THE 10th INTERNATIONAL MULTICULTURAL-MULTILINGUAL POETRY READING
in conjunction with
The United Nation’s Dialogue Among Civilizations Through Poetry,
World Poetry Day (March 21), World Water Day (March 22)
and Mother Language Day (21 February)
Organized to foster tolerance, respect and cooperation among peoples
Theme: Transparency / Transparence / Transparencia
20 March 2010
Two participants of the Frye Academy Awards, Sébastien Lord and Katie Robertson from l’Odyssée High School.
The second and final “Battle of the Books” of the 2010 Frye Academy Award will be fought on Wednesday, March 17th, in Moncton. An evening of dynamic and interesting debate between 18 passionate young readers!
Participants will choose a winner between graphic novel George Sprott (1894-1975) by Seth and French novel Tarmac
by Nicolas Dickner. It’s an event not to miss at the Aberdeen Cultural Centre Café starting at 6:30 pm. The public is invited to take part in the bilingual discussion. Admission is free.
The Frye Academy Award is a component of the Frye Festival’s School-Youth Program. During the first debate on January 26th, participants, who attend English and French high schools in the area, preferred Hadassa by Myriam Beaudoin over The Gum Thief, by Douglas Coupland even though the latter was the favourite contender at the beginning of the evening. “The students really got into the project and we are delighted by their enthusiasm and motivation, says Rachelle Dugas, interim Executive Director for the Frye Festival. Read more »
Responsibility
There was a time, seems so long ago
When I felt I had been set aside
That no one cared, no man or spirit
I walked alone and alone I cried
That time now is done and gone
I’ve listened and I’ve learned
About life and all its vagaries
And have that for which I yearned
I can’t undo mistakes I’ve made
Nor retrieve hurts I may have caused
But will strive to not e’er repeat them
Keeping in mind all of God’s laws
As I travel the roads of life’s journey
Trying to avoid the pitfalls I find
It occurs to me, I have a duty to share
All that I’ve seen, with all mankind
I charge then, all my brethren
And those with more knowledge than I
To always remember the axiom, old
“There, but for the Grace of God, Go I”
–Charles E. Frost
Please come out and enjoy 12 hours of wonderful music starting with the Miramichi youth at 12noon. Food will be available on site. Our very own Dr. Tiffany Keenan is in Haiti helping with the relief effort. Lets all show our support!
Donations of sandwiches and sweets are welcome. This event is being completely supported by donations from local businesses and volunteers so all the money being raised will go to Haiti. Several businesses will be making donations that day. If there is anyone else who plans to make a presentation, could you please contact me at 622 -1780 or e–mail bb2@nb.sympatico.ca. Receipts will be available for donations over $20.00.
Thank you for your continued support,
Susan Butler, C.M.,O.N.B., Coordinator for Miramichi Cares
Award-winning author K.V. Johansen is to be a guest at the 22nd International Book Fair in Skopje, the Republic of Macedonia, this April. There, she will attend the launch of the Macedonian translation of her children’s fantasy novel, Torrie and the Snake-Prince, which is published by Vermilion as Тори и принцот-змија. Johansen, a scholar who has written two books on the history of children’s fantasy literature, will also be taking part in a panel discussion on fantasy literature in Canada and Macedonia with Macedonian academic Vlada Ursevic.
On her way to Macedonia, Johansen will be stopping over in Vienna, Austria, for the launch of her latest book, The Shadow Road, the conclusion to her Warlocks of Talverdin quartet. The first book in this fantasy series for teens, Nightwalker, was included in VOYA’s Best Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror List 2007, was an Ontario Library Association Top Ten Best Bets book for 2007, and was also the winner of the 2008 Ann Connor Brimer Award.
For more information on the tour or Johansen’s works, please visit her website at: www.pippin.ca.
Interim Executive Director, Rachelle Dugas, and Festival Chair, Dawn Arnold, during this morning’s News Conference.
Canada’s only bilingual international literary festival is heading into its second decade and has again attracted some of the world’s best authors to Moncton. The Festival unveiled its line-up today for the 2010 edition which will be held from April 19-25 in Moncton, NB. These renowned authors will ALL meet with students in their classrooms and auditoriums; they will conduct workshops, participate in on-stage conversations, chat with booklovers in book clubs, and feed imaginations of all ages.
“The Frye Festival has grown and flourished in the last ten years thanks to our many partners, sponsors, volunteers, and a great team. We are set to enter this new decade on excellent footing,” says Festival Chair, Dawn Arnold. “We have been privileged to witness many memorable moments over the last ten years and literature has gained great grounds in our schools, among our youth, and throughout our entire community.” There is truly something for everyone at this year’s Festival,” says Arnold and “there is no need to read the books in advance, we promise there will be no tests!” Read more »
The public is invited to attend the first battle of the books of the 2010 Frye Academy Award, on Tuesday, January 26, at 6:30 pm at the Aberdeen Cultural Centre café in Moncton. Thrown in the ring: Hadassa by Myriam Beaudoin and The Gum Thief by Douglas Coupland. A panel of young readers will discuss these Canadian books in a debate setting. The Frye Academy Award is a component of the Frye Festival’s School/ Youth Program.
This first of two public events surrounding the 2010 Frye Academy Award will be hosted by filmmaker and avid reader, Renée Morel, who will act as moderator for the debate. The public will be invited to take part in the discussion and comment on the books featured that night. The event will take place in English and in French in a dynamic atmosphere. All of the members of the jury are bilingual, passionate about reading, and have read the books in their original language of publication. Read more »
A Priceless Christmas Gift
Faded tinsel from an ancient box too long in the attic,
Delicate glass ornaments; most of them intact,
One screw missing from the old tree stand,
Red paint worn off most of the lights,
The fragrant scent of the fir tree
Permeates the warm air in the little house.
She’s tired, but there’s a glint in her soft blue eyes.
With a heavy heart, she picks up
A paper snowflake, “To Mother With Love”
In uneven letters printed on the back.
Memories tug at her heartstrings.
They’re grown now; families of their own,
Life in the city drew them away from her
So very long ago it seems.
She watches snowflakes dancing outside the window,
As the fireplace crackles softly
A faint hint of wood smoke in the room,
Loneliness threatens to overwhelm her.
But squaring her shoulders, she presses play
On the old worn cassette player,
And Bing Crosby croons in the quiet room.
Smiling, she gently nudges her sweetheart,
He kind of looks like Santa, with his white hair and beard.
“Come on, Love, its Christmas Eve.”
He slowly rises from his rocking chair,
The years have not been kind to his aching joints.
But he knows this night is special to her, it always was.
Together, they decorate the four-foot tree.
It’s not much, but it’s all they need.
Each decoration has captured a memory.
At last they step back in admiration,
Their mission accomplished.
The little tree sparkles in the warm glow
Of the cosy brick fireplace,
His arm around her waist,
He gently pulls her to his side.
She leans into him and the world is right.
“Merry Christmas, my love, it’s the best tree ever.”
Smiling, she kisses his cheek.
He’s said those exact words for sixty years now.
She fixes them some warm eggnog,
While he puts another stick of wood in the fireplace,
They meet in the middle of the sofa,
He pulls a soft red afghan over their knees,
Soon they are wrapped in warm memories,
Of Christmases past,
They count their blessings,
Silently exchanging a precious gift –
Another Christmas together.
© Annabel Sheila, Moncton NB
by Kellie Underhill
Part 1 Part 5 Part 9
Part 2 Part 6 Part 10
Part 3 Part 7
Part 4 Part 8
A Peaceful Easy Feeling
Normally, Sammy would have thrown himself into the throng, but after so many days of being on the go he just wanted to relax. He needed to get off Main Street and find a quiet place by the river to collect his thoughts. He walked back to the bridge, went down to the river, jumped in and started to swim. The water always felt so good on his skin. He swam upstream, saw some cabins by the water and decided to have a closer look. There were a quite a few cottages, some larger than others. They were spread out for privacy and surrounded by grass and trees. It was beautiful, so peaceful and relaxing. A dirt road meandered from cottage to cottage and Sammy followed it until he came to a big cottage marked Office. He stepped onto the front porch just as the door opened and a woman rushed out. Read more »
by Kellie Underhill
Part 1 Click Here Part 6 Click Here
Part 2 Click Here Part 7 Click Here
Part 3 Click Here Part 8 Click Here
Part 4 Click Here Part 9 Click Here
Part 5 Click Here
Whooping It Up in Blackville
When he woke Sammy walked out to the main road. He looked left and right wondering which way to turn. To the left he saw a church on top of a hill. To his right there was a bridge and on the other side he could see a couple of buildings, one with a neon open sign in the window, the other with pictures of ice cream cones on the outside. Food! Sammy made a beeline for the bridge.
Inside Big E Chicken Sammy ordered a sub sandwich, which was a new menu item. He sat at a table by the window and tried to look inconspicuous, but none of the staff or other customers seemed to take any particular interest in him. He relaxed and enjoyed his food. Maybe the danger had passed. When he finished he went next door to the ice cream stand for a cool sweet treat and then sat on the patio basking in the sunshine. A teenaged boy with longish hair and baggy clothes was also sitting on the patio. “Excuse me,” Sammy said to the boy. “But I wondered if you could tell me where I might go around here to meet some people.” Read more »
Arts | Kellie Underhill | 
March 10, 2010 9:14 am | 
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