Home
COMMEMORATION OF WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN PAT LOWTHER’S 73RD BIRTHDAY
I organized the eighth birthday tribute to the late Pat Lowther, "Earth, Air, Stone and Pat Lowther,"; on July 30, 2008, at Mother Tongue Books in Ottawa. Had she been allowed to live out her life in the usual way, Pat would have celebrated her 73rd birthday on July 29.
Six Ottawa poets paid tribute to Pat by reading their work and hers while emphasizing a green theme. Participating poets were: Ronnie Brown, Michelle Desbarats, Colin Morton, Susan McMaster, Susan Robertson and E. Russell Smith. The bookstore was filled to overflowing with standing room only available by the end. The Program was as follows:
Ronnie Brown
Pat's poems: "The Dig,"; "May Chant";
Ronnie's poems: "April's Fools,"; "Fall 1942,"; "Dream Catcher,"; "Border Notations";
Michelle Desbarats
Pat's poems: "Song,"; "Coast Range";
Michelle's poems: "Dish,"; "Lessons in Invisibility,"; "What Visited";
Susan McMaster
Pat's poem: "Notes from Furry Creek";
Susan's poems: "Asking Only";, "Old Cedar,"; "Lately She Remembers: January Sleet";
Colin Morton
Pat's poems: "Anemone";, "Octopus";, "Hermit Crabs,"; "Craneflies in Their Season";
Colin's will read poem sequences from "The Local Cluster"; and "Boundary Issues";
Susan Robertson and Toby Brooks reading together part of
Pat's poem: "In the Continent Behind My Eyes";
Susan's poems: "Landscape";, "Eight Day Pickles,"; "Roxa Counts Her Eggs";
E. Russell Smith
Pat's poems: "Riding Past,"; "Moving South"; "Early Winters";
Russell's poems: "Black Ice," ";Why We Stand Facing South,"; Winter Reigns";
Open Mike
Betty Warrington-Kearsley
Gillian Wallace
Because I consider "In the Continent Behind My Eyes"; Pat's hallmark poem, Susan Robertson and I read part of that long poem together. In this poem, Pat guides us along the workings of her mind, considers both the natural and urban landscape, and struggles to project her mind into what it would have been like to live as the Ice Age approached. She mentions her "great brother."; Although she does not name him, readers of her work will recognize that it is Pablo Neruda, the late Chilean poet. The poem also has childhood recollections and some surprising puns such as, asking the wind to hone her "into a blade of glass"; giving pause to Walt Whitman lovers.
BACKGROUND
As you probably know that Pat Lowther was just becoming recognized as a poet, when she was murdered by her husband, Roy Lowther. He was an aspiring poet and there is reason to believe that he was jealous of her growing success. While her first two books had been published by small presses, in 1975, at the time of her death, Pat was negotiating with Oxford University Press for publication of her third book, A Stone Diary.
The book was released in 1977.
It took several years for Pat's friends in the poetry community to recover from their distress. When the grief had cleared a little, in 1981, The League of Canadian Poets (TLCP) created the Pat Lowther Award for the best book of poetry written by a woman that year. The award is announced at TLCP's Annual Meeting.
HISTORY OF THE TRIBUTES
In 1995, with the help of Blaine Marchand, I organized the first Pat Lowther Tribute, held at the League AGM. That was a strong experience for me as I met Pat's youngest daughter, Christine Lowther. I came away from the experience knowing that I had to write Pat's biography. It was published by gynergy books in 2000. The next two birthday tributes were held in private gardens in Toronto. The year 2004, saw Mother Tongue Books hosting the event. Then in 2005, at the suggestion of Seymour Mayne, we organized Coast-to-Coast Birthday Readings to celebrate her 70th birthday. The readings took place in St. John's, Newfoundland, organized by Michelle Butler Hallett; Ottawa, organized by Susan Robertson; Edmonton, organized by Alice Major; and a big one at The Vancouver Public Library, with many of Pat's relatives attending. It is my intention that these readings build toward a major tribute to Pat in 2010, the year that she would have turned 75. The Feminist Caucus of The League of Canadian Poets is exploring the idea of sponsoring the reading in 2010.
These tributes serve to enhance the memory of a silenced Canadian poet who is like the character in her poem, "Woman On/Against Snow";
She says stubbornly nothing
but poems come from her hands:
Six Ottawa poets paid tribute to Pat by reading their work and hers while emphasizing a green theme. Participating poets were: Ronnie Brown, Michelle Desbarats, Colin Morton, Susan McMaster, Susan Robertson and E. Russell Smith. The bookstore was filled to overflowing with standing room only available by the end. The Program was as follows:
Ronnie Brown
Pat's poems: "The Dig,"; "May Chant";
Ronnie's poems: "April's Fools,"; "Fall 1942,"; "Dream Catcher,"; "Border Notations";
Michelle Desbarats
Pat's poems: "Song,"; "Coast Range";
Michelle's poems: "Dish,"; "Lessons in Invisibility,"; "What Visited";
Susan McMaster
Pat's poem: "Notes from Furry Creek";
Susan's poems: "Asking Only";, "Old Cedar,"; "Lately She Remembers: January Sleet";
Colin Morton
Pat's poems: "Anemone";, "Octopus";, "Hermit Crabs,"; "Craneflies in Their Season";
Colin's will read poem sequences from "The Local Cluster"; and "Boundary Issues";
Susan Robertson and Toby Brooks reading together part of
Pat's poem: "In the Continent Behind My Eyes";
Susan's poems: "Landscape";, "Eight Day Pickles,"; "Roxa Counts Her Eggs";
E. Russell Smith
Pat's poems: "Riding Past,"; "Moving South"; "Early Winters";
Russell's poems: "Black Ice," ";Why We Stand Facing South,"; Winter Reigns";
Open Mike
Betty Warrington-Kearsley
Gillian Wallace
Because I consider "In the Continent Behind My Eyes"; Pat's hallmark poem, Susan Robertson and I read part of that long poem together. In this poem, Pat guides us along the workings of her mind, considers both the natural and urban landscape, and struggles to project her mind into what it would have been like to live as the Ice Age approached. She mentions her "great brother."; Although she does not name him, readers of her work will recognize that it is Pablo Neruda, the late Chilean poet. The poem also has childhood recollections and some surprising puns such as, asking the wind to hone her "into a blade of glass"; giving pause to Walt Whitman lovers.
BACKGROUND
As you probably know that Pat Lowther was just becoming recognized as a poet, when she was murdered by her husband, Roy Lowther. He was an aspiring poet and there is reason to believe that he was jealous of her growing success. While her first two books had been published by small presses, in 1975, at the time of her death, Pat was negotiating with Oxford University Press for publication of her third book, A Stone Diary.
The book was released in 1977.
It took several years for Pat's friends in the poetry community to recover from their distress. When the grief had cleared a little, in 1981, The League of Canadian Poets (TLCP) created the Pat Lowther Award for the best book of poetry written by a woman that year. The award is announced at TLCP's Annual Meeting.
HISTORY OF THE TRIBUTES
In 1995, with the help of Blaine Marchand, I organized the first Pat Lowther Tribute, held at the League AGM. That was a strong experience for me as I met Pat's youngest daughter, Christine Lowther. I came away from the experience knowing that I had to write Pat's biography. It was published by gynergy books in 2000. The next two birthday tributes were held in private gardens in Toronto. The year 2004, saw Mother Tongue Books hosting the event. Then in 2005, at the suggestion of Seymour Mayne, we organized Coast-to-Coast Birthday Readings to celebrate her 70th birthday. The readings took place in St. John's, Newfoundland, organized by Michelle Butler Hallett; Ottawa, organized by Susan Robertson; Edmonton, organized by Alice Major; and a big one at The Vancouver Public Library, with many of Pat's relatives attending. It is my intention that these readings build toward a major tribute to Pat in 2010, the year that she would have turned 75. The Feminist Caucus of The League of Canadian Poets is exploring the idea of sponsoring the reading in 2010.
These tributes serve to enhance the memory of a silenced Canadian poet who is like the character in her poem, "Woman On/Against Snow";
She says stubbornly nothing
but poems come from her hands:
Submitted on August 13, 2008 in By David.
