A crowd of friends, family, and Fraser Valley Poets Society members were on hand Monday, September 8th, to launch Encouragement: Writings by Donna Bishop with tributes and poems by friends.
Donna’s cab was late and it felt like waiting for the bride! A round of applause met her entry and the program began. President Brayden Sawatzky led off by welcoming everyone and reading a poem (notice the vintage Poets Potpourri buttons on his hat).
Editor of the book Alvin Ens explained how he assembled the book by consulting with Donna and her family, looking through old PPS anthologies, contacting former members, and canvassing all and sundry for photos.
Violet Nesdoly, co-editor, talked about the member poems section and read snippets to show the book’s variety and whet readers’ appetites for more.
Rhonda Nicholls, Donna’s daughter, expressed her family’s thanks for the work put into the book by FVPS members. “You managed to capture the essence of who Mom is,” she told Ens.
Then Donna took the mic and, after opening comments, read selections from Encouragement. Just two weeks shy of her 90th birthday, her voice was strong, her reading clear, and she kept us all spellbound.
Shelley Haggard and Jaye Low (one of PPS’s former presidents) rounded out the first half of the evening by giving Donna their congratulations and reading.
Break time was taken up with photos, reunions, book sales and food!
During the second half of the program, FVPS contributors read their tributes or poems from the anthology part of the book. A long-time family friend concluded the evening with his memories and warm congratulations. The time to disband came much too soon!
Our 2014 Blue Moon Reading Series concludes with a final reading on October 6th when Brayden Sawatzky and Bridget Porter Oldale will launch a book. Mark your calendars and plan to celebrate with us the birth of another volume of Canadian poetry!
Fraser Valley Poets Society 