The Citizen, 2016-06-09, Page 19THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2016. PAGE 19.
Entertainment & Leisure
Atwood reading kicks off Munro Festival
One artist to another
Canadian Literary star Margaret Atwood, above, was part of
a special event held to open the Alice Munro Festival of the
Short Story last Thursday. The event, which was held at
Memorial Hall in Blyth, kicked off an entire weekend of
literary -centred events featuring numerous Canadian
authors. Atwood was introduced, and interviewed by fellow
author Merilyn Simonds, below, who also took part in other
festival events on the weekend. (Denny Scott photo)
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By Denny Scott
The Citizen
In what will go down as one of the
most memorable moments in the
history of the Alice Munro Festival
of the Short Story, Margaret Atwood
spoke to a nearly sold -out Memorial
Hall audience last Thursday to help
kick off the festival.
While this may have been
Atwood's first time in Blyth, in an
interview with The Citizen, she says
she's been told about Huron County
and its charms for years by her
friend, and Nobel Prize winner Alice
Munro.
For years, Atwood said, Munro
would bake pies for the Blyth
Festival, not seeking fanfare, but just
to help fundraise for the Festival.
The two have been friends for
years. Atwood said she first read
Munro in 1969 or 1970. She reached
out to the author, as there were no
writers' unions or festivals at the
time, and the two connected,
Atwood sleeping on Munro's floor
when the two spent time together.
Since then, the pair have kept in
touch, Atwood says. In fact, Munro
has, at times, taken to doing her best
Atwood impression.
To the nearly 400 people at
Memorial Hall on Thursday night,
Atwood said that readers have often
mistaken one for the other. Munro
told Atwood a story about a reader
on a train once asking her if she was
Margaret Atwood. Munro said she
was and spent the next 20 minutes
talking to the man about how she,
"Margaret Atwood", wrote her
books.
Atwood joked with the audience,
saying she looks forward to future
conversations with fans who confuse
her for Munro.
In her interview with The Citizen,
Atwood said she enjoyed attended
events like the Alice Munro Festival,
adding that it was her generation of
writers that invented festivals such
as the one hosted in North Huron.
With very few ways to get the
word out regarding their books,
writers began holding festivals and
readings, beginning in coffee houses
reading poetry in the late 1960s, she
said, and the movement continued to
grow from there.
The literary scene is a lot different
now, Atwood says, where it is easier
for authors to get the word out and
have their writing published, but
there are also far more writers.
Whether it's more or less difficult
than it was in the late 1960s and
early 1970s, she's not sure, although
today's writers, she said, feel it's a
tougher environment.
Atwood's Memorial Hall event
began with a reading from Stone
Mattress, a collection of short fiction
published by Atwood in 2014.
After the reading, Atwood sat
down to a conversation with fellow
author Merilyn Simonds about a
number of topics, with a focus on
her short fiction, fitting in the
themes of the Alice Munro Festival
of the Short Story.
Atwood also discussed the state of
the literary scene and how far it has
advanced for young, female writers,
compared to when Atwood and
Munro were up and coming
Canadian authors.
Streetfest coming
Continued from page 9
will determine the length of time
spent in the dunk tank. The dunk
tank will also be available
throughout the day. This will give
everyone a chance to dunk a friend,
or get dunked yourself.
This year's celebrities are Peter
Gusso from Part II Bistro, Jason
Rutledge from the Blyth Inn, and
Peter Smith, Project Director for
Blyth Arts and Cultural Initiative
14/19 Inc.
The U7 and U8 soccer tournament
at Sparling's soccer fields will be
ending just in time for the teams and
families to join the festivities and
enjoy a meal graciously sponsored
by the Sparling family.
Feel the heart and history of Blyth
and spend a day to remember, a day
that the BIA gives back to its
community. Raised funds will go
back into the community and the
beautification of the village's main
street.
11;
inanck
Make Your Own
Beer, Wine, Coolers
and Fruit Wine
(creye here
or al home.')
84 Kingston St.,
GODERICH
524-2323
She also discussed several future
projects — some further into the
future than others.
Atwood has recently completed
work on an adaptation for the
Hogarth Shakespeare Project, which
is a modern retelling of The Tempest
called Hag -Seed. She also recently
completed work on Angel Catbird, a
new graphic novel produced with
Dark Horse Comics.
Far into the future, however,
Atwood recently completed and
delivered her text for the Future
Library project, which is being
undertaken by Scottish artist Katie
Paterson.
Paterson has planted 1,000 trees in
an Oslo, Norway forest for a project
that won't see the light of day for
100 years.
The Future Library is asking one
noted author per year to contribute a
text — which Atwood says could be a
poem, a play, a novel or simply one
word — to the project, all to be
opened and printed in 100 years.
Atwood was the first to contribute
to the project, as the 2014 author.
The title of her text is Scribbler
Moon, but that's all she can tell
readers eager to get a peak at the
text.
Atwood's talk was extremely
well-received by those in
attendance, as she received a lengthy
ovation at its conclusion. She then
greeted dozens of fans in the
Bainton Art Gallery, signing books
for well over an hour.
• i
Happy Big One!
' Trish & Rob and
Amanda McClure
1
Love from your family a
Canadian %" Theatre
BLYTH
FESTIVAL
OUR BEAUTIFUL SONS:
REMEMBERING MATTHEW DINNING
Written by Christopher Morris I Directed by Gil Garratt
In 2006, young local Wingham man, Matthew Dinning, gave the ultimate
sacrifice in Afghanistan. A year later his only brother, Brendon, volunteered
for active service in the region. When the Canadian Forces called their
parents for direction, they were faced with a decision few of us can
fathom. A play about love of family, the search for bravery, and the always
complicated paths to manhood, motherhood, and peace.
REBECCAAUERBACH
TONY MUNCH
J.D. NICHOLSEN
For Tickets Call 519.523.9300 Toll Free 1.877.862.5984 or visit blythfestival.com
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