Archive for September, 2008

We had sunny skies and cool breezes Sunday in Victoria Park for Kitchener’s Word on the Street. It was a fantastic day, with many people stopping by the booth to chat and ask about the press, buy a book, take a catalogue, or just browse through our titles. Some ask why we don’t have a table at Toronto’s much larger fair, and I was reminded once again yesterday how much I enjoy the rare opportunity to show off to our local community. It’s very much a family affair; my kids come with me and help set up and tear down the booth. In between they wander through the fair, only returning for money for food and books, the two essentials of the day. The size and location gives me that comfort, and judging from the amount of families and small children I saw yesterday I imagine it’s the same for many.

If you dropped by yesterday I thank you, and if you didn’t get a chance, well, keep it in mind for next year. In the mean time, stay tuned this week for posts on our newest releases. October and November are chock full of titles you won’t want to miss.

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It’s Word on the Street time again, and people across the country will be celebrating the love of reading and books. Laurier Press will have a booth at the Kitchener event in Victoria Park. Although much smaller than the Toronto event, it’s a lovely setting and a good opportunity to meet people in our community. We always sell lots of books and have great conversations with people who are just discovering us and with old friends as well.

Laurier Press continues to support the campaign to save Al Purdy’s house on Lake Roblin. Make a donation of $25 at our booth on Sunday and receive a free copy of The More Easily Kept Illusions: The Poetry of Al Purdy, edited by Robert Budde.

There are tons of author readings for people of all ages. The kids’ tent is particularly fun and offers reading, singing, dancing, face painting, etc. For the older kids, James Bow, a local favourite, will be reading from his book Fathom Five at 12:30. Erick Traplin is on hand most of the day to provide the tunes and fun.

Readings for the adults this year are chock full of choice. See Helen Humphreys, Gil Anderson, Andrew Pyper, and Trevor Cole, just to name a few. Additional attractions include a songwriters circle, a book drive for kids, storytelling, and so much more.

We hope you come out and if you do, please stop by the booth and have a look at our books, make a donation, or just say hello. See you Sunday!

Clare and Leslie

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Over on the popular social networking site, Facebook, we are marking a day of protest against the recent funding cuts to the arts. As of this morning, more than 8,000 people have pledged to leave their profile picture blank, to remain faceless as a symbol of the loss of identity that will occur should we let our arts and culture erode. This is not about political parties, but the current election provides a good opportunity to ask your candidate about their party’s specific plans for arts funding. The following is from the group’s mandate:

This is a roll call to all people who believe that Arts and Culture is a part of their lives and is important outside of the political spectrum. This is for artists, families, parents, friends, co-workers, relatives, enemies, neighbors, acquaintances, to all people who enjoy the arts and culture of this country and feel that it must be nurtured and cultivated. We need to send out a message to our politicians to let them know that there are more of us than they think and congruently that we are not going to vote for any person or party that plans to cut funding to arts and culture during this election. This is for all of us; people from all sides of the political landscape. This is not about what party you belong to, but how you feel about arts and culture in this country.

If you’d like to get involved, consider joining the Facebook group and adding your voice. If you don’t use Facebook, contact your local candidates and their leaders and persuade them to make arts funding an issue. Lastly, you can sign a petition to restore arts funding so that Canadian art can continue to be seen, heard, and read around the world.

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We hope some of you will be able to join us at the Dept. of Religion and Culture book launch being held today at 3:00 in the Maureen Forrester hall foyer at Wilfrid Laurier University. Our book This Spot of Ground: Spiritual Baptists in Toronto, written by department chair Carol Duncan, will be one of the books launched.

It is also going to be our first attempt at filming an event for later podcasting or posting on our site. I hope to include an interview with Carol as well as part of her reading, so for those of you who can’t make it, stay tuned!

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Thanks to the Waterloo Region Record and to Quill & Quire for articles outlining the campaign to save Al Purdy’s A-Frame. Just a reminder that you can donate money toward the project this weekend at the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival. Look for us on Publisher’s Way. You can receive a free copy of The More Easily Kept Illusions: The Poetry of Al Purdy with a minimum donation.

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So we built a house, my wife and I

                                     our house at a backwater puddle of a lake

                                     near Ameliasburg, Ont.

And that A-frame house, made out of second-hand lumber and original poetry, became the most famous writer’s house in the country. Hundreds of writers and their housemates found their way to Roblin Lake to visit the Purdys and talk about poetry and history while downing beer or wild grape wine. Coleridge and his friends had their lake country, and now the Canadian poets would have theirs. A lot of poetry and prose came out of that hard-to-find place.

To prevent its second-hand wood from ending up on someone’s scrap heap, and with the blessing and support of Eurithe Purdy, The Purdy A-frame project is raising funds to purchase and preserve the property, and establish a poet-in-residence program. For more information, to be added to the mailing list or to make a donation contact Jean Baird, 604 224 4898, jeanbaird@shaw.ca

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