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Saturday 4 August 2012

AcornFest hour-by-hour updates : )

AcornFest updates Sunday morning: Aug. 5/12

Following are a couple of info emails I sent to EMC (local newspaper) journalist Judy Backus.

Hi Again Judy,
Still waking up after a long day of poetry festing yesterday. It might be worth mentioning in your article for EMC that Toronto videographer Henry Martinuk is recording all our "AcornFest" events. Henry is a widely respected media expert who is in the process of filming documentaries on other important Canadian cultural activities (yesterday he mentioned a current project on noted artist Charles Pachter). Nice to know that PurdyFest, all the poets, and Marmora and area are being recorded for posterity.
peace,
Chris

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Begin forwarded message:

From: Chris Faiers <zenriver@sympatico.ca>
Date: August 5, 2012 9:41:41 AM EDT
To: judy
subject: the poet from Quebec is Jim Larwill

Hi Judy,
You asked me during our interview yesterday about the "poet who came from Quebec". That's Jim Larwill (I think of Jim as an Ottawa poet, but he lives in Quebec in a cabin without running water on a small lake - a true rural shaman/poet!).

Jim presented a very well received paper at the Symposium on Milton Acorn and his Legacy yesterday. The doc should accompany this email.

Jim has attended the past 5 PurdyFests, where he acts as the 'kamp kommandant", helping the campers set up their tents, find the outhouse, build campfires (when the burn ban isn't in effect) and generally make everyone feel comfortable and welcome.

Jim is also the 'star' of every PurdyFest he attends - it was Jim who gave us the shaman chants and howl songs last summer, and it was Jim who gave the great performance of Milton Acorn's classic poem I SHOUT LOVE! yesterday at the dam reading.

Thanks for staying for the whole reading - I know you had other plans & obligations, so it's a credit to the poets that you stuck around, regardless  :  )

peace & poetry power!
Chris ... and Chase ... Wrfffffffffffffffffffffff!

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From: Chris Faiers <zenriver@sympatico.ca>
Date: August 4, 2012 11:01:29 AM EDT
To: anna yinSubject: Hi from AcornFest - Terry & Chris

Hi Anna,
It's almost 11 am on Saturday morning, & Terry and I have just had coffee at my little house. Last nite we had a great, but small, gathering for the potluck supper at ZenRiver. Jim Larwill arrived at noon, & then I met Terry at the Belle Vista Motel where He's* staying for the weekend & we drove out to ZRG for the evening.

After the potluck (& Shane Neilson & his family arriving at dusk to set up camp), Terry & I returned to Marmora to visit Joyce Wayne & her friend at the Marmora Inn. We shared a beer and then took them for a walk around Marmora so they'd be comfortable finding the library this morning for the symposium & the dam reading.

Everyone says hi to you - we miss having you & Jack & Jason to share stories & poetry at ZenRiver and here in Marmora.

Good luck on the 10th on your TV interview in Beijing!!! 

peace & poetry power!
Terry, Chris ... and Chase ... Wrffffffffffffffffffffffffff!


* Terry appreciates me deifying him with the capital "H"    ;  )




weather is fine, but still lively hot & dry
tomorrow may be very busy with the 2 group readings - will let you know

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Hi J & S,

We had 30+ at the dam, & then most people headed back to ZRG. I burned out after eating more of Dan's seafood delite, & just got home around 8:20. Shane & his family are at Dream as well somewhere.


Simplest directions to ZRG:

Turn west onto highway #7 (towards Ottawa). Drive a couple of kms to the flashing orange overhead lights (Deloro Road). Turn left onto Deloro Road & continue another couple of Kms to the hamlet of Deloro.

Everyone misses where the Deloro road turns sharply left onto the main street of Deloro. Not to worry - the road dead ends in a hundred yards if you miss the turn.

Return to the Deloro Road & drive thru the hamlet. Continue on the Deloro Road about another 7 or 8 kms to the even smaller hamlet of Malone.

Turn right onto MALONE QUARRY ROAD (it's dirt). ZenRiver is a hundred yards down the road on the left (by the bridge). There should be a whack of cars there tomorrow. We picked up another 3 or 4 or more campers at ZRG this aft at the dam reading & at the symposium.

Great day for Milt & CanPo!
thanks for presenting!

P&P!
C&C ... wffffff (very tired - about to nap)
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ACORNFEST SYMPOSIUM (PURDYFEST 2012): AGENDA

12:30 P.M. TO 2:30 P.M.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

William Shannon Room, Marmora Public Library

Chair: Terry Barker

Papers: 
Acorn the Shaman  Chris Faiers
Remembering Milton  Joyce Wayne
The Place of Acorn in Canadian Poetry  James Deahl (presented by Terry Barker)
Acorn and Pound  Jim Larwill
Miltn Acorn's Spiritual Experiences  Terry Barker

Presentations should last about 15 minutes, with 5 minutes following
each for questions. There will be a general discussion at the end
(time permitting).

Copies of the new Acorn Selected (In a Springtime Instant) are available from
the Chair for $20 (special reduced price). 


Notes: This is the handout of the agenda prepared by chairperson Terry Barker. I counted 19
present, but there may have been more, as several people arrived after the symposium began.

Attendees arrived from Toronto (Terry Barker, Henry Martinuk, Joyce Wayne & friend Sandy),
Quebec (Jim Larwill), Guelph (Shane Neilson), Ottawa (Pearl and Brian Pirie), Marmora
(Morley Ellis, Gail Taylor, John Hamley, Chris Faiers), Kingston, Cobourg area (Tai Grove), plus Anna Plesums (distant small town Ontario). Apologies for others whose names I don't know (or
remember properly).

We arranged ourselves in round robin fashion around card tables pulled into a small square. Interaction was positive and often, and I hope our symposium will help lead to the resurrection of
Milton Acorn's proper place as the most important Canadian poet of the 20th century (as proclaimed by Joyce Wayne - and the consensus of most present).

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Plesums,

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