Poets at Home - the Al Purdy A-frame Writer in Residence program

the A-frame will soon be home to writers

As my father would have said "I wouldn't have given much for its chances". For years we thought we were about to lose Al and Eurithe Purdy's A-frame, that poetic landmark on Roblin Lake, to demolition or developers. Now, thanks to heroic effort by Jean Baird and friends, the A-frame has been purchased, is being renovated, and in July 2014, will welcome its first writer in residence Katherine Leyton. 

The 2014/15 writers in residence were announced at an event organized by our own Duncan Patterson and  held on January 20 at the Monarch Tavern in Toronto. An  interview with Katherine was posted by Lesley Kenny on her Descant blog. That was the post that led to the now-famous response by RW...but that's another story.

the deck will be rebuilt and filled with life

the sun will soon shine again on the writing room

This post is about the have-to-pinch-myself-to-be-sure-it's-real feeling when I stop to think that there will be writers once again living at the A-frame. Writing. Interacting with the community. Holding readings on the deck.

 Katherine will be the host of the Second Annual Purdy Picnic which will be held in Ameliasburgh on Saturday July 26. Jean Baird introduces Katherine in this interview posted on the APAFA website.



And those writers in residence? Here's the complete line-up of writers who will be living and working at the A-frame in 2014/15: Katherine Leyton, Sue Sinclair, Nick Thran, Kath MacLean, Laurie Graham, Rob Taylor and Helen Guri. 




*There was another great interview with Katherine by Lesley Kenny in 'Canadian Women in the Literary Arts' online.