Literature: Canada at its Finest

Good afternoon my dear readers! The clock doesn't stop for us, but at least once in a while we manage to get one extra hour; an occurrence which is happening this weekend. It either means more sleep, or more likely, more time to read! For this entry, I wanted to say a little bit about the amazing experience of going to see Jane Urquhart and Margaret Atwood roughly two weeks ago. I can't believe how quickly the time passes by, which is why I never miss a chance (if I can help it) to meet some of the people I idolize the most.

   I have had the chance to meet Atwood over 5 years ago when she celebrated her birthday in Sudbury, but this time, the setting was a little more intimate, and I went with my roommate who's as big of fan of Margaret (if not a bigger fan than I am), which made it all the more fun. I was simply ecstatic to meet Urquhart since I fell in love with her writing during my second year at university. I had just finished binge reading her novel AWAY, and I couldn't get enough of her. I later one freaked out when I fond out that she had been one of the guest Authors that took part in uOttawa Writer in Residence program (even if this happened long before I attended the school). They were both releasing new books; Atwood was promoting her new book "Hagseed", which is her interpretation of Shakespeare's The Tempest. Urquhart was presenting "A Number of Things", her compilation of 50 objects that she found represented Canada for it's 150th anniversary. It was awe-inspiring to see two Canadian women who are intelligent, worldly and witty. They represent everything that I ever aspire to be, which made each night incredible.

   I could have also entitled this entry "What to say when meeting your idol" or rather, "What NOT to say when meeting your idol" because even after 4 years in an English literature degree, both Nicole and I struggled to find the words (or the right words) to express to our heroes how much we appreciated their presence and their contribution to the craft we spent so much of our time studying. Both nights were filled with emotion, and they will forever be burned into my memory. Never miss the chance my dearest readers to meet the people you look up to; it will either restore your motivation, or ignite your next big idea that had been waiting for the spark.

 

(PS. I stole a couple of pictures from my roommate to complete the collection, so props to her!)

K.P.H.