Spotted today at The Fidddlehead office

It's officially spring here in New Brunswick, and now we have photographic evidence. We spotted this industrious groundhog today outside The Fiddlehead office window.

It must have got word our Spring issue is here! That's right -- we're preparing for the mail out now. Look for issue no. 255 soon in your mailbox, and come back soon for the announcement of our 22nd annual contest winners!

The Best Canadian Poetry 2012

It's still national poetry month, so we thought we give a long overdue shout out to The Fiddlehead poets who made it into The Best Canadian Poetry 2012 anthology published by Tightrope Books!

Six poets who first appeared in our pages made the final cut. Congratulations to Medrie Purdum ("Bear Room"), Shane Rhodes ("Paperweight"), and Ian Williams ("Missed Connection") from Winter 2011 (no. 246); Geoffrey Cook ("The Breakup of the Ice") from Spring 2011 (no. 247); Anita Lahey ("Care Package") and Ricardo Sternberg ("Blues") from Autumn 2011 (no. 249).

Still more poems from The Fiddlehead contributors made the long list. Kudos to Craig Poile ("Consumation"), Darryl Whetter ("The Softer Fossils..."), and Shoshanna Wingate ("Spring") all from our Spring 2011 issue (no. 247). And from our Autumn 2011 issue (no. 249), congrats to Shane Neilson ("Perfect Fatherhood").

Elizabeth Brewster Memorial This Week

Please join the UNB community as we remember Elizabeth Brewster (1922-2012). A special memorial will be held this Wednesday, April 24 at 4 pm in the Alumni Memorial Building, 13 Bailey Drive on the UNB campus in Fredericton. The memorial will be followed by a reception and, for those who wish, a visit to Elizabeth Brewster's gravesite at the Fredericton Forest Hill Cemetery. 

Brewster earned a BA from UNB in 1946 and was a founding member of The Fiddlehead; she received an honourary doctorate from UNB in 1982. She is the author of over 30 books of poetry, prose, essays, and memoirs. She is a member of the Order of Canada, a recipient of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal, and a professor emeritus of the University of Saskatchewan.

All are welcome to attend. Click on the Memorial Flier for more details.

Elizabeth Brewster 1922-2012

Photo of Elizabeth Brewster courtesy
of Archives Canada. Used with permission.

There will be a special memorial for Elizabeth Brewster next week to acknowledge her special connection to the University of New Brunswick and her literary legacy. It will take place at 4pm on Wednesday, April 24 in the Alumni Memorial Building, 13 Bailey Drive on the UNB campus in Fredericton.

In The Fiddlehead's spring issue, due back from the printers very soon, we commemorate Brewster's career by reprinting several of Brewster's early poems that appeared in The Fiddlehead. Also appearing in no. 255 is a thoughtful essay about Brewster written by current UNB graduate student Chasity St. Louis. We're pleased to reproduce Chasity's piece, "Where We Come From: Elizabeth Brewster's Literary Legacy" here on our blog.

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Elizabeth (Betty) Winifred Brewster passed away December 26, 2012 at the age of ninety. An early member of the Bliss Carman Society, she contributed greatly to the founding of The Fiddlehead. Her death marks nine decades of literary involvement and excellence.

Brewster was born August 26, 1922 in the small logging town of Chipman, New Brunswick. Delivered by one of her grandmothers and given the name of the other who was on her deathbed at the time of her birth, she had a less than prosperous early childhood. Both of her parents were unemployed at the time of her birth, and the family lived a fairly nomadic lifestyle, migrating from one relative’s home to another until her parents found better paying positions at an army canteen during the war.

Brewster was kept out of school for a few years because she was physically frail and considered to be intellectually behind. However, this did not get in the way of her own personal education. An avid reader from a young age, she read anything, from literary classics to the pages of the Eaton’s catalogue, even epitaphs on grave markers when other material was unavailable. Brewster began writing poetry around the age of nine or ten. Her burgeoning talent did not go unnoticed — when she was only twelve, one of the poems her father submitted to Saint John’s Telegraph-Journal was published.

Farewell Reading for UNB Writer-in-Residence Joan Clark

The University of New Brunswick would like to invite you to Joan Clark's farewell reading as writer-in-residence. The reading will take place on Wednesday, April 10 at 8pm in the Alumni Memorial Lounge, University of New Brunswick.

Ross Leckie, editor of The Fiddlehead, will also be reading.

Joan Clark is a Member of the Order of Canada and the author of two short story collections, four novels, six novels for younger readers, and three picture books. She lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Admission is free and all are welcome to attend.

April is National Poetry Month

Celebrate the 15th annual National Poetry Month!

The League of Canadian Poets established national poetry month in April 1999. Their goal, according to the LPC website, is to "expand and educate poetry audiences, especially young audiences, and to increase the profile of poetry and poets, while boosting sales of Canadian poetry books. National Poetry Month has inspired an increase in reading, writing and teaching of Canadian poetry. National, provincial and regional media report on many National Poetry Month events, review poetry books and interview poets."

Who said April is the cruelest month? For more information, visit the website.

Elizabeth Brewster Memorial to be Held Wednesday, April 24

Please join the UNB community as we remember Elizabeth Brewster. A special memorial will be held at 4pm on Wednesday, April 24 in the Alumni Memorial Building, 13 Bailey Drive on the UNB campus in Fredericton. The memorial will be followed by a reception and, for those who wish, a visit to Elizabeth Brewster's gravesite at the Fredericton Forest Hill Cemetery.

Brewster earned a BA in 1946 and was a founding member of The Fiddlehead; she received an honourary doctorate from UNB in 1982. She is the author of over 30 books of poetry, prose, essays, and memoirs. She is a member of the Order of Canada and holder of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal. She is a professor emeritus of the University of Saskatchewan

Click on the Memorial Flier above for more details.