PEI Writers' Guild 2010 Calendars on Sale!
Throughout the spring and summer of 2009 PEI Writers' Guild board members worked hard to create a cultural product that celebrated contemporary Island writers and the Writers' Guild's 20th Anniversary, that was useful, and that could be sold to raise funds for 2010 PEIWG programming.
Now only $5.00!
Copies of the calendar can be purchased at Timothy's World Coffee on University Avenue, the UPEI Robertson Library, the PEI Council of the Arts, the Voluntary Resource Council, or by emailing peiwritersguild@gmail.com,
If your department, faculty, or organization wants to purchase a large quantity of the calendars for Christmas gifts or promotions (over 20 copies), there is a further discount. (Please contact Yvette at 892-9788 for details.)
Frank Ledwell
Frank Ledwell was born at St. Peter’s Bay in 1930. During his life he was husband and father extraordinaire, Professor Emeritus of the University of Prince Edward Island, past PEI Poet Laureate, teacher, poet, and storyteller. Frank was also active in community work and was a man who showed great kindness towards all. He was considered Prince Edward Island’s unofficial Poet Laureate for decades before he was officially so named. Frank’s term was extended from its initial period, beginning in 2004, until 2007.
Frank profoundly inspired generations of students during his years at UPEI. His focus and listening skills were extraordinary, as was his ability to get to the heart of story and poem and to communicate his understanding through judicious and gentle questioning. Frank was first recipient of the Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Literary Arts. His first book, Portraits and Gastroscopes, was published in l972, and many books of poetry and prose followed. His last book was The Taste of Water (2006). Along with fiddler Roy Johnstone. Frank recorded a CD of spoken word, poetry, and song. Frank Ledwell celebrated the Island’s landscape and its people and heritage. As Allan Rankin puts it, “Frank’s voice is always true. He remembers with his heart.”
Frank Ledwell was a committed supporter of the PEI Writers’ Guild, and we miss his presence, his wisdom, and his humour.
All except three of these photographs were taken at Rock Barra Artist retreat, owned by Sam Sniderman and managed by Teresa Doyle, who kindly allowed us to use this secluded location. The PEIWG was fortunate to have John Sylvester, one of PEI’s most respected photographers, take these pictures of Writers’ Guild members on this stunning coastal property. Graphic design artist Deborah Vail-Waring took John’s sometimes serious, sometimes playful images and crafted this stunning art calendar. One of our long-time sponsors, Kwik Kopy Design & Print Centre, worked with Deborah on the final product and printed the calendar at a reduced rate. A Milton Acorn poem titled “The Figure in the Landscape Made the Landscape” provided the source for the calendar’s name.
We are grateful to our members, community supporters like you, and the Provincial Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour for helping us to do what we do on behalf of Islanders. We send out a big thanks to all of our PEI Writers’ Guild members, who participated by donating their time, submitting writing, and posing for pictures—sometimes in the almost-nude—so that we could have all sorts of figures in the landscape!
Whether they are writers or not, perhaps all Islanders identify with the edges of our shared geography—land, sea, sky: the wind scented with seaweed, lilacs and wild roses; the days coloured by yellow sunrises and washed by late afternoon’s perfect light, ringing with fog horn and channel bell and fiddle notes.
In his poem “John of the Island,” Frank Ledwell says:
-
Here I am at home.
-
I know every curve in the road.
-
I know the red back roads
-
and the green hills. It is the red
-
and green I love and the salt sea
-
scent in the ocean air.
-
I do not need a map to tell me
-
I am here.
The PEI Writers’ Guild has a Charitable Tax Number to issue tax-deductible receipts for donations. The funds raised through this calendar will go towards the Pen & Inkling Festival, and 2010 programming such as Writers in the Schools.
