This June, I had the opportunity to travel to Nova Scotia for an exciting, once in a lifetime opportunity: I was invited to be one of the keynote speakers for the 30th anniversary celebration of the Elizabeth Bishop Society of Nova Scotia in Great Village, Nova Scotia.
Elizabeth Bishop (1911-1979) was a Canadian/American poet and prose writer celebrated for her precise and detailed descriptions of the physical world and her ability to convey complex emotions with subtlety and restraint. In her lifetime, she won both a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award. Though born in Massachusetts, Bishop lived with her grandparents in Great Village, Nova Scotia as a child, after her mother was institutionalized. Her mother was taken from that very house in Great Village and Bishop never saw her again. Great Village was a place Bishop returned to every year until her grandparents passed away. Her childhood home was purchased 30 years ago by a group of folks passionate about preserving the poet’s important connection with Nova Scotia and has been used as an artist residence and venue for community art events ever since.
I have long been a Bishop fan. In fact, my last publication, a novella-in-verse called The Filling Station, was based entirely on her work. I contacted the Elizabeth Bishop Society of Nova Scotia shortly after publication and we had been in communication for about a year before I was invited to speak at the 30 the anniversary event.
In the past 18 months, I have presented on The Filling Station in 11 different communities, but this was the first time I was in a room with an audience of people who truly understand and are passionate about Elizabeth Bishop’s work. The experience has only increased my interest and connection with Elizabeth Bishop. I was also able to stay at the house for a writing residency for the week leading up to the event. Though 105 years have passed since Bishop lived there, the furniture, the architecture, the falling down outbuildings and the old wallpaper are all reminiscent of the past. The house itself is full of tributes to the poet and the small desk pictured in the above photo actually belonged to Bishop herself. It was donated to the Society a few years ago. I enjoyed sitting at her desk, channelling the energy of her spirit and poetics as I finalized my keynote speech.
I am very grateful to everyone who attended the event and to Sandra Barry of the Elizabeth Bishop Society of Nova Scotia for inviting me. I cherished my time there and hope to return to Bishop House in the future for another writing residency.
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