FOCUS: Windsor goes virtual for Poetry at the Manor
L–R: Windsor’s 2020 poet laureates Samantha Badaoa, Marty Gervais and Mary Ann Mulhern (Photo courtesy City of Windsor)
Every year, area residents pile into Willistead Manor for an intimate night with poets laureate from across Canada. This year, residents will curl up on couches instead.
The City of Windsor is sharing volume eight of Poetry at the Manor online on Tues., Oct. 6 at 7 pm. The event is available to watch any time after it goes live.
“It’s a night for sharing poetry and stories,” explained Christopher Menard, cultural development coordinator for the City of Windsor. “This year, each poet takes centre stage, then talks about their inspiration, what they’ve been doing during the pandemic and what messages they have for their community.”
Poets laureate John Barton (Victoria, British Columbia), Jason Heroux (Kingston, Ontario) and Julie Pellissier-Lush (Prince Edward Island) read alongside Windsor’s Poet Laureate Mary Ann Mulhern, Youth Poet Laureate Samantha Badaoa and Poet Laureate Emeritus Marty Gervais.
The readings kick off with a welcome from Mayor Drew Dilkens and a drum storytelling performance by Sandwich Storyteller Teajai Travis. Later, Nadine Deleury, a cellist for the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, gives a musical performance in front of Willistead Manor.
Mayor Drew Dilkens spoke at Poetry at the Manor in 2019 (Photo courtesy City of Windsor)
With the pandemic, said Menard, “I truthfully thought Poetry at the Manor would not go forward. But Marty and Mary Ann really wanted to do it, so we decided on a virtual event.”
“There’s a different level of accessibility with doing it this way that I think opens it up to a broader audience,” said Menard. If you’re not a poetry fan, the event might surprise you.
“The writers bring stories from their own communities and lives and histories. We have not only diverse locations across Canada but also diverse poets themselves.”
“The work just speaks to everyone,” said Alicia Labbé, assistant to Marty Gervais at Black Moss Press.
“There’s a stigma around poetry,” she explained, “but it’s like music. There are so many different styles and formats. You just have to find a genre you like.”
This year’s poets are expected to draw a large crowd.
“Mary Ann did a poem about migrant workers, and Marty has been doing a lot of reflecting on nature and how it offers a respite during this time,” said Menard. “Those poems have upwards of 5,000 views, and we’ve seen that carry over to people waiting for Poetry at the Manor.”
Marty Gervais (R) and Alicia Labbé (L) at Poetry at the Manor in 2015 (Photo courtesy Alicia Labbé)
This isn’t a surprise; despite Willistead Manor’s small size, the event has drawn a large crowd each year. “From year one,” Menard said, “it’s been a packed house, standing room only with people of all ages on the staircase and the floor.”
Marty Gervais, Windsor’s first poet laureate, came up with the event.
“We wanted something that looked and felt like the old MTV Unplugged, where a musician would do an acoustic set, and people would sit on the floor, on pillows and on staircases and just kind of cram in and watch,” Menard said.
Labbé has helped organize the event for almost a decade, and its success has brought a number of memorable moments and challenges over the years.
“There’s always some kind of hiccup. One year, one of the poets missed his flight. When you get a phone call like that, it’s like, ‘Oh no, now what?’” Labbé said.
“Luckily,” she continued, “He was able to grab the next flight, and I brought him from the airport to Willistead Manor, suitcase and all. We’ve had some close calls like that over the years, but I’m happy to say that we’ve always gotten everyone there on time.”
Menard noted that doing the event virtually has its own challenges. “Performance-based art is meant to be consumed in person. We looked for innovative ways to do things, so this year’s event will be really unique.”
In fact, he added, “I just got to see an early cut of the full video—the poetry reading, the welcome and the cello performance. It’s really quite beautiful.”
Tune in to Mayor Drew Dilkens’ YouTube page or the Facebook pages for the City of Windsor, Museum Windsor or Black Moss Press
to catch the event.
