Hugo Wong

B次元官网网址 staff

From Sept. 22-24, 14 Canadian authors from across the country will descend on the Mary Winspear Centre for the Sidney and Peninsula Literary Festival. This is the first of three author profiles.

For poet, philosopher and essayist Jan Zwicky, the natural world is a source of joy and inspiration, but also of pain B次元官网网址� both emotional and physical.

Outside her back door on Quadra Island is 140 acres of Crown land with trails that lead to a harbour and some old growth trees where she can see the main spine of Vancouver Island, which she calls B次元官网网址渟tunningly beautiful.B次元官网网址�

But like many islanders, who live close to nature and grow their own food, sheB次元官网网址檚 been dealing with a drought and has had to hand-water her vegetables for the past eight weeks B次元官网网址� a long and difficult process.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 often challenged for time, but I wouldnB次元官网网址檛 do it any other way,B次元官网网址� says Zwicky. B次元官网网址淚t keeps me honest.B次元官网网址�

Born in Mayerthorpe, Alta., Zwicky went to university in Calgary and Toronto, then taught philosophy at Princeton and the Universities of Alberta, Waterloo, New Brunswick, and Victoria before settling on Quadra Island 10 years ago with her husband, fellow poet Robert Bringhurst. However, the wilderness has always been a running theme in her work.

At this yearB次元官网网址檚 Sidney and Peninsula Literary Festival, Zwicky will be reading from her latest book of poetry, entitled The Long Walk. Zwicky says it reaches back to an earlier book, Songs for Relinquishing the Earth, which also deals with environmental devastation.

She says that the new book is darker in some ways given the environmental decline of the last 20 years, but has tried to include something transformative in the conclusion.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址榲e spent a lot of my life outdoors and learned as a child how the land speaks to us, supports us, loves us, and the fact that we as a culture are not caring enough is a great source of grief for me.B次元官网网址�

She does political work and teaches about environmental matters, but Zwicky says that B次元官网网址減oetry is the deep and direct expression of my love for the natural world and my concerns for it.B次元官网网址�

This is ZwickyB次元官网网址檚 first appearance at the Sidney and Peninsula Literary Festival, and Zwicky looks forward to hearing other authors read, because she says that poetry is meant to be read.

B次元官网网址淭he work has its origin in the live voice and when you speak it aloud thereB次元官网网址檚 less room for interpretation and doubt about what you might have meant.B次元官网网址�

Zwicky also looks forward to interacting with audience members, who she says B次元官网网址渂ring a very fine sort of listening.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淕enerally, IB次元官网网址檝e found people to be generous, articulate, and intelligent. IB次元官网网址檓 always humbled when they like it.

B次元官网网址淭hey often have interesting things they can tell me about connections in their own lives, and thatB次元官网网址檚 always moving for me.B次元官网网址�

For tickets and more information, visit