As of today, 4 December 2015, the ownership of the Elizabeth
Bishop House in Great Village,
Nova Scotia, had changed. Eleven
years ago, I and a group of Nova Scotians and Americans bought the house.
During that time we welcomed countless Bishop pilgrims, hosted dozens of events
and provided a place of respite for many artists. It was a great privilege to
take care of Elizabeth Bishop’s childhood home and to share its magic with so
many amazing people from around the world. It has been difficult to let go, but
I truly believe that the spirits of the house and the good will of the
wonderful residents of Great
Village will work their
magic on the new owner.
As Bishop wrote in “The Imaginary Iceberg”: “Good-bye, we
say, good-bye, the ship steers off / where waves give in to one another’s waves
/ and clouds run in a warm sky.” It is good-bye, but only for us. The fact is,
the house isn’t going anywhere. It has been “docked,” at its home port, for
over 150 years, and doesn’t show any signs of wanting to travel. I wish the new
owner as many joys and delights as I have known in this dear old house.
(The pantry, my favourite room, June 2015)
I am honoured to have had stewardship of such an important
site of pilgrimage, a home I tended to the best of my ability for over a
decade. It is my intention to write about my personal experiences at the house,
and I will share those reminiscences here at some point during the winter.
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