On Oct. 10 York’s Canadian Writers in Person course and reading series presented Rosemary Sullivan, celebrated poet and biographer of Elizabeth Smart, Gwendolyn MacEwen and Margaret Atwood. Series organizer John Unrau of the English Department, Atkinson School of Arts &
Letters, sent the following report of the evening:
“Rosemary Sullivan read from her new book Labyrinth of Desire: Women, Passion and Romantic Obsession, and from her book of poems The Bone Ladder. The class of 70 was augmented by another 80 or so members of the public. A spirited and often humorous discussion between author and audience followed the reading.
Among topics aired: the life history of a typical romantic affair; the openness of women in sharing details about intimate matters, including “The Hot Thing”; the relationship between longing, sexual frustration, and creativity. Sullivan spent a half hour after the reading signing books and speaking individually to members of the audience.
The next reading in the series, by Norman Kester, will take place on Thursday Oct. 24 at 7:30pm in Stedman Lecture Hall D. He will read from From Here to District Six: A South African Memoir.”
The Canadian Writers in Person Reading Series has a line-up of 12 public readings by some of Canada’s most important writers for the 2002-2003 season. The readings are on Thursday evenings with a question period and book signing following. Ten readings remain in this year’s series.
The readings, which are free and open to the public, are also part of an introductory course on Canadian literature.