LEAGUE OF CANADIAN POETS
DATE: April 20, 2009
Press Release For Immediate Release:
ANNOUNCES AL PURDY DAY, APRIL 21, 2009
“It’s a great celebration today, by poets across Canada of the life, work and the Purdy A-Frame in Ameliasburgh, Ontario that Al Purdy left behind,” League of Canadian Poets President, D.C. Reid, said today. “No other poet is as deserving as Al Purdy for us to recognize as the most Canadian voice in poetry for more than half a century.”
Before passing in April 2000, Purdy, in his great, elegiac, laconic, voice of our land and country, had influenced generations of Canadian poets who were drawn to his small shack in the woods near Ameliasburgh, Ontario, to drink wild grape wine and write and talk and argue through the night about the poetry that has made Canada famous around the world.
Purdy went on to earn most of this country’s highest honours, including, two Governor General Awards, The Order of Ontario, and the Order of Canada. Had the office of Poet Laureate of Canada been previously created, he would have been the most natural first choice to represent culture in Canada. “The League of Canadian Poets created an honour shortly thereafter to award him the status that all knew he had attained: The Voice of The Land.”
Poets, academics, cultural officials have come together to pay tribute to the man and his many books and poems that have defined this country, including: Roblin Lake, The Quinte Hotel, Caribou Horses, Lament for the Dorsets, The Country North of Bellville, Trees at the Arctic Circle, Elegy for a Grandfather.… the list is very long, and ending with his final book: To Paris Never Again that proved he carried his abilities all the way to the end of his life. “Every poet has many Purdy stories, and mine was that it was great to read with him many times - the audiences were overflowing. But after, the line up for his books, was long, indeed, but not so long for others, both of which are understandable.”
“At the end, Al was surrounded by his books, and as though to carry them with him, he was rereading passages to memorize them one last time.” Reid said. And then he was gone. A special tribute to Al Purdy, the Al Purdy A-Frame Trust, supported by his surviving wife, Eurithe Purdy, is raising money to save the ramshackle home where so much of Canadian cultural history was discussed and written. “This is a project to save our heritage and preserve the A-Frame forever, along with the introduction of a writer in residence program.” Donations are gladly accepted by Trust sponsor, Jean Baird: jeandbaird@shaw.ca; Phone: 1-604-224-4898; Address: 4403West 11th Ave, Vancouver, BC, V6R 2M2.
The League of Canadian Poets is the national association of professional publishing and spoken word poets in Canada. Its purpose is to enhance the status of poets and nurture a professional poetic community to facilitate the teaching of Canadian poetry at all levels of education and to develop the audience for poetry by encouraging publication, performance and recognition of Canadian poetry nationally and internationally. For printable version click here.
Access Copyright Background: for League of Canadian Poets Members
History
Access Copyright is a not for profit agency created under legislation in 1988 (the first version was known as Cancopy) to collect revenue for owners of copyrighted text when their work is photo-copied. It was intended for authors and creators – and the Repertoire Payment, last year, $496, is sent out annually to writers whose work is not identified, but share in the money paid, largely by federal and provincial governments and the education system, under photo-copying licences granted by AC. Over the years, publishers have moved into the system and now only about 25% of the collective pie passes to writers – it was 100% at the beginning. Writers have complained for the past decade, including the League and Writers Union of Canada and this resulted, after much refusal, in a report being commissioned and written by Martin Friedland, a law professor with expertise in the legal, financial and statistical issues. For full history click here.
League of Canadian Poets Presentation to the Access Copyright Board
September 13, 2008 – D.C. Reid, President, Cathy Ford, LCP Rep to AC
Summary Statement
The government of Canada initiated photocopying royalties collective licensing in the 1980s to give creators more money for the culture they create for Canada. Over the years, the process has become badly skewed, to the point that today, only a handful of large publishers are receiving significant benefits. Writers and the small presses that publish most Canadian culture receive virtually nothing from the system, even after many years of sustained creator concern and the critical Friedland Report. It is time for the federal government to step back in, eliminate the disparities and help create a better system. For full report click here.
THE LEAGUE OF CANADIAN POETS
DATE: August 6, 2008
Press Release For Immediate Release:
CALLS FOR OVERHAUL OF ACCESS COPYRIGHT
The League of Canadian Poets, one of the original creator groups that called for the creation of a collective to administer reprography rights more than 20 years ago, is now calling for fundamental change at the agency. Reprogaphy rights are fees for photocopying original text and visuals levied on library, university, and corporate users.
"Creators have been expressing dissatisfaction with Access Copyright for some time, and we are concerned by the lack of real change," Dennis Reid, President of the League of Canadian Poets, said today. For full Press Release click here.
THE LEAGUE OF CANADIAN POETS
DATE: September 19, 2008
Press Release For Immediate Release:
CANADA’S CREATORS TELL ACCESS COPYRIGHT: YOU MUST CHANGE
In a historic meeting September 12, 2008 writers and other artists came from across Canada to voice their concerns with Access Copyright (AC). Meeting in Toronto, 14 representatives from the 18 signatory groups chastised the agency for its inability to deliver income collected from public and private institutions to creators. For full Press Release click here.
