Notice of Meeting
Date: Thursday, October 19, 2017
Time: 7:30 pm
Place: Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC Campus, 515 West Hastings Street (between Seymour and Richards Streets) in the Diamond Lounge
Speaker: James Felton
Topic: “You’re Not Mad; You’re a Poet”
Outline:
The talented yet much-maligned Susan Musgrave is a prolific author who has published in the genres of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and children’s literature. She has also flourished as a newspaper columnist, an editor, a lyricist, and most recently, a cook book author. But with over 20 volumes of poetry, more than anything else she is regarded as one of Canada’s preeminent poets.
Musgrave has given James Felton her blessing to compile a bibliography of her entire canon of writing. In this presentation, James will provide a brief overview of her reputation as a writer (and her oftentimes controversial life) while sharing examples of her literary talent. You’re Not Mad, You’re a Poet is the working title of Felton’s manuscript.
Brief Biography:
With a degree in English Literature from the University of Guelph, James Felton’s undergraduate thesis examined the work of one of Canada’s preeminent poets, P.K. Page. He is currently compiling an annotated and illustrated bibliography of West Coast poet, Susan Musgrave. In spite of this very scholarly endeavour, he harbours a healthy disdain for academia.
Felton also runs Poetic Justice, a long-running poetry reading series that is relocating to the Central Branch of the Vancouver Public Library with its inaugural reading this month. The series offers up themed readings and showcases both emerging and established poets.
He has been a poetry crusader throughout his working career in the travel industry and life as an entrepreneur and real estate investor. Today he is starting a new life as an online bookseller after collecting Canadian Literature first editions since the early 80s. Originally from South Africa, Felton has just celebrated a 50-year sojourn in Canada.
Last Meeting:
Anne Marie Samarasinghe gave a thoughtful and heartfelt presentation of her genealogical study of certain Sri Lankan families. She explained what impelled her to begin this research, why it was so important for her to do it to the highest possible standards and how she had to learn languages and travel extensively to different continents to make sure that the information was historically accurate and properly portrayed. She also explained that this type of genealogy and the use of the records, the way that she has used them, is a pioneering effort in South East Asian communities. She was able to weave together personal family and national histories such that everyone in attendance not only related to these stories but was able to add their own particular stories to the dialogue of family histories.
Notice:
This is our first meeting of the fall term and we have two more: November 16th, and December 7th. Please mark your calendars.
If you have any questions, please contact Mark Dwor…604-662-3908…mark@northeastcorner.ca
