the main day often isn’t the most important aspect of PurdyFesting. Camping and communing before and after. Some walks are in the works. The potluck is the night of the 30th.
This year’s symposium will focus on the life and poetic legacy of Toronto poet, Ted Plantos, “the Cabbagetown Kid”.
Julie McNeill will MC the Symposium, and the first presenter will be academic and philosopher Terry Barker. Terry will give an approximately 20 minute talk on Ted’s place in the pantheon of Canadian poetry, in particular People’s Poetry. Kent Bowman and Mick Burrs will then play a tape recording of Ted reading his poetry. The final item will be a round table anecdotal discussion by all present on Ted Plantos. Anticipated story tellers include David Day, Carol Malyon, Jeff Seffinga and Peter Rowe among many others.
The Symposium will take place in the William Shannon Room in the same building as the Marmora Public Library (by the lights at the intersection of Highways #7 & #14). It will start at 12:30, and end around 2:30 pm.
After a 1 1/2 hour siesta break, the second main event, ANOTHER DAM POETRY READING, will start at 4 pm on the island in the middle of the Marmora Dam. Musicians Morley Ellis and Kent Bowman will kick things off with musical performances. Around 4:30 Allan Briesmaster will introduce Kent for the launch of his new poetry collection. Katherine Beeman of Montreal, and RD Roy, of the Quinte area, will also launch new poetry collections. As has become our tradition, the dam reading will conclude with a round robin reading by all poets wishing to share their work.
Come fall, Wolf Fest #2 is coming back to Western Quebec. Watch for it the weekend of Sept 6.