A memorable celebration for the EBSNS

The EBSNS marked its 30th anniversary with several events in Great Village last week. On Monday, 10 June, illustrator Emma FitzGerald (A Pocket of Time: The Poetic Childhood of Elizabeth Bishop) did a workshop with the students at the Great Village School. She reported that they all had fun painting what meant "home" to them. Alas, there are not photos.

On Friday, 14 June, the EBSNS held its AGM in the morning at the EB House. A small group gathered to the the society's necessary annual business. The surprise in this routine event was the presence of two poets/Bishop fans from Colorado: Alyse Knorr and Kate Partridge, who teach at Regis University in Denver. Their visit to Nova Scotia/Great Village coincided with the AGM. They not only sat in on the meeting, but they contributed delicious pastries to the lunch afterward, and participated in the "Room by Verse" tour of the house that happened in the afternoon!

Just after AGM business was finished, the final task of the morning was to draw the winning ticket of the EBSNS fund-raising raffle, to win a beautiful painting of the EB House by renowned Nova Scotia artist Susan Tooke. We were delighted that Kate agreed to do the draw. Her disinterested hand reached in the receptacle and pulled out the winning ticket: April Sharpe. April grew up in Great Village and in 2011 she portrayed Elizabeth Bishop during the EB Centenary Arts Festival that August. Everyone present were delighted that this young Great Villager won this lovely prize (and we were told that when April saw the painting, she really wanted it. Congratulations April!)

On Saturday morning, also at the EB House, Nova Scotia poet Brian Bartlett presented a lively PowerPoint talk about Bishop's Key West houses, based on his trip there in January. Another light lunch was served afterwards, followed by the cutting of an anniversary cake by Meredith Layton, one of the founding members of the EBSNS in 1994. Following lunch, British Columbia writer Leesa Dean presented a fascinating talk about The Filling Station, her novella in verse published by Gaspereau Press in 2022. Leesa and her family had the opportunity to stay at the EB House for a few days last week courtesy of the EBSNS.

Below are some photos from Friday and Saturday taken by Brenda Barry.

(Getting down to business: 2024 AGM.)

(Lunch is served. Good food and conversation.)

(Alyse and Meredith deep in conversation.)

(Room by Verse tour: "The Prodigal" in the study.)

(Room by Verse tour: "The Moose" on the verandah)

(Brian Bartlett talks about Bishop's Key West houses.)

(Leesa Dean reads from The Filling Station.)

(The cake! Thank you Margaret Congdon.)

(Meredith Layton cutting the cake.)

The EBSNS wishes to thank all those who bought raffle tickets and all those

who attended both days in Great Village.

We are now on our way to our next milestone: 40!!!